Google is full of Easter eggs. You only have to enter the right search term into the search engine, which will then reveal a hidden feature on top of the usual results. Many of these Easter eggs are interactive games that you can play. Try entering these search terms.
Pacman
- Search term: “Pacman”
Play the eponymous character in this classic maze action video game, but instead of the standard maze, you play in one that spells Google. Everything else, from the ghosts, power pellets, and the iconic sound effect when you die, remains the same.
Tic Tac Toe
- Search term: “Tic Tac Toe”
If you don’t have a pen and paper, you can play tic-tac-toe on Google. Play with a friend, or play against the computer.
Snake
- Search term: “play snake” or “snake game”
Before Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and other viral games in the smartphone era, there was the Snake game that was popular in old Nokia phones. Google’s version of Snake has settings for game speed, board size, snake color, and food pellet icon. There are different game modes, including an easy mode that lets you slither over your own body.
Text Adventure
- Search term: “text adventure”
After entering the search term, open the developer console (which in Google Chrome can be done by pressing F12) then go to the Console tab. You’ll see the question “Would you like to play a game?” Respond with a yes to begin your text-based adventure.
Minesweeper
- Search term: “minesweeper”
In this puzzle game, you’re tasked to clear the board without clicking—or detonating—any of the hidden mines. Numbers on tiles indicate how many mines are adjacent to them.
Dinosaur Game
This one doesn’t really involve Google Search. Instead, it’s a hidden game in the Google Chrome browser.
Open Chrome while you’re disconnected from the Internet, then try to visit a website or query anything via the search bar to get to the “No Internet” error page that shows a cute little dinosaur. Pressing “Spacebar” begins a side-scrolling game where you help the dinosaur avoid obstacles.
More games from Google
The games above are but a few that Google has to offer. There are more that first appeared as Google Doodles to commemorate certain events. Some also used to appear in search results, but for some reason, Google doesn’t display these games anymore when you enter specific search terms. Fortunately, these games are still available at the Google Doodle archive.
These are all basic games but extremely attractive. Sometimes simple but still entertaining.