Google Marks April’s Final Half-Moon with Interactive Doodle Game

Google Celebrates April’s Last Half-Moon with Interactive Doodle Game

On April 24, Google unveiled a unique interactive Doodle titled “Rise of the Half Moon April”, celebrating the final half-moon of the month. Known for marking notable events with creative artwork, Google transformed its homepage logo into a playful and educational game, inviting users to engage with the lunar cycle in a fun new way.

The Doodle, which features a purple-shaded half-moon, challenges players to a card-matching game against the moon itself. Users must correctly pair cards representing different moon phases, earning points for each accurate match. The game spans three levels, with successful completion rewarding users with a satisfying win and deeper insight into how the moon's phases work.

More than just entertaining, the game serves an educational purpose. As players interact with the cards, they learn about the lunar phases—from the new moon to the full moon and everything in between. The half-moon, or first and last quarter, occurs when exactly half of the moon’s visible surface is illuminated by sunlight.

This is not the first time Google has highlighted lunar phases with a Doodle. April's edition follows similar themed Doodles earlier in the year, including “Rise of the Half Moon January”, “February”, and “March”. Each one celebrates the moon’s changing form with a similar blend of creativity and information.

Google’s Doodles are renowned for spotlighting cultural events, anniversaries, historic figures, and natural wonders. They began in 1998 with a simple stick figure drawing referencing the Burning Man Festival and have since evolved into elaborate animations, games, and interactive experiences.

The April half-moon game is part of this tradition, combining Google’s signature creativity with an effort to make learning about science both engaging and accessible. Users clicking on the Doodle are first shown an overview of the game, then prompted to start matching cards while learning more about Earth’s only natural satellite.

With this being the fourth moon-themed Doodle in 2025, Google continues to show its commitment to blending art, technology, and education—right from its homepage.