Do you remember Flappy Bird, one of the most addicting games of this decade? It started as most mobile apps do: relatively unknown for its first few months of existence. The game gained traction around December of 2013 then exploded in popularity during the following weeks.
By January of 2014, Flappy Bird secured its spot as number one in the App Store’s top 10 list of free apps. Thousands of players tweeted about the game’s aggravating difficulty and their seeming inability to stop playing. People couldn’t get enough of Flappy Bird but their excitement soon took a negative turn.
Countless news articles cropped up throughout the month covering the game’s increasing popularity. But the excitement soon turned to harassment directed at the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen. He was criticized for a variety of reasons, from accusations that he stole the game’s art to his alleged use of bots to create fake reviews.
Nguyen couldn’t handle the increasingly vile commentary on the addictiveness of Flappy Bird. On February 8, 2014, he tweeted to followers that he would delete the game from the App Store within 22 hours. He held to his word and the most addicting game of 2014 disappeared the following day.
Flappy Bird was just one of the many addicting games for your mobile phone. Hundreds have come and gone in the five years since the deletion of Nguyen’s creation. There are plenty more to take its place like this top 10 list below.
It’s nice to play a mobile game to pass a few idle minutes from time to time. But if you don’t want to sink all your spare hours into mobile games, you should delete these from your phone right now!
Candy Crush is another game that’s just as notorious as Flappy Bird for its place among addicting games. The difference is the developers of Candy Crush kept it live and continue updating it.
Candy Crush maintains its hold as one of the most addicting games because it doesn’t seem to require much time upfront. You can coast through the first few levels then exit the game when you see fit.
After a while, though it pulls you into its grips and has you swapping brightly-colored candy pieces during every spare waiting moment. It holds a firm place among the apps with the most monthly users and you should delete the game now if you’re one of those who can’t put it down!
Tiny Wings and Flappy Bird share a similar avian protagonist but Tiny Wings has your bird sliding down hills and soaring over gaps. The game is incredibly simple but it’s exciting to fling the tiny cartoon bird from peak to peak. But you can sink quite a chunk of time into the game before you realize it!
What is it about birds that makes them such an enticing main character in so many addicting games? Angry Birds is another avian-centric chart-topper that has you flinging one angry red bird into makeshift structures and other creatures.
Angry Birds became so popular that new versions were created for both PC and gaming consoles. It also inspired two Angry Birds movies that played on the silver screen in movie theaters. If a mobile game creates that much excitement, it probably doesn’t need to be on your phone.
Clash of Clans is an exciting tower defense strategy game that allows you to work with other players in groups called clans. Your clan bands together to attack other clans to earn in-game gold and other resources.
One of the reasons it’s such an addicting game is the social aspect integrated into game play. When your clan plans to attack another, you’re likely to feel pressured to show up for the group so you don’t let them down. If you can’t balance your real-life obligations with your in-game activities, though, you should delete the app.
The concept of Fruit Ninja is simple: slice the fruits flying across the screen and score points. Exciting sound effects and bright flashing colors keep users entertained as they slice and dice watermelons, bananas, strawberries and more. Fruit Ninja doesn’t hold nearly as much of an audience as it used to but you might be one of those still hanging on.
Plants vs. Zombies pits some unusual house plants against hordes of incoming zombies trying to invade your home. It keeps players hooked because of the fast-paced play it takes to keep your pea plants firing away at the invading zombies. It isn’t as easy to play Plants vs. Zombies for a few quick rounds, but the length of zombie invasion rounds keeps you hooked in for longer.
Pokémon Go was a massive global phenomenon upon its release in 2016. It seemed nearly everyone in the world had the app on their phone. Millions wandered around playing the game that seamlessly integrated a mobile video game with the real world.
While some think the hype died away entirely after a few months, plenty of people still play the game. Most users settled into less of a frenzied play style but some should probably join the retired ranks of players. Are you one of them?
The popular PC game made its way onto mobile a few years ago and allows players to build their worlds inside their smartphones. Minecraft is the digital version of Legos where players can create whatever their minds can dream up.
It’s easy to find yourself lost in the creation of your worlds, though, so if you’re losing too many hours then it might be time to move on.
Jetpack Joyride sucks you in because it’s one of those games that just doesn’t end! You can fly around in souped-up jetpacks for as long as your skill level allows you to do so. It combines all the aspects of addicting games to keep you swiping up and down as you explore the jetpack manufacturer’s secret laboratory.
The notorious computer and console battleground game is also available on your mobile phone. In case you can’t get enough Fortnite while at home you can also take it on the go with you. But if you already struggle to control your game time, storing it on your mobile phone is far from a good idea. Keep the addicting games at home and out of your pocket!
Instead of some of these games, you could be at an immersive in-person experience, or spending more time with loved ones!
