GeoGuessr Steam Edition

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The Free edition includes unlimited Team Duels, and unlimited Amateur Division duels (should you not already have completed the Placement games on web). In-game purchase of 1 year Steam Pass is required to play Ranked Solo Duels, or be on an Unlimited Yearly or Elite Yearly subscription. GeoGuessr Steam Edition takes you on a journey around the world, challenging you to recognize locations an…

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Play Modes

13%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,202 reviews

gameplay8 positive mentions

monetization34 negative mentions

The core gameplay of GeoGuessr remains engaging and fun, allowing players to deduce global locations.
The Steam version runs smoothly and offers a competitive environment through Solo and Team Duels.
The game can be enjoyable for casual players who want to play unranked Team Duels.

The game is misleadingly marketed as 'free to play' but requires a subscription after a limited number of matches.
The Steam version lacks many features available in the browser version, such as single-player modes and map creation.
Players are frustrated by the requirement to pay for a separate subscription to access the Steam version, even if they already have a subscription for the web version.

monetization
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
41%
53%
The monetization strategy for the game has been widely criticized as exploitative and misleading, with many players feeling that the annual subscription model and forced paywalls detract from the overall experience. Users express frustration over the perception of the game as a cash grab, particularly given the high costs associated with accessing features that were previously available for free. Overall, the monetization approach is seen as outdated and detrimental to player enjoyment.
- “I understand the costs of the Google Maps API are extremely high, but the way the Geoguessr team has tried to tackle it has ended up with very dishonest and unenjoyable forms of monetization.”
- “Potential to be one of Steam's big games that everyone has and plays once in a while, and to be honest, most would probably pay for this too, but the developers killed it with absolutely grim decision-making regarding monetization.”
- “Geoguessr is a really cool game, but the monetization model is so outdated; let me pay 15 bucks once for the game and not charge me $2.50 a month.”
- “It kills the fun and feels more like a cash grab than a fair challenge.”
- “Advertising the game as free yet implementing a hard (subscription) paywall is scummy practice.”
- “Still trying to understand what type of awful PR team let you start the steam journey so amateurishly... instead of getting new players and at least starting with competitive prices or discounts to existing players... no... you chose to charge $30 for a yearly subscription (after advertising that it's only $2.50 a month - no, it's $30 a year, there is no monthly subscription) mostly from players who already own the product and already pay for the browser version is honestly a slap in the face.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
78%
6%
Geoguessr offers engaging gameplay centered around deducing global locations through beautiful street views and smooth mechanics, which many players find addictive. However, the game has faced significant criticism for its restrictive paywall, limiting free access to just one hour and requiring subscriptions for full features, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, some players have noted that gameplay can sometimes rely more on chance than skill, with obscure locations providing minimal contextual clues.
- “Geoguessr's arrival on Steam brings the core addictive gameplay of deducing global locations, which remains inherently enjoyable.”
- “[b]Gameplay[/b]: the core Geoguessr experience shines: beautiful street view locations, smooth guessing mechanics, and a clean UI.”
- “While the core gameplay remains engaging, the additional paywall has drawn criticism from some players.”
- “Geoguessr is an amazing game, but I hate how it acts like a free game while expecting you to pay not just for the Steam version but also for the browser version just to access all the gameplay features.”
- “Just play the browser version of Geoguessr. This was fun for a little bit, but you can only access the lowest rank of competitive gameplay for free and have to pay for a subscription to play any higher than that, which is just ridiculous.”
- “The gameplay often relies more on chance than skill, placing users in obscure or poorly rendered locations with minimal contextual clues.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous users reporting frequent crashes, UI freezes, and significant bugs that render it unplayable, even on high-end PCs. While some players appreciate features like Steam access and fast matchmaking, the overwhelming consensus is that the application is plagued by technical issues that detract from the overall experience. Many recommend playing the browser version instead, citing a less problematic experience.
- “Game is crashing my PC, the game's UI freezes and when I try to force stop it from Task Manager, the PC freezes and needs to be restarted from the physical button.”
- “The application is the worst I've seen in my life. Even with a PC that has 1000x the recommended components, the app crashes and freezes. Not to mention that the interface on Steam is horrible compared to the browser game, and only the duel mode is accessible.”
- “Lots of glitches making the game unplayable.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some users appreciating the visuals and engine, while others criticize the presence of graphical bugs and the use of AI-generated images instead of original artwork. Overall, the graphical quality is seen as inconsistent, detracting from the overall experience.
- “Interesting graphics in this game)))”
- “[*] nice geoguessr engine and visuals”
- “It seems riddled with bugs, like graphical and perhaps even gameplay.”
- “But still, they don't make enough to pay an artist to make some proper artwork and they use AI-generated images instead?”
- “Game is very weak, after 10 matches you have to pay monthly $2.50 to play in the ladder and get better players; it is a huge waste of time, also graphical bugs with custom avatars.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the reviews primarily stems from the absurdity of the game's monetization strategy, with users finding it laughable that a previously free and feature-rich game has transformed into a limited experience behind a costly subscription paywall. Many reviewers express their amusement at the game's poor reception and the irony of its pricing, highlighting the disconnect between expectations and reality. Overall, the humor is rooted in frustration, making light of the game's shortcomings and the situation it has created for players.
- “30 USD for a year is hilarious.”
- “Paywall is hilarious.”
- “It's funny, if this game cost £10 or so with all its features I would absolutely pick it up, but a free game that is already massively limited over its previous version shouldn't be free for just half an hour!”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The game's optimization is heavily criticized, with users reporting frequent disconnections, crashes, and significant performance issues, particularly in team battles. Additionally, there are complaints about misplaced game elements and a lack of features compared to the web version, suggesting that the overall experience feels unrefined and lacking in polish. The pricing model, tied to Google Maps API costs, may further limit optimization efforts.
- “The game is constantly disconnecting you, especially in team battles. It looks unoptimized and lacks a lot of features from the web version.”
- “I played one round and had to deal with bad performance, misplaced pins (I placed in Athens, but it went to the mid-Mediterranean Sea), and also a crash after I had won.”
- “Poor performance and a subscription system.”
music
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The music in the game is described as both intense and entertaining, contributing significantly to the overall experience. However, some users express frustration over the monetization strategy, feeling that the quality of the music does not justify the high costs associated with unlocking the full version.
- “Really entertaining and its music makes it incredibly intense, but you need to pay to unlock the full version, 8/10”
- “The owners/devs didn't have to pay voice actors, handcraft maps and textures, craft animations, or pay for the composition of soundtracks, therefore trying to bait people into paying a high-end indie game price or set up a regular monthly payment for the privilege of playing the game is just stupid.”
- “Bad music and stupid bots!”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The reviews indicate that Geoguessr lacks a traditional story, with users expressing disappointment over the game's paywall that limits gameplay shortly after starting. Overall, the narrative experience is minimal, focusing instead on gameplay mechanics rather than a developed storyline.
- “When Geoguessr arrived on Steam, I thought, 'maybe this is their second chance.' But sadly, it’s the same story again: paywall after a few minutes of gameplay, even in this new version.”
- “☑ no story”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players consistently express that the grinding required in the game is excessively time-consuming, suggesting that it feels like one would need a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”

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GeoGuessr Steam Edition
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1h Median play time

1h Average play time

1-1h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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