LinkedIn has recently introduced three new games to its platform – Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb. These games are designed to be solved in just a few minutes and feature a daily puzzle and solution. After playing, users can see which of their connections have also played that day, and their results will be tallied up on a company and school leaderboard. The aim of these games is to create connections and conversations among fellow alumni and coworkers, reflecting the changing ways people connect in the world of work.
The move by LinkedIn to add games to its platform comes as The New York Times continues to expand its game repertoire. Wordle, in particular, has gained popularity in recent years, leading to a surge of copycat games. LinkedIn’s games can be found in the News module on users’ homepages or the MyNetwork tab. The games include Pinpoint, a word grouping game with a countdown clock, Queens, which is similar to sudoku and Minesweeper, and Crossclimb, which uses word description and spelling clues to unlock two final clues.
Pinpoint involves guessing a common category based on five hidden clues, with each incorrect guess revealing the next clue. Queens requires placing one “queen” in each row, column, and color region without them touching each other. Crossclimb uses word description and spelling clues to create a ladder that unlocks the final clues. These games offer users a fun and interactive way to engage with their connections on LinkedIn while also challenging their problem-solving skills in a short amount of time.
LinkedIn’s Director of Product Management, Lakshman Somasundaram, emphasized that games are all about connection for the platform. As the world of work has evolved over the past 20 years since LinkedIn’s founding, so has the way people connect with each other. By adding games to its platform, LinkedIn aims to provide users with a new way to engage with their connections and spark conversations with colleagues and fellow alumni. The integration of games into the platform reflects a broader trend of gamification in various digital spaces and social networks.
Overall, the introduction of games like Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb to LinkedIn’s platform represents a shift towards providing users with more interactive and engaging content. These games offer a brief yet challenging distraction for users while also fostering connections and conversations among their professional networks. As the world of work continues to change, platforms like LinkedIn are adapting to provide users with new ways to engage and connect with each other in a virtual setting.