Heads Up! Review

Ellen is one of the funniest people on the planet, and now she has given us one of the most fun party games ever. In Heads Up! players use their teammates' clues to guess the word that's on the screen that's held up to their forehead. We have seen similar games before, but this one offers some unique features that make it really stand out.

What makes this gameplay unique are the controls and video creation features. After choosing a category players hold up their device to their forehead with the screen facing out toward the other players. Teammates see the words and provide clues so the player can guess correctly. If a correct guess is made, the player turns the device face down to mark it as correct and bring up a new card. Players may pass a word by turning the device facing up above their head. These movements alone are fun to do and even more fun to watch other players do.

Another unique feature is that, during the entire game, the iPhone or iPad is recording video of the players trying to give clues. From other similar experiences, we all know how animated people can get during these games. At the end, players can view the video and share it with others. These videos are hilarious to watch, making this a key feature of the app.

Even though this really is a fantastic app, there are just a couple of concerns that need to be mentioned. First, there doesn't seem to be any way of keeping score after each game. The app displays how many were answered correctly, but it's the player's job to keep a running score for each team. Also, even with the additional categories to purchase, there aren't any categories exclusively for kids. Maybe a Disney or cartoon category would be fun for the younger players. Finally, the App Store description is a bit deceiving, stating that there are eighteen decks available. There are actually only seven decks that come with the $0.99 price tag. The other eleven decks are in-app purchases for a dollar each.

Heads Up! is absolutely one of the best party games available for iOS. It's simple, fun, and offers some unique features unavailable in any other app. I strongly recommend trying this one out.