GeoGuessr is an internet phenomenon with a very simple premise: you’re dropped somewhere and you need to figure out where you are. The closer you get to the target location, the more points you get. The web game was first launched in 2013, and in 2025, it made a huge leap by launching on Steam.
Whether this is the first time you’re playing it or you just want to brush up on your skills before jumping into the Steam edition, there are a few key things you can keep in mind to find where you are with pinpoint accuracy. Happy guessing!
Although the web version has been out for a while, GeoGuessr for Steam is in Early Access and therefore is likely to change. This guide is written based on both the Steam and Web versions, and will be updated as the game changes.
Be Ready To Rush
Speed is of the essence in Duels. Duels are PvP matches where you get as close as you can to the location for a few rounds, or until you or your opponent runs out of health. Technically, this has an unlimited timer, but once one of you has placed a pin, a countdown of fifteen seconds begins.
The timer function makes a couple of different tactics useful. If you have a rough idea of where a location might be, even if it’s very vague, it’s worth placing a pin but not clicking guess. That way, when the timer starts, you can guess as quickly as possible.
An alternative tactic you can use is to guess as soon as you have a vague idea and lock in. This can work in Duels because it gives you the option of making the other player panic-guess somewhere incorrectly. So long as you’re less wrong than your opponent, you’ll still protect your points.
This only works in this mode because you can only lose points, and not gain them, with the only way of losing them being by getting the answer more wrong than the other player. So, psyching them out works.
Look For Website Extensions
Often, the tiniest hints make the biggest difference when trying to figure out where somewhere is in GeoGuessr. One of those tiny hints that can be a game-changer is website extensions. A lot of areas are inundated with advertising — on billboards, signs, and wraps on cars — for businesses.
Whether they’re local or national businesses, there’s a very good chance they’ll have some kind of way of getting in touch or finding out more about them. So, make sure to stop and study adverts carefully whenever you find them, since this is often where you’ll find crucial information about where you are.
Websites are usually included in adverts, and can give you everything you need to know. The letters ing the full stop at the end of a website can indicate where a domain was registered, giving away vital information about where you are. For example, websites that end in SG are registered in Singapore.
Of course, this isn’t a perfect art: a lot of websites use Com as an extension even though they aren’t registered in the United States. And, as you can see, not every extension will clearly reflect where it’s from. But it can still make or break a round very easily.
Learn Phone Number Codes
Phone numbers have different area codes and formats depending on where in the world they’re from. Even if you’re playing within a specific country, you can gain insight from hyper-local area codes.
In the United Kingdom, for example, different counties have different extensions, so the first three or four digits can reveal where somewhere is.
This information isn’t especially helpful if you don’t know what you’re looking for, though. And looking it up mid-round is certainly frowned upon (not to mention how tough it would be to do it under timed conditions, either). So, try and familiarise yourself with some basics in advance.
Obviously, learning every single phone number code, even for an individual country, would take up a massive amount of time and take some real dedication. However, being able to identify roughly where phone numbers are associated with is super helpful.
Looking things up is considered cheating, and if you’re caught, it can be a punishable offence. So, don’t go Googling any numbers you see in the wild. You’ll have to rely on your memory to figure them out.
Use The Compass When You’re Near A Coast
You might find yourself in a situation where you can see the sea, and you have a reasonable idea of which country you’re in, but you have no idea which side of the country you’ve been dropped on.
Take a look at your minimap and use the GeoGuessr compass to assess which direction the coastline is in. This can make all the difference, particularly if you find yourself on an island.
You can change the appearance of your compass in the game’s settings.
Pay Attention To Natural Geography And Local Architecture
Cast your mind back to Geography classes: what climates and biomes do different areas of the world have? Does it look dusty and arid where you are, or is it full of subtropical plants? This can give away a lot about where you are.
In fact, when you’re placed on random country roads, it’s often all you’ll have to go off of.
Similarly, keep in mind the incline and terrain of the map around you. Some countries and areas are much hillier or more mountainous than others, so if it feels like the Google car is making the most of its suspension, then that could be a major hint for where you are.
Even if you’ve been dropped in a concrete jungle, don’t despair. You don’t have to look out for famous monuments or buildings to gather context clues. Different cities and countries have more or less of certain styles of architecture, so make sure you’re taking a close look at the houses and streets around you.
Roads can also tell you a lot about where you are. Check which side of the road drivers are on and look out for any major road signs.
Plus, finding major roads like highways and motorways on a map is much easier than finding tiny roads since they tend to be clearly numbered and appear on the minimap.
Signs Hold A Lot Of Clues
Suggesting you look out for signs might sound a little obvious, but they can give away a lot more information than just literally saying where you are. You just need to know what you’re looking out for. Most signs you see will direct you to places that are too niche or too vague to be useful. If you see a street sign, but you don’t know which city you’re in, it’s just as useless as a sign that vaguely tells you there’s a hospital.
However, what language or design is used is helpful. Firstly, the language used is key. Sometimes this is better than others, since some languages are used officially in a lot of countries, but if you get a language that isn’t used often, then it can be a jackpot.
For example, if you see a road sign with Welsh on it, you know you’re in Wales. Another reason is that a lot of countries have a particular style for road signs that you’ll start to recognise as you play more of the game (or if you’re a frequent flyer). This carries even more to street signs around cities, which are often all styled similarly.
You don’t have to be 100% sure of what a language is to be able to make a reasonable guess.
Don’t Be Misled By Flags
Understandably, finding a country flag — or better yet, a flag for a smaller area like a state or county — can feel like an instant win. But, be careful, as sometimes they can be totally misleading. You might want to figure out carefully if a building is an embassy or even a restaurant before you feel too confident.
In all likelihood, most flags won’t be actual physical flags being flown. Look out for pictures of flags on things, too.
Even Blurred Information Can Be Helpful
Identifying or private information, like vehicle registration plates, is blurred for privacy. However, that doesn’t mean they still won’t help you out on your quest. Particularly when it comes to European cars.
Also, sometimes the blurring isn’t very good. Or it isn’t blurry from certain angles. Take a good look around.
This is because car plates for vehicles from the European Union (EU) have a blue strip on the left-hand side of them, stating which country the car was licensed in. Now, 99% of the time, you won’t actually be able to read what the plate says.
But, it’s still very easy to tell if a blurred plate has a strip of bright blue to the left of it or not. If lots of cars in your surrounding area have that detail, then it’s very likely that you’re in a country belonging to the EU.
The opposite is also true; if you’re somewhere with mostly plain white or yellow plates without any blue detailing, then you’re more likely to be outside of the EU than in it.
Research Which Countries Don’t Have Street View
So, GeoGuessr uses data from Google Maps’ Street View functionality. This means that it’s only possible for you to be placed somewhere that has Street View in it. Consequently, a few places are unlikely to come up, and some guesses are total wastes.
There are a number of countries around the world that have either limited or no Google Street View. For instance, Austria and Germany have had privacy regulations in place that limited the areas visible on street view significantly, particularly outside major cities.
Other countries that have little to no Street View coverage include:
- China
- Morocco
- Papua New Guinea
- North Korea
- Belarus
- Venezuela
And more. Some countries will still have the occasional area or static location available, though, so don’t write them off completely if you’re confident. Plus, if you place it close to the border of some countries, you can still pick up proximity points.
The best way to familiarise yourself with which countries have the most Street View is by taking a look at Google Maps directly and dragging the little orange Street View person around to see where they can land.
