Flappy Bird

Flappy Bird: Classic Side-Scroller Game

Flappy Bird is a side-scrolling mobile game released in 2013 where the player taps the screen to make a bird flap its wings and navigate between columns of pipes without hitting them. The simplistic yet challenging gameplay made it an unexpected viral hit.

What is Flappy Bird?

Flappy Bird is a side-scrolling mobile game developed and published by Vietnamese video game artist and programmer Dong Nguyen in 2013. The gameplay is simple yet challenging - the player taps the screen to make the bird (represented by a sprite of a bird with large eyes) flap its wings and fly between columns of green pipes without hitting them. With each tap, the bird flies up slightly and then descends again, and the player must time their taps to guide the bird through the gap between each set of pipes. As the game progresses, the pipes appear more frequently and at lower heights, increasing the difficulty.

Despite its very basic 2D pixel art graphics and one-tap gameplay, Flappy Bird became an unexpected viral hit when it was released. It was extensively shared and discussed on social media, and at one point was the most downloaded free game on the iOS App Store. Critics often highlighted its intentionally ugly visual design and high difficulty level that produced player frustration as elements behind its rise in popularity. However, this surprise popularity and some questionable usage also led Nguyen to unexpectedly take the game offline in 2014, adding to its notoriety and mythos.

Flappy Bird epitomized the random viral success that indie games could achieve in the early 2010s mobile gaming era. Its gameplay format inspired many clones seeking to emulate its sudden popularity. While no longer available from official stores, Flappy Bird remains a famous touchstone in mobile gaming history and the pervasive spread of difficult, addictive casual games.

Flappy Bird Features

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