Conversation might be losing its art in an increasingly digital world, so if you need a pick to break the ice, TableTopics might be your savior at an uncomfortably silent dinner table. Available for iPhone and iPod Touch, or in HD for an extra buck on iPad, TableTopics offers up a host of questions designed to jump-start your convos.
You wouldn’t think it from the blahness of TableTopics’ springboard icon, but the app is quite intelligently designed. The app capitalizes on the iDevice’s swiping interface, having users flick the cards off the pile to move through the questions (pulling down from the top of the screen brings back the previous topic). Where TableTopics excels in design, its biggest drawback is its price. For its $2.99 purchase price, users are only given two question packs. While the sets do offer 60 questions apiece, the four additional sets run $1.99 each, and are themed “First Date,” “In Flight,” “Gourmet” and “Go Green.”
The questions found in the included packs — “Starter Set” and “Happy Hour” — range from personal, like your last public embarrassment, to pop culture, like who should host the Oscars. I do like that users can choose to favorite or hide individual prompts, or save a response and the answerer’s name if it was particularly memorable. TableTopics also includes a make-your-own card section. The prompts can be viewed in stack card or list format, and there’s an option for shuffling a pack so you don’t get stuck in the same routine.
The price of TableTopics should deter most users (I snagged my download for 99 cents), but those with tied tongues should consider snagging the app if it goes on sale again.
