How to Play Globdrop
Modes, scoring and scenarios, step by step.
What Is Globdrop?
Globdrop is a free, browser-based geography game created by Vedratic. In classic mode, you're shown the name of a place—a city, a landmark, a mountain peak, or even a fictional location—and your job is to click on the map exactly where you think it is. The closer your click is to the real location and the faster you answer, the more points you earn. In Flag Mode, you are shown a flag and must either select the correct name (Test mode) or type it manually (Write mode) before the timer runs out.
Unlike multiple-choice quizzes where you pick from pre-selected answers, Globdrop's classic mode asks you to know where places are on a map, and scores you by how far off you are. Flag Mode is closer to a quiz: you either recognise the flag or you don't, and speed decides the rest.
Getting Started: Step by Step
Open the Game
Navigate to globdrop.vedratic.com in any modern browser. The game works on desktop, tablet, and mobile—no downloads or installations required. You can even add it to your home screen as a Progressive Web App (PWA) for a full-screen, app-like experience.
Choose Your Language
Globdrop supports 6 languages: Catalan, Spanish, English, Chinese, Arabic and Japanese. Select your preferred language from the language picker in the interface.
Pick a Scenario
Globdrop offers a variety of thematic map and flag scenarios. Choose one of the 12 map scenarios or one of the 4 flag scenarios. Each has its own pool of places or flags, and its own game modes.
Select a Game Mode
Each scenario offers different game modes that control the number of rounds and time per round. For Flag Mode, choose between Test (multiple choice) or Write (free text input with autocomplete suggestions).
Play!
After a brief countdown, you'll see the name of a location displayed on screen. Click or tap on the map where you think it is. After each round, you'll see your distance from the target, the points you earned, and the correct location.
Share & Challenge
After completing a game, share your results with friends via WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, or by copying your score to the clipboard. Challenge them to beat your score on the same scenario!
Available Scenarios
Globdrop has 16 scenarios: 12 map scenarios with 1,380 places in total, and 4 flag scenarios with 182 flags.
Map-Clicking Scenarios
Find cities, wonders, and landmarks directly on the scenario's map. Scoring is based on precision (the distance from your click to the target) and response speed.
| Scenario | Places | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Municipalities of Catalonia | 946 | Every municipality in Catalonia, on a regional map. |
| World Capitals | 193 | The capitals of 193 countries, on a world map. |
| Capitals of Europe | 50 | Fifty European capitals, from Reykjavik and Lisbon to Moscow and Baku. |
| US States | 50 | The 50 states, each named with its capital. |
| World Volcanoes | 22 | Vesuvius, Fuji, Krakatoa, Teide, Erebus and other well-known volcanoes. |
| Greatest Peaks | 23 | Everest, K2, Aconcagua and Denali, with well-known lower peaks such as Aneto and Mont Blanc. |
| Ancient Wonders | 14 | The seven wonders of the ancient world and seven more ancient sites, such as Petra, Troy and Knossos. |
| Famous Skyscrapers | 10 | Ten towers, from the Burj Khalifa to the Chrysler Building. |
| Sports Stadiums | 20 | Twenty venues, from Camp Nou and Maracanã to La Bombonera. |
| Middle-earth | 16 | Places from Tolkien's books, from the Shire to Mount Doom. |
| Westeros (Game of Thrones) | 10 | Ten seats and castles of Westeros, from Winterfell to Sunspear. |
| Grand Line (One Piece) | 26 | Twenty-six islands and towns along the route of the story, from Foosha Village to Laugh Tale. |
Visual Flag Scenarios
Identify the correct territory or region by its flag. Play in Test mode (multiple choice) or Write mode (free text input with autocomplete). Scoring is based on speed.
| Scenario | Flags | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Flags of the World | 74 | National flags from every continent. |
| Flags of Europe | 35 | The flags of European countries, microstates included. |
| Flags of Spain | 19 | The 17 autonomous communities, plus Ceuta and Melilla. |
| Fun with Flags | 54 | International organisations, cities, regions, historical states and a few oddities such as the Jolly Roger. |
Understanding the Scoring System
Globdrop's scoring system rewards both accuracy (how close you click to the target) and speed (how quickly you answer). Here's how it works under the hood:
Distance Threshold
Each scenario has a maximum distance threshold, set by the size of its map: 50 km for the Catalan municipalities, 500 km for the capitals of Europe, 2,000 km for the world maps, and a few hundred miles for the US and the fictional maps. The full list is on the Globdrop page. If your click is farther from the target than the threshold, you earn zero points for that round. Within it, precision falls in a straight line: a click right on target earns 100, and one just short of the threshold earns almost nothing.
Time Multiplier
The faster you answer, the higher your time multiplier. The formula uses your remaining time to boost your score: time multiplier = (remaining seconds + 1) / 2. So if you have 8 seconds left on a 10-second round, your multiplier is 4.5×. If you run out of time entirely, you score zero.
Final Points Calculation
In classic map mode, your points for each round are: time multiplier × precision score, where precision score ranges from 0 to 100 based on how close your click was relative to the maximum distance.
In Flag Mode, you are graded on visual recognition speed rather than map distance. Correct answers award a base of 100 points, plus a speed bonus of up to 100 points proportional to the remaining time on the 15-second round timer.
Example: You're playing the municipalities of Catalonia, where the threshold is 50 km. You click 12 km from the town with 7 seconds left on a 10-second timer.
- Precision: (50 − 12) / 50 = 76% → precision score of 76
- Time multiplier: (7 + 1) / 2 = 4.0
- Points: 4.0 × 76 = 304 points
Installing as a PWA (Progressive Web App)
Globdrop can be installed on your device for a full-screen, app-like experience:
- Visit globdrop.vedratic.com in your browser.
- On Chrome/Edge: Click the install icon in the address bar, or open the browser menu and select "Install Globdrop."
- On iOS Safari: Tap the Share button, then "Add to Home Screen."
- The game icon will appear on your home screen. Tap to launch in full-screen mode.
Once installed, Globdrop will cache game assets locally, so later visits load faster. Scenarios you have already played may open without a connection, but the game is meant to be played online.
Further reading
- Designing Globdrop's feedback loop: the error line, the threshold and the time multiplier.
- Introducing Flag Mode: Test and Write, and how flags are scored.
- Six coordinate systems in one geography game: how a click on an image becomes a distance.
The Lord of the Rings, Middle-earth, Game of Thrones and One Piece are trademarks of their respective owners. Globdrop is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by them. The maps of these scenarios are original illustrations inspired by those works, and their place names are used for descriptive purposes only.