It's called Doodle Champion Island Games, and it's Google's deepest feature game yet.

Going to Google.com will reveal a Google Doodle Banner to commemorate the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Clicking on the pixel-graphics banner will play out an intro video, animated by Japanese animation Studio 4°C. Once you're done watching the cheery animation, you can start playing a complete JRPG called Doodle Champion Island Games.

What is Google Doodle Champion Island Games?

In Doodle Champion Island Games, you play as a Calico ninja cat. You're visiting the Champion Island, where you can talk to NPCs, complete quests, and partake in Games. You get to choose among four teams:

  1. Red Team – led by Karasu the crow
  2. Blue Team – captained by Ushi the cow
  3. Yellow Team – commanded by Inari the fox
  4. Green Team – guided by Kappa the turtle

In spite of being a Google Doodle, joining a team actually means something. Once you're part of a team, you represent the team for the duration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. A global leaderboard tallies the scores of all players of all teams. While there are no rewards for being part of the winning team, it's still a fun way to connect with other people around the world. You can play the game through your computer's browser or even through Google Chrome on your smartphone device.

The Doodle Champion Island Games Google Banner will remain on the homepage until the conclusion of Tokyo 2020 Olympics on August 8. As with all other Google Doodles, you can check out the Google Doodle archive to continue playing the game once the period is over. While Doodle Champion Island Games won't win the Doodle team any BAFTA or TGA awards, it's still a fun creative way to celebrate Tokyo 2020 Olympics. The gesture, the effort, and the overall intent of the game are much appreciated.