The Moron Test
Encyclopedia
The Moron Test is a mobile
brain teasing
game developed and published by DistinctDev, Inc. for the iOS and Android platforms, and is one of the best selling iPhone
applications of all-time. The Moron Test was initially released on April 20, 2009 for iOS and was released for Android on May 13, 2010. Its format is inspired by IQ tests that pose seemingly simple questions in order to extrapolate broad indices of intelligence. Upon its initial release on iTunes
, The Moron Test became the #1 top selling app in the US App Store. Since then, the app has repeatedly reached a Top 10 Overall ranking and has been in the Top 100 Overall apps for over 450 consecutive days in the US App Store. On September 10, 2010, DistinctDev released The Moron Test: Section 1, a free version of the game on iOS, offering the "Old School" section. Two months after the Android platform launch, the free version received more than 700,000 downloads, the paid version became the 9th most downloaded Paid Game with over 65,000 downloads on the Android Market.
Recently Distinct Dev also released a version for Nokia
Symbian
phones on the Ovi Store.
The Moron Test currently has five sections: Old School, Late Registration, Winter Break, Food Fight, and Ooga School. The latest iOS version of the Moron Test also includes an in-app purchase for the Extra Credit section, Flying Colors.
s to complete or questions to answer. The tasks increase in difficulty, challenging players to identify the correct responses under abnormal and deceptive circumstances. Depending on how many correct answers they can give without making more than three mistakes, players are awarded one of seven rankings. Failing before the first checkpoint earns a “Moron” title and completing an entire section earns a “Genius” rank.
s when making decisions. “In psychology
, heuristics are simple, efficient rules, hard-coded by evolutionary processes or learned, which have been proposed to explain how people make decisions, come to judgments, and solve problems, typically when facing complex problems or incomplete information. These rules work well under most circumstances, but in certain cases lead to systematic error
s or cognitive bias
es.”
s to progress. The objects that are used in this section are elementary school
themed, featuring planets and math symbols. In this section of the Moron Test, the Rubber Duck, the Bee, the Mouse, and the Angry Duck are introduced.
in 2009. Players are introduced to the Disassembled Snowman and the Penguins. Many of tasks in this section are winter
-themed, such as saving characters that are trapped in ice.
, Section 4 adds flying food being thrown across the screen as an added distraction. In this section, players can turn on a black light
, revealing hidden instructions and objects.
The Android version of The Moron test included Old School, Late Registration, and Winter Break when it was launched on May 13, 2010. Food Fight was the first section to launch simultaneously on both platforms.
to the iOS version of the game.
OpenFeint
allows players to submit their fastest finish times to Global Leaderboards and compare their times with friends. On September 15, 2010, DistinctDev announced OpenFeint integration for The Moron Test on Android. This introduced the same social features as the iOS version: friends lists, chat room
s, leaderboard
s, and achievements.
"DistinctDev has demonstrated that they have a keen awareness of what makes a game a hit, regardless of the platform." -Eros Resmini, VP of Marketing at Aurora Feint
.
, CNET gave it a 3.5/5 stars , MacWorld gave it a 4.5 out of 5 mice and 148apps.com gave it a 3/5 stars, while calling it “surprisingly entertaining”.
Wired.com readers voted The Moron Test as their #2 Favorite App of 2009.
"The title has enjoyed success on both platforms, it's aforementioned Android total making it the 9th most popular paid app on Android Market
, the iOS release having snatched the top spot on the US App Store at launch."
Mobile game
A mobile game is a video game played on a mobile phone, smartphone, PDA, tablet computer or portable media player. This does not include games played on handheld video game systems such as Nintendo DS or PlayStation Portable....
brain teasing
Brain teaser
A brain teaser is a form of puzzle that requires thought to solve. It often requires thinking in unconventional ways with given constraints in mind; sometimes it also involves lateral thinking. Logic puzzles and riddles are specific types of brain teasers....
game developed and published by DistinctDev, Inc. for the iOS and Android platforms, and is one of the best selling iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
applications of all-time. The Moron Test was initially released on April 20, 2009 for iOS and was released for Android on May 13, 2010. Its format is inspired by IQ tests that pose seemingly simple questions in order to extrapolate broad indices of intelligence. Upon its initial release on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, The Moron Test became the #1 top selling app in the US App Store. Since then, the app has repeatedly reached a Top 10 Overall ranking and has been in the Top 100 Overall apps for over 450 consecutive days in the US App Store. On September 10, 2010, DistinctDev released The Moron Test: Section 1, a free version of the game on iOS, offering the "Old School" section. Two months after the Android platform launch, the free version received more than 700,000 downloads, the paid version became the 9th most downloaded Paid Game with over 65,000 downloads on the Android Market.
