Along with new festive holiday lenses for Christmas, Snapchat has also released a new lens that lets you play a game with your face.
The game, which is featured within the app, is called Santa’s Helper. In it, your face is placed on an elf’s body as you try to slide down a snowy slope, collecting presents and ornaments, and dodging bunny rabbits that’ll try to punch you.
What does this new lens-based game mean for Snapchat? Is Snap getting serious about gaming? Though TechCrunch suggested Santa’s Helper is “the launch of a new, native games feature,” the game is unlikely to become the next Pokémon Go.
This isn’t the first time Snapchat’s experimented with a bit of in-app interactivity. In October, Snapchat had a lens that let a user bounce a ball on their head. Earlier this month, a lens transformed faces into puzzles.
Publishers and advertisers also have contributed games to the app. During the U.S. Open, ESPN’s Snapchat Discover channel featured a tennis game within a Gatorade ad. Another native game appeared on ESPN’s Snapchat Discover during a recent football game:
Snap declined to comment on why the company has introduced gaming and what it could add in the future.
But recent job postings point to further development of the app’s lenses and other augmented reality features. Snap seeks to hire people with experience in 3D design, animation, modeling, rigging and skinning experience.
Snap’s expansion comes after a big year for the company and ahead of its highly-anticipated public offering.
