Name the States Game challenges you to name — or locate — all 50 US states on an interactive map before the clock beats you. Type each state and watch it snap into place and label itself, or switch to Locate mode and click the state you’re asked to find.

There’s a fresh Daily Challenge every day with a shared ⭐ Spotlight State, plus endless practice you can filter by region. Build a streak, chase your best time, and copy a spoiler-light score card to share when you finally ace all fifty.

It’s completely free, works on phone or desktop, and needs no sign-up. So — how many of the 50 states can you name from memory?

Name the States Game

How to play

Pick a mode at the top of the game — Daily, Name, or Locate.
In Name mode, type a state’s name; each correct answer fills in and labels that state on the map.
In Locate mode, read the state you’re asked to find and click it on the map; a wrong guess briefly flashes the right spot.
Keep an eye on the timer and the running 0 / 50 counter as you go.
Name all 50 to win — or hit Give up to reveal the states you missed, lit in amber.
Tap Share result to copy your time and an emoji score card you can paste anywhere.

Game modes

Daily Challenge — name all 50 states once per day. Everyone gets the same challenge and the same ⭐ Spotlight State, seeded from the date and reset at midnight UTC. Complete it to extend your day streak.
Name (practice) — type the states at your own pace, with optional region filters (Northeast, Midwest, South, West) to focus your study.
Locate (practice) — a click-the-state drill scored by time and accuracy, where wrong answers reveal the correct location so you learn as you play.

The geography behind it

The 50 states split into four U.S. Census Bureau regions — Northeast, Midwest, South and West. Most people blank on the same handfuls: the small, tightly packed Northeast (Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut) and the wide, lightly populated Mountain West (Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas) are the usual blind spots.

A few memory hooks help: the Four Corners states meet at a single point (Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico); the upper-Midwest states cluster around the Great Lakes; and the original Thirteen Colonies hug the East Coast from New Hampshire down to Georgia. Drilling one region at a time in practice mode is the fastest way to close the gaps.

The map itself is drawn from public-domain U.S. Census Bureau TIGER geometry (the us-atlas dataset), with Alaska and Hawaii shown as insets so every state fits on one screen.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the same challenge for everyone today?

Yes. The Daily Challenge asks every player to name all 50 states, and it picks one shared ⭐ Spotlight State seeded from the date — so it’s identical worldwide and resets at midnight UTC. That’s what makes your time and streak worth comparing.

What’s a good time to name all 50?

Strong players finish in well under two minutes by typing fast and using postal abbreviations (the game accepts “PA”, “mass”, “w virginia” and similar). A relaxed run with region filters is perfect for learning. Your best time is saved on your device.

What’s the difference between Name and Locate mode?

Name mode has you type each state’s name and watch it fill in on the map — it tests recall. Locate mode names a state and asks you to click its location — it tests map knowledge. Try both; they’re surprisingly different skills.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — it’s mobile-first with large tap targets and runs in any modern browser. No app, no sign-up.

How is my streak counted?

Completing the Daily Challenge with all 50 states on consecutive UTC days extends your streak; a miss or a skipped day resets it. Streak and stats are stored only on your device — there’s no account and no tracking.

What map and data does the game use?

State outlines come from the us-atlas dataset (U.S. Census Bureau TIGER, public domain). State names, abbreviations, capitals and regions are standard public-record facts. Everything runs in your browser — no data leaves your device.