Jump to content

GeoGuessr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Serangic (talk | contribs) at 16:39, 27 June 2023. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

GeoGuessr
Publisher(s)GeoGuessr AB
Designer(s)Anton Wallén
Platform(s)Web browser
Android
iOS
ReleaseMay 2013
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

GeoGuessr is a browser-based geography game in which players are tasked to guess locations from Google Street View imagery. The game features multiple game modes, including singleplayer and multiplayer competitions. Launched in 2013 by Anton Wallén, the game maintained a relatively small yet active player base until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and social media brought a large influx of new players.[1] In July 2022, the game had 40 million player accounts.[2]

The game has been described as an educational tool for geography; players can learn and identify global geographical and cultural characteristics such as writing systems, architecture, driving practices, flags, vehicle registration plates, and flora.

Gameplay

The GeoGuessr "classic" view

Modes

The "classic" GeoGuessr game mode consists of five rounds, each displaying a different street view location for the player to guess on a map. The player then receives a score of up to 5,000 points depending on how accurate their guess was, up to 25,000 points for a perfect game. If the location was guessed within 25 metres of the original location, the player gets 5000 points, otherwise the player's score decreases proportionally according to the size of the map. Games may be user-generated or random.[3][4]

Alternative game modes include Battle Royale, a multiplayer last man standing game;[5] duels, a two-player head-to-head competition;[6] streaks, where players identify countries, U.S. states, or world cities until they guess incorrectly;[7][8] and explorer mode, a single-player game where medals are awarded for accuracy in individual countries.[9] There is also another game mode called team duels, a variation of duels mode, but this one being two players against two other players.

In 2022, GeoGuessr acquired the geography quiz site Seterra,[10] and implemented a quiz mode combining standard street view gameplay with trivia questions.[11]

In March 2023, GeoGuessr introduced a new single-player game mode called Maprunner.[12] It features a board game style interface consisting of a selection of maps and power-ups. The user must chose a path and get to the end without losing all of their energy by making inaccurate guesses. Rounds get progressively harder, with paths getting longer and map debuffs such as short time limits and no moving.

Interface

The game's HUD primarily features the Google Street View imagery, as well as a compass. Users can control the movement, panning, and zooming of the image, although GeoGuessr allows any of these features to be disabled for harder gameplay.[13] An inset map, using Google Maps's standard overlay, allows players to place a pin to make their guess.

Strategy

Users may interpret their location from the photographs by reading road signage, finding the relative position of the Sun, identifying flora and soil types, and learning diacritics specific to particular writing systems.[14][15][16] Players can also make use of Street View metadata to ascertain their location – for example, the Street View vehicle that captured imagery in Kruger National Park was unique in that it was green and had white roof racks.[17]

Distribution

GeoGuessr has both free and paid (subscription) memberships. The free mode restricts users to 5 minutes' game play every 15 minutes.[18] Paid memberships are US$1.99/month (billed annually) or US$3.49/month (billed monthly).[19] Paid memberships include unlimited ad-free play, tournaments, ranked and unranked competitions, friend challenges and invitations, as well as the creation of customized maps.[20]

Development

The game was designed by Swedish IT consultant Anton Wallén in 2013. Wallen loved to visit faraway locations on Google Street View, and initially designed a program to generate a random location in Street View before deciding to add a competitive element.[21]

The game's development took approximately 2 weeks' work,[4] and uses the Backbone.js JavaScript library and the Google Maps API for games using Google Street View.[22] Wallén posted the completed game to Google Chrome Experiments on 10 May 2013.[22]

As well as English, the game is available in ten other languages: Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Polish and Japanese.[a][23] Mobile apps for GeoGuessr are available on the Android and iOS platforms.[24]

Reception

The launch of the game in May 2013 was described as successful, with the game instantly going viral.[25] Upon its release, the game was described as "insanely addictive."[15] The start of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a renewed interest in the game and it also had a second peak in March 2021.[25] Interest in the game has been propagated on platforms such as Reddit, YouTube, and Twitch, where notable users such as Ludwig, Georainbolt, and GeoWizard have recorded or streamed themselves playing the game.[25][26][27]

The game has been cited as an educational tool by helping users to "develop critical skills to analyze geographical and cultural landscapes",[18] and it has been suggested that the game could enhance geographical education within the classroom.[28]

