Do you want to waste some time? You're in the right place! You can learn the origin of Space Cadet and download a copy, open your NES emulator and review these 10 B-side classics, or take advantage of the latest Android games directly on your computer, but if you prefer something simpler... Google itself comes to the rescue. How? With mini games that today remain hidden, but definitely deserve your attention.
Some of these games were created as classic Easter eggs, and require a trick or special technique to activate them. Others emerged from celebrations or events, through the famous doodles that the Mountain View giant keeps on its official page. The public forgets them quickly (as we forget so many other things on the Web), but they are still there, waiting for some adventurer to discover them by chance, or remember them for a brief moment. They are all good, but a couple stand out for their addictive profile. You've been warned.
Solitaire
A true classic to start. Don't like what Microsoft did with solitaire? Type 'solitaire' in the search engine, press Play, and choose a difficulty level. How fast can you solve it...?
Garden Gnomes
Garden Gnomes? Gnome tossing, rather! This doodle published in June 2018 celebrates the gartenzwerg with a game in which you'll throw them as far as possible, using clouds, mushrooms, flowers, and cannons to gain distance. 1627 mi is my record, beat it if you can!
Basketball
Google celebrated London 2012 unreservedly, and one of its most popular doodles was basketball. It was accompanied by football, canoeing, and hurdles athletics, totaling more than a billion games during the four days they were online.
Doctor Who
The great British science fiction series turned 50 in November 2013, and Google couldn't ignore what was truly a worldwide celebration, with fans demanding their local cinemas show the special over and over. Help the Doctor recover Google's letters, but beware of the Daleks!
Pac-Man
Ah, this fits perfectly. Why? Because today marks 39 years since Pac-Man's official arrival in the United States. The special edition for its thirtieth anniversary hasn't gone anywhere. You just have to... insert a coin.
Breakout
What more can we add? A game with a fascinating history, and industry giants involved in its development. Mountain View hid a version of Breakout in Google Images in mid-2013. Go there and type 'atari breakout'.
Snake
The snake with the biggest appetite in the world isn't exclusive to Nokia phones, and over time multiple clones have emerged. Google offers one with better graphics and animations. Now, I feel sorry for the snake when it hits its head... (type 'snake game' in the search engine)
Pony Express
In April 2015, the 155th anniversary of the old mail service known as the Pony Express was celebrated, which connected a large part of the United States for over a year. With this interactive doodle, you'll control the mailman and collect all the mail along the way. Can you get a perfect score?
Magic Cat Academy
Halloween is just around the corner, but the 2016 doodle reached a level few achieved. Harry Potter? Magic kittens? What could go wrong? Help our little adorable hero fight ghosts by drawing the symbols with the mouse. It gets hard!
Text Adventure
Old computer adventures were pure dialogue, imagination, and command combinations that melted brains. Type 'text adventure' in the search engine, open the Chrome console (Ctrl+Shift+J), and answer the question by typing 'yes'. Do you think you can finish it?
More than enough to start. Most likely your productivity levels will drop to zero, so enjoy!
