Google Doodles — redesigned versions of the Google homepage logo — are a delightful part of my day. The latest one — No. 12 in the Olympics series, if you're keeping count — even happens to be an interactive (and very addictive) mini-game.
I'd have told you about this little distraction sooner if I hadn't been attempting to improve my own score on it, but don't worry: You won't be denied any time with the Doodle just because you're finding out about it so late. It's archived right here so that you can play it long after Tuesday is over.
The mini-game is quite simple. You just have to repeatedly smash the arrow keys and spaceabar on your keyboard in order to get a little hurdler to make his way across a track and over some obstacles. It may take a few moment to master the timing of the jumps, but once you get the hang of things, you'll be able to play this game with your eyes closed. (Though you should probably not attempt to do that at work. People will think you've finally cracked.)
If you're not overly familiar with Google Doodles, you should know that Tuesday's is just one of many. The search engine giant has made plenty of Doodles — plain and interactive — over the years. Some of the most best ones include a playable Les Paul guitar, an animated interpretation of John Lennon's "Imagine," and a dancing Martha Graham-inspired piece. And let's not forget about Monday's javelin throw Olympic Doodle, which featured a hidden shout-out to Mars rover Curiosity.
You can check out more of these Doodles by hitting the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button on the Google homepage without entering a query. Try it. It's a not-so-secret shortcut to the magical Google Doodle archive.
Related stories:
- You can now 'handwrite' your Google searches
- Google adds calculation tools to math search results
- Google Earth's 3-D buildings come to iOS
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