No internet or Wi-Fi? Google included a hidden game in Chrome to keep you entertained
So there you are during a power outage without any connectivity options for your phone. Or, you are stuck in an area without cellular service, no hotspots to lean on, and your phone only allows you to connect via a satellite to report an emergency. The only issue you have at the moment is boredom. Per The U.S. Sun, Google built a hidden game into the Chrome app (and website) that you might find a good time-killer until the power is restored or you move to an area with cellular connectivity.
Getting to the game is simple. Without any connectivity, go to the Chrome app and type out any web address. You'll see the silhouette of a dinosaur with the words "No Internet" underneath it. This is more than just a cool-looking notification telling you that you cannot access any website at the moment. This is actually the starting point of the game. On your phone, tap on the dinosaur to start the game. On your computer, press the cursor bar.
The dinosaur will start "walking" and when it approaches a cactus, tap on the screen to make "dino" jump (press the cursor bar on your PC). The idea is to clear the cactus and the game gets harder as multiple cacti appear. The game ends when your dinosaur collides with a cactus. On the upper right side of the screen, you'll see your high score followed by the score of your last game.
The Dinosaur game on the Android Chrome app
So let's say that you get hooked on playing the game but don't want to disable your cellular or Wi-Fi connections. You can still play by opening the Chrome app and tapping chrome://dino into the URL field. And the game is available on both Android and iOS. This running and jumping game was first added to Chrome by Google back in 2014 but there is a whole new generation of device owners who are not aware of it.
Another game has been hidden in Google Maps, both on computers and Android smartphones. Go to Google Search and type in the search field snake.googlemaps.com. You'll get to play Snake on top of six famous cities (San Francisco, Cairo, Sao Paulo, London, Sydney, Tokyo), or on top of the world.
Play Snake on Google Maps
Each city has a different form of "snake" related to transportation. For example, if you choose London, you'll control an iconic red double-decker bus. Choose San Francisco and you'll control a tram. On a computer, the arrow keys control the "snake" while smartphone users will navigate by swiping up, down, to the left, or the right.
The goal of the game is to pick up passengers without crashing into a wall or yourself. The "snake" grows in length every time a passenger is collected making the game more difficult to play as you keep going. You can also collect landmarks depending on the destination you choose. This game can be played only with cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity enabled.
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