Multiplayer geography games are a great way for students of all ages to learn more about the world we live in. It helps you broaden your perspectives and test your knowledge of different cultures, countries, regions, languages, flags, and a lot more.
There are plenty of geography games online, which are easily accessible from any phone or browser. However, multiplayer games, in particular, add an extra bit of fun to the mix, as they add a competitive aspect and allow students to see how they measure up to others.
Gamified learning is becoming more popular as more educators are discovering the positive effects it has on making learning fun and enjoyable.
According to Zippia, gamification can increase student productivity by 50 percent. In one case study, students experienced a 34 percent improvement in math test scores after playing math games for a few months.
In this article, I’ll discuss several types of multiplayer geography games, including online, in-person, and virtual reality games. Each particular type of game has its unique benefits and advantages, which I’ll touch upon as well.
Let’s get into it.
Online Multiplayer Geography Quiz Games
Online multiplayer geography games can be played via a web browser or mobile app. Their main benefit is accessibility – you can play these games on the go, on your phone or laptop.
You can also play against random people from around the world, adding to the challenge and allowing you to test your knowledge against strangers.
You don’t need to carry around a board game or have friends with you – as long as you have access to the internet, you can compete against others online, including friends and strangers.
Here are the best online multiplayer geography games.
1. Geoguessr Battle Royale
Geoguessr is one of the most popular online geography games, and it has a multiplayer mode that allows you to play with friends and test your knowledge against theirs.
Battle Royale Distance on Geoguessr allows you five initial guesses. The purpose is to guess your location on the map, using hints and clues.
The player who guesses the furthest from the true point will be eliminated, as per the game rules.
You will be able to see the distance between your guess and the guesses of the two players who guessed the closest to you.
You can then try to get closer to the true spot than your opponent, but you have to wait five seconds between each guess. Players earn extra guesses by doing things like choosing the correct country.
Other game modes that support multiplayer include Battle Royale Countries and Battle Royale Duels.
According to Geoguessr, it is planning on adding more multiplayer game modes in the future as well.
Also Read: Best GeoGuessr Memes
2. The Geo Quiz
The Geo Quiz is a free, donation-funded online multiplayer geography game. Click on the “Play With Friends” button to enter multiplayer mode.
You’ll be able to select your avatar, which will help set you apart from the other players. I recommend choosing cheetah mode, in which you’ll be shown a country and be asked to guess what its name is.
You’ll get a link to the game room for your friends to join; there’s also a WhatsApp button that lets you share it with friends.
To win points, be the first of your friends to guess the right game. You can type it in or use your microphone to name the country.
3. Hide and Seek World
Hide and Seek World is an incredibly fun and engaging multiplayer geography game. Best of all, it’s free to use!
There are three multiplayer game modes. My favorite is Find Wolly – Wolly is a cute mascot who pops up in different locations around the world, and your goal is to find him on the map before the other players do.
Classic Hide and Seek is also a good option. Every player hides somewhere in the world, and the other players have to find them on the map.
At the end of the game, the player with the most points will win.
To start with Classic Hide and Seek, zoom in on the world map and drag the little yellow man to a specific spot where you want to hide. Others will see the street view on Google Maps and have to guess where you are.
Also Read: Best GeoGuessr Tips
There is also a new game mode, called King of the World, which supports up to 100 players.
Your goal is to guess random locations around the world and compete against other players, collecting points for correct guesses and losing lives for terrible guesses (guesses have ranks such as far off, super far, and way off).
You only get three lives when starting out, so try to minimize your bad guesses!
As you rise through the ranks and collect points, things will get more challenging, as there will be less time to guess.
You can even challenge the guesses of top players, and if you beat their guesses, you can win a prize.
The end goal of this mode is to become the King of the World by getting the most points out of all players in the game.
You can create a private game room with friends, but if you don’t have anyone to play with, don’t worry. Just join a public game room for any of the three multiplayer game modes, and you’ll be matched with other players online.
4. City Guesser
City Guesser is a nice twist on the traditional online geography game. While most online games give you a Google Street View and ask you to guess the location, City Guesser is a bit different – it gives you actual video footage shot on the street instead.
This makes things a lot of fun. A street view shows you a snapshot in time, while a video exposes you to a lot more – you can hear the language people are speaking or even their accent to help guide your guess.
Multiplayer Mode allows you to compare your guesses to other players. It’s the most fun when you play with your friends – you can create a private room for you and your friends to play together.
If you don’t have anyone to play with, you can join a random server.
Check Out: How To Play Fortnite GeoGuessr?
5. Geotastic
Geotastic is a free online geography game in which you have to guess your location from a given street view. It supports multiplayer mode, so you can create a room and play the game with your buddies.
