Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? is a game that tests the player's knowledge about geography and general knowledge about different countries. Missions will begin with a treasure being stolen and the player flying to that location. A time limit counts down while they must search the area and interview witnesses to find enough clues to figure out what country the thief flew to next. The player always has a limited selection (usually three or four) of flights available in any given country. This process is repeated until either the villain is found or time expires and they are able to get away.