High heels! exploded on Tiktok, and now everyone is playing it

Almost every ad I see on TikTok is for this video game about walking in comedic high heel shoes. High heels! is must-see – so I downloaded it this afternoon. The only break I took from playing it was writing this blog. I’m trapped in a high-heeled prison surrounded on all sides by video game advertisements on makeovers.

I saw my heels get so ridiculously high that my character – I play as Hitman’s Agent 47 knockoff, with the barcode neck tattoo – was pushed off the screen. I saw him, in his rainbow heels, hurtle down the perpetual podium and roll in the ether.

You may have also seen the videos. Ads for High heels! are everywhere on TikTok and in free game apps. Gameplay videos High heels! also go viral on TikTok and Twitter. “I found a game for the bad guys,” reads a popular TikTok clip. “You walk like a bad bitch in high heels. My ankles never could. The video has been viewed almost 4 million times.

This is, indeed, the premise of High heels! As you collect heels on the obstacle course, your shoes get taller. This is essential because your shoes need to be higher than the obstacles to overcome them. After clearing an obstacle, you are knocked back a few inches and have to collect more heels to get to the Celebration Podium, where a circle of fans awaits you.

If you’re still confused, here’s what developer Rollic – who was acquired by casual gaming powerhouse Zynga last year – has to say about the App Store:

Are you ready for the best high heel game ever?

Watch out for the walls! The higher your heels, the easier it will be to escape from the walls. Different obstacles await you on each level! There are rails to spread your legs and slide, walls to jump, a stick to balance and a huge podium awaits you at the end of the road. Among the dozens of different accessories that you can buy in the store, there are buckles, collars, puppies in a bag, and angel wings. And most importantly, you can find heels with very different designs and colors to suit your style!

Walking on your heels will make you feel like a QUEEN!

Do not forget! You have to choose as many high heels on the road to be able to step on a podium!

There are a variety of different hurdles to jump over, but my favorite is the split; to pass, your heels should be long enough to hold you upright when straddling a gap. The character (in my case, Knockoff Agent 47, which I unlocked by watching three commercials) claps as they slide.

Image: Rollic Games / Zynga via Polygon

Without surprise, High heels! took off and is now a meme. You’ll want to check out the ratings and reviews from the Apple App Store, of which there is a lot (just under 38,000) detailing the elaborate and hilarious ways the game saved lives. Here’s my theory: The game is the perfect amount of gameplay and very satisfying meme content, coupled with a player base that increasingly wants to be trampled on.

It’s also free for Android devices on the Google Play Store. The ads are quite excessive, but there is also a paid version.

Rollic’s High heels! may be a short-lived App Store star, but the developer knows how to make it a hit. Blob Runner 3D, another game made by Rollic, is currently # 2 on the App Store.