It runs on donation and merch sales, which is how it can afford to remain free.
Geotastic was created by Edutastic Games, a one-man company based in Germany, as an alternative to Geoguessr after Geoguessr moved to a paid model and severely restricted free access.
6. Flags 2: Multiplayer (Android/iOS)
Flags 2: Multiplayer is an app-based game that tests your knowledge of flags and geography. You can set up a duel with friends or play with people from across the globe.
The app will test how well you can recognize and name countries and flags. Each game has 15 levels, which keep getting harder as you progress.
Each level, meanwhile, has 20 flags, currencies, capitals, continents, or maps, and you get 20 seconds per question.
One cool thing about this game is that it teaches you interesting facts while you play, such as the population of a country you guessed.
The app has a great gamification system, allowing you to earn points and spend them on things like avatars, themes, and new challenges.
7. Geography Quiz Game 2017 – Multiplayer
This game, available on iOS, can be played against other players online or in person. If you want to challenge someone online, you can do it in the game center, while if you want to play with a friend in person, the iPad screen will be split into two.
If you are playing in person, you have to be the first to answer the question correctly to win the points. If you answer incorrectly, though, your opponent will get those points, even if they didn’t guess yet.
On the other hand, if you play the online version, each player has to wait until the other player finishes their round, with each round having five questions.
The app integrates with Facebook. If you log in via Facebook, you can share your score and also see the leaderboard.
Also Read: GTA V GeoGuesser – The Complete Guide
In-Person Multiplayer Geography Quiz Games
We’ve gotten so used to doing everything online that we sometimes forget to disconnect and have fun in the real world. In-person geography games are perfect for family bonding or pub trivia nights with your friends.
They give you a chance to socialize and connect with each other. Classroom geography games, meanwhile, give students a chance to have fun while learning about the world.
In this section, I’ll be going over the best in-person geography games, including board games and classroom quizzes.
1. Trekking the World
Trekking the World is a geography board game. The objective of the game is to race to visit all the most popular destinations in the world before your friends.
As you tour various destinations, you will earn victory points. If you see a golden compass on the map, it means you can earn victory points.
You’ll also collect souvenirs from the destinations you visit. Collecting the last souvenirs from a specific region will allow you to earn region bonus tokens.
You’ll start the game with three Trek cards, which you’ll need to discard to get on the move.
Overall, it’s a fun game for playing with friends and family on those long, rainy (or sunny!) days.
2. The World Game
The World Game is a card game that’s perfect for families and school educators. You can play it with your kids or buy a few sets for your classroom, divide your class into groups, and have each group play the game.
Don’t worry, though – the game is perfect for adults too, in case you are looking for a fun and educational card game to play at your friend group reunion. It comes in a small, travel-sized box, so it’s easy to carry around.
When picking cards, you’ll get some basic facts about a country – such as population size and the number of neighboring countries – and a picture of the flag. You’ll then have to guess which country it is.
Even if you can easily guess the flag, you’ll get to learn some interesting geographical facts you likely didn’t know and expand your knowledge.
It won the Game of the Year Award from Creative Child Magazine in 2020.
There is also a board game version, which is even more fun. Roll the die and challenge your opponents to name capital cities, point to countries on the map, and show their overall knowledge of geography!
It comes complete with 24 action cards and will provide a night of fun for the entire family.
3. The 50 States Game
A lot of geography games focus on world geography, but not as many focus on learning about the different states. That makes sense – a world geography game is more marketable to a global audience.
If you want your kids to learn about the 50 states, including capitals, average temperature, population size, and more, try The 50 States Game.
It’s made by The World Game, so it’s very similar to its global geography game. You can win by answering challenges, such as naming the capital of a state or recognizing its flag.
4. The Scrambled States of America
The Scrambled States of America is another excellent game focused on US geography. It’s based on Laurie Keller’s famous book of the same name and created by Gamewright.
There are state cards and scramble cards. A scramble card might present a challenge, such as finding the state with a capital that starts with the letter A, or a state that has two of the same letters in a row in its name.
Each player will race to be the first to answer. The player who is first to answer adds that state to their deck of state cards.
At the end of the game, the player with the most state cards in their deck of state cards wins the game.
Each player will get their own personal map of the United States. The product comes with four maps, as between two and four players can play this game at once.
5. Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride is a fascinating and incredibly fun game in which players collect train cards to claim railway routes across North America.
Ticket to Ride is a lot more exciting than most geography games, which simply show you a map, flag, or a street view and ask you to guess the location.
