Technical Guide: Two Approaches to Blocking Google Arcade & Interactive Doodle Games
Technical Guide: Two Approaches to Blocking Google Arcade & Interactive Doodle Games
Administrators frequently find that standard web filter categories fail to block Google's built-in browser games (like Solitaire, Snake, Popcorn, or Champion Island) because they are served directly from core Google domains. Below are two proven ways to successfully block these games depending on your current Web Filter architecture.
Method 1: Global Wildcard Block (Fastest & Universal)
If your organization permits the use of wildcard URL patterns on your Web Filter profiles, this is the most efficient method. It uses broad wildcard matching to catch every current and future game variant instantly.
Configuration CLI:
config webfilter urlfilter
edit <your_url_filter_table_id>
config entries
edit 0
set url "*google.com/fbx*"
set type wildcard
set action block
next
edit 0
set url "*google.com/logos*"
set type wildcard
set action block
next
end
next
end
Why this works: /fbx* kills all standard overlay arcade games (Snake, Minesweeper, Tic-Tac-Toe), while /logos* blocks the entire historical and current directory of interactive Google Doodles.
Method 2: Custom FortiGuard Local Rating Category (Granular "Simple" Matching)
⚠️ Prerequisite Constraint: This method only works if your active Web Filter profile does not already contain a broad wildcard allow rule for Google (such as
*google.com*). If a broad allow rule exists, it will override these granular entries due to URL processing precedence.
This method creates a standalone Local Category (ID 164) containing the explicit backend operational engines of the games, allowing you to manage the blocking action directly via the FortiGate GUI under your Web Filter profiles.
the execute batch due too the “?” which brakes the cli command this prevent it from happening
execute batch start
config webfilter ftgd-local-cat
edit "Google-Games"
set id 164
next
end
config webfilter ftgd-local-rating
edit "www.google.com/fbx?fbx=snake_arcade"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/fbx?fbx=tic_tac_toe"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/fbx?fbx=minesweeper"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/fbx?fbx=block_breaker"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/fnbx/solitaire/solitaire_compiled.4.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/fbx?fbx=memory_game"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2010/pacman10-hp.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2017/cricket17/cricket17.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2018/gnomes/gnomes18.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2015/ponyexpress/ponyexpress15.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2016/halloween16/halloween16.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/doodles/2022/lawson/r1201/lawson.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2020/kitsune/kitsune20.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/doodles/2024/popcorn/rc4/popcorn.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2019/july4th19/r6/july4th19.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2023/panipuri/panipuri23.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/doodles/2021/petanque/r041323/petanque.js"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "www.google.com/logos/2024/halfmoon/halfmoon24.html"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "dailygames.discover.google.com/games/tic-tac-go?immersive=1&hl=en&origin=www.google.com&share=https://share.google/JT7eMTAonFiWtI7z1&shurl=si%3DAPenkKnzyubeHJfA74cM9AOyg3xMGDy8uqWRXbl_xmZtJGF0vP37GYNj_k9jnUGY-J8gzGmFPFYmC90Nk6xnNGZM1ajlThNLpNwrhiehkRN5FzLGdQZaelGUocdJ20dgnpMmbdraiKV5%26hl%3Den-EG%26shem%3Depsd1,rimspwouoe%26shndl%3D21%26source%3Dsh/x/fbx/m1/1"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
edit "dailygames.discover.google.com/games/color-tiles?immersive=1&hl=en&origin=www.google.com&share=https://share.google/o8COlXJwdKrE98pPr&shurl=si%3DAPenkKks99CDFa79fBU1sw7upxrMlfSLtoY1BA_d4VLjmrYB19ck_7NPPrJGv-cC7xvDK2A6ptBNRjh6-pKv0HgD26ztUPQmP7TPbGdOM5xaLxR_6LwwD48AE50kY2Za-c2HYE2fedMg%26hl%3Den-EG%26shem%3Depsd1,rimspwouoe%26shndl%3D21%26source%3Dsh/x/fbx/m1/1"
set rating 164
set status enable
next
end
execute batch end
Important Technical Distinction: Behavior of the FortiGate Replacement Page
When executing these blocks, you will observe two completely different user-experience behaviors based on how the specific game loads assets:
1. Games Blocked via HTML Container (e.g., Pacman, Halloween, Pani Puri)
For games where the primary entry point is an absolute .html file, FortiGate successfully intercepts the initial web browser request.
User Experience: The user is immediately redirected to the official FortiGate Web Filter Replacement Page explicitly stating that the site has been blocked by corporate policy.
2. Games Blocked via JavaScript Engine or Dynamic Strings (e.g., Popcorn, Jerry Lawson, Solitaire)
Modern interactive Doodles load inside a parent frame, and the actual game layout is handled dynamically by background .js compilations, images, or animated GIFs.
User Experience: Because FortiGate is dropping the underlying script execution file (.js) or background asset stream rather than a text/html webpage, the firewall cannot render the HTML FortiGate Replacement Page. Instead, the game container canvas will simply fail to initialize. The webpage may display a broken image placeholder, a grey box, or freeze on the initial loading screen indefinitely. Despite missing the replacement page warning, the game is successfully, completely neutralized.
