Google’s search engine, believe it or not, has a sense of humor in its design department. Over the years, Google has amassed a veritable treasure trove of hidden games, many of which first appeared in connection with anniversaries, but are still available to play today.
Google’s repertoire of hidden games and ‘Easter eggs’ extends to all of its platforms, from Google Search to Google Assistant and Google Android. In the continuation of this article, we’ll say something more about hidden Google games that you can play today so that you can take a break and relax your brain and hands after playing highly-demanding PC or PlayStation games, not to mention those that evolved into competitive eSports and, through Bookmaker-Expert.com, are now available for betting.
Soccer (With Google Doodle)
You can’t go wrong with the game of soccer, and it doesn’t get any more inactive and casual than this Doodle, which dates back to 2012.
You simply control the goalkeeper while a player powered by artificial intelligence scores kicks in the direction of your goal. You move left and right on the goal with the mouse, then click to hit from the air.
Quick, Draw!
There’s something a little dystopian in playing a kind of Pictionary-type game with artificial intelligence with a robotic voice, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating. In Quick, Draw !, Google gives you 20 seconds to draw a picture of a particular object, whether it’s a bee, a snowflake, or a hockey puck, and as you draw, artificial intelligence will continue to guess what you’re drawing. We were pretty impressed that Google was able to solve this every time, even though the game was set up in the background for us because, of course, Google already knows the answers.
Atari Breakout
For a time, it appeared like one of the best Google Doodle games had vanished forever, but it was resurrected after we discovered that this Atari classic could still be played.
Breakout used to be played by simply typing in Google images, but this is no longer possible. Instead, you can go to this page and start playing right away.
Champion Island Games (Google Doodle Archive)
First launched as Google Doodle, on August 24, 2021, Champion Island Games is currently one of Google Search’s ‘deepest’ secret titles. It’s a pretty concise form of an old-school Pokémon-style RPG, as you wander the island participating in sports, battling legendary opponents, and indulging in all sorts of weird side quests. The introductory film is especially beautiful.
This doodle logo was originally launched in memory of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but was re-released at the start of the Paralympic Games with additional side missions and secrets to be revealed.visit here
Stadia Pro Free Trial (Chrome)
There’s little technical stuff here, but a two-month trial of Google’s cloud gaming platform is truly a ‘theft’. Provided you have a good Internet connection, you can stream games for free, including Destiny 2, Metro Exodus, and Serious Sam Collection, directly from your browser. You can also purchase additional games if you wish, although you’ll still have to pay a subscription to play them.
To be clear, you don’t need a powerful computer to play these games because they are run by Google’s servers and stream to you via HD video. You can then play them directly through a browser or phone app, which is pretty impressive. The trial lasts between one and two months in most cases. Stadia.com requires you to sign in using your Google Account.
Tic-Tac-Toe (a.k.a. Noughts and Crosses)
It’s believed that the old, but good, noughts and crosses have existed for literally thousands of years. And by simply typing “tic tac toe” into a search engine, you may find it on Google.
Of course, there are only so many possible outcomes in this game and it’s not too hard to get to a point where you can neither win nor lose, but who can resist the legendary noughts and crosses?
Google Games for Google Assistant
One of the finest mysteries of Google Assistant, the artificial intelligence-based Android assistant, is that if you ask it the appropriate query, it can lead you to a virtual treasure trove of gaming titles. How to find them? Say “play game” in Google Assistant once it indicates that it’s listening to you.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to choose from a fairly large list of games to play, including quizzes, word games, and rock-paper-scissors.
Marshmallow Land (Nova Launcher)
Long ago when Flappy Bird was still super interesting, Google got involved in the fun by throwing out its own twist in the game, along with nice Google graphics and a sleek look. Since Android Nougat, the game has become inaccessible via the standard Android user interface, but there’s still buried in the system. You must first install Nova Launcher and set it as your default home-screen launcher in order to unlock it. After that, press and hold the free area on the home screen, then tap “Widgets” and then “Activity” until it shows on the home screen. Release the icon, and then scroll down in the “Activities” list until you reach the system user interface. To start the game, tap it, then tap “Marshmallow Land”.
