''Dots'' is a free mobile game produced by

Betaworks Betaworks is an American startup studio and seed stage venture capital company based in New York City that invests in network-focused, consumer-facing media businesses. Its hybrid investor/builder model has led to both investments in fast-grow ...

and developed at American studio Playdots, Inc. It was released on April 30, 2013 for iOS and on August 15, 2013 for

Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...

. It has both a single player and online multiplayer modes. A single-player sequel, Two Dots, was released on May 29, 2014. Dots gameplay

Dots was initially produced as a test project examining user interaction with the iOS interface. Within a week after release, it was downloaded more than 1 million times and was the top free app in eight countries. Within two weeks, it had been downloaded 2 million times and users had played approximately 100 million games.

Reception

Coverage in the tech press focused on the game's simplicity and addictiveness. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' cited the simple interface as a good example of flat design and highlighted the creators' focus on "design with a big D". In an interview with

Mashable Mashable is a digital media platform, news website and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005. History Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2005. Early iterations of the site were ...

, the creators suggested that Dots provides a test case for increasing user engagement, and that lessons learned through the app may be applied to other Betaworks properties such as

Tapestry (app) Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may b ...

Digg Digg, stylized in lowercase as digg, is an American news aggregator with a curated front page, aiming to select stories specifically for the Internet audience such as science, trending political issues, and viral Internet issues. It was launche ...

. In another interview with ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

''s

AllThingsD AllThingsD.com was a US online publication that specialized in technology and startup company news, analysis and coverage. It was founded in 2007 by Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg, as an extension of the annual meetings ''D: All Things Digital C ...

, the creators commented that they are focused on the user experience, not monetization. It was awarded best game on handheld devices and best visual design for the

2014 Webby Awards The 18th annual Webby Awards for 2014 was held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on May 19, 2014, which was hosted by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt. The awards ceremony was streamed live at the Webby Awards website. Lifetime Achievement w ...

.Webby Award search for Dots
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References

2013 video games Android (operating system) games IOS games Puzzle video games Take-Two Interactive games Video games developed in the United States {{Puzzle-videogame-stub