Test for Sense of Direction

The research game Sea Hero Quest ask players make dem memorize map with checkpoints, then direct boat go meet them, and sometimes shoot flare back towards where dem start [1]. Our own game na different game: hedge maze for night, with im own maps and rules. E still get the two research measures: how long your route be compared with the shortest one, and how far your pointing miss.

For one small study, how well 60 young adults do for Sea Hero Quest wayfinding levels match how well dem find road for real streets for London and Paris (correlations of 0.46 and 0.57) [3]. Dem show am for that game, no be for this one.

• 5 levels, and each one dey bigger pass the last. Each one start with the full map for 8 to 12 seconds: your tent, the direction wey you face, and numbered flags. Start to waka anytime wey you ready.
• After that, waka go the flags for order, from memory. Na only the circle of your lantern you go see, and the view go turn as you turn: front dey always up.
• After the last flag (or when 45 to 75 seconds wey level get don finish), point go back to your tent and confirm.
• Controls: arrow keys or W, A, S, D for keyboard; for phone, use buttons under the view (hold am to waka or turn). To point, drag around yourself or use the turn keys.
• First, you go do small practice waka with light on (you fit skip am). After each level, map go show your route and where you point.

Every time you play, mazes go new. Each maze get some loops, so more than one road fit lead go one flag.

• Route efficiency: the shortest route through the flags divide by the distance wey you waka, average am across all levels. 100% mean say you take the shortest route every time. If time finish, we still count the shortest remaining road as road wey you waka.
• Pointing error: how many degrees your arrow miss the straight line to the tent, average am across all levels. 0° mean exact; if you point anyhow, e go miss by 90° on average.
• For each level: the bigger levels get more flags and hard pass.

Once enough people don play, your result go also show how e compare with other players of this game. Na other people wey visit this site, no be sample wey represent everybody.

• Age: for about 560,000 players from 57 countries, performance dey drop steady from age 19 [1]. Later review of 3.9 million players find the same almost straight decline from early twenties [2].
• Sex: the average advantage for men small, from d = 0.09 for Norway to 0.48 for Argentina [1].
• Where you grow up: for about 400,000 people from 38 countries, people wey grow up outside cities do better, and people do best for street layouts like the ones wey dem grow up with [4].

These na averages from very big groups. Dem no tell much about one person, and our game different from Sea Hero Quest, so no compare your numbers with their own.

Na game for screen, e no be clinical test. Good or bad play no mean anything about your health. At first, you still dey learn the controls, na why practice waka dey. Your score depend on your device and how much you dey play games too. Compare am with your next try.