How 'Flappy Bird' Went From Obscurity to No. 1 App

 By 
Karissa Bell
 on 
How 'Flappy Bird' Went From Obscurity to No. 1 App
Credit: Will Fenstermaker

The developer behind Flappy Bird, a simple but rage-inducing game that recently went viral, says his success was just luck.

Flappy Bird, which first launched in May 2013, is currently the number-one free app in Apple's App Store and the number-one free game in the Google Play Store.

[seealso slug="flappybird"]

The game became an overnight success after a wave of hilarious tweets, YouTube videos and expletive-filled reviews in iTunes and Google Play went viral in the past week.

Dong Nguyen, the Vietnam-based indie developer who created Flappy Bird, said he never did any promotion for the game. "The popularity could be my luck," he said in a recent interview with Chocolate Lab Apps.

Mashable Image
Flappy Bird is so difficult, many users don't get scores past the double digits. Credit: Flappy Bird

The goal of Flappy Bird is simple: Tap the screen to keep the bird from falling out of the air, while dodging obstacles in your path. Its basic gameplay and low-res graphics is reminiscent of other endless-running-style games, such as Tiny Wings.

Nguyen, who created Flappy Bird by himself in two to three days, said the game's uncomplicated approach may be key to its success, and added that he thinks western-made mobile games are unnecessarily complex.

Nguyen did not respond to Mashable's multiple requests to comment. He appears to have been caught off guard by his apps' sudden popularity, calling its success "overrated," and is currently avoiding press.

Press people are overrating the success of my games. It is something I never want. Please give me peace.

— Dong Nguyen (@dongatory) February 4, 2014

 

Flappy Bird's success has also propelled Nguyen's other two games, Super Ball Juggling and Shuriken Block, to top spots on iTunes; the two games currently hold the number-four and number-nine spots, respectively.

Flappy Bird is available for iOS and Android. Nguyen said in a tweet that fans can expect a Windows Phone 8 version of the game some time in the next two weeks.

[wp_scm_comment]

BONUS: FLAPPY BIRD RAGE! [VIDEO]

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!