The Google Dinosaur Game: Fun That Needs No Internet

In the ever-evolving world of gaming, flashy animation and expensive special effects don’t always guarantee success. Take Google’s Dinosaur Game, for example. As plain as it looks, it has won over players all around the world.

Curious about why it was made and what inspired it? Let’s take a closer look at the game and find out what makes it such a favorite among players young and old alike.

The Google Dinosaur Game was created by Alan Bettes, Edward Jung, and Sebastian Gabriel. It debuted in September 2014, alongside the release of Chrome version 38. Originally designed to entertain users whenever their internet connection suddenly dropped, it earned the nickname “the no-wifi dinosaur game.” It didn’t work on older Android devices at first, so the team rewrote it, finishing the update by December of that same year.

You can read more about the history of the Dinosaur Game here.

The Dinosaur Game is simple, and that’s exactly where its charm lies. You control a pixelated T-Rex as it runs automatically from left to right. Your goal is to help the T-Rex dodge obstacles like cacti and flying pterodactyls. Press the spacebar (or tap the screen on mobile) to jump, and hold the down arrow to duck. The longer your T-Rex survives, the higher your score climbs.

You can read more about the gameplay here.