Answers.com launches blufr, social trivia

Q&A Web site Answers.com launched Tuesday an iPhone app called blufr, a social trivia game powered by information from Answers.com.

The free App Store game, which can also be played in a Web-based version, cycles through thousands of unpredictable facts like “Paired with dancer Anna Trebunskaya, Former San Francisco 49er Jerry Rice won the Dancing with the Stars title in 2006” or      “The origin of the word 'school' is 'leisure,’” to which the user must either respond “way!” (denoting a true fact) or “no way!” (false).

When a user answers a “bluf” incorrectly, the game announces, “You got bluf’d!”

"blufr is a fresh, fun way to consume information,” said CEO Bob Rosenschein, “in the same way we already excel as a Q&A community and reference resource, we look forward to providing iPhone, Web, and eventually Facebook users with an entertaining trivia game, supplied with content from Answers.com.”

A Facebook version of blufr is currently in development.

By allowing users to register for blufr with either a Facebook or Twitter ID right from the get-go, Answers.com should have little trouble encouraging users to share their scores socially. Better players will move up in the ranks (by location, category, or friend circle) and earn awards or badges.

Future versions of blufr will incorporate real-time competitive gaming.