1. Read the broad clues first
Driving side, road colour, bollard shape, language on signage — these narrow you to a region in seconds.
Getting started
New to GeoGuessr? Start here.
A quick on-ramp: learn the three habits that turn random guessing into reliable recognition.
2. Confirm with one detail
License plate format, soil colour, or a specific architectural element will pin you to a country (and often a region).
3. Practice deliberately
Pick one country, drill it for a week. Coverage compounds — the third country teaches you patterns the first did not.
Easily confused
The country pairs beginners mix up most. Study the differences side by side.
- SwedenNorwayFlags and bollards look alike; tell them apart by forest type and road markings.See the differences →
- GermanyAustriaSame language; plates, poles and architecture set them apart.See the differences →
- RussiaKazakhstanBoth use Cyrillic; steppe, plates and language details decide it.See the differences →
- United States of AmericaCanadaVery similar; French signage, plates and stop lines give Canada away.See the differences →
- ArgentinaChileThe Andes wrap both; separate them by plates and vegetation.See the differences →
- MalaysiaIndonesiaLanguage and scenery overlap; plate colour and poles reveal it.See the differences →
Common mistakes
The traps beginners fall into most. Avoiding these lifts your score right away.
- Guessing too fastLook around before you click — driving side, signs and poles usually appear within seconds.
- Ignoring the driving sideLeft or right? This single clue rules out half the world.
- Not reading the scriptCyrillic, Greek, Arabic or Asian scripts instantly place you in the right region.
- Missing the bollardsRoadside bollards and poles are country-specific — small but very strong clues.
- Ignoring the sun and shadowsShadow direction reveals the hemisphere and a rough latitude.
- Forgetting the camera typeCar generation, the follow car and camera quality narrow down the likely countries.
Start with these eight
Frequently asked
The things new players wonder about most.
What is GeoGuessr?
A game where you look at a Street View image and guess where you are on the world map. The closer your guess is to the true location, the more points you score.
What's the difference between Moving, No Move and NMPZ?
In Moving you can move, pan and zoom. In No Move you stay put but can still look around. NMPZ (No Move, Pan, Zoom) is the most restrictive — you're stuck with a single frame. Moving is the easiest for beginners.
How do I practise most effectively?
Finish the six lessons in the learning path first, then drill individual clues (bollards, plates, script) in Practice. Start with a few countries and expand as you recognise more.
What does "meta" mean?
Meta is the set of small visual clues that give a country away: bollard designs, poles, plate colours, road lines, phone booths and so on. Learning meta is the fastest way to level up.
How does scoring work?
Each round is worth up to 5000 points, rising as your guess nears the true spot. Getting the right country is already a good start; pinning the city sends the score soaring.
Why do some countries never show up?
GeoGuessr uses Google Street View coverage. Countries without coverage never appear in the game, so factor that in when ruling out possibilities.
Want the canonical reference?
Plonk It's beginners-guide is the definitive longform on this — we'll wrap it in our own translations later. For now, read theirs.