The map game is the heart of Mind-the-tap. Every day at midnight London time, five new stations are chosen from the London Underground, London Overground, DLR and Elizabeth line. Everyone in the world gets the same five stations, so you can compare scores with friends, family or a group you set up on the site.
You do not need an account to play. If you sign in with your email, your scores are saved to your profile and you can join groups.
How a round works
- The name of a station appears at the top of the screen.
- Press and hold on the street map where you think the station is. On a computer, click and hold.
- A pin drops, and the real location is shown with a line between your guess and the answer.
- You see how far away you were and how many points you scored, then move on to the next station.
Scoring
Each guess scores between 0 and 100 points before any multiplier. A guess within 100 metres of the station scores the full 100. After that, the score falls evenly with distance until it reaches 0 at 30 miles. So a guess half a mile out still scores very well, while a guess on the wrong side of London scores much less.
The five rounds get harder as you go, so later rounds count for more. Rounds 1 and 2 count once, round 3 counts double, and rounds 4 and 5 count triple. The best possible day is 1,000 points.
For example, scoring 95, 90, 80, 70 and 60 gives 95 + 90 + 160 + 210 + 180 = 735 points.
Tips for a better score
- Find the River Thames first. It is the easiest landmark on the map, and most of central London sits just north of it.
- Many stations share a name with the area around them. Zoom out, look for the district name on the map, then zoom in.
- Station names often give clues: 'Road', 'Park', 'Common' and 'Green' are rarely in the very centre, while 'Wharf' and 'Quay' are usually by water.
- Don't rush the multiplied rounds. A careful guess in round 5 is worth three times as much as round 1.
- Replay past days from the Past stations page to practise.
After the game
When you finish, a results panel slides in from the left with your total, your distance for each station and a share button. Tap any station pin to read a short card about it: the lines it serves, its fare zone, how busy it is and what is nearby. The panel also links to the day's other games, Vowels and Closest.
Questions
- Can a station come up twice? Not within 30 days.
- Are trams and the cable car included? No, only Underground, Overground, DLR and Elizabeth line stations.
- Can I play yesterday's stations? Yes, from the Past stations page.