About Around the World: US States

State capitals and big cities: Census regions, state groups and cross-country flights. Clear every hurdle before your range runs out. Every city and hurdle on this board is in the United States, so the shortest route depends on knowing its geography.

A daily route-planning game on the globe. You hop from city to city on a limited range, and you have to clear a checklist of continents, countries and crossings before the range runs out. Distances on a sphere aren't what flat maps suggest, so the shortest way around is often a surprise.

How it works

1. 1Clear every hurdle in the checklist before your range runs out. Tap any hurdle to see what it means.
2. 2The ring on the map is everywhere you can reach. Tap a city inside it, then confirm the flight.
3. 3Your total range is the true shortest route plus only a little slack, so a wrong turn can strand you.
4. 4One stop can clear several hurdles at once.

Tips

• Plan the whole route before the first flight. The range has only a little slack, so one detour can strand you.
• Look for stops that clear more than one hurdle at once.
• Think on a globe, not a flat map. The shortest routes often cut across oceans or near the poles in ways a flat map hides.
• Tap a hurdle when its wording is unclear. The explanation says exactly what counts.

Questions

How is it scored?

A finished trip scores between about 920 and 1000: the closer to the shortest possible route, the higher. An unfinished trip always scores less than any finished one.

How much spare range is there?

About 8% more than the shortest route that clears every hurdle. Enough for a small mistake, not a big one.

Which maps are there?

The world and the US are free. Supporters also get continent and country maps, each with its own daily.

When is there a new daily?

Every day at midnight where you are. Everyone gets the same puzzle on the same date, and practice rounds are random.

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