The Flappy Bird phenomenon may inspire the next generation of coders. That’s what one computer-science group is counting on. The technology nonprofit Code.org, which works toward getting kids into computer science, is attempting to use the simple arcade-style mobile game to help with its mission.
The organization offers free coding lessons, and today, it introduced an exercise on its site that invites potential programmers to make their own version of Flappy Bird.
Flappy Bird was a free mobile game on iOS and Android that inexplicably shot to the top of each store’s most-downloaded charts. After unwanted attention from gamers and the media, its creator removed it from both markets.
Code.org’s lesson uses Flappy Bird and walks beginners through a step-by-step tutorial that shows how coding works. Using simple drag-and-drop controls, it shows how if-then statements operate and how a programmer can make different things happen when a player clicks the mouse during a game.