Flappy Bird creator says game could return with a warning

The creator of Flappy Bird has said he is relieved that the craze surrounding the mobile game has died down, but admits he is considering bringing it back in some form.

The "easy to learn, tough to master” mobile game went viral last month and was earning Dong Nguyen an estimated $50,000 a day. The game’s addictive mixture led to him being sent death threats, not to mention allegation of plagiarism. Soon after he pulled the game from app stores.

The 28-year-old from Hanoi, Vietnam, told Rolling Stone that he chose to pull the game because “I’m master of my own fate… [an] independent thinker”.

“I can’t go back to my life before, but I’m good now,” he said.

However, when asked whether Flappy Bird could ever return, Nguyen admitted he is "considering it". He’s not currently working on a new version, but said if he was to release one it will warn players: "Please take a break."

Nguyen also explained some of the thought process behind the game and why he chose to make it.

He said he wanted to make a game for people like himself: busy, pressured, always on the go. He described that “the simplest way [to play mobile games] is just tapping".

"I pictured how people play," he explained, tapping his iPhone and reaching his other hand in the air to indicate "one hand holding the train strap".

The simplicity of Flappy Bird quickly spawned copycats. But Nguyen agrees: "People can clone the app because of its simplicity, but they will never make another Flappy Bird."

Despite Flappy Bird hitting social media and mainstream news, it wasn’t until his parents’ house was besieged by Vietnamese press that they realised their son was responsible for the mobile phenomenon. “My parents don’t understand games," Nguyen said.

Thanks to the success of Flappy Bird, Nguyen has now been able to quit his job to work on games full-time. He revealed that he is currently working on three titles: an untitled cowboy-themed shooter, a vertical flying title called Kitty Jetpack and an “action chess game” called Checkonaut.

One of the titles is due to be released this month, and all of them continue his design mentality of ‘easy to learn, tough to master’ gameplay.