Separate reference from interaction
Ask what the joke asks the player to do. Aura Climb gives the ordinary act of choosing a stair a mock-serious aura meter and streak. Blend It makes a blender the stage for improbable combinations, then asks you to balance curiosity against overheating. The first puts a comic frame around precision; the second lets the physical premise produce variations.
When a joke is only a label, it may wear out quickly because the player sees the reference once and then repeats an unrelated task. When the mechanic participates, each attempt can extend the bit. Notice whether the meter, timing, objects or failure condition has comic meaning. That question helps you tell a playable gag from decoration without needing to know every internet reference.
Find the style you enjoy
Some players like humor that rewards commitment: keep the sequence going and watch a deliberately grand score rise. Others prefer comic experimentation, where the fun is testing what happens when unlike objects meet. These are different tastes, so try a brief session with one example of each before deciding whether “meme game” is a useful category for you.
You can also describe the tone more precisely: deadpan, chaotic, knowingly dramatic or based on surprise. That vocabulary helps explain why one absurd game lands and another does not. If you are designing a concept, write the joke as a player action first, then add references only when they make that action clearer or funnier.
Questions about meme game humor
Do I need to understand the meme to enjoy the game?
Not necessarily. A readable action and payoff can carry the experience even when a reference is unfamiliar. Try the first interaction and see if the timing, choice or absurd result makes sense on its own.
What makes a meme game feel playable?
The joke connects to a decision or result. A meter that turns a stair streak into a mock-serious challenge or a blender that transforms mismatched objects gives the player a reason to act beyond recognizing a reference.