Internet Roadtrip Turns Google Maps into a Game

The internet is collectively driving to Canada. Not metaphorically. Not in a game. But on actual roads, one click at a time, through Google Street View. Welcome to Internet Roadtrip, a browser-based experiment from Infinite Craft creator Neal Agarwal that somehow blends Twitch chaos, crowdsourced decision-making, and surreal Americana into the most oddly relaxing digital event of 2025.

The concept is brilliantly simple: every 10 seconds, viewers vote on where to go next—left, right, straight ahead—using a built-in poll. The “car” then moves through Google Maps accordingly, frame by frame. It’s Twitch Plays Pokémon logic, but instead of controlling Pikachu, you’re navigating winding highways and confused intersections somewhere in New England.

The trip started in Boston. Since then, thousands of users—referred to affectionately as “drivers”—have been guiding the digital vehicle north, slowly crawling through Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and now deep into the pine-lined roads of Maine. At any given moment, 1500–2000 users are online, staring at pixelated snapshots of roadside diners, scenic forests, and the occasional very confused pedestrian caught mid-step.

“What a pleasure to be able to peer into others' imaginations like this.” That’s how Christian Donlan described Agarwal’s Infinite Craft—and it applies just as much here. This isn’t just a silly drive. It’s a live window into the chaotic mind of the internet.

We’re now eight days into the journey, and the virtual car is meandering through South China, Maine (yes, that’s a real place). And just like in Twitch Plays Pokémon, a full-on community has already formed. The chat is filled with debates over route choices, shoutouts to roadside attractions, and yes, serious deliberations over whether to detour to Bar Harbour. That’s right: the internet is voting on vacation spots in real time. Some users want to stick to the fastest route to Canada. Others argue for scenic detours through tiny towns with hilariously overambitious names like Moscow, Mexico, and Madrid.

image: Neal Agarwal on BlueSky

Even more absurd is how real the journey feels. There’s now a full trip map on the website, showing the route in its entirety. Local businesses and schools have started noticing, with Maine’s WBOR radio station even curating a fake FM playlist to match the car’s (imaginary) stereo. It’s worldbuilding through Google Maps, and it’s working.

But the fun doesn’t stop at geography. Because it’s based entirely on Street View data, the experience gets bizarre fast. Sometimes the car turns, and suddenly it’s 2017. Other times, Google’s street capture glitches out, warping cars into monsters or blurring out entire buildings. There was a moment where the entire screen showed nothing but a giant close-up of someone’s elbow—just an awkwardly timed photo of a tourist caught standing too close to the camera car. Everyone in chat lost it.

This isn’t the first time people have used Google Maps for strange entertainment. There’s a whole subculture of digital wanderers who explore Street View like it's a photorealistic open-world game. Some go street photography hunting, looking for strange or poetic moments: an old man walking alone at dusk, an abandoned bike in an empty lot, a sudden burst of graffiti on a train underpass. Others play scavenger hunt games or try to follow the route of a book or film. But Internet Roadtrip is the first time that chaos has been crowd-sourced—and it's glorious.

What elevates it is the mix of randomness and slow-burn anticipation. Every vote is a gamble. You might end up on a highway for 20 straight minutes. Or you might accidentally drive into a cul-de-sac and spend the next half-hour trying to get out. And when someone spots a weird building or funny sign, the entire chat lights up like you just found a legendary Pokémon.

image: Neal Agarwal on BlueSky

The underlying brilliance is that there’s no actual goal. Sure, “go to Canada” is the unofficial mission, but no one really cares if the car gets there. What matters is how it gets there. It’s road trip culture distilled into pure internet form—complete with detours, bickering, and a lot of yelling about which way is north.

So, where does it go from here? That’s up to us. Agarwal has teased possible future expansions—more map features, maybe a custom soundtrack feed, maybe voting on gas station snacks (please). But even if it stayed exactly as it is, Internet Roadtrip has already proven itself as more than a novelty.

It’s weird, it’s communal, and it’s deeply internet. In a time when everything feels either overly polished or aggressively monetized, a lo-fi Google Maps stroll with a bunch of strangers feels strangely profound.

And also? Maine looks great this time of year.