Snapchat wants to let you play its augmented reality Lenses, not just play dress-up. Today it launched Snappables — AR games that use your touch, motion, and facial expressions to compete for high scores in literal head-to-head multiplayer matchups. Snappables live alongside Snapchat’s other lenses and are rolling out globally this week with new games released each week. These are Snapchat’s first collaborative or shared Lenses that let you interact with another friend on their own phone, which could open up new opportunities fro the app in the future.
Some of the first Snappables previewed by Snapchat include an Asteroids-style space shooter, a bubble gum popping contest, a weight lifting one you play by straining your forehead, and a kiss-blowing game.
The Killer Features blog first spotted Snappables in Snapchat’s code, though originally thought it was a collaborative Snap creation option. Snapchat acquired game engine PlayCanvas last month but it’s unclear if that contributed to the Snappables experience. The games look similar to Tribe’s multiplayer selfie video chat games we wrote about this month and predicted Snapchat would copy.
To play Snappables, you select one of the game Lenses from the Snapchat camera and then follow the on-screen instructions. Some you play solo and try to get the highest score, while others let you invite friends. You can send a Snap of you playing to a friend, which they can use to jump in and play too.
Snapchat could use Snappables to strengthen growth after years of battling Instagram for users, and a big redesign that’s received harsh reviews. Of course, Instagram probably won’t be far behind in offering games inside Stories.
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