How to Play Google's Great Ghoul Duel Halloween Game

Google's 2018 Halloween game is officially called The Great Ghoul Duel. It was Google's first multiplayer interactive Doodle: two teams of four ghosts compete for two minutes to collect spirit flames and return them to their home base.

The game is no longer displayed on Google's home page, but it remains in the official Doodle archive. Online matchmaking and invitation features depend on Google's current support for the archived game.

Open the Great Ghoul Duel

1. Visit Google's Halloween 2018 Doodle page.
2. Select Play to load the game.
3. Choose a public match if random matchmaking is available, or select the host option to create an invitation link.
4. If hosting, send the generated link only to the people you want to invite. Up to seven friends can join the host, creating two teams of four.
5. Wait for the teams to be assigned and the two-minute match to begin.

If an online match cannot be created, reload the official Doodle page in an up-to-date browser. An archived multiplayer service may not always have enough players or may no longer support every original feature.

How the game works

You control a ghost on either the green or purple team. Move around the map, pass over wandering spirit flames to attach them to your tail, and return to the circle at your team's base. Crossing the home base deposits the collected flames and adds them to the team score.

Opponents can touch the trail behind your ghost and steal unsecured flames. You can do the same to them. Deposited flames are safe, so long trips with a large trail create more risk than several short deliveries.

Controls

• Computer: move the mouse or trackpad pointer in the direction you want the ghost to travel.
• Touchscreen: drag or guide the ghost with a finger.
• Objective: collect loose flames, steal exposed flames when safe, and cross your own base to score.

The ghost continues moving, so plan turns before reaching a wall or crowded area. Some maps contain narrow paths and obstacles that make a long flame trail easy to intercept.

How to score more spirit flames

Bank small collections early

At the start, collect nearby flames and return them quickly. Early deposits build the team score and reduce the chance of losing everything to an opponent.

Use teammates' routes

Do not crowd the same corridor. Split across different parts of the map so the team collects loose flames faster. Near the base, a teammate can distract or intercept an opponent chasing a large trail.

Steal from the end of a trail

Approach an opponent's exposed flames from the side or rear, not head-on. After stealing, return to your own base instead of following the opponent deeper into enemy territory.

Do not carry too much for too long

A long trail may produce a larger deposit and can contribute to special abilities, but it also gives opponents a larger target. Bank the flames when the return path is open.

Protect the final seconds

With little time remaining, a safe deposit is more valuable than starting a distant collection route. Players near home can intercept opponents trying to make a last-second delivery.

Power-ups

Collecting and depositing enough spirit flames can unlock abilities such as increased speed or improved visibility. The available effect is shown in the game. Use a speed advantage to bank a valuable trail or escape pressure rather than circling far from the objective.

How the winner is decided

When the two-minute timer reaches zero, the team with the most deposited spirit flames wins. The results screen also gives individual performance labels, but the shared team score determines the match result.

Google's original Doodle page confirms the two teams of four, two-minute limit, flame-stealing mechanic, unlockable powers, random matchmaking, and private invitation option.