Dinosaur Game

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Dinosaur Game
Trex pixel.png
The T-Rex player character
Developer(s)Google
Designer(s)
Platform(s)Web
Genre(s)
  • Action game
  • endless runner game Edit this on Wikidata
Mode(s)
  • Single-player Edit this on Wikidata

The Dinosaur Game (also known as the Chrome Dino)[1] is a built-in browser game in the Google Chrome web browser.[2][3] The player guides a pixelated Tyrannosaurus rex across a side-scrolling landscape, avoiding obstacles to achieve a higher score. The game was created by Sebastien Gabriel in 2014, and is intended to be accessed by hitting the space bar when Google Chrome is offline.[4]

Gameplay[]

The player ducking under a pteranodon. This can be done by pressing the ↓ key.

When the Chrome browser is offline, and a user tries to navigate to a web page, the browser notifies the user that they are not connected to the Internet. An illustration of the "Lonely T-Rex" dinosaur is shown at the top, designed by Sebastien Gabriel.[5] Tapping the dinosaur in Android or iOS, or pressing space or ↑ on desktop, launches the game. The game can also be accessed by typing chrome://dino or chrome://network-error/-106 into the URL bar.[4]

During gameplay, a running dinosaur moves from left to right across a desert landscape, and the player avoids oncoming obstacles by jumping or ducking, including cacti and pterodactyls. Pressing space or ↑ will jump, and ↓ will duck (mobile users can only tap the screen to jump). As gameplay progresses, the speed of play increases until the user cannot keep up and hits an obstacle, prompting an instant game over.

When the player reaches 1800 points, the game switches from black graphics on white, to white graphics on black, representing a shift from day to night. Reaching a score of 900 will switch the color scheme back, and will switch back and forth at subsequent milestones.[6][7][8] The game was designed to reach a maximum score after approximately 17 million years of playtime, in reference to how long the Tyrannosaurus rex existed before it went extinct.[9][10]

If an administrator disables the dinosaur game, an error message appears when attempting to play the game, featuring a picture of a meteor heading towards the dinosaur.[citation needed]

History and development[]

The game over header and restart button after the player runs into a cactus. Note that the T-Rex's eyes bulge.

During development, the game was given the codename of "Project Bolan", in reference to the lead singer Marc Bolan of the 1970s band T. Rex. The game was released in September 2014 but failed on performance for older devices. The game's code was re-written and re-released in December 2014. Four years later, the game celebrated its fourth birthday with themed decoration.[10]

For Google Chrome's 10th birthday, an Easter egg was added to the game: during September 2018, a birthday cake could appear in the desert. When eaten, a birthday hat would appear on the dinosaur.[11] In November 2018, Google introduced a feature to save player scores.[12] The game's code is available on the Chromium site.[8]

An "in-depth" Easter egg was also added to the game for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, simulating various Olympic activities.[13]

Dino Swords[]

In August 2020, MSCHF and 100 Thieves partnered to create a modified version of the game called Dino Swords. Dino Swords features a small arsenal of weapons and time-slowing pills. When mismanaged, the weapons can backfire and harm the dinosaur.[14]

Reception[]

The base game received widespread recognition, with the creators revealing that 270 million games are played monthly.[15]

See also[]

  • List of Google Easter eggs

References[]

  1. ^ Li, Abner (May 10, 2021). "Chrome 90 for iPhone rolling out with search, Dino widgets". 9to5Google. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "How to Access Chrome's New Hidden Endless Running Game". OMG! Chrome!. September 25, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  3. ^ "Google Easter Eggs : 15+ Best Google Easter Eggs & Google Tricks 2017". August 5, 2017. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Biersdorfer, J. D. (November 14, 2017). "When Dinosaurs Roam in Chrome". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  5. ^ "Interview with Sebastien Gabriel, a Google Chrome Visual Designer". OMG! Chrome!. March 7, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  6. ^ Sneddon, Joey-Elijah (September 25, 2014). "This is Chrome's Newest Easter Egg. And It's Awesome". OMG Chrome.
  7. ^ Clinton Matos (May 20, 2016). "Google Chrome's offline "Dinosaur Game" now has a day-night cycle". htxt.co.za. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Agarwal, Amit (October 26, 2015). "Play the Dinosaur Game Hidden inside your Google Chrome". Digital Inspiration.
  9. ^ "As the Chrome dino runs, we caught up with the Googlers who built it". The Keyword. September 6, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Hughes, Matthew (September 7, 2018). "4 years later, Google finally explains the origins of its Chrome dinosaur game".
  11. ^ JC Torres (September 4, 2018). "Chrome T-Rex offline game parties with birthday hat, cake". slashgear.com. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
  12. ^ "Show off your Chrome dino-game skills with the arrival of cross-device high score sync". Android Police. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  13. ^ Bradshaw, Kyle (July 21, 2021). "Chrome's Dino Run game gains in-depth Tokyo Olympics easter egg". 9to5Google. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  14. ^ "Google's Dinosaur browser game gets a dope mod that includes double swords". The Verge. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  15. ^ "As the Chrome dino runs, we caught up with the Googlers who built it". Google Blogs.
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