Officially referred to as the Google Doodle, these logos were typically just a bit of artistic fun, with each year’s Google Doodle Halloween logo sporting a unique take on popular Halloween aesthetic imagery such as black cats, witches, and jack-o-lanterns.
It all changed in 2015 when the traditional Google Doodle image evolved into a quirky Google Halloween game called the Global Candy Cup 2015 featuring a cute ghost. This free Halloween video game ran entirely within a web browser on the Google website. The company followed this up with more Google Halloween games each year (though it skipped 2017.)
Here’s how to play each Google Doodle Halloween game.
How to Play Google’s Halloween 2015 Game
Google’s first Google Doodle Halloween game, Halloween - Global Candy Cup 2015, is a fun little game where you get to choose to play as one of four cute cartoon witches and fly through a level collecting candy on Halloween night.
The controls are very similar to the Flappy Bird game, wherein you need to tap the screen to fly continuously. Each tap boosts the witch slightly higher into the sky. If you stop tapping, your witch crashes to the ground.
Bats and ravens continuously attack the witch, so the tapping must be timed perfectly to fly over or under them.
How to Play Google’s Halloween 2016 Game
The second Google Halloween game is Magic Cat Academy and revolves around a black cartoon cat called Momo, who must defend her school against ghosts.
Each attacking ghost features a symbol above its head, such as a horizontal or vertical line. All you need to do to defeat the ghosts is swipe their symbol with your finger.
How to Play Google’s Doodle for Halloween 2018
The Google Halloween 2018 game is called The Great Ghoul Duel and was the first Google Doodle game to feature online multiplayer.
This free online Halloween video game pits two teams of four players against each other. Each player plays as an adorable ghost who must collect as many spirit flame icons as they can. The gameplay is very similar to the classic Pac-Man video game, but instead of playing a ghost-eater, you play as the ghosts.
Running into an opponent will cause you to lose some of the spirit flames you’ve collected, while collecting a lot will unlock special powers such as super speed and night vision.
The game uses the arrow keys to navigate around the level, and you can choose to get matched with other random players for each game or host your own online multiplayer game and invite friends via a unique invite link.
How to Play Google’s Halloween Doodle for 2019
The 2019 Google Doodle was all about the animals.
This nameless game gives you a series of doors to click and reveal a trick-or-treating beastie. Select “Trick” to see a cute, creepy animation or “Treat” to make the animal friend happy and learn a little fact. Your visitors include a spider, octopus, jaguar, and bat. This Doodle wasn’t just a fun, cute time; it also aimed to build awareness and support for the World Wildlife Foundation.
How to Play Google’s Game for Halloween 2020
For the first time yet, Google’s 2020 Halloween offering was a follow-up to a previous title. In this sequel to Magic Cat Academy, 2016’s feline hero Momo returns to face new threats under the sea.
Just like in the previous entry, spirits and monsters head toward you from the edges of the screen. To defeat them, swipe or draw the symbols over their heads. Across four aquatic levels that lead Momo ever deeper into the ocean, she’ll face foes like the Immortal Jellyfish, Vampire Squid, and a terrifying Anglerfish.
