How to play Flappy Bird
Controls
One control. Tap the screen, click the canvas, or press Space (or any arrow key) to make the bird flap upward. Between flaps, gravity pulls it down. There's no left or right — pipes scroll toward you at a fixed speed. The first tap also starts the round from the pre-game waiting screen. Restart rewinds to the pre-game state without reloading the page.
The objective
Thread the bird through every pipe gap. Score increases by one each time you pass between a pair of pipes — survive as long as you can. Touching a pipe, the ceiling, or the ground ends the round, no second chances.
Tips
- Find a rhythm. Flap at a steady cadence rather than panicked bursts. The bird settles into predictable arcs.
- Aim for the middle of each gap and adjust late rather than early — the bird's downward speed is your friend.
- One small flap beats one big flap. Brief light taps nudge altitude; mashing the key sends you into the ceiling.
A little history
Flappy Bird was made by Vietnamese developer Dong Nguyen in 2013 and went viral the following January. At the height of its popularity in February 2014, Nguyen pulled it from app stores, citing concerns that it had become too addictive. The whole episode became a small parable about accidental success and the price of attention.
Accessibility
Any key flaps, so users who can't use a mouse or touchscreen can play with a single switch device. The bird is high-contrast against a sky background and motion can be visually paused by pressing Restart.