Play The Descent of the Serpent, the first video game from Google Arts & Culture
Have you ever wished you could discover ancient civilizations by immersing yourself in their world? Today, you can unlock the mysteries of the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica by experiencing them in The Descent of the Serpent, the first platform video game from Google Arts & Culture.
It can be fascinating to learn about these ancient cultures and visit a museum filled with artifacts from their time. To take that experience to a whole new level, this game is designed to immerse you into the world of ancient Mesoamerica. Filled with ancient knowledge and created in partnership with Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology, The Descent of the Serpent takes players back in time to search for hidden objects in a multi-level maze of jungles, mountains, coasts and caves.
From elaborate costumes and ball games to fascinating mythology and incredible architecture, ancient Mesoamerican culture can be both educational and entertaining to discover. These ancient cultures left behind a great legacy of knowledge and many artifacts once used in rituals, warfare and daily life – some of which are housed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. Today, you can find them scattered throughout the virtual maze in The Descent of the Serpent.
Retrieve 20 objects representing the 20 symbols on the inner circle of the Aztec Sun Stone and return them to Chichen Itza to save the world!
The game’s story begins with a visit to Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology, which partnered with Google Arts & Culture to create The Descent of the Serpent.
The 20 items stolen in the game by Tezcatlipoca and hidden in the maze, like this feathered serpent sculpture, are real artifacts found in the National Museum of Anthropology’s collection.
The Descent of the Serpent is made up of a 4-level maze, where each level is a different terrain inspired by the landscapes of Central America where ancient people lived: caves, coasts, mountains and jungle.
At the end of each level, the god who guards that level's terrain tests players' knowledge about the artifacts they collected and facts they learned.
The game involves retrieving the lost objects and returning them to Chichen Itza in time for the solar equinox. That’s when the sun casts a shadow on the carvings in a way that resembles a snake descending the monument’s steps — which inspires the game’s name. As part of the challenge, players are invited to learn surprising, impressive and interesting aspects about ancient Mesoamerican cultures, and face mythological figures who’ll test the knowledge they’ve collected throughout the adventure.
The Descent of the Serpent is a game for players of all ages to enjoy, learn from, and return to often to beat their high score again and again — if they dare. Play it for yourself at goo.gle/serpent, or in the Google Arts & Culture iOS or Android app, and use emojis to learn more about ancient Mesoamerica. Have fun!
