🕹️ Google Tricks · Google in 1998 · Retro
Google in 1998 Game Play
(Is It a Game?)
Lots of people search “Google in 1998 game,” “play Google in 1998” or “Google 1998 simulator.” It makes sense: the page looks like a relic from a video game level. But there’s no game, no score and no boss.
There is something fun to play with, though, and this guide covers it. It’s part of our retro Google tricks guide.
Quick answer: Google in 1998 isn’t a game. It’s a 2013 Easter egg that shows a results page styled like early Google, with the old logo and plain blue links. People looking for “game play” usually want a retro simulator, such as the elgooG recreation, where every search shows the same sample results.
What Google in 1998 actually is
Google added it in September 2013 for its 15th anniversary. Search the phrase and you get a results page styled after the early service: the early logo with its exclamation point above a plain list of blue links. A link leads back to the modern 2013 page.
The charm is the contrast. Silicon Republic noted at the time that what stood out wasn’t how much had changed, but how much of the simple original design survived.
How to try it on Google
- Open regular Google Search in a desktop browser.
- Search for
Google in 1998with nothing else in the box. - Look at the old-style results page. Click around.
- Use the link on the page to return to the modern view.
Reports say the trick still works, but Google can change how Search behaves at any time, and the exact look can vary. If you only see normal results, try Chrome on a desktop, remove extra words from the search, and check that reduced motion isn’t switched on.
The “simulator” people are really after
When searches say “game play” or “simulator,” they usually mean a clickable recreation. The elgooG fan site builds one: a 1998-style homepage inside an Internet Explorer 4-style window, with the old logo, a pixel-style font and links such as Stanford Search and Linux Search.
Here’s what it does and doesn’t do:
- Whatever you type, every search opens the same sample results for “google.”
- The old links and page numbers are for show.
- The subscription box accepts typing but signs you up for nothing.
- It’s a fan site, and it says it isn’t affiliated with Google.
So it’s a toy, not a game. Fun for a minute, and fascinating if you remember the era. Our complete list of Google Easter eggs shows how it compares with the rest.
If you want a real game
Google’s Doodle games are the nearest thing to what you’re after. Try our guide to Google Doodle games to play with friends. And for the follow-up question, whether there’s a version from the year before, read Google in 1997 trick.
Frequently asked questions
No. Google in 1998 is a 2013 Easter egg that styles a results page like early Google. People looking for a game usually find retro simulators, which are clickable recreations rather than games.
Search “Google in 1998” on Google in a desktop browser and click around the old-style page. For a clickable homepage, try a fan recreation such as the one on elgooG.
The elgooG recreation is a historical mock-up. Every search opens the same sample results for “google,” and the old links and page numbers are for display only.
The search phrase egg is official and dates to September 2013. Clickable homepage recreations are fan-made and not affiliated with Google.
Google added it in September 2013 to mark its 15th anniversary. Google was incorporated in September 1998.
Sources checked
Facts here were checked against these sources on November 2, 2026. Gameplay and settings were not tested for this article, so try anything yourself before relying on it.
- Silicon Republic, September 2013 — the launch and what the page showed.
- Business Insider, September 2018 — the “Google in 1998” search tip during the 20th anniversary.
- elgooG Google in 1998 page — the 2013 egg and what the fan recreation does.
The original report: Silicon Republic on the Google in 1998 egg, from September 2013.