OUTLINE: a daily geography puzzle
OUTLINE is a daily geography puzzle. You are shown the outline of one country and have six guesses to name it.
Each wrong guess is not wasted: you are told how far the answer is from your guess, measured border to border, which compass direction to head in, and how close you are as a percentage.
Once you have the country, three optional bonus questions are worth extra points: pick its flag, its population band and how many countries it borders.
How to play OUTLINE
- You are shown the outline of a country. Name it in six guesses.
- Each wrong guess tells you how far away the answer is (border to border), which direction to head, and how close you are as a percentage.
- Once you have it, three optional bonus questions add points: its flag, its population, and how many countries it borders.
Tips
- If the shape means nothing to you, guess a country in the middle of a continent. The distance and direction will place you quickly.
- Distance is border to border, so neighbours show as zero kilometres. A zero means you are next door.
- Notice the coastline. A smooth edge is usually a border drawn on a map; a ragged one is usually sea.
- Outlines are not drawn to a common scale. A small island can fill the frame just as a large country does.
- Have a go at the bonus questions. A wrong answer there costs nothing.
Common questions
How many guesses do I get?
Six.
Can I switch between kilometres and miles?
Yes. There is a toggle beside the distances and your choice is remembered.
Which places can be the answer?
The member states of the United Nations and a handful of other widely recognised countries. Overseas territories and dependencies are not used.
Do the bonus questions affect my streak?
No. Your streak only needs you to finish the main puzzle. The bonuses only add points.
Where does the map data come from?
Natural Earth, which is in the public domain. Flags come from the flag-icons project. Both are credited on the attributions page.
A new puzzle every day
OUTLINE has one puzzle a day, released at midnight UK time and the same for everyone. It is free, and you can play without an account. Finish it to keep your streak going and to see where you stand on the leaderboards.