Volley - Jeopardy! & Wheel of Fortune gives you a Roku-based experience based on these popular game shows. (Karaoke is coming in December and Song Quiz is promised for Spring 2024.) But both currently-available games suffer from major problems that should persuade not to subscribe, even if the $10/month subscription fee isn't enough to scare you off.
But first a little bit about how the games are played on Roku. To begin, you should know that a smartphone is required to play. When you start to play either game you will be shown a QR code to scan with your phone. This loads a web page, so at least you don't have to download and install an app, but you do have to repeat this every time you play. The website is your interface with the games, and you'll use your phone to press a button or to speak an answer.
In Jeopardy! you play against two (presumably) computer-generated opponents. When it's your turn you will be prompted to press the button on the web page on your phone and speak the category and amount. The button also acts as the buzzer, and you'll continue to hold it to speak your answer.
When playing WoF, it's just you with no opponents. You'll be prompted to press the button shown on your phone and say "spin" - although the game sometimes gets confused and tells you to press the OK button, which would be a reference to your Roku remote, not your phone. After the wheel spins, you press the button on your phone and speak a consonant. After finding whether your letter is on the board, you're prompted to say "Spin", "Buy a vowel", or "Solve". And this is where we run into the game's major failures.
The phone interface with voice recognition is a novel approach to Roku games. Unfortunately, the voice recognition cannot tell the difference between "B" and "D". I tried a half-dozen times to pick a "D" but the game's announcer, who sounds like a bored high school student, told me every time that "B has already been selected." In another game I tried "S" but the announcer kept telling me to pick a letter, then after a few tries the game just quit responding to anything I said to the phone. During another game, the phone quit responding to the game.
Jeopardy! also has a fatal flaw. I made it to Final Jeopardy with the highest winnings, and I wagered $100 with the response "What is South Korea?" My opponent Luca gave the same response and was told that was correct. However, the game's announcer told me "You answered 'South Korea?" That is wrong. The correct answer is 'South Korea.' You lose $200." Huh?
This Volley app doesn't offer any type of limited play for free as many other Roku games do. But if you want to see if your results are different, you do get a 7-day free trial when you subscribe; you just need to cancel at my.roku.com before the trial is up to avoid a non-refundable charge.
-- Information is current as of November 16, 2023
CHANNEL STORE DESCRIPTION: Jeopardy!: TM & © 2023 Jeopardy Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wheel of Fortune © 2023 Califron Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CHANNEL STORE CATEGORY: Games
DEVELOPER: Volley Inc
FEES: $9.99/month after 7-day free trial; subscribe in-channel. Visit my.roku.com to manage and turn off auto-renew subscriptions to avoid non-refundable charges.
