World Guesser: Geography Battle Royale

Overview

World Guesser is an innovative multiplayer battle royale game developed by an independent team, available on Steam. Built using Unreal Engine 5, it uniquely blends fast-paced competitive gameplay with geographical knowledge. Players race against each other on a global map, delivering virtual packages to target countries, utilizing strategic abilities, and aiming to be the last player standing.

The core challenge was to design and develop an engaging multiplayer experience that successfully merged the fun and excitement of the battle royale genre with educational geography elements. Ensuring smooth, reliable online functionality for players across different network conditions using Steamworks was also a key technical hurdle.

The solution is World Guesser, a game featuring:

• A fast-paced delivery challenge loop on a real-world map.
• Strategic special abilities like turbo boosts and transparency to outmaneuver opponents.
• Robust multiplayer functionality leveraging Unreal Engine’s networking capabilities and integrated with the Steam SDK.
• Backend services using Firebase for tracking player statistics and global leaderboards.
• A visual style that balances geographical representation with gameplay clarity.

Key Features

• Engaging Battle Royale Format: Compete against up to 8 players in quick, exciting rounds where elimination occurs based on delivery speed and accuracy.
• Strategic Special Abilities: Master tactical advantages with balanced power-ups like turbo boosts and temporary transparency to gain an edge.
• Educational Gameplay: Enhance geographical knowledge of countries and locations organically while participating in a fun, competitive game.
• Progressive Difficulty: As players successfully deliver packages, subsequent targets become more challenging, testing their expanding knowledge.
• Global Leaderboards: Track your performance and compare stats against players worldwide through Firebase-powered leaderboards.
• Custom Match Creation: Easily set up private lobbies to play exclusively with friends.
• Ongoing Development: The game receives regular updates with new features, content, and improvements based on community feedback.

Technical Details

• Game Engine: Unreal Engine 5
• Programming Languages: C++, Blueprint Visual Scripting
• Networking: Custom implementation using Unreal Engine’s native networking features, integrated with the Steam SDK for matchmaking and lobby management.
• Backend Services: Firebase utilized for player statistics, achievements, and global leaderboard data.
• Map Data: Features an accurate representation of over 195 countries.

Availability

World Guesser is available for purchase on Steam. You can find it via the link below: