GeoClash

After last week's post on the growing number of interactive map games called City Guesser I was contacted by DoudouOSM on Mastodon, who pointed me towards GeoClash, an alternative to GeoGuessr built on Mapillary panoramic images and Leaflet rather than Google Maps.

GeoClash, like GeoGuessr requires you to identify locations based on 'Street View' type images. To play GeoClash you first need to create a room in Gidd.io and then select to play GeoClash from the available games (you can play as a guest if you don't want to register). In each game of GeoClash you have to identify 10 random locations around the world using 'Street View' images from Mapillary. However you only have 40 seconds to explore the location and point to the correct location on the world map.

Like all GeoGuessr type games the secret to identifying locations in GeoClash is to use the visual clues in the panoramic images. These clues include the language used in street signs & adverts, the style of architecture & street furniture, and the natural environment. You are awarded points in each of the ten rounds based on how close you guess to the correct location. 

The quality of crowd-sourced images in Mapillary tend to be slightly lower quality than Google Maps Street View. Which means that GeoClash is slightly more difficult to play than GeoGuessr. However being free to play is a huge advantage in GeoClash's favor. My major gripe is that 40 seconds isn't enough time to guess each location. I need at least 120 seconds for each round.