Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary throughout 2026. If we had to pick a date, it would be February 27, when the original Pocket Monsters Red and Green was released for the Game Boy back in 1996. You can join the celebration with Google’s hidden Doodle mini-game that you can play right now on your phone or PC.
Celebrate Pokémon’s 30th anniversary with a hidden Google game
Hard to believe it’s already been 30 years
Google is famous for implementing cool Easter eggs in its search engine. These are known as Doodles, and most of them are just fun artworks or animations that give the Google logo a refreshing twist.
Every once in a while, though, Google goes the extra mile by developing a full mini-game inside the browser.
For example, when the last season of Squid Game was released on Netflix, Google added a way to play the now-legendary Red Light, Green Light game by searching for “Squid Game” or a related term and tapping on the invitation card.
For Pokémon, Google teamed up with Nintendo to create the Catch Pokémon game, which lets you search for different Pokémon names to catch them and complete your Pokédex. The game includes a total of 151 different Generation I Pokémon.
The Catch Pokémon Doodle isn’t actually a new Doodle— it was originally released in April last year. But unless you’ve searched for Pokémon on Google since then, there’s a good chance you missed it. I know I did, and I’m glad I discovered it just in time for the anniversary!
How to find and access the Google Pokémon Easter egg
Time to play the game
To start the Catch Pokémon game, just go to Google on your PC or phone and search for “Pokémon” or the name of a Generation I Pokémon.
A Poké Ball will appear at the bottom of your screen. Clicking or tapping the Poké Ball starts the game, and if you searched for a Pokémon’s name, you’ll capture it and add it to your Pokédex.
To collect more Pokémon, simply search for their names in Google and click or tap the Poké Ball each time.
Remembering the names of all the Pokémon can be tough, even for superfans, but fortunately, Google gives you hints and shows a silhouette to help jog your memory.
As you progress, you’ll unlock special Master Balls that can be used to catch the Legendary and Mythical Gen 1 Pokémon.
If you want your progress saved and synced across devices, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account. Keep in mind that deleting the search from your history will also remove the Pokémon from your Pokédex, which is important if you often clear your cookies or search data.
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Tips and tricks for catching ’em all
Fill up your Pokédex in no time
One of the first things you’ll notice when playing this game is that not all Pokémon will appear when you search for their names.
This happens because many Pokémon have names that are actual English words. For example, if you type just “Persian” into the search bar, there’s a good chance you won’t see the Pokémon.
To get around this, simply add “Pokémon” to your search query, and the Poké Ball will appear on your screen. There’s even a special scenario where you’ll have to add a completely different word to catch both variants of a particular Pokémon, but I won’t give away any spoilers here!
On the flip side, if you add extra words to your search query, you won’t be able to catch the Pokémon. Typing something like “Alolan Persian” or “Persian Evolution” won’t bring up the Poké Ball, which could be the reason why you missed this Easter egg for so long in the first place.
While you can play the game on both your PC and phone, it’s frankly best enjoyed on mobile. While the game technically works on PC, the full animations and interactive catching experience are only available on mobile in the Google app.
When guessing a Pokémon, make sure to study the silhouette carefully and take Google’s hint into account. Sometimes, staring at the silhouette and thinking about the hint is enough to jog your memory.
If you still can’t remember a particular Pokémon needed to progress, there’s no shame in asking an AI chatbot for help. You can take a screenshot or describe the silhouette instead of typing something vague like “fire Pokémon,” which might accidentally reveal other Pokémon you haven’t discovered yet.
When it comes to collecting Legendary and Mythical Pokémon, don’t waste time searching for them until you have the Master Balls required to catch them. The first Master Ball unlocks fairly early, after just five catches, while the others appear later at 20, 50, 100, and 150 catches.
The Catch Pokémon game that Google implemented into its search engine is surprisingly fun. It’s easy to get hooked trying to catch them all, so give it a try, test your knowledge, and see how quickly you can fill up your Pokédex!
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