Type “zerg rush” into Google search on Friday and get ready to have your search results attacked by copies of the letter “O” in Google’s logo, which spring to life and swarm the page in Google’s latest animated, time-sucking, game-like easter egg.
You can attempt to ward off the invading hordes of Google letters by furiously clicking each of the attacking letters, and then, when all are wiped out, post your score to Google Plus by clicking the “Share Score” button.
The minigame is a nod to “Starcraft,” an enormously popular space war, real-time strategy game series for the PC first released by “Warcraft” maker Blizzard in 1998. In the game the Zerg are one of three different armies a player can choose to control or battle. They are known for their particularly insect-like appearance and behaviors.
It’s unclear why Google chose today of all days, April 27, to deploy the minigame. The company provided TPM with only the following, chiding explanation:
For n00bs who aren’t as familiar with real-time strategy games, there’s been a zerg rush on your search results page. Because there should always be time to practice your gaming skills, click on the zerg units to defend the results page and try not to get pwned. Then you can share your APM score on Google+. GLHF!
“GLHF” is “good luck and have fun,” in case you couldn’t Google that on your own. Time will tell whether this search game proves as addictive and economically devastating as Google’s memorable Pac Man doodle of 2010.
