Even More Scrambled Maps

Scrambled Maps

In September I released a new daily map challenge called Scrambled Maps. TripGeo then enhanced my original game by introducing options to define the number of map tiles and to play with random cities. Scrambled Maps has since become TripGeo’s most popular game. For instance, just yesterday, it was played over 1,000 times by people across the globe.

TripGeo's Scrambled Maps has quickly become my own favorite morning ritual. If you’re a fan of puzzles, geography, or simply love exploring the world from the comfort of your home, this game might just become one of your favorite daily challenges too.

Each day, Scrambled Maps presents you with a map of a different city from around the globe. But here’s the twist: all the map tiles are scrambled! Your task is simple yet captivating - drag the tiles back into their correct positions to restore the map to its original state. You’re then awarded points based on the number of turns it took you to complete the puzzle.

Any Map Puzzle

Scrambled Maps draws inspiration from the classic Victorian game 15 Puzzle, which consists of a wooden frame containing 15 numbered square tiles (1 to 15) and one unoccupied space. This empty space allowed players to slide tiles horizontally or vertically to rearrange them.

In Scrambled Maps, I removed the blank square and allowed players to swap any map tile with any other tile in the frame, making gameplay more flexible and accessible.

However, if you’re a fan of the original 15 Puzzle, then you might prefer the new online game Any Map Puzzle, which strictly adheres to the classic format. It features 15 square tiles and one unoccupied position (though different frame sizes are also available). In this game, instead of rearranging numbers, you’re tasked with rearranging map tiles. 

Because your moves in Any Map Puzzle are restricted to sliding adjacent tiles into the unoccupied position, completing this game can be significantly more challenging than solving a game of Scrambled Maps.

OSM 15 Puzzle

For fans of the original Victorian puzzle, there’s also the OSM 15 Puzzle game. Like Any Map Puzzle, this online scrambled map game sticks to the traditional rules, limiting your movements to sliding adjacent tiles into the empty square on the map board.

Players can select from a wide variety of scrambled maps by clicking the map marker icon next to the game board. Options include the world, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Aegean Sea, Ireland, South Korea, Tasmania, Lesotho, Hawai‘i, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Barcelona, London, Schiphol, Haneda, Paris, The Pentagon, MoMA in New York City, Shibuya Station, and St. Peter’s Basilica.