Flappy Bird: it's not just for phones anymore.
The mobile app phenomenon that ended abruptly in February has returned — but this time, in the form of a physical, do-it-yourself game kit.
Make Flappy Box is based on a prototype made by Arduino, an open-source, physical computing platform that aims to be affordable and accessible for anyone, regardless of their technical background. Other similar projects include a cardboard-box version of Super Mario Bros.
"Technology has somehow trained us to take things as is, instead of asking the hows and whys," Fawn Qiu, who spearheaded the project, told Mashable. "I'm hoping to make technology more accessible through introducing electronics in a creative and fun way."
Users press one button to start the game and another button to control a character, as a continuously rolling background moves behind it. When the character hits an obstacle, the lid of the box closes and the game is over. As a default, the kit is stocked with a Flappy Birdbackground, but additional templates, such as a race car version, will be available on the Make Flappy Box website.
Qiu made the prototype right after Flappy Bird was removed from Apple's App Store, with the intention to empower people to create their own version of the game, and also so she could keep playing herself. Qiu drew inspiration from 1980s video games such as Frogger.
"The physical game is more intuitive and social. It makes the playing experience more approachable," she said. "It's no longer just one player and the phone, but people around you are also aware of the game which invites collaboration and curiosity."
The kit comes with a guide book, circuit board, and electronics pack that includes motors, a speaker and buttons to control the bird. It also comes with a construction pack, which includes items such as the background template and the box. Players can use the materials to make their own original creations if they get tired of the game. The open-source circuit-board design will be posted on code-sharing site GitHub.
Make Flappy Box's Kickstarter campaign has raised more than $5,000 of its $6,000 goal with four days to go as of press time. The game currently only exists as a prototype, but a final product will be made after the campaign ends. Qiu said a portion of the profits made from Make Flappy Box sales will go toward free engineering workshops for disadvantaged female high-school students in New York City.
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