Good news for people with boring friends — Facebook has once again hidden a minigame inside its Messenger app, this time to celebrate college basketball’s March Madness tournament. To play, make sure you have the latest version of Facebook Messenger, then simply send a friend the basketball emoji. Once sent, press the ball, and be transported away from your conversation to a wonderful world where there’s no baby photos, relationship drama, or Candy Crush invites — just a white screen, a basketball, and a hoop.
This is how you play Facebook Messenger’s secret basketball minigame
Flick up on your phone to launch said basketball into the hoop. Sink the rock and you’ll be rewarded with happy emoji — you know, the raised hands, the thumbs up, the tensed bicep, all the classics — but toss an airball and you’re stuck with the sad options. Hit more than 10 baskets in a row and the backboard starts moving on its own, as if controlled by a vengeful basketball ghost. Something may happen if you get any more than ten, but according to my research, that’s impossible*.
*It’s not impossible, I’m just bad at it.
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