:Dinosaur Game

File:Google Dinosaur game dark shading.png

When a user attempts to navigate to a web page on Google Chrome while being offline, the browser notifies the user that they are not connected to the Internet, with an illustration of a pixelated Tyrannosaurus rex shown on the page.{{cite web |last=Tumblison |first=Craig |date=March 7, 2014 |title=Interview with Sebastien Gabriel, a Google Chrome Visual Designer |url=https://www.omgchrome.com/interview-with-sebastien-gabriel-google-chrome-visual-designer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326230139/https://www.omgchrome.com/interview-with-sebastien-gabriel-google-chrome-visual-designer/ |archive-date=March 26, 2015 |access-date=October 11, 2020 |website=OMG! Chrome!}} The game can then be launched either by pressing {{key press|space}} or {{key press|up}} on desktop, or by tapping the dinosaur on Android or iOS mobile devices. Additionally, the game can be accessed by inputting chrome://dino or chrome://network-error/-106 into the Omnibox.{{Cite web |last=Biersdorfer |first=J. D. |date=November 14, 2017 |title=When Dinosaurs Roam in Chrome |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/technology/personaltech/chrome-dinosaur-internet-connection.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115060204/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/technology/personaltech/chrome-dinosaur-internet-connection.html |archive-date=November 15, 2017 |access-date=September 3, 2018 |website=The New York Times}}

During the game, the dinosaur continuously moves from left to right across a black-and-white desert landscape, with the player attempting to avoid oncoming obstacles such as cacti and pterosaurs by jumping or ducking.{{Cite web |last=Roshan |first=Azar |date=August 5, 2017 |title=Google Easter Eggs: 15+ Best Google Easter Eggs & Google Tricks 2017 |url=https://feedsyouneed.com/google-easter-eggs-google-tricks/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805055813/https://feedsyouneed.com/google-easter-eggs-google-tricks/ |archive-date=August 5, 2017 |access-date=October 11, 2020 |website=Feeds You Need}} Pressing {{key press|space}}, {{keypress|up}}, or tapping the dinosaur on mobile devices will cause the dinosaur to "leap", while pressing the {{key press|down}} key will cause the dinosaur to "crouch". As the game progresses, the speed of play gradually increases until the user hits an obstacle or a pterosaur, prompting an instant game over.

Once the player reaches around 700 points, the game switches from dark gray graphics on a white background to pale gray graphics on a black background, representing a shift from day to night, with daytime sky graphics also becoming nighttime sky graphics.{{efn|Using a device in dark mode will start the game with the same nighttime graphics.}} The color scheme then alternates as the game progresses.{{Cite web |last=Sneddon |first=Joey-Elijah |date=September 25, 2014 |title=This is Chrome's Newest Easter Egg. And It's Awesome |url=https://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-easter-egg-trex-game-offline/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122021535/https://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-easter-egg-trex-game-offline/ |archive-date=January 22, 2015 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=OMG! Chrome!}}{{Cite news |last=Matos |first=Clinton |date=May 20, 2016 |title=Google Chrome's offline "Dinosaur Game" now has a day-night cycle |url=https://www.htxt.co.za/2016/05/20/google-chromes-offline-dinosaur-game-now-has-a-day-night-cycle/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521170449/https://www.htxt.co.za/2016/05/20/google-chromes-offline-dinosaur-game-now-has-a-day-night-cycle/ |archive-date=May 21, 2016 |access-date=June 7, 2016 |newspaper=HTXT}} The game was designed to reach its maximum score after approximately 17{{nbsp}}million years of playtime, in reference to how long the t-rex existed before it went extinct during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2018 |title=As the Chrome dino runs, we caught up with the Googlers who built it |url=https://blog.google/products/chrome/chrome-dino/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908043120/https://www.blog.google/products/chrome/chrome-dino/ |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |access-date=June 18, 2021 |website=The Keyword}}

If a network administrator disables the Dinosaur Game, an error message appears when attempting to play the game, which features an image of a meteor heading towards the player character.{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2021 |title=How to disable Dinosaur game in Google Chrome when device is offline |url=https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-dinosaur-game-in-google-chrome |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331110948/https://www.thewindowsclub.com/disable-dinosaur-game-in-google-chrome |archive-date=March 31, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2021 |website=The Windows Club}}

File:Dinosaur gameover.png header and restart button after the player runs into a cactus]]

The game was created by members of the Chrome UX team in 2014, which consisted of Sebastien Gabriel, Alan Bettes, and Edward Jung.{{Cite web |title=Dinosaur Game |url=https://poki.com/en/g/dinosaur-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812130819/https://poki.com/en/g/dinosaur-game |archive-date=August 12, 2020 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |website=Poki}} Gabriel designed the player character, named the "Lonely T-Rex". During development, the game was given the codename "Project Bolan", in reference to Marc Bolan, the lead singer of the band T. Rex. The developers chose the dinosaur theme as a reference to the game's function, a joke that not having an internet connection is equivalent to living in the "prehistoric ages".

