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Hands-on with all the interactive Google Nest Hub and Smart Display games [Video]

Finally, after a couple of years, we have some Nest Hub and Smart Display games that take advantage of both your Google Assistant and the color displays.

Google is really pushing proper interactive experiences on Smart Display and Nest Hub hardware thanks to some changes made the framework that handles on-screen visuals. Combine this with the increase in at-home schooling and global COVID-19 lockdowns, and you’ve got a recipe for boredom-beating entertainment.

You may already be aware of the plethora of audio-only games that you can play on Google Nest Hub, Nest Mini, Home Mini, Google Home, smart speaker, and smart displays. Unlike those, these games use the display to enhance the experience with on-screen hints, clips, videos, and more.

Existing Google Assistant games have relied heavily on audio cues, music, and tips to be effective. If you do have a Smart Display or Google Nest Hub device, you can play the games via a combination of touch-based controls and voice commands — which will be ideal for children especially.

To get started you only need to say: “Hey Google, Let’s Play a Game.” Thanks to the touch-enabled display, you can actually interact and play games by tapping the display too — something that might make you more inclined to fire up some of the latest titles.

Some of the games playable on Google Nest Hub or Smart Display

  • Guess the Drawing
    • Essentially Pictionary with a real-time “part mode” so that you can compete against friends and family.
  • Jeopardy!
    • A classic TV game show hosted by Alex Trebek with weekly leaderboards
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
    • The ultimate multi-choice quiz that pits you against yourself and other players thanks to weekly leaderboards.
  • Trivia Crack
    • A quiz that tests your general knowledge on a wide array of subjects including History, Sports, Art, Entertainment, Geography, and Science.
  • Categories Battle
    • An interactive game where you need to come up with items in a range of categories where the word begins with a random letter.
  • Puzzle of the Day
    • A great way to get your daily crossword fix without needing to even pick up a pen.
  • MadLibs
    •  The classic template word game, lets you create silly stories and is perfect for a quick laugh.
  • Talk to the Wiggles
    • One for the kids out there. Talk to the Wiggles is a choose-your-own-adventure game that includes singalongs with the band.
  • Escape the Room
    • A combination of an escape room game with hints of a murder mystery where you need to try and work out how to get out of a predetermined scenario.

That isn’t the most exhaustive list of games that you can play, as more are set to be added over the months as Google partners with top game developers to bring even more popular titles to your Assistant-powered home speakers.

We have to say that the interactive visual elements definitely helps make games feel far more engaging and interesting — which is definitely lacking in games like audio-only games like Song Quiz. Now if Google could find a way to Cast these games from your Nest Hub or Smart Display to your Chromecast devices, that would be exceptional.

What is your favorite new Google Nest Hub or Smart Display game? Let us know what you’ve been enjoying down in the comments section below.

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Avatar for Damien Wilde Damien Wilde

Damien is a UK-based video producer for 9to5Google. Find him on Twitter: @iamdamienwilde. Email: damien@9to5mac.com