Google over the years have added many “Easter-Eggs” or fun tricks to its search engine, these are usually triggered by some search keyword, or as a public page (with some PR around it) explaining one of Google’s services in a ridiculous way (these generally occur around April Fool’s day).

This post will go through some of the known Google Search easter-eggs and fun tricks that you could try out, some are actually quite fun.

• Search for ‘Do a Barrel Roll’: This one is pretty popular, and actually quiet a clever CSS trick; Google search result will perform a digital barrel roll on your screen.
• Search for ‘askew’: another nice CSS trick; Google search result will be slightly tilted on your browser screen.
• Search for ‘ascii art’: This will change the Google logo in the search result page into an ASCII drawing, you can actually copy the ASCII Google logo.
• Search for ‘recursion’: This will come up with a “Did you mean: recursion” in your search result page, continuously clicking on this will send you an infinite loop of recursion… Without a proper recursion detection and handling mechanism, your head might explode! This reminds me abit of those T-shirts that say: “In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion”.
• Google’s mind reading and mental visualization engine, MentalPlex (TM): A ground-breaking search engine that allows you to project a mental image of your search query through deep thought and concentrated projection onto the MentalPlex
• Google’s Pacman Game: This was originally a Google Doodle to celebrate one of Pacman’s anniversaries, after which Google decided to keep it on a separate page. A lot fun.
• Google Earth Flight Simulator: This is an extension on Google Earth, allows you to fly through the buildings and cities.
• Google’s ‘PigeonRank’: The secret recipe behind the infamous search engine’s algorithm was released on the first of April 2002 by the search giant, and the reality is simply shocking. Prepare to be shocked.

I recall one time during my job as a Technical Search Manager in Bigmouthmedia I managed to convince one of my peers that PigeonRank(TM) is actually how Google selects and filters search results, needless to say it was hilarious.

I’ll try to update this page as I find more Google Easter Eggs and Trick pages.

Update (18/12/2011):

• Search for ‘Let it snow‘: The Google search result page will be submerged with falling snow flakes, which you will have to clear using your cursor, Let it snow is a Google trick for Christmas 2011.

Update (27/04/2012):

• Search for ‘zerg rush‘: This is really awesome, particularly if you ever played Star Craft. Essentially you will experience a Zerg Rush on your Google result page, destroying all your search results.