The game was released in September 2014; initially, it did not work on older devices, so the code was updated and re-released in December of the same year.{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Matthew |date=September 7, 2018 |title=4 years later, Google finally explains the origins of its Chrome dinosaur game |url=https://thenextweb.com/news/4-years-later-google-finally-explains-the-origins-of-its-chrome-dinosaur-game |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411181331/https://thenextweb.com/news/4-years-later-google-finally-explains-the-origins-of-its-chrome-dinosaur-game |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=TheNextWeb}} The pterosaurs were added as obstacles with a browser update in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Sneddon |first=Joey-Elijah |date=June 18, 2015 |title=Chrome's Hidden Dinosaur Game Just Got Even Better |url=https://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-dinosaur-game-pterodactyl-upgrade/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905212924/https://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-dinosaur-game-pterodactyl-upgrade/ |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |website=OMG! Chrome!}}

In September 2018, an Easter egg was added to the game in celebration of Chrome's 10th birthday and the game's fourth birthday, with a birthday cake appearing in the desert and a birthday hat appearing on the Lonely T-Rex if the cake is "eaten".{{Cite web |last=Torres |first=JC |date=September 4, 2018 |title=Chrome T-Rex offline game parties with birthday hat, cake |url=https://www.slashgear.com/chrome-t-rex-offline-game-parties-with-birthday-hat-cake-04544344/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905013247/https://www.slashgear.com/chrome-t-rex-offline-game-parties-with-birthday-hat-cake-04544344/ |archive-date=September 5, 2018 |access-date=September 16, 2018 |website=SlashGear}} In November of the same year, Google introduced a feature to save the player's high score.{{Cite web |last=Kerns |first=Taylor |date=November 30, 2018 |title=Show off your Chrome dino-game skills with the arrival of cross-device high score sync |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/11/30/show-off-your-chrome-dino-game-skills-with-the-arrival-of-cross-device-high-score-sync/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201132608/https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/11/30/show-off-your-chrome-dino-game-skills-with-the-arrival-of-cross-device-high-score-sync/ |archive-date=December 1, 2018 |access-date=January 20, 2021 |website=Android Police}} The game's source code is available on the Chromium site.{{Cite web |last=Agarwal |first=Amit |date=October 26, 2015 |title=Play the Dinosaur Game Hidden inside your Google Chrome |url=https://www.labnol.org/software/chrome-offline-dinosaur-game/28781/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121062236/https://www.labnol.org/software/chrome-offline-dinosaur-game/28781/ |archive-date=January 21, 2015 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=Digital Inspiration}}

In July 2020, an Olympic torch Easter egg for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics simulating various Olympic activities was added.{{Cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Kyle |date=July 21, 2021 |title=Chrome's Dino Run game gains in-depth Tokyo Olympics easter egg |url=https://9to5google.com/2021/07/21/chromes-dino-run-game-tokyo-olympics-easter-egg/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721180528/https://9to5google.com/2021/07/21/chromes-dino-run-game-tokyo-olympics-easter-egg/ |archive-date=July 21, 2021 |access-date=July 23, 2021 |website=9to5Google}} Upon reaching the torch, the dino transformed into various Olympic games such as swimming, running, and many others. Instead of the usual cacti and pterosaur obstacles, the dino encountered challenges related to the Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Finn |first=John |date=July 22, 2021 |title=How To Find & Play Chrome's 'Dino Run' Olympics Easter Egg Game |url=https://screenrant.com/google-chrome-dino-run-trex-hidden-olympics-easter-egg-game/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221023115409/https://screenrant.com/google-chrome-dino-run-trex-hidden-olympics-easter-egg-game/ |archive-date=October 23, 2022 |access-date=March 31, 2023 |website=Screen Rant}} In 2021, Google introduced a widget in March for iOS 14 which led players to chrome://dino;{{Cite web |last=Abrams |first=Lawrence |date=April 17, 2021 |title=Google is adding its Dinosaur Game as an iPhone widget |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-is-adding-its-dinosaur-game-as-an-iphone-widget/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418103441/https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/google/google-is-adding-its-dinosaur-game-as-an-iphone-widget/ |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |access-date=December 19, 2021 |website=Bleeping Computer}} a similar widget was introduced to Android later that year.{{Cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Kyle |date=July 19, 2021 |title=Android is getting a homescreen widget for Chrome's famous 'Dino Run' game |url=https://9to5google.com/2021/07/19/android-chrome-dino-run-widget/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719221257/https://9to5google.com/2021/07/19/android-chrome-dino-run-widget/ |archive-date=July 19, 2021 |access-date=April 22, 2022 |website=9to5Google}}{{Cite web |last=Jine |first=Nguyen |date=2021-04-05 |title=Dinogame |url=https://dinogame.app |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=dinogame.app |language=en}} In 2024, Google released GenDino, allowing users to type in a prompt and generate a dino game with AI-generated sprites.{{Cite web |title=Create a Custom Chrome Dino Game With GenDino|url=https://www.howtogeek.com/google-labs-gendino/ |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240526122656/https://www.howtogeek.com/google-labs-gendino/ |archive-date=May 26, 2024 |access-date=September 21, 2024 |website=howtogeek|date=May 21, 2024 }}

