Snapplings

About Snapplings

Snapplings turns photographs of real things into made-up creatures. You point your camera at an object, and within a few seconds the game gives back an illustrated creature with a name, a type, a rarity, four stats and a line of lore. Two photos of the same kind of thing never give the same creature, so a sponge on one kitchen counter and a sponge on another come out as different animals.

The daily part is the Daily Object. Every day the game names one ordinary thing, the same for every player: a piece of paper, a mug, a jar, a candle. You find one at home, snap it, and your creature joins that day's wall, ordered best first. Other players tap a heart to vote, and the creature with the most votes is crowned at midnight Eastern Time. The previous day's winner stays on show at the top of the next wall, and catching the object each day keeps a streak going.

Outside the daily object you can photograph anything you like and build a collection. The app adds fusing two creatures into a rarer one, a Dex of realms and types to fill, a weekly leaderboard, trading and gifting with friends, battles and printed merch. According to the developer, your photo is used once to work out what it shows and is not stored or shown on the wall; only the creature art goes up.

The game is by David Perkins. It plays free in a mobile browser with no sign-up, and as apps for iPhone, iPad and Android, with optional in-app purchases of a currency called Sparks. The site describes itself as having no feed, no followers and no chat. The App Store listing announces a Halloween Week from October 25, with a spooky object each day.

It suits players who like a short daily ritual that is not a quiz or a word puzzle: there is no right answer, only the fun of seeing what an ordinary object becomes and how it compares with everyone else's.

How to play Snapplings

1. Open snapplings.com/daily on your phone, or the Snapplings app, to see today's object.
2. Find that object around you and tap Snap to open your camera, or drop in a photo of it.
3. Wait a few seconds while the game paints your creature, with its name, type, rarity and stats.
4. Your creature goes up on today's wall alongside everyone else's.
5. Tap the heart on the creatures you like best to vote; the winner is crowned at midnight Eastern Time.
6. Come back the next day for a new object to keep your streak going.

Screenshots

Tips

• Fill the frame with the object and use good light: the game works out what you photographed before it paints the creature.
• Check yesterday's winner at the top of the wall to see what kinds of creature draw votes.
• Share the wall link with friends so they can vote for your creature before midnight Eastern Time.

Questions