TG-Music Dino Run
The Google Chrome T-Rex game, a prehistoric treat hidden within the Google Chrome browser. Officially known as "Chrome Dino," the game activates when a user attempts to navigate to a webpage while disconnected from the internet. Displaying a pixelated T-Rex dinosaur in a desert landscape, the game's objective is straightforward: avoid obstacles for as long as possible to achieve a high score.
Original T-rex game
Developed by Google engineers Edward Jung, Sebastien Gabriel, and Alan Bettes in 2014, the Chrome Dino game was initially designed to lighten the frustration of internet downtime. The T-Rex was chosen as the protagonist to symbolize the pre-internet era, adding a touch of humor to the no-connection error page. Its design is intentionally pixelated, paying homage to the classic 8-bit graphics of early video games.
Gameplay is minimalistic and accessible, requiring only the space bar or the up arrow key to jump over obstacles, which include cacti and later on, flying pterodactyls. The down arrow allows the dinosaur to duck under the flying obstacles. As the game progresses, the speed gradually increases, challenging the player's reaction time and precision. There's no end to the game; it continues to accelerate until the player collides with an obstacle.
Over the years, the Chrome Dino game has evolved slightly, with Google adding features such as night mode, which activates after certain points thresholds are reached, changing the background to simulate the day-night cycle. Despite its simplicity, the game has achieved a cult status, inspiring merchandise, social media memes, and even educational tools to teach coding and game design.
The Chrome Dino game reflects Google's approach to user experience, demonstrating that even moments of frustration can be transformed into opportunities for delight. It's not just a way to pass the time during internet outages but also a testament to the enduring appeal of simple, well-designed games. For hobbyist programmers and game developers, the Chrome Dino game serves as an excellent example of how engaging gameplay mechanics, a sense of humor, and minimalist design can create a memorable and enjoyable user experience.
My dino game
Again, my dino game is not exact clone of the google chrome game. There are plenty of those around. In fact this game started as a parallax scrolling experiment and exercise. So, one thing led to another and here we are. Most if not all the inspiration came from opengameart.org, from users like pzUH. In this version of the game, you should avoid cracks in the road by jumping over them. Also, try to collect coins, as one coin gives 100 points. This will hopefully add some strategy to the game. I've also added a simple mechanic to adjust your jumps: short spacebar press is short and low jump, long press is high and longer jump. This gets important as the game speeds up.