Frequently Asked Questions
How does PaintingGuessr work?
Each round shows a famous painting. Place a pin on a world map to guess the location and use a timeline slider to guess the year. Earn up to 5,000 points for location and 5,000 for year accuracy, max 10,000 per round across 5 rounds. Learn more on the How to Play page.
Is PaintingGuessr free to play?
Yes, completely free. No account or download required. Just open paintingguessr.com in any browser and start playing. There are no paywalls, subscriptions, or hidden fees.
Can I use PaintingGuessr in my classroom?
Absolutely. The Daily Challenge gives every student the same 5 paintings, ideal for competitions, bellringer activities, or art history warmups. Works on phones, tablets, and computers with no login required.
Where do the paintings come from?
Paintings are sourced from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Open Access collection (CC0 license) and a curated fallback dataset from Wikimedia Commons. The collection spans late medieval through modern art, covering hundreds of years of artistic tradition.
How is the daily challenge different from a regular game?
Same 5 paintings for every player worldwide, resetting at midnight UTC. Regular mode gives random paintings each time. Daily scores are shareable for comparing with friends. Try today's Daily Challenge.
What art periods does PaintingGuessr cover?
The game features paintings from approximately 1300 to 2000, covering Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Modern Art, and more. European, Asian, American, and African traditions are all represented.
Can I play on my phone?
Yes, PaintingGuessr is fully responsive. On mobile, a picture-in-picture layout lets you swap between the painting and the map. The year slider and submit button are always accessible at the bottom of the screen.
How are daily challenge paintings selected?
A deterministic algorithm uses the current date as a seed, ensuring every player gets the same 5 paintings. The selection rotates through the full collection over time so you rarely see repeats.
Is there a multiplayer mode?
Not yet, but the Daily Challenge effectively serves as an asynchronous multiplayer experience. Share your score and emoji grid with friends to compare results and see who knows art history best.
What browsers are supported?
Any modern browser with JavaScript enabled — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and their mobile equivalents. No plugins or extensions required.
Do I need to create an account?
No. PaintingGuessr requires no account, login, or personal information. Daily challenge progress is saved locally in your browser so you can pick up where you left off.
How can I use PaintingGuessr as a teacher?
Project the Daily Challenge on a classroom screen. Have students write their guesses on paper or use individual devices. Discuss each painting after revealing answers. Great for art history, geography, and world cultures classes.