Nguyen Ha Dong, creator of the unlikely super-hit game Flappy Bird, pulled the game from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. His reasons are as mysterious as his game's insanely addictive qualities:
I am sorry 'Flappy Bird' users, 22 hours from now, I will take 'Flappy Bird' down. I cannot take this anymore.
So, what comes after Flappy Bird? There's actually a fantastic answer to this question: Badland. The game uses a very similar mechanic — round, birdlike creatures flap their wings when you tap the screen. It's gorgeous, fun, and varied, and it was one of the best games of last year. BuzzFeed's Joe Bernstein explained why:
The game, which asks you to help a race of flying, coal-black fuzzbubbles escape from the chains, pulleys, spikes, and cogs encroaching on their forest paradise, pulls the player in with its incredible look, silhouettes layered on top of storybook backgrounds. And it keeps the player engaged through an increasingly difficult and ingenious floating and flapping mechanic.
Since its release the game has increased in size dramatically — there are dozens upon dozens of interesting levels, and a year later I haven't gotten bored with it. (It's $4 on iOS and free [with in-app purchases] on Android.)
It doesn't quite scratch the same itch as Flappy Bird when you first start playing. It's more relaxing, much more complex, and a lot easier. But give it time.
After a while, things ramp up. The puzzles get harder, weirder and faster. There are sequences that are downright Flappy-like, but they always promise something new on the other side.