Comparison

Map the World vs Play the States

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Map the World

An interactive jigsaw puzzle app that helps users learn the names and locations of countries and regions worldwide. It offers a fun and engaging way to explore geography across various continents and oceans.

Highlights
  • Interactive world maps
  • Country and region learning
  • Jigsaw puzzle format
  • Suitable for all ages
  • Covers continents and oceans
Features
Read full description

It's now easier than ever to learn names and locations of every country in the world with Travelzoo®'s Map the World, a FREE interactive jigsaw puzzle suitable for all ages! Learn about the world with these interactive maps: 1. Asia 2. Australia States & Oceania 3. Canada Territories 4. Central America 5. Europe 6. Ocean & Seas 7. South America 8. U.S. States

About

Play the States

Engage in a variety of fun games to learn US states, capitals, and geography. Features puzzle-solving, trivia, and reaction-based challenges for all ages. Track progress and unlock achievements while building geographic knowledge.

Highlights
  • Multiple game modes (puzzle, battle, trivia)
  • Drag and drop state puzzles
  • State trivia and fact challenges
  • Capitals matching game
  • Reaction-based delivery game
  • Progress tracking and achievements
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Learn US states, capitals, and geography like never before! Play the States makes learning fun and memorable. MULTIPLE WAYS TO PLAY Jump between puzzle-solving, state battles, and trivia challenges. There's something for every mood and skill level! PUZZLE GAMES Drag and drop all 50 states into their correct positions. Bring the USA to life piece by piece! Includes a special "drop" mode where you have to grab the states and place them before they land on spikes! BATTLE GAME Which state is larger? Which has more people? Which became a state first? Test your knowledge as states clash in 1v1 battles! TRIVIA CHALLENGE Answer questions about state capitals, landmarks, history, and fascinating facts. Carefully drop states onto a scale so that they don't fall off until the goal weight is reached. CAPITALS GAME Learn all 50 state capitals through hands-on interaction - pick the correct capital and drag it onto the displayed state. DELIVERY GAME Players must quickly tap on states as they appear on screen to drop packages onto them from a friendly drone. A fast-paced reaction game that tests speed, accuracy, and geographic recognition. STICK 'EM GAME Race against time to connect neighboring states in this fast-paced puzzle challenge. FREESTYLE Spawn your own states. Stack them or blast them? It's up to you! ACHIEVEMENTS & PROGRESS Unlock achievements as you master each game. Track your progress and celebrate your geographic victories! COLLECT GOLD CARDS Can you collect all 50 state cards and become a Play the States master? FAMILY FRIENDLY Kids and adults can play together, learn together, and compete in friendly challenges. DESIGNED FOR MOBILE Intuitive touch controls make it easy to drag, drop, and interact with states. Optimized for iPad but works on iPhone too! FEATURES • Beautiful, hand-crafted state graphics • Multiple difficulty levels • Achievement system with unlockable rewards • Progress tracking across all game modes • Offline play - no internet required • More mini-games to come - let us know what games you'd like to see! • Suitable for all ages - kids to adults EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS • Improves spatial reasoning • Enhances memory retention • Builds geographic literacy • Develops critical thinking skills PERFECT FOR: • K-12 students and homeschoolers • Teachers looking for classroom tools • Parents wanting educational screen time • Adults refreshing their US geography knowledge Turn screen time into learning time with Play the States! Privacy policy: https://studio7creative.co/play-the-states/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://studio7creative.co/play-the-states/eula.html

Screenshots

Play the States4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Map the World at none against Play the States's 9. Map the World also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Play the States's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 62%) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Play the States sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Map the World asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Map the World against 3.9 for Play the States. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 16 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Map the World's written reviews are positive against 71% of Play the States's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Map the World ships an update every 11 days, Play the States monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Map the World versus Play the States: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMap the WorldPlay the States
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (43 ratings) — better3.9 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews61.9% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43 — better16
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB200 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTravelzooStudio 7 Creative

Customer experience

Map the World

All ratings42 ratings
Positive76.2%
Neutral7.1%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive61.9%
Neutral9.5%
Negative28.6%

Play the States

All ratings14 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

In-app purchases

None

Map the World

No in-app purchases

9 purchases

Play the States

One-time9
  • Capitals Game$0.99
  • Delivery Game$0.99
  • Battle Game$0.99
Show 6 more
  • Freestyle Game$0.99
  • Stick 'Em Game$0.99
  • Add up to 10 players$0.99
  • Trivia Game$1.99
  • Puzzle Game$2.99
  • All Games Forever Bundle$4.99

Questions

Is Map the World free?
Map the World is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Play the States free?
Play the States is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Map the World or Play the States?
Map the World is rated higher. Map the World averages 4.1 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Play the States averages 3.9 from 16 ratings.
Do Map the World or Play the States have ads?
Neither Map the World nor Play the States shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Map the World or Play the States?
Map the World ships an update every 11 days, and Play the States monthly. Most recently, Map the World was updated on October 22, 2026 and Play the States on October 25, 2026.

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