Probably the most famous edutainment game of all time would be GeoGuessr, launched in 2013 with the purpose to test the geography knowledge to its fullest. Previously, it used to be free, but after the price hike of the Maps API by Google in 2019, it went premium.
However, the premium payment definitely means that GeoGuessr gamers are searching for some of the very best free Geoguessr alternatives. If that sounds like you, well, here are the 5 best geography-based trivia games like GeoGuessr you can play right now.
Keep reading, keep learning!
Here are 5 Best Free GeoGuessr Alternatives You Can Play in 2024
GeoGuessr Alternatives: City Guesser
1. City Guesser:
If you have been looking for something stellar in the line of a GeoGuessr alternatives but free, do not look any further than City Guesser. This game is made for the web and offers an engaging experience at par with GeoGuessr, but in contrast, uses video as opposed to availing of Google Maps API. City Guesser does much more than offer an immersive full-screen video across different locations globally—it also comes free.
It comes in multiplayer mode, wherein players compete with their buddies. Now, to get started, create a private room or join a public one. You can play City Guesser with locations from all around the world or turn your attention to some particular country, continent, or region. These include the US, Japan, France, Russia, and India, among others.
There are major cities, busy places, coastal cities, capital cities, and snowy landscapes, amongst other categories, in City Guesser maps. While some videos will give you tell-tale signs of where you are, like automotive number plates, with others, you’ll really have to sweat your way out.
All in all, GeoGuessr is not that difficult as a game, still quite exciting, and this makes it arguably one of the best educational games or apps you will have ever come across.
- Platform: Web
- Price: Free
GeoGuessr Alternatives: Geohub
2. Geohub:
In so far as freeware goes, though, nothing really competes with Geohub on this list. The creator of this beauty—a Reddit user who goes by u/benlikescode—revealed it to the world as recently as 7 months ago. He calls it his “own version of game Geoguessr.” Well, this fellow sure delivers and this particular tool mops the floor with most other tools that have made our list.
Not only because the U is super user-friendly. That, along with a world map single-player and the ability to play in basically every single region you can think of, really makes it unbeatable. Not to mention that Geohub uses the Google Maps API, and there is a possibility for the tool to be paid in the future since it can get pretty expensive to be kept free.
However, here’s to hoping the creator still manages to pull something to keep it free. All-in-all, this easily comes in as one of the best games like Geoguessr out there!
- Platform: Web
- Pricing: Free
GeoGuessr Alternatives: PlayGeography
3. PlayGeography:
As the name tells, PlayGeography is another geography-based game. The company it comes from is an edutainment firm called TeachMe that offers family-oriented educational games and apps. It’s a great game for learning world geography, but unlike GeoGuessr, it doesn’t display 3D maps, nor are there videos like City Guesser.
Instead, you have 2D maps on which you have to guess the city, state, country, flags, and more. It’s more of a ‘map quiz’ game, but a highly involving one at that. On the other hand, PlayGeography is free to play, with no restriction on playing it as many times per day as you want.
PlayGeography includes five modes of play: country, location, flags, capitals, and states/provinces. Moreover, many levels are offered with varied modes of difficulty for each game. Each game is played with a timer, and the more quickly that you answer your question, the more points you earn.
Well, if you just want to learn more about the world in a playful way, then PlayGeography will suffice. It’s free, and has more questions than GeoGuessr, and you don’t have to log in or create any sort of account to get started. All around, it gets a big thumbs-up from us for being such a nice, wholesome manner of spending some time with family or friends.
- Platform: Web
- Pricing: Free
GeoGuessr Alternatives: Lizardpoint
4. Lizardpoint:
Not strictly a GeoGuessr clone, Lizardpoint’s suite of geography quizzes is yet another excellent free option for mobile users looking to flex their—quite probably—geographical muscle. In contrast to the previous entries on this list, Lizardpoint is more of a traditional quiz game, wherein players are provided with a range of challenges to identify countries, capitals, flags, and more.
