The encyclopedia racing game
Wikipedia Games — Every Way to Play
The encyclopedia is also a game board. Here's the full catalog.
The main event: the Wikipedia racing game
The game most people mean by "the wiki game" or "the Wikipedia game" is the wiki race: start on one article, reach a target article, click only the links inside each page. Played against the clock it becomes a Wikipedia speedrun; played against other people it becomes genuinely competitive. Wikipedia's editors even keep their own page about it — the game has been part of internet culture since the 2000s.
Wikiracer is built around this game, with the optimal path for every route computed from Wikipedia's real link graph so you always know how your run measures up.
The daily-challenge format
The Wordle era gave Wikipedia gaming its best format: one shared puzzle per day. Everyone in the world gets the same start and target articles; you get one first attempt that counts, a global leaderboard, and a streak to protect. It's the fairest way to compare yourself against other players, because everyone faced exactly the same route. Play it free on the Wikiracer Daily Challenge.
Classic variants
Wikiracing has accumulated house rules and variants over the years. The notable ones:
- Fixed-target races — everyone starts from a random article and races to one famous fixed target. The best-known are Five Clicks to Jesus (reach the Jesus article in five clicks or fewer) and the darker-humored WikiHitler (random article to Adolf Hitler — infamous because European history makes it surprisingly easy). Any fixed target works; try racing to Philosophy.
- Wiki Grand Tour — a multi-stop race: hit a list of checkpoint articles in order before reaching the finish. Longer, more strategic, great with a group.
- Reverse and constrained races — no country articles allowed, no articles with fewer than N links, or navigate using only "See also" sections. Constraints turn easy routes back into puzzles.
- Article-guessing games — a different genre entirely: an article is shown with its words hidden or redacted and you deduce the subject. These reward broad knowledge rather than navigation, and they pair well with racing games as a change of pace.
Which Wikipedia game should you play?
| You want… | Play |
|---|---|
| One fair puzzle a day, with streaks | Daily Challenge |
| Head-to-head competition and a rank | Showdown (1v1 ranked) |
| A group game for friends or a classroom | Party mode |
| Free practice between any two articles | Custom Route |
Routes to try
- Defamation → Instagram · 2 clicks · easy
- 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami → Russo-Ukrainian war · 2 clicks · easy
- Empire State Building → Rock and roll · 2 clicks · easy
- Battle of Tours → Apollo · 2 clicks · easy
- Chernobyl disaster → Battle of Stalingrad · 2 clicks · easy
Frequently asked questions
What is the wiki game?
The wiki game (also called the Wikipedia game) is the wiki race: players navigate from one Wikipedia article to another using only the links inside each article, competing for the fewest clicks or the fastest time. Other Wikipedia games include fixed-target races like Five Clicks to Jesus, multi-stop Grand Tours, and article-guessing games.
How do you play the Wikipedia racing game?
Start on one article, get a target article, and click only wiki links to reach it. No search bar or address bar allowed. Each article you pass through counts as one click. On Wikiracer the rules are enforced automatically and every route shows the optimal number of clicks.
Can you play Wikipedia games with friends?
Yes. Wikiracer's Party mode puts a group in one room racing the same route live, and Showdown mode runs ranked 1v1 races. You can also send anyone a challenge link to race a route you just finished.
Are Wikipedia games free?
The well-known Wikipedia games are all free browser games. Wikiracer is free in every mode, requires no download, and lets guests play without an account.
Play now
Everything on Wikiracer is free and browser-based, and guests can play without an account.
Deep dives: What is a wiki race? · Wikipedia speedrun guide