Quick answer: To beat Magic Cat Academy, swipe the symbol shown above each ghost: a horizontal line, a down line, a caret (Λ), a V, or a lightning bolt. A ghost with several symbols needs them in order. Always clear the ghost closest to Momo first, use lightning to strip one symbol off every ghost at once, and draw a heart to win back a life.
By the Gipcus Guides team. Updated November 2026.
Tested by us: both games still run on their own Google pages with no search page needed. We loaded the 2016 game at google.com/logos/2016/halloween16/halloween16.html and the 2020 sequel at google.com/logos/2020/halloween20/rc1/halloween20.html and both returned live pages (HTTP 200) on November 9, 2026. How we tested: we requested each URL with no Google sign-in and, for the 2016 game, also downloaded its game script.
What is Magic Cat Academy?
Magic Cat Academy is Google’s Halloween 2016 Doodle game. You play as Momo, a first-year cat at a school of magic, and defend the school from ghosts by swiping spell shapes with your mouse or finger. Google brought it back in 2020 with Magic Cat Academy 2, an underwater sequel. Both are free and run in any modern browser.
What are all the symbols in Magic Cat Academy?
There are six spells. The colour coding below follows the speedrun.com community’s level analysis.
| Symbol | How to draw it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal line (→) | One straight stroke left to right | Removes a red line symbol |
| Vertical line (↓) | One straight stroke top to bottom | Removes a blue line symbol |
| Caret (Λ) | Up then down, like a roof | Removes a green caret symbol |
| V | Down then up | Removes a yellow V symbol |
| Lightning | A small, clean zigzag | Removes one symbol from every ghost on screen; also used to finish the final boss |
| Heart | Trace the heart outline when it appears | Restores one heart (life) |
How do you beat Magic Cat Academy?
- Read the nearest ghost first. The ghost closest to Momo hits first, so clear it before the far ones.
- One shape, one stroke. Lift your finger or mouse between symbols. Loops and corrections get misread.
- Use the shared symbols. One swipe hits every ghost whose next symbol matches, so a single → can clear several ghosts at once.
- Save lightning for crowds. It strips one symbol from every ghost, which is strongest when the screen is full.
- Grab hearts. When a heart appears, draw it to recover a life before the boss.
- Learn the boss patterns. Each boss shows a long chain of symbols in stages. Draw them steadily rather than fast.
How many levels are in Magic Cat Academy?
The 2016 game has five levels set around the school, according to Google’s own Doodle page: the library, the cafeteria, the classroom, the gym and the rooftop. Each one is faster than the last and ends with a boss ghost, and the rooftop holds the final showdown with the ghost that stole the master spellbook.
What is the Magic Cat Academy level 1 boss pattern?
Community speedrunners on speedrun.com recorded the level 1 boss as three stages: Λ → Λ ↓, then V → Λ →, then ↓ → ↓ → → ↓. The final boss in level 5 ends each stage with a lightning bolt. Treat these as community-recorded patterns rather than official data, and read the symbols on screen if they differ.
What changed in Magic Cat Academy 2?
Magic Cat Academy 2 (Halloween 2020) moves Momo underwater. Google’s Doodle page lists five zones: the Sunlight Zone (Immortal Jellyfish), Twilight Zone (Boops Boops), Midnight Zone (Vampire Squid), the Abyss (Anglerfish) and the Trenches, where you face the Big Boss. You still swipe symbols, but ghosts can come from the sides, so keep watching the whole screen.
How do you play Magic Cat Academy on a phone?
Open the game link in your phone’s browser and swipe with one finger. Hold the phone sideways for more room, and draw shapes in the middle of the screen so your thumb doesn’t hide the ghosts.
Play similar free on Gipcus
- Original Pac-Man, another ghost-dodging classic.
- Zombie Catcher, quick spooky catching action.
- Tower Defense, if you like holding back waves.
More Google Doodle guides: Google Pacman Doodle levels and 2 player and how to win Google Snake. For more quick games, see our 5-minute browser games hub.
Magic Cat Academy FAQ
Is Magic Cat Academy free?
Yes. Both Magic Cat Academy games are free Google Doodles that run in the browser with no download or account.
How do you draw lightning in Magic Cat Academy?
Draw a short zigzag in one stroke, like a lightning bolt. It removes one symbol from every ghost on screen.
How many lives do you have?
You start with a row of hearts. A ghost that reaches Momo costs one, and drawing a heart symbol when it appears restores one.
How many levels does Magic Cat Academy have?
Five: library, cafeteria, classroom, gym and rooftop. The sequel also has five underwater zones.
Can you still play Magic Cat Academy?
Yes. We loaded both the 2016 game and the 2020 sequel from their Google pages in November 2026.
Sources: Google Doodles pages for Halloween 2016 and Halloween 2020; speedrun.com Magic Cat Academy level analysis guides (community-recorded patterns). See our editorial policy.
