How to Play 'Hop Up', the Mini Game That's Taking WeChat by Storm
You might have noticed that the smartphone zombies have been holding their phones nervously; eyes glued to their screens, thumbs busy pressing the screen and releasing, while a black figure is hopping around squares. Maybe you are one of them, but if you have yet to hear about it, it’s time to catch-up on China’s latest viral game phenomenon. No idea what we're talking about? Don’t worry, we’re here to hop you through it.
How to download
Developed by WeChat, Tiaoyitiao (跳一跳) literally “hop and hop”, was released in late December, and quickly became the most popular mini-game on WeChat with a reported 170 million active users daily. To access it, simply click the “Discover” button on WeChat, then “games”, and then search “跳一跳 (Tiaoyitiao)”. After you've selected the icon, there’s no need for any instruction (this game is the simplest of the simplest, after all) – simply tap “进入游戏" (jinru youxi, enter the game) and you're off.
How to play
To control the black, chess-like piece (a pawn, much like you will soon become), simply press your finger down on the screen and let go to hop. The longer you press down, the further and higher you’ll hop from one object to another; one successful hop without falling on the ground will get you one point, if you land in the middle of the platform you'll get two points instead of one, and if you hop on a special box (colorful or with special symbols) and wait a while, you'll receive an extra 2-30 points. There’s no acceleration, which means speed is not the name of this game, but the platforms do gradually become smaller and the distances longer. Your final score and ranking will show up on WeChat for you to share in your moments and you can also invite your WeChat friends to see you play or challenge them.
Sounds easy, right? It’s addictive, too, with some complaining that the rankings have made them point-thirsty simpletons (think WeRun but for the less exercise-inclined or the Gamification episode of Black Mirror). “The new generation is so busy that they barely have time to play games, and Tiaoyitiao is so easy and simple that people can kill time with it when commuting,” summarized People.com, “there’s also wisdom behind it, such as haste makes waste.”
What's perhaps even more clever is that the blocks are likely to soon become prime real estate for advertising, with companies vying for text, icons, or images to be mapped into the game and simultaneously sent to millions of users as they stare into the hoppy, point-addled abyss.
How competitive can users get? The highest score among our WeChat friends was 417 points. We have to admit that our first try was a very poor five points, but there are tips online should you wish to reach the lofty heights of 1,000 points and kiss today's plans goodbye. Good luck!
More stories by this author here.
Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @flyingfigure
Instagram: @flyingfigure
Photos: sohu
