About Odd Country Out
Odd Country Out shows four countries, each with its flag. Three are from the same world region and one is from a different region, and you have to spot the odd one out. Twelve rounds test how well you know where countries actually are.
How to play
- A game is 12 rounds.
- Each round picks two different regions at random from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Three countries come from the first and one from the second.
- The regions are not shown before you answer, so you have to work out what the three have in common.
- Pick the country you think does not belong. A correct pick scores 1 point; the maximum is 12.
- After you pick, the odd country is outlined in green, a wrong pick in red, and every card shows its region.
- The next round begins automatically after about a second.
Controls
- Click or tap one of the four country cards.
- Only your first pick in each round counts.
- Press Play again at the end for a new set of 12 rounds.
Tips and strategy
- Place the easiest country first. If you are sure one card is in Europe, check the other three against that rather than trying to place all four at once.
- Know the borderline cases used here: Russia counts as Europe; Cyprus, Turkiye and the Caucasus countries count as Asia; Egypt is Africa; and the Caribbean belongs to the Americas.
- Flags can be a clue but not proof. Shared colour schemes often follow region, but a cross or crescent can appear anywhere.
- Use the region labels that appear after each answer to correct your mental map for next time.
- Small island nations are the usual trap: Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros and Cabo Verde are Africa, while Maldives is Asia.
Background
The regions in this game follow the five continental groups of the United Nations M49 scheme, which is a statistical convention rather than a strict geological definition of continents. That is why some answers can surprise people: Cyprus is grouped with Western Asia despite being in the European Union, and Russia is grouped with Eastern Europe even though most of its land area lies in Asia. Island nations are generally grouped with the nearby mainland, so Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles count as Africa while Maldives and Sri Lanka count as Asia.
Questions
- Is there a time limit?
- No. Each round waits for your pick.
- Can two regions in a round ever be the same?
- No. The odd country is always from a different region to the other three.
- Where is my best score saved?
- In your browser's local storage on this device.