Yesterday, Google launched SmartyPins, a geography game that lets you test your knowledge of geography, but Trivial-Pursuit-style.
You’re asked questions in one of six categories: Featured Topics, Arts & Culture, Science & Geography, Entertainment, Sports & Games, and History & Current Events. Then, place a pin on the map in the place that is the answer. You can take random questions or select the category to play in.
You start with 1,000 miles and lose them for every mile you are off. For example, if you get this question:
And for some reason, you decide that Milwaukee is the Windy City, you’ll lose 79 miles, as that is the distance from Milwaukee to Chicago:
If you answer quickly enough, you get bonus miles added to your score. This is where it helps to have a speedy internet connection. While I was able to play on slow hotel Wi-Fi, I never got bonus miles because I was always waiting for the map to load.
The better you do at the game, the more specific you’ll need to be with your answers. For example, when I started, “Chicago” was an acceptable answer. Later in the game, I dropped a pin on Washington, D.C., but lost two miles for it not being directly on the White House.
Play at smartypins.withgoogle.com.
The fact I got 84% as an ignorant European who has only ever visetid NYC and DC I think confirms the influence of order effects in the scores of this game Many many times I was thinking Huh, I thought that state was right on the other side of the country’ while dropping a state into exactly the right place Good learning tool though I guess.p.s. Mr Yau please warn us when linking to Flash sites with embedded Comic Sans and unexpected sound effects! I wasn’t emotionally prepared for the shock