--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "What Year Was It?" developer_entity: "Brian Simmons" bundle_id: "com.centrasoft.WhenWasIt" app_store_id: "6745128395" category: "Games" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Free" offline_capable: true market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS" app_last_updated: "2025-10-24" report_date: "2026-09-07" last_verified: "2026-09-07T00:00:00.000Z" report_version: "1.0.13" total_reviews: 22 overall_rating: 5 sentiment: "Thrilled" sentiment_score: 90 confidence: "medium" confidence_score: 0.5 top_praise_theme: "Humorous quips following each trivia answer keep the gameplay experience lighthearted and consistently entertaining for players" review_sample_size: 10 total_review_count: 10 analyzed_review_count: 10 data_age_days: 69 momentum_velocity: "zombie" intelligence_version: 3 tags: ["games", "free", "thrilled sentiment", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "history", "buffs", "trivia"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/apps/what-year-was-it" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" content_version: "v2" --- # What Year Was It? Intelligence Report ## TL;DR {#tldr} - **Category**: Games · Free - **Signal**: Rating 5 · Sentiment Thrilled - **Recent focus**: Humorous quips following each trivia answer keep the gameplay experience lighthearted and consistently entertaining for players (top praise) > **TL;DR:** What Year Was It? is a games app by Brian Simmons, rated 5/5 by 22 users, with Thrilled user sentiment (90/100), available on iOS. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** - Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** What Year Was It? maintains Thrilled user sentiment (5/5 from 22 reviews), with users consistently praising humorous quips following each trivia answer keep the gameplay experience lighthearted and consistently entertaining for players. ## Quick Facts | Fact | Value | | :--- | :--- | | **Rating** | 5/5 (22 reviews) | | **User Mood** | Thrilled | | **Category** | Games | | **Developer** | Brian Simmons | | **Pricing** | Free | | **Platforms** | iOS | | **Confidence** | Medium (0.5/1.0) | | **Data Age** | 69d | ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** Brian Simmons - **Category:** Games - **Target Audience:** History buffs and trivia enthusiasts seeking an ad-free, offline-capable knowledge challenge. - **Platforms:** iOS - **Version Reviewed:** 1.0.13 - **Report Date:** 2026-09-07 - **Signal Count:** 10 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** Medium (0.5/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 6745128395 - **Bundle ID:** com.centrasoft.WhenWasIt - **Performance Trend:** Stable - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-09-07 ## Executive Snapshot **What it is:** What Year Was It? is a trivia game for history and pop culture enthusiasts, available on iOS as an offline-capable, ad-free experience. **Why users hire it:** The app serves users who want a distraction-free, privacy-focused knowledge challenge without the connectivity requirements or ad-interruptions common in mainstream trivia titles. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Standard] Trivia Database:** Thousands of questions covering history, pop culture, sports, and science. - **[Differentiator] Wiki Hints:** In-game help system providing external context for trivia answers. * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features. - **[Differentiator] Offline Play:** Full game functionality without requiring an active internet connection. * *User Intent:* Users want uninterrupted access without internet dependency. ## Market Position {#market-position} What Year Was It? occupies a niche, ad-free position in the Games category, maintaining a 5.0-star rating across 22 reviews. The lack of updates for over 10 months suggests a static position that does not compete for chart-topping velocity. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Free - **Tiers:** Free access to all features - **Analysis:** The app operates on a completely free model with no ads or tracking, prioritizing user acquisition and brand authority over direct monetization. ## 🟢 User Sentiment (Medium Confidence: 10 of 10 reviews analyzed) {#user-sentiment} - **Overall Rating:** 5/5 - **Platform Split:** iOS 5.0/5 (22 ratings) - **Overall Sentiment:** Thrilled ### Top Praises - **Humorous quips following each trivia answer keep the gameplay experience lighthearted and consistently entertaining for players** - **Granular category and era filtering allows history enthusiasts to customize their trivia sessions to personal interests** - **Broad database of historical questions provides a challenging and educational experience for users of all ages** ## SWOT Analysis {#swot} **Core Strengths:** - Offline-first architecture removes connectivity dependencies. - Ad-free, tracker-free model builds high trust with privacy-conscious users. **Growth Levers:** - Introduce a decade-based filter to satisfy top user requests. ## Recent Changes (v2 → v3) {#recent-changes} The app remains in a maintenance-only state with no functional updates, but the competitive narrative has shifted to emphasize privacy and offline-first utility against social-heavy trivia rivals. **Overall trend**: Stable **Compared at**: 2026-09-07 ### High-impact changes - **[Shifted] Privacy-First Competitive Framing** (positioning) ### Medium-impact changes - **[Added] Formalized Maintenance Risks** (swot) - **[Added] Social Leaderboard Gap** (features) ## What's New - **Latest (v1.0.13, 10 months ago):** Expanded the game database with over 150 new events. ## App Momentum (Zombie) {#momentum} - Quiet 10 months, no feature releases. - Last major release October 2025. > **Cadence:** 1 total versions · 1 majors in last 6 months · 317 days since last update ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} What Year Was It? is a market-leading games app that is completely free. With a 5/5 rating