Google Messages Beta Hints at Built-In Games Like Chess and Darts

The strings appeared in Google Messages build messages.android_20261002_00_RC00.phone.openbeta_dynamic, after a tip from Abhishek Yadav on X, the publication said. They list a "Games" section containing Word Scramble, Chess, Cup Pong, Checkers, Pool, Basketball, Four in a Row, Crazy 8s and Darts. Every string carries a midnight_ prefix, which Android Authority identified as the apparent internal codename for the feature, and one entry labels the launcher screen "Games."

If released in the form the strings suggest, the feature would give Android users something comparable to GamePigeon, which lets iPhone owners play simple multiplayer games with friends directly through iMessage. The titles found in the build fit that kind of use: Chess, Checkers, Four in a Row, Darts and Cup Pong lend themselves to quick, turn-based matches between two people.

How the games would actually work is not clear from the strings alone. They could be played inside a conversation, launched from a dedicated games menu, or offered through another interface. It is also unknown whether Google plans to make them multiplayer, although placing them inside a messaging app would make two-player play the logical use case.

Google has not announced any plans for games in Google Messages, and the presence of strings does not guarantee that the feature will launch anytime soon. Android Authority noted that the number and specificity of the game titles suggest the company is at least actively working on something more substantial than a one-off experiment.