The Dinosaur Game, also known as the Chrome Dino Game or T-Rex Runner, is a fun and addictive offline mini-game built into the Google Chrome web browser. Created by Sebastian Gabriel, a UX designer at Google, this hidden gem was launched in 2014 to entertain users when they lose their internet connection. What started as a simple easter egg has become one of the most recognizable browser games in the world.
The concept of the Dinosaur Game is straightforward: when you try to access a website without an internet connection, Chrome displays a message saying, “No internet,” along with a small pixelated Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you press the spacebar (or tap the screen on mobile devices), the dinosaur begins to run, and the game begins.
Your goal is to guide the dinosaur across a desert landscape, avoiding obstacles like cacti and flying pterodactyls. The longer you survive, the faster the game becomes, making it more challenging over time. The controls are simple—press the spacebar to jump, and after reaching a certain point, the down arrow key lets you duck under flying enemies. That’s all there is to it—but don’t be fooled by the simplicity. The game’s increasing speed makes it tough to achieve high scores.