Doodle Champion Island Games is the most ambitious Google Doodle ever created — a full 16-bit RPG developed in partnership with Japanese animation studio Studio 4°C. Released on July 23, 2021, to celebrate the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it transforms what would normally be a simple logo animation into a sprawling adventure filled with sports minigames, side quests, and characters drawn from Japanese folklore.
You play as Lucky, a calico ninja cat who arrives on Champion Island to compete in seven Olympic-inspired sports events. Each event is guarded by a legendary champion based on mythical creatures: the Tengu oversees table tennis, the shapeshifting Tanuki runs skateboarding, Yoichi the legendary archer challenges you in archery, the fearsome Oni dominate rugby, Princess Otohime commands artistic swimming, the wise owl Fukuro watches over sport climbing, and the spirited Kijimuna race you in the marathon. Defeat all seven champions, collect their sacred scrolls, and you’ll be crowned the island’s ultimate champion.
What makes this game special is how much depth Google packed into a browser experience. Beyond the main sports challenges, there are 22 side quests to complete and 24 hidden trophies to collect. The island spans multiple regions inspired by locations across Japan, from bamboo forests and mountain temples to coastal villages and bustling city centres. NPCs scattered throughout offer hints, stories, and quests that reward exploration. There’s even a secret ending involving all the trophies and a mysterious message about not trusting a certain bird.
When you start, you’ll join one of four teams — Blue (Ushi the cow), Red (Karasu the crow), Yellow (Inari the fox), or Green (Kappa the water spirit). During the original Olympics, these teams competed on a global leaderboard, adding a collective element to the experience.
How To Play Doodle Champion Island Games
Use the arrow keys to move Lucky around the island. Press the spacebar to interact with characters, enter buildings, and trigger events.
Each minigame has slightly different controls. Table tennis uses arrow keys to move your paddle and spacebar to swing. Skateboarding combines arrow keys with Z and X for tricks. Artistic swimming is a rhythm game where you press arrow keys in time with musical prompts.
Look for red Torii gates to find the entrances to each sport’s arena. Talk to every NPC you encounter — many offer side quests that unlock trophies.
Sign into your Google account to save progress across sessions. Without signing in, closing the browser resets everything.
The main story takes roughly an hour, but completionists aiming for all 24 trophies should expect around two and a half hours of exploration.