Wikipedia:Wiki Game - Wiki Game

See also Wikipedia:Wikipedia Games.

The Wiki Game is a hypertextual game designed to work specifically with Wikipedia. The Wiki Game (known casually as the "Wikipedia race") requires only a computer, Internet access, a web browser and a time-keeping device (optional) to play.

Objective

Players (one or more) start on the same randomly selected article and must navigate to another pre-selected article (home) only clicking links within the current article. The goal is to arrive at the home article in the fewest number of clicks (articles) or the least time. The single-player Wiki Game, known as Wikirace, Wikispeedia, WikiLadders, WikiClick, or WikiWhack, involves reducing one's previous time or number of clicks.

Setup

1. Use the Random Article link in the navigation box to or have someone else (see procedure 1 for more information) select two random articles. One is the start article and the other is the home article.
2. Navigate all players' browsers to the start article.
3. Purge the history folder of the web browsers.

Procedures

1. The random selection of pages must be performed by someone other than the player, that is, either an impartial overseer (i.e. referee) or an opponent. Of note, the latter option tends to breed a fun competitiveness between players, where one player tries to pick the most "random" (read: tangential) wiki-links for his/her opponent.
2. A close tally must be kept of the number of clicks used by a player; all selections must be accounted for. Whoever has the fewest clicks wins. The browser history can be used to determine number of articles / clicks.
3. A round in the Wiki Game can be played at one computer terminal, where players take turns, or at multiple computers simultaneously. In the latter option, a "session" begins immediately after everyone loads their randomized Starting Page and ends when the last person returns to his/her Homing Page. NOTE: It is from our experience that rounds with a session consisting of several people require both referees and cooperation between opponents to make sure all are treated fairly.
4. After each round, the history folder of the web browser needs to be purged.

• The game can also be played by seeing who can get to the designated page first, regardless of the number of clicks.

Variations

If one ever grows tired of the "traditional" version of Wikiracing, several variations of the game have sprung up, created to spice things up or otherwise raise the stakes.

1. '2-player Challenge': The form of the Wikipedia game where two people take it in turns to ask the other to navigate between two pages of their choosing, e.g. from Teletubbies to noodles. The number of clicks taken is counted, and once a player has completed the challenge, he sets the other a challenge of his own. The winner is the person who completes the game in the least number of clicks.
2. '5-Clicks-to-Jesus': A form of Wikiracing that mimics golf, the challenge in this version is to get from a Random Article to the Jesus entry in as few clicks as possible. Reaching the article in 5 clicks is considered 'par', with clicks over or under five being referred to as 'bogeys' and 'birdies' respectively. Players can either play the course (aiming for 'par' or better) or as a competition. In the latter case, players start from the same Random Articles and add their score between rounds. Lowest score wins.
3. Time Trials: Rather than using the click rules, the winner can be determined by whoever reaches the "Homing Page" in the shortest amount of time. This is easier with two parallel machines, although it should be noted that they ought to have equivalent internet connections.
4. 'One-Can't-Go' rule: Essentially, if you find yourself in a doomed-scenario (i.e. stumbled into a stub with no wiki-links) you are allowed to use one of the Category links at the bottom of an entry (e.g. 1904 deaths or Philosophy). Each player can only use this option once though, so use it wisely.
5. 'Clicks to Hitler' Believed to be the original form of 'The Wikipedia Game,' the objective is to begin by selecting the 'Random Article' link. From there you look at the selected article and click the links in the main body of the article that are believed to lead to the Adolf Hitler article. Two players or more can play and they count the number of articles it takes to get to Adolf Hitler. The person who gets there with the least number of articles wins.

Websites for Wikiracing

Wikispeedia is an implementation of the Wiki Game with the additional research purpose of using the gathered data in an artificial intelligence program that automatically learns commonsense knowledge.

The Wikipedia Game is a version of the game where the player has 2 minutes 30 seconds to get from one website to another. It then averages the number of clicks and time it takes to get to finishing page. The player with the best averages wins. The online player with the most wins is shown as the leader. Although it has a log-in feature, it is not necessary to log-in. It will gives a player without a username a random name when coming to the website. It is an implementation by Alex Clemesha which offers variations called Speedrace, Least Clicks, 6 degrees, Find Jesus in 5, and No using 'United States'.

Wikipedia Maze. Wikipedia Maze is a version of the game that awards points and badges for both creating and solving puzzles. Every time a user solves a puzzle they are awarded points based on the average amount of clicks it takes to solve the puzzle. The harder the puzzle is the more points that are awarded. Each puzzle can be voted up or down by other players, based on whether or not they like the it, which awards points to the creator. Players are also awarded badges when reaching certain milestones.

The Don'ts

Except where otherwise noted, any player breaking these rules automatically forfeits the game.

1. DO NOT use the Wiki search box.
2. DO NOT use any of the links outside of the page's contents. The contents of a page are demarcated by gray lines which intersect to make the page box. DO NOT click (for example) "Help", "Donations", "Related changes", "Category:..." etc.
3. DO NOT visit external websites. You must stay within the bounds of Wikipedia.
4. DO NOT use the backspace or back arrow to return to a previous page. History is bunk in the Wiki Game (unless a referee or an opponent demands a recount).
5. DO NOT click on dates e.g. 2001, as these pages are too broad to pose a challenge.
6. DO NOT employ automated search tools to find a path for you.
7. DO NOT edit the start page to insert a link to the home page.
8. DO NOT use countries, states, provinces, or cities e.g. UK, Canada, United States, Texas.
9. DO NOT use your browser's address bar to manually navigate to the target article.

External links

• Wikispeedia - An implementation for research purposes.
• The Wikipedia Game - A free multi-player version.
• Wikipedia Maze. Wikipedia Maze is another version of the game.
• The Wiki Game. A version outfitted with ranking and leaderboards.