Flappy Bird is back! And it's a Telegram crypto game—who’d have thought?

The iconic mobile game took the world by storm in 2014, but went dark after its mysterious creator decided it was gaining too much attention. At its peak, Flappy Bird had attracted 50 million downloads, topped the charts in 100 countries, and was allegedly raking in $50,000 from ads every single day. 

When the game was removed, the world went nuts. Devices with the game still installed were offered for sale for upwards of $90,000 as people itched to guide the iconic cartoon bird safely through an obstacle course of Super Mario-style pipes.

That’s why it’s no surprise that there’s been considerable buzz around the revival, which has kicked off first on Telegram with a crypto-fueled mini app. But not everyone is thrilled about the way that Flappy Bird flew back into our lives. Here’s everything you need to know.

What is Flappy Bird on Telegram?

At its core, Flappy Bird on Telegram is identical to the original viral mobile app. Players control a cartoon bird by tapping their screen in an attempt to avoid an obstacle course full of pipes with small openings between them. The further you go, the more points you get.

Previously, the game simply let you fly for as long as you could avoid smashing into pipes, but in this new iteration of the game—at least the first version released—you’re capped at 50 pipes cleared. Once you hit this, you’re taken back to the starting line.

Developed by the Flappy Bird Foundation, the Telegram game mixes in elements from other crypto games on the app, including the likes of Hamster Kombat, by allowing players to passively earn in-game points by obtaining upgrades. These are earned through a variety of ways, including watching ads and inviting friends. The game now also has a stamina bar, preventing players from tapping away all night.

At the time of writing, it appears that a number of features aren’t available yet, with one grayed-out tab visible on the menu screen. On the official Flappy Bird website, we can see plans to introduce a battle royale and basketball mode, alongside fresh new characters.

Is there a Flappy Bird token?

For now, a Flappy Bird token has not been confirmed by The Flappy Bird Foundation. However, they said that they have announced plans to integrate The Open Network (TON)—the network that most tap-to-earn games launch tokens on. Also, there are many hints that suggest a Flappy Bird token is on the horizon.

Notcoin, the tap-to-earn game that started the Telegram craze with the largest crypto gaming token launch of the year, is the “strategic publishing partner” for Flappy Bird's return. This partnership is set to help introduce The Open Network (TON) ecosystem to Flappy Bird with the game starting a “free mining event” at launch called “Flap-a-TON.” A mining event is usually a period of time in which players can make gameplay progress to get a cut of a future token airdrop.

The Open Network (TON) is a Telegram-linked network that has been the home for most tap-to-earn games that have launched so far in 2024. Most notably, Hamster Kombat is set to launch its token HMSTR on the network on September 26 after garnering over 300 million players, plus Catizen just launched its CATI token on TON.

Inside the Flappy Bird mini app, you’re prompted to connect a TON wallet in exchange for in-game point. This is the first step that any game that is planning a token launch and airdrop must take—so that players can eventually claim their tokens.

A web-based version of the game also includes the mention of a FLAP token on TON, as reported by Protos, with an airdrop and staking rewards. That page was taken down after it was first spotted by internet sleuths. Additionally, a previous version of the Flappy Bird official site also mentions a Solana token, though those plans may have changed in favor of a TON launch.

What happened to the original game and creator?

As Flappy Bird mania was hitting fever pitch in 2014, indie developer Dong Nguyen decided it was all too much for him and took the game off of app stores.

“I can call Flappy Bird a success of mine,” he wrote on Twitter, “But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.”

The Vietnam-based creator told Forbes that he felt guilty that the game had become an “addictive product” and that it had become “a problem.” To solve this, he simply deleted it. “It’s gone forever,” he said.

Nguyen returned to his simple life, mostly remaining out of the limelight. But when it was announced that Flappy Bird was returning, he took to Twitter to express his displeasure—with his first post in nearly seven years.

“No, I have no [relation] with their game,” he wrote, “I did not sell anything. I also don't support crypto.”

How did the Foundation get the rights?

The Flappy Bird Foundation owns the trademark to Flappy Bird, but did not obtain it through Nguyen.

Four years after the Flappy Bird creator took the game down, the trademark was considered abandoned, according to the Foundation. Mobile Media Partners, Inc. obtained the abandoned trademark, then Gametech Holdings, LLC later acquired it from them. On August 23, 2024, the Flappy Bird Foundation Group claims to have acquired the trademark from Gametech Holdings, LLC. This also lines up with sleuthing that unaffiliated game developer Sam Chiet posted on Twitter.

“The acquisition was conducted through a fully legal and transparent process, ensuring that the game’s revival is both legitimate and respectful of its history,” a Foundation spokesperson told Decrypt.

Put simply, the game’s trademark was considered abandoned and passed its way through the hands of a few companies before ending up with The Flappy Bird Foundation. Nguyen had no say, and did not receive any money for this.

The Flappy Bird Foundation also said it acquired the rights to Piou Piou vs. Cactus, an unrelated game that believes it inspired Flappy Bird’s cartoon character. In fact it brought on Keke, the developer of Piou Piou vs. Cactus, as a core founding member of the Foundation. 

Despite the acquisition of both trademarks, the circumstances behind Flappy Bird's return—and the lack of participation or a co-sign by the original creator—has left a bitter taste in some gamers' mouths as they believe Nguyen has been done dirty.

Meanwhile, some players appear to be just happy to have the game back in action after a decade away. The Foundation plans to launch the game through other platforms, including native iOS and Android apps, in 2025 following this initial launch period with the Telegram version.

Edited by Andrew Hayward