On Feb. 5 the top downloaded free app for the iPhone was “Flappy Bird.” As an easy-to-learn game filled with 8-bit nostalgia, “Flappy Bird” is a quick download and an even quicker play.

The game has all the earmarks of a simple yet addicting distraction. Literally the only mechanic is tapping the screen to make the bird’s wings flap, and thus cause it to gain altitude. If you run into something, you die and have to start over. It is entirely possible the menus took longer to program than the gameplay itself. This simple, but impossible to master gameplay can often be the carrier of amazing and successful games.

“Flappy Bird” is not one of those games. There are, according to the game’s description, four medals you can acquire if you are successful. The only obstacles in the game are pairs of pipes you have to fly between to garner points. The background is monotonous and the sound effects, while endearing at first, will have you silencing your phone before you have played for even a minute.

“Flappy Bird” could have benefited from simple, easy expansions on play. Allowing the player to change the sprite of the bird, or even its color, would add a sense of customization. Varied sound effects, some background music, different background themes—these all could be added with only a few minutes of programming.

Next let’s deal with the sense of accomplishment or, rather, lack thereof. Most of the time you’ll die on the first pipe, and the highest this reporter passed was seven pipes. Adding achievements, like time played, times died, and total pipes passed, would have added depth and a sense of continuity to the game that it currently severely lacks.

While the pipes, background and sound effects are a total nostalgia bomb, varied obstacles would have made the game far better. Other birds, things shooting at you from the ground, falling meteors, perhaps a turtle in a cloud dropping spiked balls at you. None of these would have been difficult to program, and would have added fun and variety to gameplay that “Flappy Bird” simply lacks.

“Flappy Bird” is worth what you pay for it: nothing. Spend your time, and your bandwidth, on something else.