GeoGuessr users have criticized some of the photographic coverage used in the game. Locations such as Zanzibar used third-party and unofficial imagery, and GeoGuessr players have described some of this media as grainy, blurry, and over- or under-exposed.[16] World Travel in 360, the organization that led the program to supply coverage of Zanzibar, stated that "[their] mapping is better than nothing".[16]

The game has been the inspiration for several fan-made versions which use video game environments, such as the worlds of Fortnite, World of Warcraft,[29] Genshin Impact,[30] and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.[31]

Footnotes

  1. ^ The GeoGuessr FAQ states that the game is "available in 10 different languages" but the "Change language" function lists only 9[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "How a 2013 Browser Game Made Its Comeback". Brandwatch. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. ^ Browning, Kellen (7 July 2022). "Siberia or Japan? Expert Google Maps Players Can Tell at a Glimpse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  3. ^ Keating, Joshua (10 May 2013). "Get Dropped Virtually Anywhere In The World And Try To Guess Where You Are". HuffPost UK. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Geoguessr: ¿Dónde diablos estoy?". vanguardia.com.mx (in Mexican Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  5. ^ Antell, Filip. "What is Battle Royale?". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  6. ^ Antell, Filip. "What are Duels?". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  7. ^ Antell, Filip. "What is Country Streak?". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  8. ^ Antell, Filip. "What are City Streaks?". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  9. ^ Antell, Filip. "What is Explorer Mode?". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Seterra becomes a part of GeoGuessr!". www.geoguessr.com. GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  11. ^ Antell, Filip. "Quiz". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Introducing Maprunner: A Thrilling New GeoGuessr Game Mode with Power-Ups & More!". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  13. ^ Shrivastava, Aarnesh. ""Isn't Ireland next to Scotland?": Mizkif struggles to locate Scotland on the world map during GeoGuessr match". www.sportskeeda.com. Archived from the original on 11 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  14. ^ Wilde, Tyler (13 January 2022). "Watch these guys speedrun planet earth". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  15. ^ a b Oremus, Will (15 May 2013). "A National Geographic Cartographer Explains How to Win That Google Maps Guessing Game". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Deck, Andrew (8 April 2021). "Zanzibar's project to put itself on Google Street View has angered a legion of European video game streamers". Rest of World. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  17. ^ Winkie, Luke (21 December 2021). "GeoGuessr made figuring out where on Earth you are the hottest new esport". The Verge. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  18. ^ a b Lei, Tsai-ling (3 March 2022). "Design critique: GeoGuessr as an educational game". Medium. Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  19. ^ Mizrahi, Delia (31 March 2022). "The Essay: Geoguessr Is Essential For Those With A Heart Full Of Wanderlust". Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  20. ^ "Geoguessr Pro Plans". Geoguessr.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  21. ^ Coldwell, Will (2 June 2013). "Where in the world am I? The addictive mapping game that is GeoGuessr". The Independent. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  22. ^ a b Pitcher, Jenna (13 May 2013). "Get lost with Google Maps-based game GeoGuessr". Polygon. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  23. ^ a b "GeoGuessr". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 13 May 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2023. What languages is GeoGuessr available in? Hide GeoGuessr is available in 10 different languages. You can select language in the website footer under "Change language".
  24. ^ "General FAQ". GeoGuessr. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  25. ^ a b c "How a 2013 Browser Game Made Its Comeback". Brandwatch. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  26. ^ Monaghan, Becca (31 August 2022). "Who is Georainbolt the man who can identify anywhere on Earth by just a single photo". indy100. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  27. ^ Browning, Kellen (7 July 2022). "Siberia or Japan? Expert Google Maps Players Can Tell at a Glimpse". New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
  28. ^ Dixon, Seth (26 November 2013). "Using GeoGuessr in the Classroom". GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  29. ^ Welsh, Oli (17 November 2022). "Someone made a World of Warcraft GeoGuessr and now the last 18 years of my life have meaning". Polygon. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  30. ^ Diaz, Ana (27 May 2022). "I'm better at the Genshin Impact GeoGuessr than the real-world one". Polygon. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  31. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2 May 2023). "Prepare for Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom by testing your knowledge of Hyrule's map". Polygon. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=GeoGuessr&oldid=1162202984"