It takes the players back in history and gives them a mission. It’s set in the year 1900, and the players are old friends who are aiming to win a contest – who can travel to the most cities by rail in just one week.
The stakes are high this year (every year there is a new contest). The friend who wins will collect one million dollars!
Try to claim a route as long as possible to collect the most points!
If you can connect two very distant cities, or if you can be the player who connects the longest train route out of all players, you can collect even more points.
6. Around the World
Kristy Williams, YouTube
Are you looking for a classroom game to teach geography to your students? Try the classic Around the World game, which requires zero equipment!
It’s also a great game for parties and get-togethers.
Around the World has several versions.
Here’s how one version works. Players sit in a circle (or you can simply move from one row to another if your students are seated at desks).
Using the letters contained in “around the world,” players have to name countries. For example, the first player has to name a country with the letter A, while the second player has to name a country with the letter R.
The first country might be Austria or Australia, and the second country might be Rwanda or Russia. This version is a bit limited, though, because there is only one country that starts with O, for example (it’s Oman) and only one that starts with W (Wales – yes, Wales is a country).
Therefore, this version is best when you have only a few players, and I’d recommend placing a timer (such as 10 seconds) for each player. If they can’t come up with a country in time, they lose and exit the game.
A more expanded version of the game is to ask players to name cities instead of countries. This version allows for more players and more rounds.
The second version is a bit different. As a teacher, you should devise a list of geography questions – you can also find them online.
Alternatively, you can use flashcards, including cards from one of the games above – for example, you can use cards from The World Game and ask students to guess the country the depicted flag belongs to.
The game starts with two students. The first student – usually the one at the front of the furthest row to the right of the room – stands next to the desk of the student behind them (the second desk in the row).
The teacher then asks a question. The student who answers first (if they answer correctly) goes to stand next to the third student in the row, while the other one sits down at the second desk.
It doesn’t matter who was standing or seated. The student who wins by answering first moves to stand by the desk behind them, while the other student sits down (or remains seated if they were already seated).
If a student answers incorrectly, they sit down, and the other student proceeds to the desk behind them.
The goal is for students to eventually make it all the way back to their starting points. The first student who does that (successfully goes around the “world”) wins the game.
If you’re still confused about how this game works, watch this video.
Mixed Reality Multiplayer Geography Quiz Games
Mixed reality – including virtual and augmented reality – is becoming more popular. More and more people are purchasing VR and AR devices, and developers are coming up with new games to accommodate them.
There are many geography games available on VR and AR devices, such as National Geographic Explore VR. They allow you to explore the world in a way that feels realistic – you can immerse yourself in new places instead of merely seeing a street view on your screen or a bunch of facts on a card.
Almost all of the games are single-player, but if you’re looking for a multiplayer game, we’ve got you covered as well.
1. Wooorld
Wooorld is a virtual reality geography game for Quest that allows you to explore the world with your friend. You can go on an adventure and visit new cities, towns, and countries.
Express yourself through the 3D avatars that track your body movements.
There are hundreds of 3D cities with rich, 360-degree images. You can even take pictures to save your memories!
I like the “Where in the Wooorld” mini-game, which teleports you to five random places. You have to look around – at the buildings, street signs, etc. – for clues to guess where you are.
Comparison of Each Type of Game
Each type of geography game – online, in-person, and mixed reality – has its place.
Online games are best when you are alone and want to enrich your knowledge of geography, but you don’t have anyone to play with.
Alternatively, if your kid is bored at home and wants to play a game on their phone, tablet, or laptop, these geography games provide a great opportunity for them to have fun and study at the same time.
Typically, online games use the Google Street View API, so you will get a feel for how different countries look in real life. You’ll learn how street signs, road markings, houses, and dress codes vary from country to country.
In-person games are best if you have several children or have the time to play with your kids yourself. They’re also great for group settings, such as family get-togethers, a “friends’ night out,” or classrooms.
They tend to focus more on facts such as population size rather than how street signs look, though, so the learning outcome is often a bit different.
Finally, mixed reality games are best if you own a virtual reality or augmented reality headset and want to explore the world without leaving the comfort of your home.
Best Multiplayer Geography Quiz Games – Recap
Educational games give you a way to enjoy yourself, have fun with your friends or children, and become smarter. Why waste time playing video games when you can have just as much fun with a geography game?
I’d recommend starting with the online multiplayer games, as they are easily accessible and many are free. Try a few games until you find the one that you enjoy best – remember, the whole point of gamified learning is to make education fun.
If you can, though, order a physical card or board game – nothing beats an old-style board or card game with friends.
Don’t worry too much about memorizing facts when playing. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself and have fun – the knowledge will come in the process.
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