''Tiny Wings'' is an
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
game developed by
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
game developer Andreas Illiger, released on February 18, 2011. It was the top-grossing game in the
App Store
An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...
for two weeks from late February to early March 2011. The app was voted best
iPhone game of the year in 2011 and has sold at least 10.5 million copies on iPhone and 1.8 million copies on iPad based on Apple's
Game Center
Game Center is a service by Apple that allows users to play and challenge friends when playing online multiplayer social gaming network games. Games can now share multiplayer functionality between the Mac and iOS versions of the app.
Game C ...
statistics.
According to Illiger, the core mechanic of ''Tiny Wings'' is inspired by Nathan McCoy's ''Wavespark''.
Gameplay
In ''Tiny Wings'', the player takes control of a bird whose wings are too small to fly. The goal of the game is to use hills in order to gain speed and flap as long as possible. This is done by tapping and holding the screen in order to make the bird drop. The game play mainly revolves around timing your taps so that the bird slides down hills and flies up them. The game features special missions to upgrade the player's nest and increase their score multiplier. These challenges revolve around reaching specific islands or achieving certain feats a number of times in one game. The game's visuals are procedurally generated, making it look different every day. An alternative game mode allows the player to race against three other birds controlled by
AI.
Reception
The game has received highly positive reviews. Many reviewers praised the game's simple gameplay but complex nuances. ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' gave the game a score of 8.0/10 and said that it "comes together as a very playable simple pleasure." Slide to Play gave the game a perfect 4/4 and said that the game is "brilliant in its simplicity, originality, and ability to keep you coming back again and again."
Games Pundit
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (suc ...
gave the game 8.5/10 saying that "It’s one of those games that you can just pick up and play to eat up 10 minutes of time and have some fun too." The game was featured by Apple senior vice president
Scott Forstall
Scott James Forstall (born 1969) is an American software engineer, known for leading the original software development team for the iPhone and iPad, and Broadway producer, known for co-producing the Tony award-winning ''Fun Home'' and ''Eclipsed ...
as a "mind controllingly addictive game" at Apple's
2011 Worldwide Developer's Conference.
[WWDC 2011 keynote, http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/11piubpwiqubf06/event/, 40:00]
References
{{reflist
External links
Official websiteApple App Store
2011 video games
Action video games
IOS games
IOS-only games
Video games developed in Germany