The 9 best Google doodle games to waste time at work

The hottest new gaming device isn’t a PlayStation. Or an Xbox. Or a Switch. Nope, the best new gaming comes courtesy of your good friend Google.

Yes, you heard it here first. If you’re in need of a new hobby, or some amusement to pass the time between work meetings, or let’s be honest during work meetings, there are a ton of interactive Google Doodle games to cure spells of boredom.

They don’t require a controller or fancy Blu-Ray disks, they’re simple and the best kind of fun for an undercover gaming session right at your desk.

Look, we get it. Sometimes work isn’t the most riveting. Sometimes you can’t make the math on spreadsheets equal “F U N.” Maybe you just want to play some Pac-Man. Maybe you want to destroy some cartoon ghosts as a jovial cat wizard. Maybe you want to shoot some free throws.

A quick jaunt through the Google Doodle archives will allow you to do all of this and more to quench your gaming thirst. We rounded up some of the best Google Doodle games below. Enjoy.

Google’s most complex Doodle to date is the Doodle Champion Island Games.
Credit: GOOGLE

In celebration of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Google released a full-on anime sports game. It is definitely Google’s most complex game to date and on this list, so make sure you’ve got some time before you really dive in.

This game was released on April 14, 2015, to honor the 155th Anniversary of the Pony Express.
Credit: Google

This game honored the 155th anniversary of the Pony Express. It lets you play as a courier picking up mail while delivering it to the closest town. It’s a bit like a mobile frogger, with, you know, horses instead of frogs.

Dr. Robert Moog invented the Moog Synthesizer, which was featured heavily by artists like The Beatles, The Doors, and Stevie Wonder.
Credit: google

Ever felt the need to get funky with some keys? You can on this Doodle released to honor Robot Moog, whose Moog Synthesizer was used by musical artists from The Beatles to Stevie Wonder.

This Google Doodle was published on February 11, 2017 to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Credit: GOOGLE

Roll through Ghana as a pangolin just as if you were Sonic snagging rings, all in the name of love.

This Google Doodle honored Kool Herc and Coke La Rock, the two founding fathers of hip-hop.
Credit: google

This one is less of a game, but it’s still incredibly entertaining. Mix together some of the tracks that laid the groundwork for hip-hop with this interactive turntable. You can even scratch, if you’re feeling wildly ambitious.

Google honored the 2012 Olympic Summer Games with this interactive basketball Doodle.
Credit: google

This game’s one step above pop-a-shot and two steps below NBA 2K20. But if you wanna practice your mid-range jumper, feel free to mash your space bar and put up shots — all while never having to leave your chair. Watch out, Steph Curry.

Google marked the 30th anniversary of Pac-Man with this fun, interactive Doodle game.
Credit: google

This classic arcade game may now feel primitive, but it’s a perfect cure for all those meetings that could have easily been emails.

This interactive Rubik’s Cube can turn into a full-on keyboard mashing frenzy,.
Credit: google

Look, unless you’re this dude, you’ve probably never solved a Rubik’s Cube. But hey this Doodle lets you use multiple keys on your keyboard to try and solve this one. You may never finish it, but it’s nice if you like seeing colors move.

Turn ghosts into vapor with this incredibly addicting Google Doodle. It’s like Harry Potter, but with cats.
Credit: google

Play as a black cat with magical powers and defeat an army of ghosts before they get to you. Swipe your keypad in the direction above the ghouls’ heads to turn them into dust. But be careful, it’s very addicting.

This story was originally published in 2018 and updated in 2021.