Case studies and code samples

To inspire you and help you build a great game for Google Assistant, you can learn from the development journeys of these games built for smart displays: Cookie Detective, Gnome Garden, Mime Jam, and Mad Libs. The following sections describe the gameplay and provide resources for you to learn development tips and tricks.

In Cookie Detective, players attempt to find a cookie hidden in a kitchen by asking questions, like "Is it somewhere yellow?" or "Is it somewhere high?". The player wins if they can discover the cookie's hiding place in 10 questions or less. Cookie Detective features three different kitchens with various difficulty levels, so players can continue to challenge themselves in new environments after beating a level.

Figure 1. An image of Cookie Detective gameplay.

Cookie Detective explores ideas for kid-friendly games and use cases optimized for popular smart display locations in the home. It also supports both single and multiplayer modes.

Check out the following resources to learn from the design process and get ideas for your own kid-friendly game:

Gnome Garden

Gnome Garden features a quirky host, Gnorman, who asks players a series of questions and uses their responses to grow plants in a garden. Gnorman may ask, "Would you rather stroll on a cloud or a sand dune?". If you reply with "cloud", Gnorman adds moss to your garden, replying, "You know what feels like walking on a cloud? Moss! And I've planted some on this path." The garden then populates with rows of bright green moss.

Figure 2. A partially completed garden in Gnome Garden.

Gnome Garden explores a new, experimental type of gameplay, offered by the ambient nature of smart displays in the home.

Check out the following resources to learn from the design process and get ideas to create your own unique, ambient experiences:

Mime Jam

In Mime Jam, players act out words and phrases that appear on-screen, and their teammates try to guess the correct word or phrase. Whichever team guesses the most correct answers throughout the game wins. Mime Jam features a new technology, Continuous Match Mode, which allows the microphone to remain open for an extended time for longer gameplay.

Figure 3. The loading screen for Mime Jam.

Mime Jam explores ideas for creating multiplayer party games with Google Assistant as the game host.

Check out the following resources to learn from the design process and get ideas for your own party game:

Mad Libs

Mad Libs displays ideas for words to include in stories on-screen, and players can either use the suggested words or insert their own words. A narrator guides players through the game, and, at the end of the game, reads the newly crafted story aloud.

Figure 4. The Mad Libs gaming experience on a smart display.

Check out the following resources to learn more about Mad Libs: