The game where you play as a bird is likely referring to the popular mobile game Flappy Bird. Flappy Bird is an arcade-style game originally released in 2013 by developer Dong Nguyen. In the game, the player controls a bird by tapping the screen to make it flap its wings and fly between columns of pipes without hitting them. The simplistic yet challenging gameplay made Flappy Bird an unexpected viral hit, reaching #1 on the App Store charts in early 2014. However, its popularity was short-lived, as Nguyen removed Flappy Bird from app stores that same year. Still, Flappy Bird remains one of the most well-known casual mobile games of the early 2010s.
Gameplay
Flappy Bird features very simple tap-to-play mechanics. The player controls a bird that moves continuously to the right on the screen. By tapping the screen, the player makes the bird flap its wings and fly slightly upwards. There are rows of pipes that have openings between them as they scroll across from right to left. The player must time their screen taps to guide the bird through these openings without hitting the pipes. Each successful pass through a pair of pipes scores 1 point. If the bird hits a pipe or the ground, the game ends. The next game starts with a tap on the screen.
The pipes are randomly generated at different heights each time, so the player must react quickly to guide the bird through safely. As the score increases, the pipes appear more frequently and at more unpredictable heights, making the game progressively harder. The simplistic graphics and one-touch controls made Flappy Bird easy to pick up but extremely challenging to master.
Release and Popularity
Flappy Bird was originally released on May 24, 2013 by indie developer Dong Nguyen of dotGEARS studios. The game was available as a free download for iOS and Android devices. For several months after launch, Flappy Bird received little attention. However, by early 2014, the game unexpectedly started gaining popularity as a difficult yet addictive time-waster. By January 2014, Flappy Bird had reached the #1 free app spot on the App Store in over 100 countries. At its peak, it was reportedly earning $50,000 a day in revenue from in-app ads.
Several factors contributed to Flappy Bird’s sudden viral success. Its simplistic graphics and difficult gameplay made it appealing to casual gamers looking for a short, challenging diversion. It was also released around the same time as hit mobile games like Candy Crush Saga that prioritized addictive gameplay over complex graphics. Additionally, some people and media outlets speculated that unspecified game elements were designed to trigger psychological addiction – however, no conclusive evidence supports these accusations.
Removal from App Stores
On February 8, 2014, developer Dong Nguyen made the sudden decision to remove Flappy Bird from both the App Store and Google Play, tweeting “I cannot take this anymore.” Media outlets reported that Nguyen was distressed by the game’s unexpected popularity and unwanted media spotlight. He also faced allegations of copying art assets and gameplay elements from other games. While Nguyen denied the accusations, he still chose to take the game down at the peak of its fame.
For several months after removal, Flappy Bird remained highly sought after. Phones with Flappy Bird installed were put up for sale for high prices on eBay. Several clone versions of the game were also created to try and fill the void. However, none quite matched the original Flappy Bird’s viral popularity. Dong Nguyen did eventually release an updated version called Flappy Birds Family in August 2014. This retained the original gameplay but with new graphics and multiplayer features. However, it did not recapture the initial viral frenzy.
Game Features and Elements
Here are some key features and elements of the Flappy Bird gameplay:
– One-tap controls: Only tapping the screen makes the bird flap and fly upwards. This simple control scheme makes it accessible but hard to master.
– Side-scrolling pipes: Rows of green pipes with varying gaps scroll from right to left across the screen. Players must navigate the bird through the gaps.
– Retro pixel art graphics: The game uses simple, blocky pixel art for a retro look. This allows it to render well on a range of mobile devices.
– Randomized pipe heights: The vertical gap between pipe pairs is randomly generated each time for unpredictability.
– Gradual difficulty increase: Pipes appear slightly more frequently and with narrower gaps as the score increases. This ramps up challenge.
– Points for passing pipes: Each successful pass through a pipe pair scores 1 point. High scores are the target.
– Death on collision: Hitting a pipe or the ground ends the game. Players must start over to try again.
– Instant restart: With one tap, the game restarts and the bird resets to the left side. This enables quick attempts to beat your high score.
These core mechanics combine to create compelling short-session gameplay accessible for beginners but extremely tough to master. The randomness and difficulty curb appeal to hardcore gamers looking to beat their high score.
Legacy and Impact
Though available only for a short time, Flappy Bird left a lasting impact:
– Proved the viral potential of simple, hard mobile games. It showed indie devs they could make hits without complex graphics.
– Its sudden removal added to notoriety. The game grew legendary as people wanted something they could no longer have.
– Started the trend of hyper-casual games. Later hits like Dumb Ways to Die borrowed its simple one-touch design.
– Inspired many clones trying to imitate it. But none quite matched the original’s massive popularity.
– Demonstrated the addictive psychology behind “fail states”. Failing over and over encourages trying again until mastery.
Though not the first game of its kind, Flappy Bird demonstrated the potential for difficult casual mobile games to go viral. While clones tried to capitalize on its fame, the original retains an infamous legend status in the history of mobile gaming. It showed how a simple idea with tight core mechanics could make a wildly successful game with the right balance of challenge and addictiveness.
Conclusion
In summary, Flappy Bird is an arcade-style mobile game released in 2013 where players tap to control a bird through side-scrolling pipes. Its simple, addictive gameplay made it a surprise viral hit despite indie origins. However, its creator removed it at its peak popularity due to unwanted publicity. Since then, many clones tried to replicate its success but it remains a legendary part of mobile gaming history for its viral popularity and impact on casual game design. While basic in form, Flappy Bird demonstrated how precise game mechanics tuned to be challenging yet rewarding can create an addictive, engaging user experience that is easy to pick up but almost impossible to master.