Recently Distinct Dev also released a version for Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
Symbian
Symbian
Symbian is a mobile operating system and computing platform designed for smartphones and currently maintained by Accenture. The Symbian platform is the successor to Symbian OS and Nokia Series 60; unlike Symbian OS, which needed an additional user interface system, Symbian includes a user...
phones on the Ovi Store.
The Moron Test currently has five sections: Old School, Late Registration, Winter Break, Food Fight, and Ooga School. The latest iOS version of the Moron Test also includes an in-app purchase for the Extra Credit section, Flying Colors.
Gameplay
In The Moron Test, players are given a scripted series of seemingly simple taskTask
Task may refer to:* Task analysis* Task * Task , in computing, a program execution context* TASK party, a series of improvisational participatory art-related events organized by artist Oliver Herring...
s to complete or questions to answer. The tasks increase in difficulty, challenging players to identify the correct responses under abnormal and deceptive circumstances. Depending on how many correct answers they can give without making more than three mistakes, players are awarded one of seven rankings. Failing before the first checkpoint earns a “Moron” title and completing an entire section earns a “Genius” rank.
Rounds and Rankings
Players are given a rank after completing each round:- Round 1: You Have a Pulse
- Round 2: Bonehead
- Round 3: Average Mammal
- Round 4: Slightly Smart
- Round 5: Somewhat Intelligent
- Round 6: Genius
Question Types
Each Section has 100+ steps and 45+ tasks consisting of the following question types:- Calculations
- Matching
- Memorizing
- Identifying
Psychological Principles
The Moron Test exploits the human tendency to rely on heuristicHeuristic
Heuristic refers to experience-based techniques for problem solving, learning, and discovery. Heuristic methods are used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution, where an exhaustive search is impractical...
s when making decisions. “In psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, heuristics are simple, efficient rules, hard-coded by evolutionary processes or learned, which have been proposed to explain how people make decisions, come to judgments, and solve problems, typically when facing complex problems or incomplete information. These rules work well under most circumstances, but in certain cases lead to systematic error
Systematic error
Systematic errors are biases in measurement which lead to the situation where the mean of many separate measurements differs significantly from the actual value of the measured attribute. All measurements are prone to systematic errors, often of several different types...
s or cognitive bias
Cognitive bias
A cognitive bias is a pattern of deviation in judgment that occurs in particular situations. Implicit in the concept of a "pattern of deviation" is a standard of comparison; this may be the judgment of people outside those particular situations, or may be a set of independently verifiable...
es.”
Old School
Old School was the only section of the game included at the launch of the iOS version of the Moron Test. Players must carefully follow the instructions written on digital index cardIndex card
An index card consists of heavy paper stock cut to a standard size, used for recording and storing small amounts of discrete data. It was invented by Carl Linnaeus, around 1760....
s to progress. The objects that are used in this section are elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
themed, featuring planets and math symbols. In this section of the Moron Test, the Rubber Duck, the Bee, the Mouse, and the Angry Duck are introduced.
Late Registration
Late Registration was added in iOS version 2.0, updating the game with new question types and introducing new characters to the game: the Green Frog, the Giraffe, and the Turtle. This update also introduced the “Grey Card”, which contains misleading instructions that are not to be followed.Winter Break
Winter Break was added in iOS Version 3.0, was released four days before ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in 2009. Players are introduced to the Disassembled Snowman and the Penguins. Many of tasks in this section are winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
-themed, such as saving characters that are trapped in ice.
Food Fight
Food Fight, added in iOS Version 4.0, introduced several new characters, including the Monkey, the Snake, and the Lady Bug. Set in the midst of a cafeteria food fightFood fight
A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made to harm or damage others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food throwing. Food fights may be impromptu examples of rebellion or...
, Section 4 adds flying food being thrown across the screen as an added distraction. In this section, players can turn on a black light
Black light
A black light, also referred to as a UV light, ultraviolet light, or Wood's lamp, is a lamp that emits ultraviolet radiation in the long-wave range, and little visible light...
, revealing hidden instructions and objects.
Extra Credit: Flying Colors
Flying Colors (Extra Credit Expansion Pack) was added in iOS Version 4.0 includes three mini-games that test the players’ speed, memory, and reflexes, respectively. It is available through in-app purchase for $0.99.The Android version of The Moron test included Old School, Late Registration, and Winter Break when it was launched on May 13, 2010. Food Fight was the first section to launch simultaneously on both platforms.
