Flappy Bird flies again on Android, but we've got a feeling it won't be so popular this time

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you.

Remember Flappy Bird? You probably do, as it was a shock hit out of nowhere back in 2013 - and if you wanted to give it another whirl, it's back in business, albeit with a somewhat controversial twist.

To refresh your memory, the game is a side-scroller where you control a little bird, navigating it between green pipes by tapping the screen to flap (and move upwards).

It was (and is) a tricky game to master, and it proved highly addictive, which became a point of controversy itself, until eventually its creator, Dong Nguyen, ditched the game. (Following a whole bunch of accusations and flak fired at Nguyen - such as frustrated kids breaking their phones - leading him to remark that it "ruined his life" at one point).

At any rate, Flappy Bird is back for Android phones and available to download via the Epic Games Store (as noticed by Neowin), complete with new worlds, characters and challenges.

We should note that it isn't the original developer behind this resurrected Android version, rather it's Gametech Holdings, the firm that was responsible for an unofficial reboot (under the name Flappy Bird Foundation) in 2024.

That reboot was released after the company grabbed the trademark from Nguyen, who failed to properly maintain it. This 2024 variant caught a whole lot of criticism for promoting crypto, but apparently this new version of Flappy Bird has dropped that cynical side of the game, we're told.

As Polygon points out, Flappy Bird is now monetized via adverts and in-app purchase (cosmetics in the form of helmets), and is nothing to do with crypto any longer.

Still, the whole affair has left a sour taste in the mouth of some gamers, and so we wouldn't be surprised if this rerelease of the game doesn't fly so well on Android this time around, crypto or no crypto overtones.