The dinosaur game appears when your internet connection drops

Chrome's dinosaur game is a built-in offline game that launches automatically when your internet goes down. You see a pixelated T-Rex on a desert landscape, and you tap the spacebar or up arrow to make it jump over cacti and pterodactyls. The game gets faster as you go, and your score climbs until you hit something and the game ends.

You do not need to read anything or change any settings to get the game. It is already in Chrome. The only requirement is that your internet connection actually stops working — or you can trigger it manually using Chrome's developer tools if you want to play without waiting for an outage.

Key Takeaways

  • The dinosaur game starts automatically whenever Chrome detects you have no internet connection.
  • You can play it manually by opening Chrome's developer tools and disabling your network connection temporarily.
  • The game works the same way on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks.
  • Your high score is saved locally on your device, so you can try to beat it the next time you play.
  • The game does not work in Chrome's Incognito mode because developer tools are disabled there.

Wait for an actual internet outage to play automatically

The simplest way to trigger the dinosaur game is to disconnect from the internet. Unplug your ethernet cable, turn off your WiFi, or go somewhere without a signal. Within a few seconds, Chrome will recognize the connection is gone and display the offline page with the dinosaur game ready to play.

Once the game appears, press the spacebar or the up arrow key to jump. Press it again to jump higher or to jump over obstacles. The game ends when the dinosaur hits a cactus or a pterodactyl. Your score appears in the top right corner and keeps climbing as long as you survive.

Enable the game manually using developer tools

If you do not want to wait for your internet to actually fail, you can trigger the game yourself using Chrome's developer tools. Open any webpage in Chrome, then press F12 on Windows or Command + Option + I on Mac. The developer tools panel opens on the right or bottom of your screen.

At the top of the developer tools, click the Network tab. In the top left corner of that tab, you will see a circle icon labeled Offline. Click it. Chrome will now simulate a broken internet connection, and the dinosaur game page will appear in your main browser window. You can now play without actually losing your connection.

When you are done playing, click the Offline button again to turn the simulation off. Your internet will work normally again, and you can close the developer tools by pressing F12 or Command + Option + I again.

Understand what the game is testing

Google built the dinosaur game as a way to keep users entertained during network outages. It also serves as a test tool for Chrome developers — they use it to make sure the offline page displays correctly across different devices and browsers. The game itself is straightforward by design, which means it loads when ready and does not require any internet connection to run.

The dinosaur character is a reference to the "Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event" — the period when dinosaurs died out. Google's name for the game is "Project Bolan," named after Marc Bolan, the lead singer of the 1970s rock band T. Rex. The connection between extinction and the band name is intentional.

Track your high score across sessions

Chrome saves your dinosaur game high score on your device using local storage. This means the next time you play, your previous best score stays recorded. You can see your current score in the top right corner of the game screen while you are playing, and it resets to zero only when you start a new game.

The score is tied to your device and browser profile, not to your Google account. If you switch to a different computer or use a different browser, your high score will not follow you. If you clear your browser's cache and cookies, your high score may be deleted as well.

Know the game's limitations

The dinosaur game does not work in Chrome's Incognito mode because developer tools are disabled there. If you open a new Incognito window and try to use the Network tab trick, the developer tools will not appear.

The game also does not work in other browsers like Firefox, Safari, or Edge, because it is built specifically into Chrome. If you use a different browser and your internet goes down, you will see a generic error page instead of a game.

The dinosaur game has no sound effects or music. It is purely visual, which makes it useful if you are in a quiet environment like a library or office and do not want to disturb others.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play the dinosaur game on my phone?

Yes. Open Chrome on your Android or iPhone, then press and hold the address bar and tap the three-dot menu. Select Settings, then Developer (on Android) or scroll down and enable Experimental Web Platform Features (on iPhone). The game works the same way as on desktop, but you tap the screen instead of pressing spacebar.

Does the dinosaur game have different difficulty levels?

No. The game has one difficulty that increases automatically as your score climbs. The dinosaur runs faster, obstacles appear more frequently, and the game becomes harder the longer you survive. There is no way to adjust the starting difficulty or slow the game down.

What happens if I close the developer tools while playing?

The game keeps running. Closing the developer tools does not stop the offline simulation or end your game. You can close the tools and keep playing, or you can turn off the Offline button to restore your internet connection while the game is still active.

Can I cheat or use keyboard shortcuts to make the dinosaur invincible?

No. The game has no built-in cheat codes or invincibility modes. You cannot modify the game's speed or remove obstacles using keyboard commands. The only way to improve your score is to practice and get better at timing your jumps.

Is the dinosaur game available in all versions of Chrome?

The dinosaur game has been in Chrome since 2014 and is included in all modern versions on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks. Very old versions of Chrome (before 2014) do not have the game, but any recent installation will include it.