On the Map Geography Board Game Review

Learn the essential global locations required for KS3 and CE

On the Map

Board games have long been a staple for family game nights, social gatherings and school classrooms. They not only bring people together and provide endless hours of fun entertainment but they can challenge the mind and help your learn new things. Among the plethora of games available, educational games hold a special place, combining fun with learning in the most delightful way. Over the years we have played lots of games to help with phonics, reading, word games, maths games and today we’re diving into the world of geography with On the Map from Oaka Books.

How good is your geography? Would you know what river you were on if you took a boat ride through Newcastle? Or what country lies between France and Italy? What if I asked you to name 2 countries in Africa beginning with S? And could you find them on a map? On the Map is a game that will answer these questions. As well as being a perfect family game for 3-4 players, age 10+, it is also an excellent game for geography revision as it supports KS3 (11-14 years) and CE (Common Entrance) syllabi and has been endorsed by the ISEB. It a fantastic revision and learning game that has a 20 minute playing time and helps to visually learn as well as asking questions with its double-sided board with a map of the world on one side and UK and Europe on the other. It is a board game that is a world of learning and fun to enhance and test geographical knowledge.

In the box:

  • Double-sided Playing Board
  • Coloured Question Cards – UK & Europe (Pink), UK & Europe Quick Fire Questions (Lime Green), Rest of the World Questions (Purple) and Rest of the World Quick Fire Questions (Jade)
  • 2 Country Points Sheets
  • 4 Main Playing Pieces (Car, Plane, Tug and Sailing Boat)
  • 4 sets of coloured pieces (to go with your main playing piece)
  • Rules/Instructions

The game is a vibrant mix of colours and symbols, representing continents, countries, capitals, mountain ranges, rivers, deserts, and even lines of latitude and longitude like the Equator, Prime Meridian, and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The dual-sided game board offers a chance to test your knowledge on the UK & Europe on one side and The Rest of the World on the other, making it a two-in-one educational adventure.

What sets On the Map apart is its ability to cater to different learning styles. Not only does it ask questions, it’s perfect for visual learners with the use of its colourful maps. The question cards can also be used independently for a quick-fire quiz, adding a competitive edge to the learning process. And as well as being a fun family game it also makes for a fantastic revision tool as it supports the KS3 and CE syllabi, although not all questions will be tested in CE exams (these question cards are marked with a star). It is also worth noting that due to space the UK does not include geographical areas such as The Pennines, Snowdonia, The Grampians and The Lake District and that details of some countries have deliberately been left out to keep the focus on the information required for the Common Entrance exam.

The game uses questions specific to the syllabus, designed to help you visualise the world map and brush up on your geographical knowledge. You can also use the Question Cards for a Quick Fire Quiz – see who can answer the most in 60 seconds!

On The Map game includes:

  • Continents
  • Key Countries
  • Capitals
  • Mountain Ranges
  • Rivers
  • Deserts as well as the Equator
  • Prime Meridian and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn

To play On the Map requires 3 or 4 players, or 2 players and someone to read out the quick fire questions.

The game board is placed in the centre of the table with the side you want to play, UK & Europe or Rest of the World. Each player chooses a playing token, Car, Plane, Tug or Sailing Boat, and takes the 20 matching coloured counters.

Playing is simple, role the die and move the appropriate number of spaces. If you land on a country space, answer a question correctly and win that country (placing one of your coloured counters on that country on the map in the centre of the board). Land on a “dice” square and you can roll again, land on a “back” square and you move backwards one space.

If you land on a country space and that country is already owned by another player, you can decide if you want to try and take it from them or not. If you want it, a Quick Fire question is asked to both players (Quick Fire questions are about capital cities). The first person who answers correctly wins that country. If no one answers correctly, you can try again on your next turn.

There is no finish or end space, the game ends after 20 minutes have been played (no timer is supplied so you will need to keep an eye on the time). The player who has collected the most points wins. But it isn’t just a matter of collecting country cards, each country is worth an allocated number of points (as on the points sheets) and you can only hold a maximum of 10 countries at any one time (so you might have to sacrifice one in order to get another that is worth more points).

Overall, we think that this is an excellent engaging and educational geography game. It has been designed for KS3/CE students and meets the national curriculum and learning/revising key global locations. The questions help players recall information (and even learn new things) and the maps help them learn where the countries are located in the world and what other countries are around them, if they are landlocked countries etc.

As well as being a board game that is excellent for revision purposes, while still having lots of fun, it is also a great game of strategy; as players can only hold a maximum of 10 countries they have to be selective in what countries to try and take, do they take another players country or not and decide what country to sacrifice in order to gain a higher scoring one.

This game is particularly beneficial for visual and kinaesthetic learners, making geography fun and interactive.

With questions covering continents, key countries, capitals, mountain ranges, rivers, deserts, and more, it covers everything in the KS3/CE syllabus and helps students recall the information giving them an effective, fun and less stressful way to revise.

The double-sided game board is superb, giving two ways to play covering different aspects. Stay home and just focus on questions regarding the UK and Europe or spread your wings and have questions about the rest of the world.

It is a fantastic game. No screens are required, its great fun and it helps players understand more about different countries and the world that we live in. A board game that is not only fun to play, but is informative and a wonderful revision tool. Perfect for at home or in the classroom. And while it is designed for KS3/CE students, anybody can play and expand and test their world knowledge!

On the Map is a fantastic fun tool for making geography learning and revision more enjoyable and effective. It’s a great investment for parents and educators looking to enhance their children’s geographical knowledge in a fun and interactive way.

We think the game is excellent and if we had to make any changes it wouldn’t be with the game itself but the box. I love the box, it is just a unfussy plain black box with an On the Map Sticker on the front. The only change that I would make is adding another sticker on the side on the box so that it is easily identifiable when on the games shelf (especially if you have some of the other games in the range).

A strategy game that is a fun learning tool and an excellent revision guide that will suit different styles of learning and is perfect for visual and dyslexic learners.

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £29.98

For more information or to buy, visit www.oakabooks.co.uk.

DISCLOSURE: We received this product for free for the purpose of writing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts and opinions are our own. 

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