As a gamer, it brings me a special sort of joy when I see the industry I love transcend into different platforms. While I thought the New York Times’ becoming agaming companywould be the end, it now seems even career websites want in on the action. In an attempt to ‘deepen and reignite relationships at work,’ LinkedIn is now diving into the gaming market by debutingthree new gamesacross its mobile and desktop platforms.
The newLinkedIn gamesare available on My Network and in the LinkedIn news area across mobile and desktop. They are calledPinpoint, Crossclimb, and Queensand are meant to ‘keep your mind sharp.’ The games target different areas of focus, including general ones like trivia and category. While I already have a job, I couldn’t resist peeking a gander at these games to see what’s what.
I began by playingPinpoint, which gave me a set of random clues and asked me to guess the overall category. It was almost comically funny as I played it since the game immediately took me back toNYT Connections. The game has been created byPaolo Pasco, LinkedIn’s newest Games Editor.
Call it extreme luck or smartness, but I guessed the game within two tries. Well, I don’t know about growing relationships, but I sure am crushing my LinkedIn connections. As in other games, you can share your score across platforms denoted by tiles, which is fun, too.
Crossclimb was definitely harder as the game not only wanted players to guess the words but also to rearrange them according to their word order and then guess the clues.CrossclimbQueens
However, the greatest difficulty came withQueens, where Crowns on a grid could not touch each other rows, colors, or even diagonally. Thankfully, you can play these games once a day. Otherwise, I would have lost my mind. Nonetheless, spending my 30 minutes going through these adventures was fun enough.
A Subtle but Shift Nonetheless
While I appreciate companies releasing different experiences on platforms, I cannot help but wonder if there is a subtle shift in balance. As more organizations cross borders into different industries, a new synergy is becoming more prevalent.
Whether it isLogitech’s AI mousethat combines AI and peripherals or NYT now coming on to gaming, I am kind of liking this change. After all, we all work better together, right? However, only time will tell if it’s for the better or the worse. On that note, I should get back to work now.
What about you? Have you tried the new games on LinkedIn yet? Let us know in the comments below!
Combining his love for Literature and Tech, Upanishad dived into the world of technology journalism with fire. Now he writes about anything and everything while keeping a keen eye on his first love of gaming. Often found chronically walking around the office.