In the aftermath of Flappy Bird, one thing became strikingly clear:
We love games that drive us crazy.
Flappy Bird wasn’t great because the graphics were amazing or the 1,429 weapons were cool. It was maddeningly difficult, and people eat that up. But why?
Are we all really that self-loathing that we need to punish ourselves with repeated, face-crushing failure?
Not at all.
In fact, we think the challenge feels good because of the moments when you feel like you’re succeeding.
Suppose you’ve been stuck at 6 or 7 for a while, and suddenly your score is up past 20. You feel euphoric. For all you know, you are actually flying.
The greater the punishment, the greater the reward.
At the same time, you can always get better. Even the best flapper on Earth has room for improvement because the game is endless.
No matter who you are, you can enjoy (or be infuriated) by games like Flappy Bird.
Tired of Flappy Bird?
Don’t worry. There are plenty of games like it to fill your time. Here’s a short list:
3. Flappy 2048
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