The game received widespread recognition, with the creators revealing in September 2018 that approximately 270 million games were played monthly.

image:Chrome dinosaur, Gyulagarak, Armenia.png, Armenia{{Cite web |url=https://desuden.com/the-famous-chrome-dinosaur-gyulagarak-armenia/ |title=The famous Chrome Dinosaur "No Internet" in Gyulagarak, Armenia |date=July 30, 2021 |access-date=2024-08-08 |archive-date=2023-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208092837/https://desuden.com/the-famous-chrome-dinosaur-gyulagarak-armenia/ |url-status=live }}]]

The Dinosaur Game is referenced in the "couch gag" opening segment of the season 34 premiere of The Simpsons, "Habeas Tortoise".{{Cite web |last=Wang |first=Jules |date=2022-09-26 |title=The Simpsons run Chrome's offline desert gauntlet in latest couch gag |url=https://www.androidpolice.com/the-simpsons-chrome-dino-couch-gag/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Android Police |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Abner |date=2022-09-26 |title='The Simpsons' 'couch gag' pays tribute to Chrome Dino game |url=https://9to5google.com/2022/09/25/the-simpsons-chrome-dino/ |access-date=2022-09-26 |website=9to5Google |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Reichert |first=Corinne |date=September 26, 2022 |title=The Simpsons Season 34 Opening Couch Gag Pays Homage to Chrome's T-Rex Game |url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/the-simpsons-season-34-opening-couch-gag-pays-homage-to-chromes-t-rex-game/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220926225425/https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/the-simpsons-season-34-opening-couch-gag-pays-homage-to-chromes-t-rex-game/ |archive-date=September 26, 2022 |access-date=September 27, 2022 |website=CNET}}

In May 2020, a Microsoft Edge update added Surf,{{Cite news |date=2020-05-28 |title=Microsoft launches easter egg game for Edge browser |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/gadgets-news/microsoft-launches-easter-egg-game-for-edge-browser/articleshow/76073521.cms |access-date=2025-04-01 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}} a game where players control a surfer attempting to evade obstacles and collect powerups. Like the Dinosaur Game, it is accessible from an error page when the browser is offline, but can also be accessed at the URI edge://surf.{{Cite web |last=Warren |first=Tom |date=2020-05-26 |title=You can now play Microsoft's new surf game inside the Edge browser |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/26/21270646/microsoft-edge-surf-game-now-available-download |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}} The game allows for character customization and multiple control schemes.{{cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Tom |title=Microsoft is adding a secret SkiFree-like surfing game into its Edge browser |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/26/21154821/microsoft-edge-surf-game-easter-egg-secret-skifree-modes |website=The Verge |access-date=25 March 2022 |language=en |date=26 February 2020 |archive-date=April 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414013714/https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/26/21154821/microsoft-edge-surf-game-easter-egg-secret-skifree-modes |url-status=live}}

The same year in August, MSCHF and 100 Thieves partnered to create a modified version of the game titled Dino Swords,{{Cite web |last=Silver |first=Curtis |title=Google Chrome's Dino Game Receives A Violent Upgrade In Dino Swords |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtissilver/2020/08/24/google-chromes-dino-dino-swords/ |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Forbes |language=en}} which featured a small arsenal of weapons and time-slowing pills; when mismanaged, the weapons could backfire and harm the dinosaur.{{Cite web |title=Google's Dinosaur browser game gets a dope mod that includes double swords |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/24/21395971/google-chrome-dinosaur-game-mschf-100thieves-mod-version |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824171830/https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/24/21395971/google-chrome-dinosaur-game-mschf-100thieves-mod-version |archive-date=August 24, 2020 |access-date=January 20, 2021 |website=The Verge|date=August 24, 2020|last=Alexander|first=Julia}}

• List of Google Easter eggs

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Category:2014 video games

Category:Action games

Category:Video games about dinosaurs

Category:Easter egg (media)

Category:Endless runner games

Category:Google Chrome

Category:Google Chrome games

Category:Monochrome video games

Category:Side-scrolling video games

Category:Video games developed in the United States