Daily no. 1
Guess the number.Closest wins.How far, how tall, how long ago, how many?
Ten questions a day. Type your best guess, then see the real figure on a number line with a comparison that makes it stick. No timer, no account.
The closer, the more points
Twice too high or half too low both score 70. Ten times off scores nothing.
Four kinds of number
Practise one category at a time, as often as you like. Practice never changes your streak.
Distances
How far apart are two cities, in a straight line over the globe?
Heights and lengths
Towers, mountains, bridges, rockets, planets: how big is it really?
Years
When did it happen? From Marathon in 490 BC to Hubble in 1990.
Populations
How many people live in a country? World Bank figures for 2024.
Mixed
Ten questions from all four categories, like the daily round.
How a round works
Type a number
Digits, “1.2 million”, “12k” or “44 BC” all work. On a phone, use the keypad and the thousand, million and billion buttons.
See where it landed
Your guess and the answer on a number line, how close you were in words, and up to 100 points.
Remember it
Every answer comes with a comparison, a short explanation and its two sources.
Questions
Ballpark is a small, honest estimation game: 200 questions so far, each checked against two sources.
Is Ballpark free?
Yes. The daily round, practice in every category and stream mode are free, with no account and no sign-up.
How does a round work?
Ten questions, each asking for a number: a distance, a height or length, a year, or a country's population. Type your best guess; the closer you are, the more points, up to 100 per question and 1,000 per round. Then you see the real figure on a number line, how close you were in words, and a comparison to make it stick.
How are points worked out?
For distances, sizes and populations, being twice too high or half too low costs the same: 2 times off scores 70 points, 10 times off scores 0. For years it is simple: lose one point per year off, so 100 years or more off scores 0. The full formulas are on the how-to-play page.
How do I type big numbers on a phone?
Use the number keypad and the “× thousand”, “× million” and “× billion” buttons, or type words: 1.2 million, 1,2 million, 1.2m, 12k and 1 200 000 all work. For years, tap BC for dates before Christ.
Where do the answers come from?
Every one of the 200 answers is checked against two independent sources, listed on the reveal. Distances are computed from Natural Earth city points; heights, lengths and years are checked against Wikidata and an encyclopedia, official site or rule book; populations are World Bank figures for 2024, checked against US Census Bureau estimates.
Can I play it on stream?
Yes: stream mode has big type, an optional “chat, vote now” countdown and room guesses you can type in for viewers or friends. They appear on the number line at the reveal. Nothing is connected to any chat service and nothing is stored.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After your first visit the game and the daily schedule are kept on your device, and you can add Ballpark to your home screen.