GeoGuessr is an almighty testament to the simplicity of gaming. For those of you who haven’t played it, the browser game drops you somewhere on planet Earth by using Google Maps’ streetview feature. You could be in an African desert, on the Champs-Élysées, or even outside your own house. You’ve got to work out exactly where you are and drop your pin on the world map.
It’s gloriously simple, and completely addictive. You play round after round hoping for that perfect score of 25,000 points, and suddenly it’s 3am and you’ve got four hours before you need to be up for work. Then you discover duels, the game’s PvP mode.
GeoGuessr’s Fall From Grace
But GeoGuessr has fallen from its pedestal as the pinnacle of browser gaming. What was once a simple, fun game has become infested with live-service trappings. There are customisable avatars with unlockable costumes. There are memes and cosmetics. Worst of all, you have to shell out for a subscription if you want to play the game’s most iconic modes.
It’s a move that has destroyed any goodwill the game’s loyal fans may have had. Many stopped playing altogether, and those who remained loyal are never afraid to air their grievances. Some even deleted their (incredibly popular) custom maps. Where once was a community filled with positivity, there’s a sour atmosphere surrounding any updates or changes. Will the next game mode be paywalled again? Will new, more expensive subscription tiers be introduced?
Despite this, the game has gone from strength to strength. The gameplay updates have generally been solid, albeit overshadowed by the live-service rubbish added alongside them. The GeoGuessr World Cup is an enormous event, livestreamed across the world. Content creators like Trevor Rainbolt aren’t quite household names, but are well known in online communities far wider than just the GeoGuessr subreddit.
GeoGuessr’s Steam Edition
When I first saw that GeoGuessr was headed to Steam, I treated the announcement with cautious optimism. Could this be the game I always wanted to play? Could this be GeoGuessr with one upfront purchase and no annoying subscriptions?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. We currently don’t know whether or not there will be an upfront cost for GeoGuessr’s Steam Edition, but the Steam page confirms there will be microtransactions.
The unsubscribed version of the game includes unlimited matches in Amateur Division, the lowest rank. It also includes unlimited access to unranked team duels. However, to access solo duels, the Steam page says you’ll need to purchase something called a “GeoGuessr Steam Pass”.
This seems like it will work in the same way as the browser subscription. However, if that subscription fee wasn’t bad enough, the notes confirm that this is a separate sub to your regular GeoGuessr payments.
“Having a GeoGuessr browser subscription does not grant you full access to the GeoGuessr Steam Edition,” the description reads. “Nor does a GeoGuessr Steam Pass grant you access to the GeoGuessr browser version.”
I’m not sure many people would have flitted between browser and Steam to play GeoGuessr, but this double payment system outright discourages the most hardcore players from engaging with it.
It’s astounding how this game continues to succeed, seemingly despite its self-sabotage at every turn. A one-time purchase version of GeoGuessr would net the developer a huge return, and work to patch the divide between players and the studio. As it stands, GeoGuessr is shooting itself in the foot all over again. It will inevitably emerge unscathed, as the early access Steam launch will attract a whole new audience. Some of them will subscribe.
But loyal players will undoubtedly feel hard done by. They remember what GeoGuessr used to be. They remember the humble beginnings, the beautiful simplicity of how the game used to be. GeoGuessr continues its march towards world domination, but plenty of players will be left by the roadside, disillusioned and unsure of their place in the game’s vision of the world.
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