GeoGuessr Asks, "Where Are You Now?"

[Earnest Cavalli]

GeoGuessr Asks, "Where Are You Now?"

GeoGuessr offers the convenience of a PC game alongside the horror of being hopelessly stranded in a corn field in rural Iowa.

As oversaturated as the gaming industry currently is, it takes a lot for a new game to stand out. The simplest and most common method of achieving this involves tens of millions of development dollars and a team of dozens working for years to churn out a glossy, triple-A product. The more impressive method however, merely requires a brilliant premise.

GeoGuessr, a gramatically appalling title created by Anton Wallén, falls into the latter camp. The game (which is free to play - another point in its favor) sources maps from Google Earth, then drops players into a random location somewhere in the known world via Google's street view. From there you're given the freedom to explore a small area around you before being asked to guess at your current whereabouts.

Once you've either sussed out your location or failed horribly in your attempts to figure out where the 'eff you are, GeoGuessr awards you a score based on how well you performed. Guess right, get more points. Guess wrong, spend eternity in the hell that is South Dakota.

Obviously the best bit of this game is that it's utterly gratis and you all can enjoy it right this very moment by paying a visit to the official GeoGuessr site [http://geoguessr.com/]. However, Wallén is reportedly working on an update for GeoGuessr that will allow for competitive play between at least two (and possibly more) players. There's no release date for this update, nor any specific word on what it might include.

That's probably for the best though. I'm apparently unable to locate anything outside of the greater Portland area, so I'd really rather not humiliate myself in the event that pigeons learn to use the 'net.

Almost forgot: We've got a comments section below and hate the idea of any of you being productive, so feel free to share your high scores. Mine's currently at 10,531 [http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D].

Source: GeoGuessr [http://geoguessr.com/]

Permalink

 

[Quaxar]

So, a 4chan game turned into a real one? Interesting.
I remember playing that some time last year as a sort of Google Maps survival, find the nearest airport. First try sent me into the middle of Siberia, I didn't even know they sent cars out there!

On a more related note, I seem to be terrible at this game. First I always land in the middle of fucking nowhere and when I find a blurred sign it's always misleading. Burma Park in Canada?

 

[josemlopes]

Tried this earlier and managed to get one right in the same exact street (and not by luck, there was a sign with the name of the city and then directions to certain avenues).
The other 3 rounds were all in the same country and the last one I thought it was somewhere in Ireland or something, it was in the United States...

 

[CriticalMiss]

11667 on my first go!
link [http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D]

I got pretty close on one just because a sign outside a restaurant said 'Prime NZ lamb' and decided to guess New Zealand. One was in the middle of nowhere in central Australia and had a whole lot of nothing to go by, so it was a lucky guess that landed me within a few hundred miles. Pretty cool game.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Had to google info on a few signs but over all I wasnt all that bad. the worst was I thought i was in mexico but it was somehwere in spain. The third one thought was pretty tough, but i managed a guess from an NY license plate (which probably wasnt the smartest or safest bet to base it on).

<url=http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D>and for the record, I've got a higher score already (11154 pts.)

not that its a competition or anything XD

 

[el_kabong]

8049. Turns out my home state looks suspiciously like South Africa. Cost me some points.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

So according to this I think everywhere looks like Mediterranean Europe or South America, my geography is definitely rusty.

Also damn it the one time I decide to guest that the hot country with Spanish traffic signs is not Spain and it turns out to be Spain -_-

EDIT

Best score I managed was 8786. Managed to get a few guesses quite close.

 

[CriticalMiss]

Had to google info on a few signs but over all I wasnt all that bad. the worst was I thought i was in mexico but it was somehwere in spain. The third one thought was pretty tough, but i managed a guess from an NY license plate (which probably wasnt the smartest or safest bet to base it on).

<url=http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D>and for the record, I've got a higher score already (11154 pts.)

not that its a competition or anything XD

Pfft, it doesn't count if you had to use google! And doesn't it blur out license plates? I tried to see if they had any clues but every one was censored. Unless New Zealand license plates are smell based or something.

 

[rodneyy]

i got one place that not only had the words australia in it but a map of the place saying where it was and a slogan about its location in the wider island. can be a pain though as in you find a brazilian flag but its a big place and you can be out by 1000 km or more. same with canada find a place that looks like american but with maple leefs around but you still miss by a long way.

still fun to play though i always seem to get a lot in the americas north and south and not as many in the rest of the world.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Had to google info on a few signs but over all I wasnt all that bad. the worst was I thought i was in mexico but it was somehwere in spain. The third one thought was pretty tough, but i managed a guess from an NY license plate (which probably wasnt the smartest or safest bet to base it on).

<url=http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D>and for the record, I've got a higher score already (11154 pts.)

not that its a competition or anything XD

Pfft, it doesn't count if you had to use google! And doesn't it blur out license plates? I tried to see if they had any clues but every one was censored. Unless New Zealand license plates are smell based or something.

not very well, I can still make out the general design of the plate (colours and patterns).

 

[Aeriath]

Huh, this was actually pretty fun. My highest score was just a touch over 12k. I usually manage around 10k score, the reason I got to 12k is that I managed to guess a location to within 12km by accident and got over 5k points for it. I looked at the picture, saw all the boats and went "Hey, that kind of looks like the Miami exterior shots from Dexter!" and clicked in Miami.

My worst guess was just a picture of an althetics stadium. The only word was "epoca" and I couldn't see anything but the stadium and sky so I guessed somewhere in the Baltic region. Turns out it was a stadium in Korea.

 

[Eruanno]

Heh, this is pretty fun. However it does have a tendency to put you on a road in the middle of nowhere in North America with no landmarks or houses or anything which really makes it hard to make an accurate guess. Also I'm terrible at telling the difference between Spain and South America :<

 

[Johnson McGee]

woo, 19443 [http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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]

Even got fairly close on one where it dumped me in the middle of a mountain in New Zealand. I did use a little google though to save having to scan the country for a specific city.

 

[XandNobody]

Alright, this was actually pretty fun. Honestly the best time waster I've played in a while, and rather fun to try and drive around praying for a road sign. Got to the point I was using the sun to try and figure the cardinal directions for assistance.

And since you asked, <url=http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D%3D>here you go, 17027.

-EDIT-

Holy crap I just got <url=http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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>28047.

 

[Kargathia]

So according to this I think everywhere looks like Mediterranean Europe or South America, my geography is definitely rusty.

Also damn it the one time I decide to guest that the hot country with Spanish traffic signs is not Spain and it turns out to be Spain -_-

EDIT

Best score I managed was 8786. Managed to get a few guesses quite close.

It also gets painful when you correctly recognise the portuguese signs, only to be told that you should've been thinking about Brazil, not Portugal.

On the whole I was quite consistently about 1000km off, which considering I generally plunked a marker in things like "north-western US", or "Japan" I am not unhappy with.

 

[Triaed]

Just shy of 21,000 (http://goo.gl/2HfU5)... I confused the Yukon with Scotland, oh well.
That was fun, thanks for sharing!

 

[GundamSentinel]

28930 now.

Missed one by 7 meters. [http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D%3D]

This is more fun than it should be.

Edit: 32184 now. Google to the rescue! [http://www.geoguessr.com?v=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%3D%3D]

 

[maxben]

15K! If only I didn't mix up Florida with California. I saw palm trees and just guessed it

 

[ascorbius]

http://tinyurl.com/dxoz3hk

Just blew the last one, confused Spain with Brazil... :-( 13964 Points.