If you ask Americans what they think are the best and worst states in the union, you’ll get 50 different answers. Some U.S. states are arguably more beautiful, varied, interesting, or exciting than others, but each has its pros and cons.
But what if you had to start eliminating states one-by-one, like a geographical version of Survivor? In March of 2026, a Reddit user on the Geography Memes subreddit shared a map of the U.S. with the prompt, “Top comment removes one state.” Users then posted which state they’d remove, and the comment with the most likes resulted in that state’s expulsion.
49 states eliminated one by one
It was a silly little game. Florida went first. Then Idaho. But instead of just being removed, as states were eliminated they were absorbed on the map by surrounding states.
For 49 days, users voted for one state to remove per day, and people became invested. Arguments for and against different states ensued. Memes were made. Creative coalitions formed. An all-out civil war broke out in the nerdiest way possible.
As more states became absorbed, the remaining states changed boundaries until they no longer resembled their original shapes. Some bodies of water changed names, such as the Gulf of New Mexico and the Great Hawai’ian Sea.
When it got down to the final five, the last states standing gained conglomerate names, with regional supporters duking it out for supremacy:
- Cascadia (Oregon)
- Megasota (Minnesota)
- Kingdom of Hawai’i
- Maryland Crab Army
- The Vermonster (Vermont)
It came down to Cascadia and Megasota
Competition grew fierce. More memes started flying. One user even shared that his wife of 17 years had become suspicious of how much time he was suddenly spending on his phone. He had to explain to her that he wasn’t cheating; they were just “at war” on Reddit.
“I then laid it out, I showed her all of my child-like, rudimentary Memes I’ve made for Megasota, as a adult toddler with little experience on a iPhone and explained the importance that we defeat the crab army,” he wrote.
The Kingdom of Hawai’i was eliminated. Then the Vermonster. Craballachia (aka Maryland) put up a mighty fight, but ultimately it came down to Cascadia (Oregon) and Megasota (Minnesota). Both states can boast about their natural beauty, though Oregon arguably offers more variety on that front with its volcanoes, waterfalls, moss-covered trees, and gorgeous coastline.
The final poll was a horse race. Thousands voted. The result was close, but Oregon ultimately walked away the winner at the cutoff time.
We are all Cascadians now.
Why Oregon deserves to be the last state standing
Of course, there are arguments to be made for any state. As someone who has traveled to and through nearly every state, I can attest that nearly every state has something unique and wonderful to offer.
But in all my travels, it’s hard to beat the Pacific Northwest for access to nature’s wonders. My home state of Washington (which was eliminated far too early in the contest, in my opinion) is breathtaking. But Oregon holds a special place in my heart and soul.
The stretch of Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast is the most beautiful drive I’ve ever been on, hands down. (And I’ve driven the famed Road to Hana on Maui and Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.) The way the green trees meet the turquoise blue water. The vast sandy beaches and massive rock formations. It feels like there’s no way it can be real. Photos can’t do it justice.
Portland, in addition to being fun and funky, has some of the most beautiful gardens and parks in the country. Forest Park, right next to downtown, has 80 miles of trails winding through one of the largest urban forests in the country. (It’s six times larger than Central Park in New York.) And so much more.
Everywhere you go in Oregon, you find something different to marvel at. I mean, you can go on an 8-mile hike that passes 10 waterfalls. Four of them are over 100 feet tall. Incredible.
But really, it was about connecting over the fun of it all
The person who created the state elimination game shared that this game has been one of the best things they’ve ever done, and seeing people’s reactions was amazing.
The heated battles really were all in good fun, and in a weird way, really brought people together.
And it’s not over. The user shared that starting May 28th, they will launch a European version of the contest, but with one European country being eliminated each day. Hoo boy, that could be interesting.
Here’s to human hilarity and the silly competitions we create together.
