Google Doodle games – interactive games which sometimes replace the search giant’s colorful logo to mark a special event – are being brought back as part of Google’s ‘Stay and Play at Home’ initiative.
The search giant is digging into its digital archive to relaunch 10 of the best Google Doodle games, with a new title added each day – simply type in ‘Google Doodle’ into Google and you’ll find all the games nestled conveniently at the top of the search page.
The games released so far include Cricket, which marked the celebration of the ICC 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup. You play as a bug-eyed cricket playing… well, cricket. You click your mouse to swing your bat, and the rest of the team (you’re playing against snails, which should bode well) take care of everything else.
There’s also Coding, which celebrated Computer Science Education Week back in 2017, and which serves as a great introduction if you’d like to get your kids into coding. You need to pick the appropriate command to help a rabbit progress through multiple levels, collecting carrots as you go. It's cute, fun, and effective as a learning tool.
The third game available as of today (April 29) is Fischinger, which enables you to create your own 'visual music' composition.
As people around the 🌏 stay home, we’re launching a throwback #GoogleDoodle series looking back at some of our fan favorites. Today, hop into our 2017 Doodle game celebrating 50 years of Kids Coding! 🐰🥕#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/i8DB1FpPrW pic.twitter.com/Z7lgMKspvNApril 27, 2020
The Google Doodle games take place entirely in your browser, so you don’t need to worry about downloading or installing anything. They’re surprisingly addictive, too, and give some of the best free browser games a run for their money.
In a statement, Google said: “As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we’re launching a throwback Doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!”
We’ll have to see which other games Google picks from its past, but we really hope 2014’s Rubik Cube (which is exactly what it sounds like) and 2012’s Hurdles return. If you simply can’t wait for Google to release its classic gaming hits, you can visit their Doodles interactive archive.
- Want to game with Google? Read our Google Stadia review
