Frequently asked questions
Everything you might wonder about Farflung Game, the daily geography expedition.
The basics
What is Farflung Game?
Farflung Game is a free daily geography puzzle. Each day has five prompts such as “Pin a country the Equator crosses”. You drop one pin on the world map for each prompt, and rarer right answers travel farther, up to 500 km a day. A day takes about three minutes.
When does a new expedition start?
Every day at midnight, your local time. Everyone plays the same five prompts for that date, so you can compare distances with friends.
Can I play more than once a day?
The daily expedition can be played once; that’s what makes the scores comparable. You can try the practice prompt before you start, and there’s a new expedition tomorrow.
Is Farflung free? Do I need an account?
It’s free, with no sign-up and no app to download. It runs in any modern browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
Scoring
How is rarity decided?
Every right answer is placed in a tier by how many players are likely to think of it: Common (+20 km), Uncommon (+40), Rare (+60) or Elusive (+80). Each prompt also has one hand-picked gem, a surprising right answer worth the full 100 km. See the full rules.
What is the gem?
Every prompt has exactly one Farflung answer, the gem: a correct answer most people overlook, chosen because it has a story behind it. Whether or not you find it, the reveal tells you what it was and why.
What happens if I’m wrong or the clock runs out?
A pin in the wrong country, or in the sea, scores 0 km. If time runs out while a pin is placed, it drops by itself and scores normally. With no pin placed, the round scores 0 km.
Does the clock stop if I leave the page?
No. The clock keeps running while you’re away, so you can’t pause to look up answers. When you come back you resume with the time that’s left.
What are the zones?
Your distance moves you along a trail through five zones: the Harbour, the Lowlands (100 km), the Highlands (200 km), the Peaks (320 km) and the Far Reach (440 km).
The map
Do territories like Greenland count?
Yes. Territories count for the country that governs them: Greenland counts as Denmark, French Guiana as France, Puerto Rico as the United States. Your pin’s label shows which country it counts for.
How do I pin a tiny country?
Zoom in by pinching, scrolling or using the + button. Small island nations also have a generous tap area: a tap in the sea right next to one snaps to it.
Whose borders does the map use?
Borders come from Natural Earth, a public-domain map dataset. They aren’t a statement on any territorial dispute, and each prompt’s note explains how edge cases are counted.
Sharing & progress
How do I share my result?
After your fifth pin, press Share result. On a phone it opens your share sheet with a result card; on a computer it copies a short result with coloured squares, one per prompt. Neither reveals the answers.
Where is my progress and streak saved?
In your browser’s local storage on your own device. Clearing your browser data erases it, and it doesn’t carry over between devices or browsers. See our privacy notes.
Can I turn the sound on?
Sound starts off. Use the speaker button at the top of the game to switch it on. On phones that support it, key moments also give a short vibration.
Does Farflung work with reduced motion?
Yes. If your device is set to reduce motion, the game skips its animations and shows each result straight away.