A popular multiplayer browser game with many fans worldwide, Draw Joust! gives kids the chance to unleash their inner battle-crafting talent by battling others online in hopes of becoming the most accomplished fighter. While the game does provide some excellent tutorials, many kids fall into the trap of using shortcuts and hoping to “win” the game rather than really getting into the competitive spirit. Here we take a closer look at the basics of this competitive game and learn how to create positive side goals for gameplay and victory.
The first major problem with Draw Joust! is that the competitive nature of the game is not well explained nor explained. Kids get very little guidance while they first begin playing – or at least after, which creates the whole experience of this game a bit confusing. No background or context is provided to help explain why you are fighting or what battles are taking place – and the how-to win or create goals for gameplay is also vague. For this reason, some parents have expressed concerns about the possibility of their children becoming too aggressive and damaging the quality of play with some of the more extreme moves they can make in this fast-paced game.
Drawing Joust! is a first-person shooter game that puts a player in the middle of a battlefield. Players use a variety of weapons (including bows, swords, staves, and guns) to try and destroy the enemies before they reach their goal. The first goal is simple: eliminate all the balloons!
Players begin the game by selecting gender and choosing a race: Humans or Dwarves. There is an optional “Hooks” button on the toolbar that can be used to trigger special actions – these include pulling the balloons over your head and pinning them to the ground or even trying to kill all the balloons once they’ve hit the ground! Different environments provide different challenges, too: the forest offers a challenging terrain to fight on, while the ocean offers underwater obstacles such as currents and sharks. After completing one mission, players move on to the next until they’ve completed all the missions.
Balloons can only be moved by using the arrow keys, so it’s up to the user to decide whether they want to try to get as many as possible. Some players may prefer to shoot their way through the crowds of balloons in order to score higher. If you’re playing with a group of friends, the first obstacle you’ll face is a battle with some balloons that you’ve planted on each corner of the map. You’ll have a limited amount of time to remove them before they pop up again, so timing your shot is extremely important.
During play, you will find that most games are played on a single game screen, although there are a few exceptions. For example, some Balloon Battle games let you change the playing field by moving the mouse over certain tiles. Other versions have you defending castles you already own instead of trying to defend an entire arena. The later game screens also allow you to view other players who are online at the same time as you, making this game great for multiplayer gaming.
Balloons come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and players are often required to use special effects in order to draw them in the right ways. There are a variety of tools available to help with drawing balloons, including the ballpoint pen, pencils, erasers, and highlighters. When playing on the keyboard, the mouse button will draw the balloons automatically, and you can shift the mouse to draw multiple shapes at once. In addition, holding down the Alt key will temporarily disable all other cursors on your keyboard, allowing you to concentrate on drawing the balloons!
Overall, this is a game that is challenging from the moment you start playing it. In fact, some of the later levels can be quite challenging because of the balloons you need to manage to draw and destroy. As you progress through the game, there are special rewards awarded based on how well you play the game. At the end of each level, there is usually a mini prize waiting for you, such as a code for an item or a discount on a future game! This is where I think the game really pays off! Not only does it have a lot of replayability, but it also has a competitive element that gets people talking while they play!
