Author: root

  • How to Create a Custom Map in the Game Nils

    1. Access the Map Creation UI
    Click the menu button in the top right corner of the screen. From the dropdown menu, select “Create” to open the custom map creation interface.

    2.Designing Your Map

    • Before drawing, enter a name for your map.
    • Use polygons to define the playable area where players will be randomly placed.
    • You can add, move, or delete polygon vertices using your mouse and keyboard.
    • The total area of all polygons will be displayed in the map info panel at the bottom right.

    3.Map Considerations

    • You don’t need to exclude water or barren land manually. The server automatically selects valid target points only within built-up areas, avoiding oceans, lakes, and rivers.

    4.Saving and Using Your Map

    • Click “Create the map” to upload it to the server and update the game’s map database.
    • To use your new map, open the “Map” menu from the dropdown and select it from the map table.

    5.Editing a Map
    If you’re the map’s author, you can edit it before starting a new game. Simply click on the map in the table and select “Edit Map” from the new game setup dialog.

    1. How to play the Game Nils

      To start playing, you first need to register for an account. The registration process is simple—just choose a username and password, then click the submit button. If the username isn’t already taken, your account will be created instantly.

      Map Table to select from

      Once registered, log in with your username and password. After logging in, you’ll see a table listing all available maps. You can search for your favorite city by typing its name, then click on the corresponding row to select it. Next, choose the initial level of detail for the map. The higher the level, the fewer clouds will be removed at the start—making the game more challenging.

      New Game Set

      Each game set consists of nine rounds (three rounds for players using a mobile browser). In each round, you’ll see an Eye Icon on the satellite map, marking the target location within your selected city. Your task is to pinpoint this location on the mini-map in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

      Game UI

      For a better playing experience, you can maximize or minimize the mini-map to focus on either the satellite map or the mini-map. You can also switch the mini-map’s style between satellite view and street view.

      Satellite Map and Mini Map Side by Side

      If you can’t recognize the area right away, you can erase clouds on the satellite map to reveal more details. However, the more clouds you remove, the lower your score. Your final score for each round is based on how many clouds you erased and how close your guessed location is to the actual target. The fewer clouds removed and the more accurate your guess, the higher your score.

      Erase Cloud to Get More Clues

      In a full game set, you can achieve a maximum score of 9,000 points (1,000 per round). After completing a game set, you can either start another round in the same city or choose a different city to explore.

      Game Score

      Once a round is complete, you can review the satellite map with overlaid street maps to learn more about the target area.

      Check the Area to Learn More

      Ready to test your geographic knowledge? Jump in and start exploring!

    2. What is the Game Nils?

      Game Nils is a web-based game that challenges players to identify locations on satellite maps. It was designed to help players explore and familiarize themselves with different places by testing their spatial awareness using a partially obscured satellite image.

      At the start of the game, the satellite map is mostly covered by clouds, revealing only a small portion of the location. Based on this limited view, the player must try to pinpoint the location on a mini-map to earn a score. Players can remove clouds to uncover more of the map, making it easier to identify the exact place. However, the more clouds removed, the lower the score. In theory, the game is always solvable by revealing the entire map, but the challenge lies in minimizing the area of clouds erased.

      To assist players, a highlighted region on the mini-map shows a potential area where the location is situated. Players can zoom in, zoom out, and drag the satellite map to examine details or get a broader perspective of the location.

      Through repeated play in a particular city—such as New York, London, or Tokyo—players can develop a deep, intuitive understanding of its urban planning, layout, and architectural style. This game is especially useful for those planning to move to a new city or looking to deepen their knowledge of familiar places.

      Think you know your city well? Challenge yourself with Game Nils and put your local knowledge to the test!