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It's time to gather around and play a little lotería (sorry no money involved in this one). The lotería is a traditional Mexican game that is much like the game of bingo — just way more colorful and cooler (in our opinion).
Instead of using the numbered ping pong balls, lotería uses a deck of 54 distinct cards, each with an iconic depiction of a well-known Mexican symbol. Like bingo, this game is great for all ages and is especially great when played between family members and friends.
On Monday, December 9, Google honored the legendary game with an interactive doodle that allows you to play the game with any number of your friends (or at random with several other players from the online community).
Not only did Google up the up the ante by making it timed and interactive, but it collaborated with Mexcian and Mexican-American artists to give the tabla (the playing board) and las cartas (the cards) a fresh and modern look.
Google got in touch with Cecilia Ruiz and Luis Pinto to help take on the task of revamping the iconic game for the digital landscape.
Like the original game, which was brought over to New Spain (present-day Mexico) from Italy in the 15th century, you get to play with frijoles (abichuelas if you're Dominican) as well.
The name of the game is to fill up the set combination (like bingo) using the beans and to click on the lotería button before anyone else does.
Some of the images that one can find on the tabla and the cartas are el gallo (the rooster), la dama (the lady) and el camarón (the shrimp) — to name a few.
Each card comes with a different saying, for example: camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente (the shrimp that slumbers is taken by the tides) and la barriga que Juan tenía, era empacho de sandía (the swollen belly that Juan had, was from eating too much watermelon) for the watermelon card.
Whether you play the online version or the real one, you are sure to have a good time.