The W3W Cryptic GeoGuessing Game

Pin the Tale

Pin the Tale is an interactive storytelling game that uses the What3Words geolocation system as its foundation. Webcurios describes Pin the Tale as “a combination of cryptic crosswords and Geoguessr,” while the creators themselves call it a "treasure hunt."

For those unfamiliar, What3Words is a geolocation addressing system that divides the entire world into a grid of 3 meter by 3 meter squares, assigning each square a unique combination of three random words. Pin the Tale uses these three words as prompts for location-based stories. From these stories, other players must try to work out the exact 3x3 meter square being described, using the clues embedded in the story.

🎮 How to Play Pin the Tale

1. Explore the Map 

• Open the Pin the Tale map. 
• Zoom into any location to view stories that users have submitted. 
• Each story corresponds to a unique 3-word address (a specific 3x3m square). 

2. Read & Discover Stories 

• Click on a story to read it. 
• Try to figure out the exact location it’s describing. 
• Once you think you know the spot, enter the corresponding What3Words address in the answer box to see if you’re correct. 
• Think of it as a geographical treasure hunt. 

3. Create Your Own Story 

• Choose a location on the map. 
• Look up its What3Words address (for example, ///apple.tiger.chair). 
• Write a short story inspired by that place, incorporating those three words into the story. 
• Submit it for others to discover and solve. 

Pin the Tale is far more difficult to describe than it is to play. My advice is to just dive in, search for your nearest clues, and try to see if you can solve them.