Ranking The Google Doodle Games You Play During Class -

By Tim McGuire

This is an independently submitted op-ed and does not reflect the views of The Tower.

We’ve all been there before: stuck in a lecture hall of over 50 students in some random gen-ed class you had to take for the liberal arts curriculum here at CUA. So, when your professor doesn’t care enough to call out people on their laptops, you open up the Google tab and start playing your favorite mindless minigames to pass the time (while still listening to the lecture, I hope… you’re paying good money to be here!). As a college student with a functional laptop, I feel qualified enough to rank these games. Not all of them will be included, but I feel that the ones I left off of this list aren’t very notable, so you’re probably not missing out on much.

Honorable Mention: Garden Gnomes

Lesser known but still fun, Garden Gnomes is one of the best of the one-off holiday games. The wonky physics and absurd concept make it memorable among the catalogue of games. The only things holding it back from actually placing on the list are very repetitive gameplay (which is mostly just pressing the spacebar occasionally) and unbalanced characters. Play it for about 15 minutes, you’ll easily find out which gnome is undeniably the best to use.

7. Solitaire

I actually heavily enjoy playing Solitaire and it’s one of my common go-to’s, but I can’t put it over the other games in good conscience. Objectively, it’s too repetitive and up to random luck. You could be so close to winning and still end up losing just because the card you need is stuck behind a random stack that you can’t get through. It has looked the same over the last few years and Google doesn’t seem very interested in updating it. Well, I guess it’s like the old saying; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?

6. Color Tiles

This game is new to me, so there might be some recency bias here. It’s been a great brain teaser to mess around with, but it’s definitely taking focus away from my classes. Admittedly, I keep getting stuck around the midway point, so I actually haven’t completed the game’s 20 levels. Once I finally figure it out, I’ll be satisfied, but it’ll probably drop down to last because of a lack of replayability. Don’t give me any help or hints, I’ll figure it out… eventually… I think?

5. Snake

This will probably be my most controversial take on this list, though I personally don’t think Snake is the best game. I appreciate the multiple different game modes they keep updating it with, but I find the gameplay to be mostly the same every time. It’s cool every now and then to see someone get a perfect game, but that novelty can only be replicated so many times before moving onto the next game. I find the most enjoyment in this game from clicking the randomizer for every run and adapting on the fly.

4. Halloween (All Games)

One of the most charming games on the page, Halloween is a staple game that returns every year on the spooky holiday. Who doesn’t want to be a little cat wizard warding off ghosts to protect your cute animal friends? The gameplay is simple, yet hard to master as each level gets more and more difficult. The only real issues with these games are that it becomes a thousand times easier with a touch screen and that it is incredibly obvious that you’re playing it during class. Even still, I always look forward to each year’s new edition.

3. Block Breaker

Every time I boot up this game, I think, “I don’t know why I keep losing so quickly, this game is so easy.” And then I get reminded. Quickly. It’s the Mario Kart of all the games: you need to be able to keep up the pace while managing 52 items all at once. And the worst part? Unlike Mario Kart, you can’t blame the game. Maybe you should’ve prioritized the ball instead of the power-up, hm? Anyways, this is a classic that’s fun to play without distracting you too much from your classes. Endlessly replayable and fun to compare scores with friends.

2. Minesweeper

I had to exert some self-restraint here to not put Minesweeper at number one; this is by far my favorite game on Google. For such a simple game, it’s an oddly fun way to practice pattern recognition. Once you learn all the strategies, it starts to become addictive. While the only sort of variation is how big your board is, it still keeps you coming back for more. You can do a small board to try and get the quickest time possible, or take on the biggest board and try not to lose all your progress with a bad misclick. Just like Block Breaker, it’s engaging without infringing on focusing on the lecture your professor is giving. Is this a sign that I have some sort of undiagnosed disorder? Probably, but that’s not what this list is about. Sweep on!

1. Champion Island

I didn’t check any other publications ranking of these games (if they even exist), but I wouldn’t be surprised if Champion Island tops every list. I mean, how could it not? It’s a labor of love made in honor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, playing as an RPG with lively characters, locations, music, quests, and most importantly, sports. With seven fleshed-out sports and a multitude of side content, it’s hard to get bored of this game; I’d be surprised if anyone could reach 100% of the game in one class period. I won’t say too much else since I think it’s best experienced blind. Google set out to make a magnum opus Doodle game, and that’s exactly what they achieved with Champion Island.