If you're into trivia, and you know where most places are on the map, then Google's new SmartyPins game is sure to entertain you. The geo-trivia mashup game runs on the Google Maps platform and allows players to spend 1,000 miles trying to mark the correct location to answer each question.
Head to this link to access the game.
Before you click Start to begin a new game, you can decide if you want random questions, or if you want to get asked information about a specific category. We all have our specialties, right? Your choices will be Featured Topics (which has a submenu), Arts & Culture, Science & Geography, Sports & Games, Entertainment, and History & Current Events.
The first question will automatically load on the left-hand side of the screen, and to answer you have to drag the map pin to the correct location. Luckily, the map will start somewhere near the area you need to go, keeping you from moving across the entire globe. You'll probably have to zoom in to find some of the smaller cities and places, too. Once drop the pin, the name of the place it's on will display, and provide a button for your to Submit your answer. (You can still move the pin after you drop it.)
Bonus miles are awarded for answering a question within 15 seconds. If you need a hint, you can forfeit the bonus miles to see one right away.
As you progress through the game, Google will award you with pins. So far, there's bronze, silver, gold, and diamond. Each time you pin the wrong location, SmartyPins will tally the total miles between the place you selected and the correct location, then deduct them from your total. Once you run out of miles, you lose.
Google will let you share your score with friends on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter, while also encouraging them to give the game a try.
While this game is not an entirely new concept, it's still something fun to do if you want to brush up on your geography and trivia.