Characters
| Section | First Appearance of Characters |
|---|---|
| Old School |
|
| Late Registration |
|
| Winter Break |
|
| Food Fight |
|
OpenFeint
With the “Food Fight” update of The Moron Test on July 24, 2010, DistinctDev added the social platform OpenFeintOpenFeint
OpenFeint is a social platform and application for the iOS and recently also available for Android. It was developed by Aurora Feint, a company named after the video game of the same name, by the same developers. It is used by multiple iPhone applications...
to the iOS version of the game.
OpenFeint
OpenFeint
OpenFeint is a social platform and application for the iOS and recently also available for Android. It was developed by Aurora Feint, a company named after the video game of the same name, by the same developers. It is used by multiple iPhone applications...
allows players to submit their fastest finish times to Global Leaderboards and compare their times with friends. On September 15, 2010, DistinctDev announced OpenFeint integration for The Moron Test on Android. This introduced the same social features as the iOS version: friends lists, chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
s, leaderboard
Leaderboard
Leaderboard is a series of golf simulation video games that was developed by Bruce and Roger Carver, and published by Access Software.-Summary:thumb|left|Teeing off on the first hole ....
s, and achievements.
"DistinctDev has demonstrated that they have a keen awareness of what makes a game a hit, regardless of the platform." -Eros Resmini, VP of Marketing at Aurora Feint
Aurora feint
Aurora Feint is a video game series developed by Danielle Cassley and Jason Citron for iOS. Aurora Feint The Beginning was released in the first wave of App Store applications in July 2008 and is a free single-player game which combines the geometric shape manipulation of Tetris Attack with the...
.
Reception
The game has received mixed, but generally positive reviews. BrightHub.com gave it a 4/5, CNET gave it a 3.5/5 stars , MacWorld gave it a 4.5 out of 5 mice and 148apps.com gave it a 3/5 stars, while calling it “surprisingly entertaining”.
Wired.com readers voted The Moron Test as their #2 Favorite App of 2009.
"The title has enjoyed success on both platforms, it's aforementioned Android total making it the 9th most popular paid app on Android Market
Android Market
Android Market is an online software store developed by Google for Android OS devices. Its gateway is an application program called "Market", preinstalled on most Android devices, allows users to browse and download mobile apps published by third-party developers...
, the iOS release having snatched the top spot on the US App Store at launch."
Price
The price for both iOS and Android versions of The Moron Test is $0.99. The iOS version 4.0 of the game introduced the first “Extra Credit” series of mini-games, available as a $0.99 in-app purchase called “Flying Colors”. The Moron Test: Section 1 for iOS is available for free in the iTunes store. The Moron Test: Section 1 is available for free on the Android Market.iOS
| Date | Version | Section | Updates |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2009 | Initial Release Version 1.0 | Old School | Initial Release |
| May 8, 2009 | Version 1.1 | Old School | Added a checkpoint halfway |
| July 1, 2009 | Version 1.2 | Old School | Updated with checkpoints at every level, added “final question”, post your scores to Facebook |
| October 31, 2009 | Version 2.0 | Late Registration | New question types, new characters and sounds, new menu and settings, high score saved, share best times on Facebook |
| December 21, 2009 | Version 3.0 | Winter Break | Winter themed section was added with 100+ additional steps |
| July 24, 2010 | Version 4.0 | Food Fight | Added over 45 questions and 100+ new steps with new question types and game mechanics, OpenFeint integration added achievements and global leader-boards, "Extra Credit" was made available through in-app purchase: "Flying Colors"(set of 3 mini-games that test speed, memory, and reflexes) offered for $0.99., new characters (Even a "Dow", a dog-like cow that sniffs, barks, and growls.) |
| September 13, 2010 | Initial Release Version 1.0 | The Moron Test Lite | "Old School" Section Available for Free |
| October 1, 2010 | Version 1.01 | The Moron Test: Section 1 | Name Change |
Android
| Date | Version |
|---|---|
| May 13, 2010 | Initial Release: Version 1.0 |
| July 12, 2010 | Version 1.1 |
| July 24, 2010 | Version 2.0 |
| July 31, 2010 | Version 2.1 |
| August 10, 2010 | Version 2.2 |
| August 18, 2010 | Version 2.3 |
| September 15, 2010 | OpenFeint Integration |
| August 24, 2011 | Version 3.0 with new "Skip Days" section |