You flip open your Chromebook and that familiar pink grid pops up on your screen. It’s time to play another round of the popular game “2048,” but this time the numbers have been replaced with brightly colored cupcakes.
With a click of a couple of keys, two Vanilla Birthday cupcakes transform into a Bubblegum Pink cupcake, then two Bubblegum Pink turn into a Sunshine Vanilla, Sunshine Vanilla to Valrhona Blonde Ganache, and the list goes on.
The goal of this game is to match two cupcakes in order to upgrade to a new one, with the goal of reaching the Rainbow cupcake before all of the tiles are filled up.
Junior Madeleine Auch said she began playing the game around two months ago after observing some friends enjoying it, and once she started, there was no going back.
“There’s something about the game that is very addicting—like you just want to get to the next cupcake and see it pop up on your screen,” Auch said.
Auch is not the only student who has started playing the game. Sophomore Aiden King and junior Nolan Rothrock said that they have been playing it as well.
King explained that he started playing the game last year in math class when a student introduced the cupcake variation of the original “2048” game to the class.
“Ever since then, I’ve been hooked,” King said.
Like Auch, Rothrock was also introduced to the game by observing his peers play it.
“It’s a game that’s pretty easy to follow, and the visuals are super enticing,” Rothrock said.
For senior Rachel Kelly, her “Cupcake 2048” enthusiasm led her to purchase the actual cupcakes featured in the game. Kelly said she was in study hall playing the game with her friends when she saw the link to the store to buy the actual cupcakes online.
“In the next two days, the cupcakes were at my house,” she said.
While “Cupcake 2048” seems harmless and light-hearted, science teacher Scott Logsdon said he observed that it has affected the focus of his students in class.
“When students could be following along with the presentation, some open a game instead,” Logsdon said.
Both Auch and King said that though “Cupcake 2048” is a simple game, it’s highly distracting.
“The game definitely affected my learning when I played it more often,” Auch said. “I struggled more with school during that time, but as I’ve stopped playing so much, my focus has gotten a lot better.”
Auch and King said now they only play the game during their free time or when they need a break.
However, Logsdon said he thinks that there could be some possible benefits to games like “Cupcake 2048.”
“I think for some, games like these act like a fidget,” Logsdon said. “I’m not saying it’s beneficial to focus on the game and barely focus on what’s going on, but I think for a few people, that distraction might be necessary.”
Auch also said that though “Cupcake 2048” seems like a simple game, it is still a good challenge.
“It can be a good brain exercise,” Auch explained. “Even though it’s not the classic ‘2048’ game which is all about numbers, you still have to recognize certain patterns while playing to be successful at the game.”
Logsdon said he is very interested in “Cupcake 2048” and wants to find out more about its details and strategies.
“Cupcake game people: I would love to know how to score the most points,” Logsdon said.
