Item: Stack the Countries®
Rating: 94
Author: Dinsun

Dinsun Review

Usually, 'educational' is code for 'boring,' but Stack the Countries actually tries. The trivia is legitimate—it’s not just naming capitals, but flags, landmarks, and shapes too. The physics stacking part adds a layer of frustration that I actually respect; you can know the answer, but if you drop the country wrong, it’s game over. It forces you to take your time.

It’s geared toward a younger audience, obviously. The art is 'cute' in a way that I find a bit grating, but it serves its purpose. My main gripe is that once you’ve learned the facts, the game has nothing left to offer. It’s a learning tool with a shelf life. But for a parent or someone wanting to brush up on world knowledge, it's a solid, honest piece of software. No hidden tricks, just learning.

Overall Stats

Pros & Cons

Genuinely educational
Fun physics-based gameplay
Multiple unlockable mini-games

Visual style is strictly for kids
Limited replayability once facts are memorized
Some physics interactions can feel random

Technical Report

Performance: Runs perfectly; the physics engine is simple and reliable.

Accessibility:

Audience Fit

Buy if: You want a fun way to learn geography or have kids in school.

Skip if: You are looking for an adult-oriented puzzle game or have no interest in trivia.

Similar Games:

Stack the States
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

Reviewer Context

Reviewer: Dinsun
Hardware: iPad
Playtime: 4 hours
Status: Unlocked 50 countries

The Game

Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod

407838198

$2.99 4+★4.6 995 reviews

Author : Freecloud Design, Inc.

Pubish Date : Wed Feb 23 2011

Last Update Date : Fri Oct 31 2025

Support Languages : English

Genres :

Version 3.6Fri Oct 31 2025

* Fixed Turkey not showing in correct position on Europe map
* Add Spain as a bordering country of Morocco
* Updated Botswana and Zambia as bordering countries
* Updated languages of Lesotho
* Updated languages of Zimbabwe
Requires iOS 12.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
- Featured on the TODAY show!
- Editor's Choice Award! - Children's Technology Review
- "Stack the Countries is worth every penny and this is an educational purchase that you absolutely will not regret." - The iPhone Mom
Stack the Countries® makes learning about the world fun! Watch the countries actually come to life in this colorful and dynamic game!
As you learn country capitals, landmarks, geographic locations and more, you can actually touch, move and drop the animated countries anywhere on the screen. Carefully build a stack of countries that reaches the checkered line to win each level.
You earn a random country for every successfully completed level. All of your countries appear on your own personalized maps of the continents. Try to collect all 193! As you earn more countries, you begin to unlock the free bonus games: Map It! and Pile Up! Three games in one!
CONTROL YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE: You can choose to focus on just one specific continent or play the whole world. You can also select which types of questions are asked.
LEARN BEFORE YOU PLAY: Stack the Countries provides 193 country flash cards and colorful interactive maps of the continents. Use them to brush up on your world geography before you play or as a handy reference tool.
HAVE FUN LEARNING ALL ABOUT THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD:
▸ Capitals
▸ Landmarks
▸ Major Cities
▸ Continents
▸ Border Countries
▸ Languages
▸ Flags
▸ Country Shapes
FEATURES:
▸ More than 1000 unique questions
▸ 193 flash cards -- one for each country!
▸ Interactive maps of the continents
▸ Collect all 193 countries and track your progress on personalized maps
▸ Earn FREE bonus games: Map It! and Pile Up!
▸ Play in English, Spanish and French
▸ Works on both iPhone and iPad - a universal app
▸ Create up to six player profiles
▸ Choose any of the friendly-looking countries as your avatar
▸ High resolution pictures of famous world landmarks
▸ All games are powered by a realistic physics engine
▸ Fun sound effects and music
▸ iPhone 4 Retina Display support
THREE GAMES IN ONE:
STACK THE COUNTRIES: Build tall piles of countries and try to reach the checkered line.
MAP IT: Tap the location of the selected country on the map. Try to complete the whole continent!
PILE UP: The countries are piling up! Identify and tap them quickly to get rid of them before they reach the top.
Stack the Countries® is an educational app for all ages that's actually FUN to play. Try it now and enjoy three games for the price of one!
PRIVACY DISCLOSURE:
Stack the Countries®:
- Does not contain 3rd party ads.
- Does not contain in-app purchases.
- Does not contain integration with social networks.
- Does not use 3rd party analytics / data collection tools.
- Does include links to apps by Dan Russell-Pinson in the iTunes App Store (via Performance Horizon).
For more information on our privacy policy please visit:
http://dan-russell-pinson.com/privacy/

Ratings & Reviews

4.6 out of 5 with 995 Counts

★★★★★

Age Rating 4+

Stack the Countries makes learning world geography an interactive adventure. Answer questions about capitals, locations, and landmarks to earn one of 193 animated countries. Each country is a unique shape and size, which you must carefully touch, move, and drop to build a stable stack that reaches the finish line. As you win more countries, you unlock three bonus mini-games: Map It, Pile Up, and Capital Drop. With interactive maps to study and personalized avatars, it’s a comprehensive educational tool that provides hours of physics-based fun for the whole family.

Features

193 Animated Countries

3 Bonus Mini-Games

Interactive World Maps

Physics-based Stacking Gameplay

Tips

Building a Stable Stack

Wider countries like Russia or Canada make excellent foundations. Try to place smaller or awkwardly shaped countries in the center of the stack to keep the center of gravity low and prevent the whole pile from toppling over.

Promotion Videos

Stack the Countries Gameplay

Gameplays

Studying the Map

Before diving into the game, use the interactive maps to study. You can zoom in on continents and tap individual countries to see their capitals and flags, which will help you answer questions more quickly during the main game.