So you aren’t the Geo Challenge wiz you hoped you would be? One wonders how some people get those super high scores in these sort of games, but the fact of the matter is, most of them are not super geniuses. The sad truth is there are a number of people that do actually cheat using “bots” that automatically recognize items and basically play the game for them.

No, you’re not going to find that out here. Playfish, in fact, looks for this sort of thing and if caught… well, let’s just say you won’t be playing too much anymore. Nevertheless, there are some useful tips you can use to get better at the game.

Seeing as how the game is, technically, educational, you could always study. Ah, but where is the fun in that? In this sort of game, you sometimes need to be patient and other times quick. There is absolutely no trick that you could learn to get that high score right off the bat. Sorry, but that’s impossible (unless you have a PhD in geography).

The first game is Suitcase Shuffle, in which you’re looking to find the corresponding flag for its country. Here’s the deal: If you don’t know, just wait and be patient. Yes, you will loose time, and in turn possible points. However, as time passes the choices are narrowed down. Doing this will allow you to focus on a more limited number of images and your brain will be able to process it better. Don’t rush. If you do so, you won’t give yourself any time to fully recognize the name and flag, and next time you play, you’ll get it wrong again. This is one of the easier challenges, so make sure you focus the patterns so later on you can get as many points as possible.

The next challenge is Map Mayhem, and suffice to say, most people struggle with this one over all the others. Being patient and waiting for the map to zoom out sometimes helps, but it’s not always worth it. You are only presented with one image at a time, and since it is essentially a silhouette (which is the fastest recognizable feature to the human eye), you don’t need to focus on it for as long as you would a flag that has multiple features. Also, if you don’t know that part of the world, seeing more of the map isn’t going to help you very much, and will only succeed in wasting time. Furthermore, even if it does help you, when you’re going for the high score, you can’t wait to see that anyways… Your best bet is to scan the choices and try and take in that shape. The game has a tendency to repeat missed answers and you will slowly begin to draw that correlation between shape and name. Of course if you want to take it slow and study the shapes, go ahead, it really just comes down to preference.

Last up is City Blitz, and this is your money maker. Logically, one would think cities are harder than, say, flags, but you can often discern where a city is from by how it sounds. Of course, this method eats up a lot of time, so it’s all right to use it the first couple of tries, but when you start working for that high score, it’s better to guess immediately (react, don’t think) – just click anywhere if you don’t immediately know the answer. The game pauses when the correct pins come down, and that visualization of where the pin is actually going leaves an impression in your mind whether you notice it or not. You’ll begin seeing the patterns through this method and eventually see the pin, in your mind’s eye, move to the location when you see the name.

That’s really all this game comes down to. Don’t look for specific names or flags. Look for patterns. Your brain is able to recognize a pattern or shape ten times faster than pulling up a name or location. These tips will help you develop those pattern recognition skills, but it will be up to you to perfect them. The better those skills get, the faster you will become, and you’ll be racking up speed bonus points and adding more time to the clock in no time. While it does sort of come down to “practice makes perfect,” you need to remember, that if you don’t practice right, perfection won’t come. Regardless, at least the practice is fun.