What you need to know
- Google dropped a new easter egg on Search and, this time, is a retro throwback game called “Block Breaker.”
- Similar to the original game, Breakout, users have a single paddle, one ball, and four rows of Google-colored bricks in the company’s version.
- Google Search often drops its easter eggs out of nowhere, like its other throwbacks via Snake, Minesweeper, and Tic-Tac-Toe.
Every so often Google gets a little silly and adds in a secret easter egg for users looking for a little downtime.
As spotted by Android Police, Google Search has a new easter egg that takes you back to the days of retro gaming. Users can look up “Block Breaker” in Search and find its colorful logo and convenient play button. It’s a game that reminds us of old phones with pullout antennae, rubber number pads, and a tiny screen. Google’s version of this classic game keeps in theme with what you’d expect: a singular pad, one ball, and four rows of Google-colored bricks.
However, Google throws in different colored bricks and power-ups to make the game interesting.
Users hitting the right bricks can gain a bubble power-up that slows the balls down as they plummet back toward you. Another buff gives you two blasters on either end of the paddle that shoots up at the bricks. Then, there’s the safety net — just in case you didn’t see that third ball to your right.
Bricks with power-ups are clearly marked, so you know your next target. Additionally, on desktop, the game is displayed in a small, overlayed window (which you can also make larger). The left and right arrow keys slide you across the playing field while the up arrow sends the ball to kick things off.
The publication also drops a bit of history, stating Google’s game, like all others, are reinvented versions of the original brick-breaking game, Breakout, by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak from Atari (known more as the creators of Apple).
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Entering “Block Breaker” into Search will display the newest easter egg, as well as a library of Google’s other games. Users can enjoy a session of Snake, PAC-MAN, Minesweeper, Tic-Tac-Toe, and more.
Google’s no stranger to dropping unique and wacky easter eggs in Search regarding games or the time of the year — like Twosday. In 2022, on February 22, people called it “Twosday” because the written date was all 2s. If you were on Search at the time and typed Twosday into its bar, you’d see results for the once-in-a-lifetime date alongside a bombardment of the number. This special occurrence isn’t expected to happen again for another 400 years; well, 397 years, this February.
Another magical, space-themed easter egg dropped during Disney Plus’ “The Mandalorian” hype in 2023. The cute baby Grogu was on Search that day for anyone who looked up information about the show. Grogu would enter on the bottom right of your screen and use the Force to yank your results off the page and pile them up.
The Force is truly strong with that one.