There’s A Video Game Hidden In Honda Ridgeline Infotainment Systems That Even Honda Engineers Didn’t Know About

Easter eggs are delicious chocolate treats, but the term also refers to hidden messages or features in a piece of media. The term was coined in the 1980s when developer Warren Robinett included a secret credits message in the Atari video game Adventure. Since then, Easter eggs have been included in all kinds of software, and even cars, too. In fact, in the case of the Honda Ridgeline, an entire secret video game appears to have slipped right past the development team and ended up in the infotainment system.

The matter came to our attention from YouTuber Hondapro Jason, who recently made an appearance on the EatSleepRace podcast. Asked about his favorite secret thing hidden in a Honda, Jason jumps straight to the Ridgeline’s infotainment system. “There’s a videogame that’s built in to the Ridgeline and Pilot of the last generation… in the infotainment.” explains Jason. It’s not a game that Honda openly included in the system; instead, it’s an Easter egg that is activated by a specific procedure.

The game in question sees jellybeans displayed on the screen, which can be swiped away by the user using the touchscreen. Perhaps calling it a game is generous; there’s no scoring involved, and there’s no way to “win.” It’s more like an interactive screensaver. Jason featured the Easter egg in a video on his own channel a few years back when he looked at the then-new 2020 Honda Ridgeline.

If you’re a big smartphone-head that’s been around the block a few times, you’ve probably instantly recognized this Easter egg. If you’re not familiar, the explanation is at once simple and kind of mind-boggling. It all comes down to the platform underpinning the infotainment system of the current-gen Honda Ridgeline, and also certain models of the Honda Pilot.

The infotainment system is based on the Android operating system. However, Honda didn’t spec the latest version of Android when it introduced the second-gen Ridgeline in 2017. Instead, it used Android Jellybean, which was first introduced in 2012. And therein lies a clue to the Easter egg. Why, the hidden game features jelly beans! And the operating system is called Jellybean! By gum, we’re on to something!

As it turns out, the Easter egg was by no means Honda’s doing. It’s actually just an Easter egg that Android developers included in Android Jellybean, and thus it got baked into Honda’s infotainment system. As covered by HowToGeek in 2012, these Easter eggs were common way back when each OS version was named after sweets and candy. The tradition continues to this day.

In the Ridgeline, the game is activated in exactly the same way as it would be on a (now ancient) smartphone running Jellybean. One simply goes into the infotainment system’s Settings page, then clicks through to System, then Detailed Information, and finally About Device. Tapping on the Android Version label multiple times then causes a smiling anime jellybean to pop up on the screen. Holding down a finger on the jellybean’s face then activates the game with jellybeans floating across the screen.

You can see the very same game in a video from Droid Life released in 2011. Same activation method, same smiling jellybean.

Hilariously, it appears Honda’s own engineers may not have been aware about the feature themselves. That’s no surprise, given the feature was a core part of the operating system that isn’t necessarily common knowledge. “About four or five months later, I’m at the Detroit Auto Show, and a guy comes up to me,” Jason explains. Apparently, the man introduced himself as the lead engineer for the infotainment system on the Ridgeline and the Pilot. “He goes, ‘I had no idea that jellybean game was in there,'” Jason laughs.

What’s really funny, though, is the fact that Honda was using such an outdated version of Android in a brand-new-for-2017 vehicle. Heck, even 2023 model was still relying on the same version of Android over a decade after it was released.

Yes, the Ridgeline’s infotainment system has been roundly criticized for being outdated, though Honda has apparently introduced some updates during the mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 model. We haven’t had time to get out to a Honda dealership to inspect one, but we’d love to see if the model is still getting by with Android Jellybean or whether Honda moved on to something more recent.

Given that one owner of a 2023 Honda Passport Elite reports that it’s running Android 5.1.1 from 2015, though, we wouldn’t expect it to be particularly up to date by any means. Seriously, if you’re working at Honda, hit me up and tell me what’s going on there.

It does bear noting, though, that the Ridgeline does make some concessions to modernity. The infotainment system does feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, so it’s possible to use your smartphone to some degree instead of solely relying on the built-in system. It’s actually kind of amusing, though, given the base OS dates from 2012 while the very first version of Android Auto wasn’t even released until 2015.

It’s not the only car with a secret game available, though. Our own Jason Torchinsky reported on a Russian van with a hidden version of Tetris back in 2017. Oh, and you can play Pong in a Saab, too, sort of.

Anyway, if you own a Ridgeline, congratulations. It’s a neat truck and I certainly wouldn’t kick one out of my own driveway. Now you can amuse yourself for thirteen seconds by flicking the beans in a parking lot. The editors will almost certainly reword that but if they don’t, take pride in the fact that you’re reading a badass car website that isn’t afraid to shoot from the hip. Huzzah!

Image credits: Hondapro Jason via YouTube screenshot, Honda