7 Steps to Create a Great Trivia Game

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Believe it or not, you need little to create an awesome trivia game. The only real resource needed is creativity! Having a plan for your trivia game will push you forward. From then on, all you need are a few things here and there. If you’re struggling and don’t know where to start, you can follow this guide to get inspired!

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Step 1: Plan

Let’s say you just had the idea to create a trivia game. Whether it’s going to be a physical board game that you’re going to play with just your closest family members, or an actual pub quiz that you’re going to sell tickets to, the first step is always to plan. Lay out your ideas and expectations. Start by asking yourself what format of games you’re looking to create. Is it going to be a board game, pub quiz, online trivia game, or any other variation? Knowing what kind of game you want to create will help you get a pretty good idea of the equipment and tools you need to purchase.

Another crucial aspect of any trivia game is the audience. The audience will help you determine the theme and questions. Everything you’re doing is for an audience, even if that audience is just you and your best friend. Remember to cater every aspect of your game to the players.

At this stage, you can also pick your theme. Maybe you’re trying to recreate Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy!, maybe you want to quiz your friends on the TV show Friends, or maybe you will be happy with simple general knowledge. The more time you spend on the plan, the clearer the next steps will be. Try to cover all the details and find answers to all of the questions. The rest should be a breeze when you know exactly what you’re doing.

Step 2: Questions

A hand holding up a blank white card with multicolor question marks behind it

Once you’ve figured out the theme of the game, you can start working on the questions. The questions are directly related to the theme and the players (more on those later). You need to make sure that your questions are entertaining and answerable. Keep in mind that these are not just abstract questions that someone will have to answer; these are questions for your audience and your trivia game.

Let’s say the theme is television. In that case, you need to craft some questions about current TV shows, iconic oldies, and more. Try to stay on the theme as much as you can. Similarly, keep in mind who will answer these questions. Make sure the players actually have a shot at answering correctly.

There are different ways you can get questions. For starters, you can create your own. That gives you a lot of creative freedom to do whatever you want to do. You can also make the questions as personal and relatable to your audience as you’d like. Alternatively, you can find existing questions in other trivia games. Use the questions you’ve heard on Jeopardy!, the question cards you find in some board games lying around, and so on.

If you take this game preparation seriously, you can also consider buying trivia questions. There are many sources on the internet that provide great questions for a reasonable fee. You can even find subscription services that offer a regular supply of questions for all trivia lovers.

Step 3: Equipment

A desk with a laptop, turntable, and speakers on it

The equipment may include any physical objects you need to make the game happen. Depending on the size of your trivia event, you may need different equipment. Let’s start with the easy items that you can find at home. The quizmaster should have a way to record everyone’s answers. The players should also be able to mark their answers on an answer sheet. For that, you can use regular pens and paper, as well as a computer with an Excel spreadsheet.

A bigger investment may be a screen for showing the questions and/or audiovisual rounds. You can use a projector, television, or even your computer or tablet. Audio rounds may require speakers. If you’re addressing a big group of people, you may benefit from a microphone. Another great tool is a game buzzer. You can give each player or team a buzzer that they can use to buzz in their answers.

The rest is entirely up to you. If you want to make a board game, then prepare for an arts and crafts project, with lots of paper, scissors, tape, printouts, and more. If you want to create an online game, you will need a computer and your research skills when you look for templates and backgrounds online.

Step 4: Players

Close up of a strategy game with a person playing it, holding cards

Ideally, you should know who will play the game way before you’re done with all the equipment. However, you don’t always know exactly who will come over for game night. So, once the game is ready to go, it’s a good time to reach out to your friends and invite them over. It’s important to keep count of the players; that’ll make it easier to separate them into teams. You should also have a good overview of how all the players stack up against each other. That can help you create teams that are more or less equal, with no clear winner.

Step 5: Quizmaster

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Not every game needs a quizmaster! The way you want to set up the game is entirely up to you. If you need a quizmaster, you can make yourself one, ask one of your friends to take over the job, or even rotate each round. It’s quite hard to create a game that you yourself will enjoy playing, as you’ll probably know the answers to all the questions. If you’re set on enjoying the game too, then you need to buy ready-made questions from a trivia vendor or use a rental service in order to avoid uncovering the answers.

Step 6: Space

Image of an apartment living room with a grey chair, white sofa, paintings, and stools

An important step is preparing the space. It’s easy if your game is a board game or online game. You don’t really need much space to play that! However, if you’re having a trivia night in your living room, you can make the decor match the theme just a little bit. For example, if the theme is movie night, put out some popcorn and other classic movie snacks, and make your invitations look like movie tickets. Encourage people to dress up as their favorite movie characters! Turn it into a party! There are so many little things you can do to make your trivia game extra special!

Step 7: Prizes

Various brown bag gift bags filled with prizes

Finally, the most important step—finding the prizes. It’s up to you if you want to reward the winners or keep the game without a prize. Adding a prize is a nice touch, but it’s rarely expected. You can offer something symbolic like a bar of chocolate or an extra special drink made by you. In the case of a board game, prizes are less common. It’s a nice touch, but it’s not always necessary.

Creating a Trivia Game for Zoom

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Did you know that you can create a trivia game for free on the internet? If you’re wondering how to create a virtual trivia game, all you need to know is that all the resources are online. There are so many different templates you can use! Take Kahoot!, for example. You can use this web-based program to create your own quiz and share it with your players via Zoom or any other video-conferencing tool. You can find other programs like TriviaMaker that will enable you to host an online trivia game in a more professional manner.

There are many trivia organizers offering their services through the internet that can take care of everything from start to finish. You can even find a quizmaster that will join the call, ask all the questions, and keep the players entertained. Depending on the purpose and theme of your trivia game, there are many different ways to spice up your online game.

Creating a Trivia Game on PowerPoint

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With a good template, you can create a trivia game online for free. All you’ll need is your imagination and the questions, of course. Different websites on the internet offer handy templates for PowerPoint quizzes. Websites like TeachersPayTeachers.com have a number of useful and affordable templates for all kinds of games. You can even find free PowerPoint templates! You can draw inspiration from the free templates offered on canva.com. You’ll find even more templates on Google Slides! Surf the internet to find what’s right for you.

Final Words

We hope that these tips will set you on the right path. Remember that every game is unique and you don’t have to follow all the steps suggested in this guide. Draw some inspiration from them, get organized, and start working on your own trivia game. Let us know how it goes!

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Have you ever made or organized your own trivia game? How was it? Was there any particular thing you did that really helped you? Let us know in the comments below!