Google has announced the winners of its Olympic Doodle Contest, and one island nation is taking home the gold. The tiny country of Kiribati won with a design that celebrates its culture and natural beauty. Kiribati is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean that is made up of 33 atolls and reef islands. The country has a population of just over 100,000 people and is ranked as the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change. The winning Doodle features a traditional kite flying over a coral reef, with palm trees in the background. The design was inspired by Kiribati’s culture and its love for sailing and fishing. “We are so proud to have won this prestigious Google Doodle Award,” said Teresita Teitelboim, Kiribati’s Minister for Culture and Tourism. “Our aim was to create an upbeat Doodle that would reflect our rich culture and beautiful natural environment.” Google says it received more than 1 million submissions from around the world for its Olympic Doodle Contest, which aimed to celebrate “the spirit of sport” during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this year. ..
One of the fun things about the Google homepage is “Doodles.” These are usually artistic versions of the Google logo, but sometimes they’re full-blown games. For the 2020 Summer Olympics—happening in 2021—Google went all out.
Typically, these are simple one-click games with minimal graphics. But for the Olympics, Google launched “Champion Island.” This is the largest Google Doodle game we’ve seen so far. Champion Island is an RPG with a bunch of minigames and areas to explore.
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The game will be available on the Google homepage starting Friday, July 22nd, 2021, which is the same day as the Opening Ceremonies. You can also play the game on the Google Doodle blog.
So what exactly is Champion Island? Let’s dive in.
The game starts with you in the role of “Lucky the Ninja Cat.” After you get past the first minigame you’re asked to join a team—Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green. There’s a global leaderboard that shows which team is winning, so choose wisely.
Once you have a team, the idea is to find the “champions” of each sport and challenge them to minigames. These champions are inspired by Japanese history and folklore. The games are introduced with fun animated cutscenes.
In total, there are seven minigames, including table tennis, rugby, running, swimming, and climbing. Beyond those games, there are also side quests and other things to find. There’s a lot to explore, so don’t feel like you have to do it all in one sitting.
As mentioned, when you choose a team, you are joining a global team. Your progress and success in the game contribute to the team’s overall score. The Olympics is a global event and Champion Island is a global event as well.
Visit the Google Doodle blog post to play the game during the Olympics in Tokyo and well after the games are over! Don’t let your team down!
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