Google’s Gnome-Tossing Game May Be Its Most Addictive Doodle Yet

Google celebrated Garden Day in Germany with a fun game that lets players toss gnomes with a trebuchet.

The interactive doodle game made its debut on the homepage Sunday. Players can choose from a variety of gnomes to launch with the objective of sending them as far as possible into the garden. The game is simple, the farther the gnome travels, the more flowers it plants, and the more points players earn.

The tricky part of the game is the timing. If you launch the catapult too early the gnome will fall behind the launcher; too late it it will crash in front of it. Once you get your gnome in the air, you can get boosts by bouncing it off mushrooms or logs by hitting the spacebar.

The addictive game has players sharing their high score all over social media.

According to Google, the common garden gnome originated in 19th-century Germany from the mining area of Thuringia. It was there that local craftsmen are given credit for hand-crafting the gnomes as we know them today – with shaggy beards and pointy hats. According to German myths, the gnomes began to find homes in gardens throughout the country. Legend has it they protect these gardens and bring good luck.