from 22 reviews, it delivers strong user satisfaction. > **Bottom Line:** What Year Was It? maintains a loyal niche through its ad-free design, but the 10-month development silence threatens its long-term relevance. A targeted update adding decade-based filtering would address the primary user request and demonstrate that the product is not abandoned. **Best for:** History buffs and trivia enthusiasts seeking an ad-free, offline-capable knowledge challenge. ### PM Action Plan (Next Best Moves) - [ ] [INVEST] Ship decade-based filtering because it is the top-requested feature in reviews → increase user engagement ### Feature Gaps vs Competitors - Social leaderboards (available in Trivia Crack but absent here) ### Outlook: Stable The trivia market is consolidating around apps with frequent live-ops and social features, leaving What Year Was It? in a static, albeit high-trust, position. Without a return to a regular update cadence, the app will likely see a slow decline in relevance as the content database ages. - 🔴 The 10-month development silence suggests a maintenance-only posture, which risks losing the current user base to more active trivia competitors. - 🟢 The 5.0-star rating indicates high satisfaction with the core trivia database, providing a solid foundation for future feature expansion. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 5/5 | | Total Reviews | 22 | | Sentiment | Thrilled (90/100) | | Confidence | Medium | | Pricing Model | Free | | Platforms | iOS | | Key Features | 3 analyzed | | Trend | Stable | | Outlook | Stable | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **What Year Was It?** (this app) | 5/5 | Thrilled | Brian Simmons | | [Bingo Cash - Win Real Money](https://marlvel.ai/apps/bingo-cash) | 4.7/5 | Excited | Papaya Gaming | | [Royal Match](https://marlvel.ai/apps/royal-match) | 4.7/5 | n/a | Dream Games | | [Archero](https://marlvel.ai/apps/archero) | 4.5/5 | N/A | HABBY | | [Bejeweled Blitz](https://marlvel.ai/apps/bejeweled-blitz) | 3.3/5 | n/a | PopCap | | [Brawl Stars](https://marlvel.ai/apps/brawl-stars) | 4.5/5 | n/a | Supercell | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** Brian Simmons - **Website:** [https://www.centrasoft.com/yearapp/index.html](https://www.centrasoft.com/yearapp/index.html) ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store ID:** 6745128395 - **Dev Site:** [Official Website](https://www.centrasoft.com/yearapp/index.html) - **Sources:** Developer website content, App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*Bingo Cash - Win Real Money*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/bingo-cash) (Papaya Gaming) · 4.7/5 Rating | Positive Sentiment - [*Royal Match*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/royal-match) (Dream Games) · 4.7/5 Rating - [*Archero*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/archero) (HABBY) · 4.5/5 Rating - [*Bejeweled Blitz*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/bejeweled-blitz) (PopCap) · 3.3/5 Rating - [*Brawl Stars*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/brawl-stars) (Supercell) · 4.5/5 Rating - [*Golf Battle*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/golf-battle) (Miniclip.com) · 4.7/5 Rating - [*Hole.io*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/hole-io) (Voodoo) · 3.9/5 Rating - [*Partymasters - Fun Idle Game*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/partymasters-fun-idle-game) (AI Games FZ) · 4.5/5 Rating | Positive Sentiment - [*Stumble Guys*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/stumble-guys) (Scopely, Inc.) · 4.6/5 Rating - [*Temple Run*](https://marlvel.ai/apps/temple-run) (Imangi Studios, LLC) · 4.3/5 Rating ## Frequently Asked Questions {#faq} ### Is What Year Was It? suitable for casual players? Yes, the app is designed for trivia lovers of all levels, featuring multiple-choice answers that make it accessible for casual play. ### How does What Year Was It? compare to Trivia Crack? What Year Was It? focuses on a private, ad-free, offline experience, whereas Trivia Crack relies on social connectivity and frequent online-only events. ### Does the app contain ads or tracking? No, the app is marketed as completely ad-free and does not track user data, prioritizing a private experience. ### What is a good alternative for social trivia? If you prefer social features and competitive leaderboards, Trivia Crack is a widely used alternative in the trivia category. ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 5-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Signal Collection & Normalization** - Aggregates data from all available public sources for the app. Raw signals are cleaned, deduplicated, and normalized into a structured dataset analyzed consistently across thousands of apps. 2. **Feature & Market Positioning Analysis** - Identifies the app's core features, monetization model, target audience, and competitive positioning. Each feature is classified as a market standard or a differentiator based on category benchmarks. 3. **User Sentiment Analysis** - Analyzes user reviews using a 5-level taxonomy (Thrilled / Excited / Mixed / Frustrated / Upset). Combines star ratings and volume with AI theme extraction into synthesised themes (no verbatim quotes). 4. **Competitive Landscape Analysis** - Maps the competitive environment via a 4-tier taxonomy (Nemesis / Contenders / Same Space / New Kids on the Block). Prioritizes same sub-genre over broad category. 5. **Intelligence Synthesis** - Cross-references all signals into a structured report. Compares the app against category peers and direct competitors to surface SWOT, market outlook, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.5/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 10 - **Data Sources:** user reviews, developer website, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 69 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/apps/what-year-was-it) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.