Cities · Puzzle #20 · Monday, October 19
Cities: the board
Eight items, eight categories, one place each. Here is the board with every figure and where it comes from, and the best way to place them. Play today's Cities.
The categories
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- Far from the equator: 1 pt per 6° north or south
- Seaside: 10 pts if on a sea or ocean
- Packed in: 1 pt per doubling over 40 people per square mile
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- Big city: 1 pt per doubling over 10,000 people
- Old town: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years old
- Known worldwide: 1 pt per 30 Wikipedia languages
The best board
The best board is hidden while some of these items are still in play: they're on a board again within 14 days.
The lineup, figure by figure
Milan
Lombardy, Italy
Photo: Steffen Schmitz, CC BY-SA 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Kyiv
Ukraine
Photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 3.0 On this board Kyiv scored best in Old town (9.6): it was founded in 482, 1,544 years ago. Seaside was its weakest fit (0.0): it isn't on the coast.
- Hot spot
- averages 47°F over the year (3.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 50° from the equator (8.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Seaside
- isn't on the coast (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 9,017 people per square mile (7.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 802,292 times in 2025 (5.3) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Big city
- has 2.95 million people within its city limits (8.2) Source: Wikidata Q1899, P1082, 2022
- Old town
- was founded in 482, 1,544 years ago (9.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 277 languages (9.2) Source: Wikipedia
Timbuktu
Mali
Photo: Senani P, CC BY 2.5 On this board Timbuktu scored best in Hot spot (10.0): it averages 84°F over the year. Seaside was its weakest fit (0.0): it isn't on the coast.
- Hot spot
- averages 84°F over the year (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 17° from the equator (2.8) Source: Wikipedia
- Seaside
- isn't on the coast (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Packed in
- packs in 619 people per square mile (4.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 586,492 times in 2025 (3.9) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Big city
- has 35,330 people within its city limits (1.8) Source: Wikidata Q9427, P1082, 2012
- Old town
- was founded in 1100, 926 years ago (8.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Known worldwide
- Wikipedia has an article on it in 129 languages (4.3) Source: Wikipedia
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Photo: Rafael Rabello de Barros, CC BY-SA 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Lyon
France
Photo: Otourly, CC BY-SA 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Berlin
Germany
Photo: Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Auckland
New Zealand
Photo: ChewyPineapple, CC BY-SA 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Tallinn
Estonia
Photo: Hiiumaamudeliklubi, CC BY-SA 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
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