With Google Messages becoming the default texting and RCS app across Android, Google continues to show that they are fully invested by frequently adding new features. It recently got chat themes, Google Keep integration, and may soon let you place video calls over RCS.
The next major feature addition could be the introduction of games within your chats. Apple’s iMessage already has a similar feature (called GamePigeon), so this could be looked at as Google bringing feature parity with its biggest competitor.
In the latest Google Messages beta update (messages.android_20261002_00_RC00), Abhishek Yadav dug into its files and discovered that Google is building a “Games” section into the app.
They found several strings related to this upcoming feature under a codename of “Midnight,” including a list of games that includes Chess, Pool, Darts, Cup Pong, Checkers, Crazy 8s, Basketball, Four in a Row, and Word Scramble.
A list of games doesn’t necessarily tell us a lot about this Google’s plan for games in Google Messages. For example, will these be games you can invite others to? If not, I’m not sure I see the point.
