¡Buenas! A multiplayer Doodle celebrating Lotería

Dec 09, 2019

[[read-time]] min read

Perla Campos

Google Doodles Team

A smile instantly comes to my face when I think of Lotería. I think of being with my extended family in Mexico for the holidays, scattering around my Tia Cruz’s house, anxiously waiting for a round to start. I think of us trying to distract each other from our boards by tossing beans. Mostly, I think of the laughter and the excitement; I think about how all the worries of the world melted away, even if just for a few hours.

So when our team was trying to come up with new concepts for interactive Doodles this year, I immediately thought of Lotería. The game itself is so simple and magical, and I wanted to see how it could come to life in the digital space and tap into that sense of connection. And so the Lotería Doodle was born.

Originating in Italy in the 15th century, Lotería first moved to Spain before reaching Mexico in 1769. The rules are similar to Bingo: Players mark spots on a tabla, or board, with a token (traditionally a raw bean) and attempt to fill it before all other players. A designated card announcer randomly pulls colorfully illustrated cards like La Luna or El Arbol. A shout of “¡lotería!” or “¡buenas!” declares victory for one lucky player, ending the round.

Today’s interactive Doodle celebrates this iconic game on the anniversary of the day it was first copyrighted in Mexico. It’s also our second-ever multiplayer experience in a Doodle: Play the game with friends in a private match, or match with others around the globe at random.

We collaborated with five Mexican and Mexican-American illustrators to reimagine most of the iconic Lotería game art for the Doodle—and even added new cards for a fun sorpresa. Popular Mexican YouTuber Luisito Comunica also serves as the game card announcer for the Doodle.

YouTube video featuring behind the scenes footage of Mexican-American artists playing Loteria and creating card art.

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Check out some behind-the-scenes footage of our guest artists at work.

Today, Lotería’s iconic imagery and the experience it fosters across generations remains a source of pride and celebration for Mexican culture. Whether you play today with your familia or with a new amig@ from the other side of the world, we hope today’s Doodle inspires fun, curiosity and a healthy dose of competencia.

Sketches of the Doodle card art by guest artist Luis Pinto.
Sketches of the Doodle card art by guest artist Luis Pinto.
Sketches of the Doodle card art by guest artist Luis Pinto.
Some of the final card art used in the Lotería Google Doodle by Mexican and Mexican-American guest artists.
Some of the cards we created for the Doodle don’t appear in the traditional version of the game. Here’s a look at some of those “bonus” cards.
Here's a glimpse into the Lotería Google Doodle experience.
Sketches of the Doodle card art by guest artist Chabaski.
Sketches of the Doodle card art by guest artist Cecilia Ruiz.