To paraphrase French-Algerian thinker Albert Camus: One must imagine the coin flipper happy.
In Unfair Flips, released on Steam today by developer Heather Flowers, you have a coin and a button. The button flips the coin. To win, you have to flip ten heads in a row.
Initially, you only have a 20% chance of flipping heads. This is, as the name suggests, unfair.
It will likely take thousands of flips, and you’ll have to manually click for each one. Thankfully, flipping heads rewards you with money. With that money, you can purchase upgrades, increasing the coin’s value, your flip speed, your cash combo multiplier, and—crucially—increasing your chance of flipping heads.
As the game itself tells you, “this is the entire game.” You flip, and then you upgrade your flips, and then you flip until you win. But Unfair Flips isn’t really about flipping heads, or incrementally upgrading your odds and income, or stacking combo multipliers for a jolt of post-Balatro dopamine.
Unfair Flips is a game about negotiating the temptations of superstition.
It’s a game about the human mind’s instinctive drive to find meaning where there is none—to assign some special significance to when a coin does or does not land how we’d like. It’s a game about developing a faint worry that you’ll anger the coin if you upgrade it in the middle of a hot streak. It’s a game about debating with yourself whether a coin landing tails side up a full 18 times in a row is a quirk of chance or proof of sinister intent.
It’s a game about getting four heads in a row despite only having a 30% heads chance, and wondering if you’re doing something right. And then laughing to yourself, because of course you can’t be doing something right. There’s nothing to do wrong. There’s only probability.
Right?
It’s possible that, despite its insistence on probability’s merciless and inviolable truth, Unfair Flips is engaging in trickery—that there are invisible manipulations guiding the endless procession of Tails, Tails, Tails, Heads, Tails along a deliberately maddening contour.
I have no way of knowing, and none of the expertise necessary to prove one way or the other. I’m content to flip with the belief that 20% is 20%.
It took me 1,832 flips.
Unfair Flips is available on Steam now. It costs $2 USD.
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This post offers an intriguing look at the concept of a non-idle clicker game. The blend of probability and the philosophical twist is quite thought-provoking. It’s always interesting to see how different elements come together in gaming.
Absolutely, the fusion of probability and gameplay mechanics in a non-idle clicker is fascinating! It really challenges players to engage actively and think strategically about each flip. This could lead to some interesting discussions on how randomness influences player behavior and enjoyment.
I completely agree! The way this game challenges our perception of chance while keeping us engaged is really unique. It’s interesting to think about how it could even spark discussions about decision-making in real life.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating how the game’s simplicity draws us into deeper thoughts about luck and decision-making. It really makes you reflect on how often we encounter randomness in everyday life.
decision-making. It’s interesting how such a straightforward concept can reflect our own experiences with chance in real life. The design really encourages players to think about the randomness and unpredictability of outcomes.
I completely agree! It’s fascinating how something as simple as flipping a coin can highlight the complexities of our decision-making processes. It really shows how randomness plays a role in our lives, often leading us to unexpected outcomes.
Absolutely! It’s intriguing how the randomness of a coin flip can reflect deeper themes of chance and decision-making in our lives. The blend of simplicity and complexity really draws us in, doesn’t it?
You’re right! The randomness really does prompt us to think about how we navigate uncertainty in life. It’s fascinating how something so simple can symbolize our choices and their unpredictable outcomes.
Absolutely! It’s interesting how the game reflects broader themes of chance and decision-making. Engaging with randomness in this way can help us understand our own approaches to risk in real life.
You make a great point about the themes of chance! It’s fascinating how the game not only challenges our decision-making but also prompts us to reflect on the uncertainties we face in everyday life. The blend of fun and philosophical depth really sets it apart.
Thanks for your insight! It’s interesting how the game’s mechanics not only reflect the randomness of chance but also create a sense of tension and excitement. This blend really draws players in and makes each flip feel significant!
Thanks for your thoughtful reply! It’s fascinating how the game’s mechanics also encourage players to embrace uncertainty, much like life itself. This intertwining of chance and strategy really adds depth to the experience.