Scale: how far, how big?
Every map has its own scale, and our eyes get it wrong. New York – Boston looks tiny on a map of the United States, yet laid over Europe it is Paris – Brussels. Texas over Europe covers France and a good part of its neighbours. This game makes you commit to a guess by dragging, then shows the truth at the same scale.
Two variants
- Distance
- Two places from one region (New York – Boston) are laid over another (Europe). The first one is pinned; drag the red end until the line is as long as the real distance.
- True size
- The outline of a place from elsewhere (Texas, Alaska, Japan, Greenland…) appears over a map you know, at the wrong size. Drag the red dot to resize it, drag the shape to move it, until it is at its true size.
Fair on any map
Nothing is measured in pixels. A distance is measured on the globe, between the two ends of your line; an outline is unfolded around its own centre and folded again where you put it, so it grows towards the poles on a flat map exactly as it should. Your answer is compared with the true geodesic distance or area.
Scoring
Each round is scored out of 100 from the ratio between your answer and the truth: 100 when exact, about 50 when you are twice too big or twice too small, 0 at ten times. Guessing too big or too small costs the same.
Some rounds
- New York – Boston, New York – Los Angeles, Miami – Seattle laid over Europe
- Paris – London, London – Istanbul, Lisbon – Moscow laid over the United States
- Texas, California, Japan, Australia, DR Congo, India over Europe; Alaska, the United Kingdom, Spain over the United States; Greenland over Africa