Info

Created the simple, Wiki Races VB Game. Download link [1]

Other

Wiki Races

About

Wiki Races is the name given to a game common in secondary schools and colleges throughout the United Kingdom. The games consists of two or more players, each of which uses a Personal Computer to search for a given page on wikipedia (e.g golf, but usually chosen by deciding on a suitable article from Random Article page). The game begins by all players clicking the random article link, and finding the given page only using links from the article wikipedia has randomized. The game ends when the article is found by a player, with that player being declared the winner. There is no upper player limit to Wiki Races, though it can be noted that it may become impractical the larger the number of players.

Origins

The first uses of the term Wiki Races were banded around internet forums July 2005, though the exact origin of the term and concept can be dated to Truro School in Cornwall in early 2003. The game is played largely by students in educational facilities where lots of computers are available. The etymology of the term is a simple word play on Wacky Races, a popular children's cartoon.

Notable Variations On Rules

The most notable modern variation of the game is the "No quick finding" rule. This rule bans players from using shortcuts to search the whole web-page for a given word on their internet browser. Other variations on this include "Quick Finding, no Lists" in which the user can use shortcuts, but cannot use list pages or portals. This makes the game longer, and adds an extra element of skill as the participant must use their visual skills to beat other players. Other variants include starting on the same page as opposed to a random article, and each player having to find different pages.

Winners

Losers