Trivia is no longer limited to pub quizzes (of which there are many in the United States, Canada, and the UK!) and organized events—you can easily play a round with your friends without a quizmaster. In fact, you don’t even have to leave your house if you don’t want to! That’s right, virtual trivia with friends can take over the spot of your regular Thursday night pub quiz. You don’t have to go anywhere, spend copious amounts of money on food and drinks (though you may not like this aspect if you’re a pub owner yourself!), pay for a babysitter, and so on. Instead, you can play live trivia games with your friends online.
But what if playing remotely is not the goal? In fact, you want to have your friends over and offer them a special homemade game night. The drinks are free, kids and pets are welcome (or whatever rules you may have), and you could even win some cash!—then perhaps you could use a little help from an online party trivia app.
Whether you’re playing remotely or having friends over, you could benefit from a group trivia app. Keep reading to find out all about the best virtual trivia apps!
Group Trivia Quiz
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dh3games.teamtriviaquiz&hl=en&gl=US
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/team-trivia-quiz-party-game/id1493442304
Group Trivia Quiz is a pretty simple app that allows any number of players to participate. All the players have to split into two teams. You only need one device to play! The game is quite quick, with three rounds of 10 questions each. Naturally, this is not the same as a proper trivia game night with prizes and interactive rounds. However, it will do if you’re just looking to play some simple trivia with friends.
The team with the most correct answers wins. The best part is, you can play pretty much anywhere. Whether you’re planning a trivia night or simply find yourself bored on a night out with friends, you can download Group Trivia Quiz. The game will show which team is good at teamwork and which team needs more practice. Not only is it an excellent trivia game, it’s also a bonding exercise for you and your family or friends. It can also serve as a good practice for your next in-person pub quiz!
Trivia Party!
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trivia-party-team-quiz-game/id1403674537
This party trivia game is meant for any number of players, but at least two players are needed for a game. Once again, the team or individual that answers the most questions correctly wins. You only need one device to play! This app is recommended for parties and any social occasions. You can use it during your trivia night, or pull it out when the conversations start to slow down.
There are 19 different categories that are suitable for both adults and children, so you can use this app for family game night. The categories are selectable, so you can avoid questions you would know nothing about. You’ll find the app offers over 20,000 different questions, so it’ll take you a while to go through all of them. Make the game your own by customizing your team avatar.
Random Trivia Generator
Website: https://www.randomtriviagenerator.com/#/
Random Trivia Generator is not a mobile app, it’s a website. You can access the website through your mobile device, as well as through a computer or tablet. What the website does is it gives you a bunch of random trivia questions from different common categories like entertainment and geography. You can select a category of your choosing and only answer questions from that category, or go with the flow and answer random trivia questions.
This website is meant for people who want to play a group quiz game in real life. Use this website next time you have friends over. All you have to do is break into teams (or play as individuals) and ask each other questions. Each team can pull up the website on their device and ask other teams questions. You only really need one device to play. Alternatively, you can select one person as the quizmaster who will be asking all the questions and keeping score. The website has a large number of questions in six classic categories, so you’ll never get bored.
Houseparty
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.herzick.houseparty&hl=en&gl=US
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/houseparty/id1065781769
Houseparty gained popularity in 2020 during the first wave of Covid-19. People were bored in lockdown and looking for ways to still hang out with friends without actually leaving the house. Thus this gem was discovered. Houseparty is the perfect app for a remote game night with friends. You don’t need any special equipment; just your phone will suffice.
The point of Houseparty is to create the atmosphere of an actual house party, hence the name. You can see your friends on your phone screen, so you may feel as though you’re all in the same room. Not really, but it’s better than nothing! The app has some general knowledge trivia questions prepared, as well as some other simple games you can play to warm up. Then, I recommend you pay for the extra games. The purpose of playing these in-app games is that the app will keep score for you. There is also no need for a quizmaster, as all the players will get the same questions on their screens.
If you really want to, you can treat the app as a video chatting tool and prepare your own questions. That kind of defeats the purpose of using the app in the first place though. There are better video chatting apps out there, like Zoom and Skype. If you’d like to prepare your own questions and video chat with your friends, use one of these apps!
Psych!
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wb.goog.ellen.psych&hl=en_GB
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/psych-outwit-your-friends/id1005765746
Psych! is a new trivia game created by Ellen DeGeneres and her team. The popular talk show host wanted to combine Cards Against Humanity with a classic trivia night. The creators of Heads Up! worked on this game, so you know it’s going to be good! If you’ve ever played Heads Up!, that should give you an idea of what this game will be like. It’s the perfect party game for big and small crowds, families, and friends.
You have a choice of categories presented to you in the app. Those include “The Truth Comes Out,” “Word Up,” and “Movie Bluff.” In the first one, you are the trivia! You get to answer questions about your fellow players. That’s a fun spin on traditional trivia. Because of that, anyone can play, including those who are not big on general knowledge trivia. If you’re tired of classic trivia games, this app is for you. You can play at home with friends or at a bar, as well as remotely via Zoom.
Multiplayer Trivia Apps
Your favorite trivia apps probably offer multiplayer games too. You can play with friends and enjoy the familiar interface. The only problem is that these games are not meant for groups; usually you only have the option to play against one other person. Another thing is that these apps are useless when you’re playing in real life; they’re meant for remote fun. If you’re interested in challenging your friends to rounds of remote trivia, check out the following apps. (And don’t forget to check out our guide to mobile trivia apps as well!)
- SongPop 2 on Android and iOS
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? on Android and iOS
- DK Quiz on Android and iOS
- Trivia Crack on Android and iOS (you can also see how this app stacks up against its sequel here)
- HQ Trivia on Android and iOS
How to Play With a Large Group
Whether you’re playing remotely or hosting a party, playing with a large group can be difficult. It seems impossible to get over 10 people answering questions and listening, be it virtually or in real life. The solution is simple: divide into teams. Some of the games on this list ask you to divide into two teams, like Group Trivia Quiz and Trivia Party! With other games, you don’t have to make your groups quite as big, though that does significantly speed up the game.
One of the main reasons you wouldn’t want to play with a large group of people is because you’d have to wait forever for your turn. Dividing into teams solves that problems. Aim for teams that have no more than six players, so that your game resembles an actual pub quiz. Other than that, there are no rules! Find what format works for you and your friends, and follow it.
Homemade Pub Quiz
Since the pandemic, it’s become more difficult to connect with people in a social setting. You’re lucky if you’ve been able to see your family and friends. As the situation continues to improve, it’s important to find ways to connect again. These trivia games invite you to participate in physical distancing, but never social.
And not only that! When we didn’t have the opportunity to go out to the pubs, we moved trivia nights to our living rooms. With the help of these apps (and more!), you can spend some quality time with your friends and experience a pub quiz at your home. For even more group trivia activities that don’t involve leaving our home, check out this list of trivia podcasts to listen to with friends or alone!
Have you tried any of these trivia games? Which one is your favorite? What would you add to this list?
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