Four ways to play trivia from your couch

My newest fascination over the past couple of weeks has been trivia, which is partially related to the fact that I just discovered that Nepenthe Brewing Company has trivia every Wednesday. They are currently taking a hiatus due to increased COVID-19 restrictions in Baltimore City, but my team totally won $25 in bar cash at the most recent rendition.

However, trivia doesn’t have to be played in a bar or in person at all. As Thanksgiving rolls around, and you’re more likely to be at home with your parents for a prolonged period of time, I suggest you engage in a game. Here are four different ways to play trivia from your living room couch.

1. Jeopardy! game night

First, R.I.P. to Alex Trebek, an absolute legend. Second, is Jeopardy! technically trivia? It definitely scratches the same part of the brain; I just want to preempt the trivia purists, if there are any out there. I know some people play Jeopardy! by just streaming the show and saying the answers, and I particularly recommend College Jeopardy! if you’re going to take this route because it’s a lot less difficult. 

However, you can also make your own Jeopardy! game! Jeopardylabs.com allows you to make your own Jeopardy! board, and you can send it to your friends. Designate a friend as host, and have a Zoom Jeopardy! night. It’s a great way to reflect on your memories together and a wonderful bonding experience.

2. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is technically a game-based learning platform comprised of multiple-choice quizzes, but look around enough, and you can find a seriously fun bout of trivia. You can also create your own Kahoot! game if you so desire at kahoot.com. Kahoot! allows you to drop a pin in a group chat so you can all play over Zoom if someone shares their screen. Just take caution when choosing a game. You might get stuck in a 90-question game made for seventh graders — and I’m speaking from personal experience.

3. Trivia Crack/QuizUp

I definitely remember playing both of these games in high school, but it wouldn’t be a bad time at all to bring them both back. Unlike the previous suggestions, these are both mobile games where you challenge your friend or a random opponent from the internet one-on-one. They also don’t require logging on to a Zoom call or interfacing with a group, and when it’s not your turn, you wait for your partner to take their turn. Maybe a nice game to have going in the background while you craft the Kahoot! quiz of a lifetime.

I’d personally give the edge to QuizUp because I prefer the seemingly endless range of categories you can pursue. Back around 2014 I was a pretty consistent high-ranker on the South Park trivia QuizUp leaderboards. Maybe Thanksgiving break will be the perfect opportunity for me to reach such heights again. 

4. Hosted Zoom trivia

As you may know from previous editions of “Events this week,” there’s often virtual trivia being hosted over Zoom, which takes the pressure off of you to create your own trivia game. The best thing about this sort of trivia is that there is niche trivia for every interest you could have. This can range from Bob’s Burgers trivia, to National Public Radio-hosted trivia, to Disney villain trivia. While there is often a fee to play, if you can afford it you are likely supporting a small business during a pandemic, and maybe you’ll even walk away with some prizes.