How to play a mini-game in Instagram DMs while you wait for a reply

It seems small games are quickly taking over popular apps. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen games making it to everywhere from Netflix to YouTube – apps that otherwise, have absolutely nothing to do with gaming. However, the last place we’d expect a mini-game to show up, is inside Instagram’s DMs (Direct Messages).

Instagram has quietly added a fun little arcade game in DM chats that can be accessed in a second, and keep you company till you get your reply, or even after, should you get too involved. The game is quite similar to the popular iPhone game ‘Hit the Island’, which some of you may have tried out on the newer iPhones with a Dynamic Island up top.

How to play the Instagram mini-game

To play the game, all Instagram users need to do is swipe left from the main page to enter the DM window. You can now choose any of your chats and tap on them to enter the chat window. Send an emoji (any emoji) and after it is sent, simply tap on it to initiate the game.

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You can now use your thumb to control the paddle on the bottom of the screen by swiping left or right, and your motive is to keep the moving ball in the screen for as long as possible. Should the ball go past your paddle on the bottom of the screen, the game will stop and you will see your score.

How to play the game without Instagram

If you enjoy the game, you can play an even harder version of the title called ‘Hit the Island’, which is available for iPhones with the Dynamic Island. You can download the free game from the Apple App Store and start playing immediately.

What makes this game harder is that you only score points with you hit the Dynamic Island on top of your screen, compared to the Instagram version, which gives you points for every touch of the ball on the bottom paddle.