Cities · Puzzle #29 · Wednesday, October 28
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
- Big city: 1 pt per doubling over 10,000 people
- Hot spot: 1 pt per 5°F of yearly average over 30°F
- Old town: 1 pt per doubling over 2 years old
- Most looked-up: 1 pt per 150,000 Wikipedia views in 2025
- Sprawl: 1 pt per doubling over 2 square miles
- Seaside: 10 pts if on a sea or ocean
- Far from the equator: 1 pt per 6° north or south
- Capital city: 10 pts if its country's capital
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
Turin
Piedmont, Italy
Photo: Eccekevin, CC BY-SA 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Yangon
Myanmar
Photo: Marcin Konsek, CC BY-SA 4.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Marseille
France
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0 Marseille was founded in 599 BC, 2,625 years ago, so its best fit on this board was Old town, worth 10.0. Its weakest was Capital city, worth 0.0, since it isn't its country's capital.
- Big city
- has 886,040 people within its city limits (6.5) Source: Wikidata Q23482, P1082, 2023
- Hot spot
- averages 58°F over the year (5.5) Source: Wikipedia
- Old town
- was founded in 599 BC, 2,625 years ago (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 696,462 times in 2025 (4.6) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Sprawl
- covers 93 square miles (5.5) Source: Wikidata Q23482, P2046
- Seaside
- is on the coast (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 43° from the equator (7.2) Source: Wikipedia
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
Las Vegas
Nevada, USA
Photo: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 Las Vegas's best fit on this board was Most looked-up, worth 8.7: its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025. Its weakest was Seaside, worth 0.0, since it isn't on the coast.
- Big city
- has 641,903 people within its city limits (6.0) Source: Wikidata Q23768, P1082, 2020
- Hot spot
- averages 68°F over the year (7.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Old town
- was founded in 1905, 121 years ago (5.9) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 1.3 million times in 2025 (8.7) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Sprawl
- covers 134 square miles (6.1) Source: Wikidata Q23768, P2046
- Seaside
- isn't on the coast (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 36° from the equator (6.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
Chengdu
Sichuan, China
Photo: FISU, CC BY 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Valletta
Malta
Photo: Bengt Nyman, CC BY 3.0 Its figures are hidden while it's still in play: it's on a board again within 14 days.
Brasília
Federal District, Brazil
Photo: Arturdiasr, CC BY-SA 4.0 On this board Brasília scored best in Sprawl (10.0): it covers 2,240 square miles. Seaside was its weakest fit (0.0): it isn't on the coast.
- Big city
- has 3 million people within its city limits (8.2) Source: Wikidata Q2844, P1082, 2025
- Hot spot
- averages 72°F over the year (8.4) Source: Wikipedia
- Old town
- was founded in 1960, 66 years ago (5.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 469,617 times in 2025 (3.1) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Sprawl
- covers 2,240 square miles (10.0) Source: Wikidata Q2844, P2046
- Seaside
- isn't on the coast (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 16° from the equator (2.6) Source: Wikipedia
- Capital city
- is its country's capital (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
Ushuaia
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
Photo: Deensel, CC BY 2.0 Ushuaia is on the coast, so its best fit on this board was Seaside, worth 10.0. Its weakest was Capital city, worth 0.0, since it isn't its country's capital.
- Big city
- has 82,615 people within its city limits (3.0) Source: Wikidata Q44254, P1082, 2022
- Hot spot
- averages 38°F over the year (1.7) Source: Wikipedia
- Old town
- was founded in 1884, 142 years ago (6.1) Source: Wikipedia
- Most looked-up
- its Wikipedia article was read 297,206 times in 2025 (2.0) Source: Wikimedia page views
- Sprawl
- covers 8.9 square miles (2.2) Source: Wikidata Q44254, P2046
- Seaside
- is on the coast (10.0) Source: Wikipedia
- Far from the equator
- lies 55° from the equator (9.1) Source: Wikipedia
- Capital city
- isn't its country's capital (0.0) Source: Wikipedia
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