Its huge library of quizzes ranges from basic world geography to more specialized subjects, such as US states and Canadian provinces. There are several options for different game modes one can select: this will include timed challenges, country streaks, or even a “study mode” in which a person could try and do better at their own pace.
Though less engaging and exploratory than GeoGuessr, Lizardpoint offers a complete set of quizzes in an easy-to-use interface, therefore appealing to any geography enthusiast using it at any level.
- Platform: Android and iOS-devices
- Pricing: Free
GeoGuessr Alternatives: OpenGuessr
5. OpenGuessr:
For those who want a free GeoGuessr ‘clone’ with absolutely no addons or limitations, OpenGuessr is for you. This open-source app takes all the basics of the ‘original’ out of the box to give a similar gaming experience: you get to wander around Google Street View locations and guess where they are.
But what truly sets OpenGuessr apart is adhering to the promise of being fully free, without ads. There won’t be any subscriptions or in-app purchases with this alternative, as the paid model does with GeoGuessr—therefore making it accessible to players on a very tight budget. The interface of the game is one of no-nonsense design, so as not to divert attention away from the very basic factor behind its gameplay loop.
While OpenGuessr does not offer the polish or the feature set from some on this list, it’s still good for those wanting a no-frills geography-guessing game. It has an exact replica of what GeoGuessr offers, and it has no monetization barriers.
- Platform: Web, Android, iPhone, iPad and Android tablet
- Pricing: Free
Trevor Rainbolt
Trevor Rainbolt: The Guy who learned Google Maps by Heart!
First of all, let me clarify that ‘Trevor Rainbolt’ is the name of a person and not any game.
So, what is so special about him that he required a separate mention?
Well, keep reading to know the interesting story.
This American social media personality, known online as “Georainbolt,” is quite a wonder to his large number of fans as far as sniffing any place on this wild world with barely an image or a video is concerned.
It was the geography-based game “GeoGuessr” that initially drew Rainbolt to geolocation. Participants are presented with Google Street View images from all over the world and asked to look at surrounding details to guess the precise location. He had been training for years to develop this unusual skill of pinpointing the location in less than a second.
Rainbolt uses more than just maps; he also uses subtle and not-so-subtle visual clues, such as road markings, pillars, license plates, which side they drive on, vegetation, the color of the soil, tropical characteristics of the area, the quality of the roads, telephone poles, and the history of the latest Google Street View images. These help him zero in on the correct country, state, and eventually the street!
Moreover, his skills also included finding out serious criminal cases. He once exposed a call centre in Punjab, India, which was scamming people. He did it with the collaboration with an Indian YouTuber, Scambaiter, using his geolocation skills.
He is simply awesome! Isn’t he?
Conclusion
With GeoGuessr changing to a premium model, the need to find good, free alternatives has never been more critical for geography fans. Fortunately, while not all options are as good as others, the turnout across Web, Android, iPhone, iPad, and Android tablets proves plentiful.
From the video-based, immersive gameplay of City Guesser to Geohub’s open-source mapping prowess, this list of free GeoGuessr alternatives offers a huge diversity in experiences that would suit players ranging from apprentices looking to get started in location-guessing to the most hardcore location-guessing expert—and everyone else in between. For those who are, shall we say, slightly more casual geography enthusiasts or the most hardcore location-guessing experts, there is absolutely going to be a free alternative that will scratch that geographic itch.
Moreover, Trevor Rainbolt’s journey is far from over. From casual player to worldwide GeoGuessr phenomenon, he transformed the way the game is experienced by audiences. His zeal for learning, infectious eagerness, and readiness to push the limits have not only entertained several million people but have also helped law enforcement agencies and made connections of people with their most treasured memories.
So, why not try the global adventure today then? Download one of these great free GeoGuessr options, grab a mobile device or your computer, and start exploring around the world by just being at home. The journey awaits!
