We have all indulged in the guilty pleasure of an easy game; playing the top rated Brazilian team in FIFA versus the lowest ranked Uzbekistan team, a Mario Kart grand prix at 50cc, a League of Legends 1v1 custom match against a beginner AI Soraka, etc. While gamers like to pride themselves in overcoming a challenging game, there is something to enjoying a simple game that makes winning feel fun, even if it’s a little easy.

(Doing a layout backflip off of the Lake House in Flip Diving)

Flip Diving is one such game; it revolves around diving off of a platform and controlling a diver as they flip, in order to make a perfect entrance. Its simple gameplay is relaxing yet challenging, at worst, the outcome is a bellyflop or a backflop. Still, both reward the player with the comedic value of a beautiful dive coming to a painful conclusion.

My favorite level in Flip Diving, is called Trampoline Hill.  It features a long trampoline along a path leading to the eventual body of water. However, while in a regular map you may only be able to complete 3-4 flips, in Trampoline Hill if the player can manage to stay on the trampoline, the number of flips they could accomplish may actually be infinite.

(Goofing around on a Trampoline Hill)

What is it about an easy game experience that feels so good? Perhaps it is the joy of feeling like we are capable of overcoming a challenge, especially when feeling burned out from the rigors of normal play. Seeking something easy needn’t come with the shame we often associate with playing an easier game; it just means that we are focusing on making sure the fun aspect of gameplay isn’t something we ignore in pursuit of a game we play for bragging rights. What’s your guilty pleasure game and why?  Let me know in your comments below.

Andrew Mantilla is a ludologist and video game journalist for Play Professor.  You can check out more of his content on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.