Google’s addictive Halloween multiplayer game is a spooky way to procrastinate

Ready ghost one.
Ready ghost one.
Image: AP Photo/Rene Macura
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In honor of Halloween, Google Doodle introduced its first-ever multiplayer game today (Oct. 30) called The Great Ghoul Duel—and it’s very addictive.

The game is as ghostly and competitive as it sounds: Players form two teams of up to four ghouls and try to collect as many “Spirit Flames” as possible. These flames stack up to make a tail on each player. Ghouls from the competing team can intercept and steal them—the team that brings the most flames back to home base wins.

Players can also unlock special powers like speed boosts or win a title at the end (like “Most Spirited”). All the while, a creepy and catchy tune plays in the background to get you into the Halloween mood. Like Google’s adorable Halloween game from 2016, The Magic Cat Academy, this year’s doodle is likely to distract many people at the office.

The Great Ghoul Duel is powered by Google Cloud and integrates Open Match, an open-source matchmaking framework that connects players to one another. After visiting Google’s home page to start playing, you can compete with random strangers or host a game and invite up to seven family and friends using a special link.

Luckily, each game only lasts two minutes—although that doesn’t mean you can’t play it on repeat.