Google has just launched a new “gaming lobby” that hosts all your favorite titles, plus another wave of Google Nest Hub and Smart Display games, all of which take advantage of the visual capabilities of the smart speaker.
Of course, we saw the first wave at the beginning of the year, with some omissions depending on your global region. The latest cohort includes a series of challenging games and word puzzles. We think these might be the best kind of adult games, plus they work well on touch displays, such as Nest Hub, Nest Hub Max, and other smart displays.
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. In contrast, they – along with existing touch games – use the display to enhance the experience with on-screen suggestions, videos, videos, and more.
You may also know that the mobile gaming behemoth Zynga has released its first title for Nest Hub devices in recent days and we’ve included it, as the Daily Word Wheel is an interesting hybrid of the huge “Words with friends ”, but now for smart speakers.
To get started, just say, “Hey Google, let’s play a game.” As the list grows, you’ll be able to tap and swipe through all the most popular options, see the new additions, and start playing a game on Nest Hub in seconds:
Video – Hands-on with the new Nest Hub Games lobby
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I bet the most important new addition is the new Games section or lobby for all voice-activated games on your Nest Hub devices. Instead of expecting to know the entire game library, you can only use the touch screen to browse the entire available library. It’s much better, more cohesive and downright less confusing or stressful when you just want to find a game to play.
So while we may see a lot of games added to the Games lobby in the future, the latest list of new Nest Hub games is launching now – this means that some of the list below can’t be played on devices yet :
- Horizontal crosswords
- If you are a fan of the puzzle, then crosswords are probably not a big secret. Horizontal crosswords are, in fact, just a fresher approach to the classic basic element of the newspaper. The game allows players to say the correct answers or navigate words by giving voice commands. When all horizontal crosswords are correctly solved, a vertical solution word is revealed.
- The Word Game
- A simple word puzzle game that mixed letters in a kind of Scrabble format. It’s not the most fun, but the timer makes things a little more interesting.
- Voice Quest
- Probably the most interactive voice-controlled side role you’ll probably play in the new cohort of Nest Hub games. You use your voice to control a minion on the screen with voice-specific attacks as you take on hordes of enemies based on the adventures of Merlin & Co. It’s actually an explosion.
- The power of words
- It feels like a hybrid of many traditional word games and battles based on JRPG towers. Yes, it’s a weird mix that doesn’t seem to fit like a Nest Hub game, but it’s actually quite addictive and harder than it sounds.
- Daily Brain Trainer
- To help your cognitive skills, the Daily Brainer Trainer is like a condensed version of Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, but much simpler. All you have to do is answer math questions and quizzes in quick succession and you are qualified for your efforts. Problems get harder and harder as you progress through the levels.
- Brainwashing puzzle
- Another memory upgrade game for Nest Hub.
- My smart animal
- Think of this as a “pick your own adventure” game that takes you to find a pet in a forest. It’s a bit slow, but it would be ideal for young children who want an interactive story in which to feel fully involved. Cartoon animals will no doubt be very popular with younger children.
- Hey Fish
- Although not yet available in all regions, Hey Fish allows you to create a virtual fish bowl in which to feed these virtual pets.
- The daily wheel of the word
- The Daily Word Wheel is actually a spin-off of Words with Friends and gives you the opportunity to tackle puzzles and word puzzles, but, like some of the other new additions, it’s not yet available in all regions.
Google has confirmed that more games are set to join the current selection, which means our list isn’t the most comprehensive, but it should be correct at the time of publication.
What’s your new favorite Google Nest Hub or Smart Display game? Tell us what you liked in the comments section below.
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