Two of the oldest games going have been given the 21st century treatment, with solitaire and tic-tac-toe built into Google’s latest search bar. But knowing what sound a zebra makes, that’s the key.
Along with chess, hearts, freecell and minesweeper, it’s doubtful there are games more recognisable than Solitaire and Tic-tac-toe. This super six have found a home in the digital world better than perhaps any other parlour games.
And now, two are taking the lead. Google’s latest gimmick sees solitaire and tic-tac-toe generate in the search bar after you look them up.
Google’s latest tranche of gimmicks doesn’t stop there, though, with animal sounds and coin-flipping all hosted in the world’s most popular search bar.
The solitaire (search ‘solitaire’) game is very good, geared up with the full suite of features and available on both desktop and mobile browsing.
You can choose difficulty and then, quite simply, play.
If that’s a bit too time-consuming, try a bit of Xs and Os, or tic-tac-toe in American English. By searching the former, Elle King’s Grammy-nominated song of a similar name is suggested. But by searching for the latter (‘tic-tac-toe’), up pops the wonderful little game.
Again, choosing a difficulty seems the only changeable element. Choosing the hardest level means pretty much every game ends in a draw.
Beyond trivial games, there are the other banal queries that populate idle minds. What noise does a pig make? What about a tiger, a raccoon or even a zebra? Ask Google right now; some of the animals are more surprising than others.
Lastly, no more need for coins. Next time you have a split decision to make, simply search ‘flip a coin’ and let Google do the rest.
Google has form in this regard. Previous Easter Eggs have included Super Mario Bros games, the answer to the meaning of life, as well as the loneliest number.
Main zebra image via Shutterstock