Giphy Arcade lets you create and customise retro microgames with gifs

Giphy has launched a gaming platform Giphy Arcade where users can build, customise, play and share retro mini games peppered with its vast library of gifs. The site allows players to make a game from scratch using one of a set of templates inspired by arcade classics (all in pleasingly glowing neon colours); “remix” pre-made games by customising them with gifs of their choice; or simply play an array of existing games.

To make a game, users first choose a template from ten simple games, such as the Space Invaders-eque Blast ‘Em Up, Brick Buster or Wall Bounder. Then you select your main visual components from Giphy’s vast library of stickers: for example in our very own health-kick themes Blast ‘Em Up style game, we chose a wiggling cucumber by Sebaldo for the “hero”, a happy strawberry for our “bouncing thing” and a cheeky Jon Burgerman banana for our “brick”. Then, select a background and a soundtrack from a specially Giphy-made playlist of tunes (we went for The Final Showdown for the full arcade atmosphere), name your game and get playing.

Alternatively you can choose to tinker with pre-made games, made by organisations including Nasa and Wendy’s (Giphy’s hint at the branding potential of the new platform) or Giphy artists such as Leanne Rule and Tony Papesh. Users can personalise these games by swapping in new gifs to the visual elements of each game. Or, you can simply play pre-made games, such as the Big Mouth themed Avoid Lola.

Aside from gamifying its library, the platform has great meme potential, as alluded to by Giphy’s senior product engineer Nick Santaniello in a statement: “When exploring what games could look like for Giphy, we knew the experience had to be quick, shareable, and accessible for everyone, including people who don’t necessarily have a history with gaming. With Giphy Arcade, we’ve created an experience that provides not only instant fun for the player, but also a new way to add personalised expression and entertainment to conversations as they’re happening.”