Google Messages appears to be building a games section, according to strings found in a beta build. The code points to a GamePigeon-style set of titles for playing against friends, the way iPhone users already do inside iMessage.
Android Authority found the references in Google Messages beta `messages.android_20261002_00_RC00`, after a tip from app researcher Abhishek Yadav, who shared the discovery on X.
The strings carry a “midnight_” prefix, which suggests “Midnight” is the internal codename. They list nine games: Word Scramble, Chess, Cup Pong, Checkers, Pool, Basketball, Four in a Row, Crazy 8s and Darts. Droid Life reports the same list and the same codename.
What isn’t known
Google hasn’t announced anything, and strings in a beta don’t guarantee a launch. Android Authority notes the code doesn’t show how the games would work. They could run inside a conversation, open from a dedicated Games menu, or use another interface entirely. It’s also unclear whether they would be real-time multiplayer or turn-based.
Still, the specificity of the list suggests more than a throwaway experiment. Chess, Checkers, Four in a Row, Darts and Cup Pong suit quick two-player turns, which is the format GamePigeon popularised on iPhone.
Why it matters
Google has spent the past year adding chat-app features to Messages, from themes to Keep integration, and Droid Life says video calls over RCS may follow. Games would add another reason to stay in the default app. They would also narrow a gap that has long made mixed iPhone and Android group chats feel lopsided. Apple, for its part, keeps pushing iMessage into new territory, as with the ChatGPT for Mac iMessage plugin.
For UAE readers, nothing points to a regional rollout plan, or any rollout date. Google typically tests Messages features in beta before wider release, and many arrive through staged server-side updates, so treat any timing as unknown. If you use Android, Google’s own Pixel Drop updates show how it tends to ship features in batches.
Can I play games in Google Messages now?
No. The games exist only as strings in a beta build, and Google hasn’t announced the feature.
Which games are listed?
The code names Word Scramble, Chess, Cup Pong, Checkers, Pool, Basketball, Four in a Row, Crazy 8s and Darts.
Will it work with iPhone users?
Unknown. The strings don’t say whether games would work across platforms, or only between Google Messages users.
