Geoguessr – you might have heard the word before, but not know what it means?
And, even if you have heard a bit about it, you might not know very much – but Geoguessr is a game which is really gaining momentum in the virtual world.
The premise of Geoguessr is simple. It takes advantage of the plethora of images taken by Google for Street View, by placing you in a random location anywhere in the world. The aim is to work out where you are, then make a guess by pinpointing this place on the map. The closer to the actual location you guess, the more points you get.
Geoguessr was created in 2013 – but has had a big burst of popularity over the past year due to new updates, as well as publicity from creators on YouTube and Twitch.
So, you’ve just started a new game of Geoguessr but have no clue where in the world it has placed you. Here are some tips to help you figure out where you are.
Where is the sun?
The first thing you can do to narrow things down is look at the position of the sun in the sky. If it’s in the north, then you’re most likely in the southern hemisphere and vice-versa.
By working out which hemisphere you’re in, it can help massively to figure out which country you are in. If you can’t see the sun in the sky, then looking at which direction shadows are being cast from has the same effect.
What can the language tell us?
You can get a lot from looking at writing, even if you can’t understand what the words say. There are many subtle differences between various characters in different languages that can help you to identify which country you’re in.
As you play the game, you’ll start to pick up differences in other languages that may look similar.
One way you can figure these differences out is by finding unique characters and zooming in on the map around countries you think it might be to find place names that include that same unique character.
What does the Google car tell us?
In certain countries, the car that Google used will have defining features that will tell you which country you are in.
Left hand drive vs right hand drive?
Looking at which side of the road people are driving on can also help narrow things down. If you can’t see any other cars, then you can figure it out by looking at which side of the road signs and markings are on. Motorists in many countries in the world drive on the right – but some exceptions are:
Europe: The UK, Ireland and Malta
Africa: South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Kenya, Uganda
Asia: Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Hong Kong
Oceania: Everywhere
Once again, knowing which countries drive on the left is another subtle difference that will help you tell the difference between Malta and Italy, or Thailand and Cambodia.
What can we learn from the number plates?
Number plates are always blurred out on Google Street View; however, the colours are still visible, and this can be a useful way of telling which country you’re in.
Figuring out which part of the world you’re in is the first step towards getting a perfect score or winning a game of battle royale. Using these tips, you’re sure to become a pro Geoguessr player.
