Hey! I think this is a FANTASTIC question, because the answers reveal the diverse ways we all categorize what a “good” game is.

The straightforward simple nature of it like TicTacToe makes it good.

The easy on boarding to new players makes it good.

The simple task and challenge while not deep, is competitive enough to make it good.

Even bad games can become good under the right circumstances or perspectives. Sonic 06 is generally considered to be one of the worst games in the franchise, and an overall bad game. But it’s great to watch others play it because of how bad it is. It’s great to watch speed runs, or the odd glitch hunting videos. Playing it JUST to experience how bad it is can even be enjoyable and “good” to anyone that likes playing bad games.

My point is, what makes a game truly “good” isn’t just a single thing about it that someone might like, but rather, a combination of all those “good” things about it that work together in a way to create a better experience than the sum of its parts. Multiple “good” things all working together to make an experience that is uniquely “good” to that game.

So what’s interesting, is that all the different perspectives in this thread prove fairly well that Flappy Bird was indeed a good game.

However, the one part about it that people haven’t mentioned yet that I appreciated about it most:

Was the fact that the bird had some of the worst physics ever.

Having a linear jump up, but an accelerating decent down that despite its description, felt like juggling a rock in high gravity more than making a bird flap it’s wings.

It was SO UNINTUITIVE, that even with the quick onboarding it felt like playing a carnival game that was rigged for you to lose. And just like those games, there was a trick to getting good at it. And that trick created a learning curve needed to actually get gud at Flappy Bird. One that in combination with its easy and simple concept, quick onbaording, and competitive design (leader boards) made it honestly a great experience at the time that I feel hasn’t quite been captured since.

(With the closest being maybe Baby Steps or Getting Over It, but neither have such a simple design. Rather a simple mechanic pushed to its limit.)

Anyway, thanks for asking this! Imo, Flappy Bird was definitley a good game worth talking about.