An independent developer has also made the game available for free in the Play Store, but this list applies to Google’s hidden games, and none are as well hidden as Marshmallow Land.
Magic Cat Academy (Google Doodle Archive)
Bringing us back to Halloween 2016, this is a beautifully hand-drawn fun Google game about a cat defending itself from an endless swarm of disembodied ghosts.
Magic Cat Academy is super-simple while standing in the middle of different levels drawing lines that match the symbols above the ghost heads to banish them. The plot unfolds very quickly and you’ll soon be caught in a relentless flow of spectral destruction. There are a total of five levels, and you can also restore your health by dragging your heart shape anywhere on the screen.
Basketball
If you’re a very experienced user of the Google search engine, then you may remember this little hidden gem from 2012. This simple basketball game was released in honor of the 2012 Summer Games and includes shooting hoops from various distances. Just hold down the mouse button to increase the power of your throw – it’s about finding a suitable point to throw the ball into the hoop.
You have limited time to score as many points as possible, and as the game progresses, you have to shoot further and further.
Great Ghoul Duel (Google Doodle Archive)
Google has many games in its box of bottomless tricks, but none so far has been a complete online multiplayer experience. As you and your friends glide around a somber library, graveyard, and other frightening areas, catching little flames to bring them back to their base, the Great Ghoul Duel features all the complexities of a frantic Pac-Man game. The team with the most flames wins.
An additional hook is that when you collect the flames, they give your spirit a tail, into which the opposing team can slide into it, steal it and return to its base. You can organize a game night and invite your friends and family members to participate. Of course, it’s no longer on Google’s homepage, but you can play it in the Google Doodle archive.
Text Adventure for Google Chrome
Want to go back to the late ’70s to get an impression of how gaming once looked in the days before amenities like graphics and user interface? You can. Right there in your Google Chrome browser, in fact, an unusual little text adventure lies waiting to be discovered.
Open Google on Chrome and type “Text Adventure” into the search box to find this well-hidden Google Chrome game. Then press “Ctrl + Shift + I” and then type “yes” in the console that appears. Then the textual adventure will begin. As with any great text adventure, play by simply typing in the commands that unfold the action and move you through the game world.
Solitaire Within Google Search Engine
Did you know that you can play Solitaire on Google? The first game many of you have ever played on your computer, this classic game, is now available to play directly via Google search. Just type “solitaire” into Google search and press “Enter”.
It’s the same old game you’ve always remembered: descending and alternating color card stacking.
Garden Gnomes (Google Doodle Archive)
On June 10, 2018, Google celebrated Garden Day by releasing a Google Doodle on the topic of garden dwarfs. Clicking on this Doodle will launch an insidiously addictive game in which you’ll catapult the dwarves as much as you can using some kind of catapult.
Doodle is now gone, but you can find it in the Google Doodle archive and play it whenever you want.
T-Rex
Google knows that the absence of the Internet can cause people to lose their minds. Fortunately, Google hopes to prevent violent reactions with this sweet addictive game. This is one of the most famous hidden games for Google Chrome. Starring a lone T-Rex in 8-bit fame, jump over a cactus, and avoid the flying pterodactyls in this endless runner.
To play, turn off Wi-Fi on your device or start Chrome when you don’t have Internet access. When the “Cannot connect to the Internet” screen (containing the T-Rex mentioned above) appears, press the “space” bar (or tap the screen if you’re on a tablet or phone). Prepare yourself, for the deceptively simple game is about to start. Just keep clicking on “space” or the space bar to keep the T-Rex from jumping.
Flight Simulator for Google Earth
It’s been around for years, but Google Earth is still amazing, allowing you to roam the planet and zoom in on almost anything, anywhere in the world (except military bases, North Korea, and the usual rogue stuff).
Better yet, Google Earth has a built-in flight simulator that lets you travel around the world using a real plane. You can even choose whether to fly an SR22 or F-16 jet and play using the joystick if you have one. To access it, you need to download and install Google Earth on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, then click “Tools -> Login” in the flight simulator at the top.
