If you’re thinking of hosting a trivia game for a large group of folks, we at Trivia Bliss are all for it. A large group trivia event is the perfect way to bring people together for a fun-filled hour or two. Whether the group is made up of your coworkers, your neighbors, or your extended family, the event will serve as a bonding moment and leave everyone feeling closer than before. A conundrum remains, however: how can you host a trivia game for that many people in an effective way?
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite methods for how to play trivia with a large group. Some techniques you can use to ensure everyone can participate and remain engaged, while others are more geared towards specific equipment or software you can use for large group trivia. Also, we’ll be expanding on different ways that certain groups can play trivia for a special event.
Read on to find out the best ways to play trivia with a large group.
Break Into Smaller Teams
The first solution for how to make trivia with a large group go smoothly is simple: break up your large group of folks into smaller teams and match the teams against each other. Playing player-versus-player trivia in such a large group is going to make for a super long game—it’ll take a long time for a player to accumulate enough points to win, not to mention just as long to give every player a chance to answer a question. By splitting the large group into smaller clusters, everyone can feel involved, and the game will move along much more quickly.
When using this method, the host should read out a question and then give the team a moment to confer before buzzing in and submitting their answer. Depending on the specific game you’re playing, this may differ slightly, but it’s important to give the team a chance to speak and get on the same page before answering, no matter what.
Another important note: when creating the teams, make sure you split up players of different ages and expertise levels evenly so that each team will be well-matched. You don’t want one heavy-hitting team to soar while the others are left behind just because of some poor planning!
Play On Zoom
Another great way to make trivia with a large group entertaining and engaging for all is to play a Zoom trivia game. In-person, there’s a chance that not every player will have a good view of the trivia board or that they won’t be able to hear the host over the din of eager chitchat. Zoom takes away those annoyances, making it easier for every player to have a shot at a big win.
On Zoom, you can force mute players until it’s their turn to answer. You can also utilize the “raise hand” feature to help call on players. Additionally, you can use breakout rooms to break the large group into smaller teams, allowing them to work together and strategize privately before making their guess.
We’ve covered Zoom trivia extensively here at Trivia Bliss. If you’d like more guidance as to how to run a Zoom trivia night, check out our method for playing Zoom Jeopardy. If you’re looking for fun Zoom backgrounds to use for your trivia night, we’ve got a guide to those, too. And if you’d prefer to play on a different online platform instead of Zoom, here’s a list of our ten favorite alternatives.
Use a Buzzer App
Not sure how you’re going to call on players to answer while you’re in such a big group? Why not use a virtual buzzer app to moderate the game?
With a buzzer app, you don’t have to rely on a raised hand or human sound effect to notify the host as to who wants to answer. Simply press a button on your phone to play a loud alert sound and get the group’s heads turning. Many apps have multiple sound effects available, so you can choose the one that suits your fancy.
Many buzzer apps allow many members of one game to convene in a single virtual space. In other words, they act as a lockout buzzer system. This means that, once a single player has buzzed in, these apps will prevent others from buzzing in, giving the first team a chance to answer before opening the round back up to everyone.
Some buzzer apps don’t offer connection to other devices and only serve to create a loud sound for everyone to hear. This can also be a tool, although it’s less reliable if two or more people or groups buzz in at once. In terms of clarifying whose turn it is, an app that allows users to connect to other devices or one central device might be your best bet.
Our handy guide to the best buzzer apps can be found here.
Find a Big Space with A Projector
This next tip sounds simplistic (and maybe a little silly), but it’s worth mentioning all the same: if you host a large trivia event in person, you’ll need a big space with adequate equipment. A projector that can project onto a tall screen or wall, a podium, a mic—all of these are good to have if you want to make your large group trivia event truly great.
A projector is absolutely essential if you want all guests to be able to read the questions as they are being asked. Alternatively, if you have a space with multiple smart TVs, you could also show the trivia questions on their screens by connecting to your computer or another device where you can display your quiz from.
Hire A Trivia Company
If the prospect of organizing and hosting a large group trivia event sounds daunting to you, there’s no need to fear: there are plenty of trivia companies out there that are ready, willing, and able to coordinate your event for you.
Many companies will provide an emcee with a mic to read out trivia questions and award points verbally to winning teams. They also often use their own games, so you don’t have to worry about compiling your own trivia questions or coming up with a theme (unless you really want to).
Interested in hiring a trivia company? Check out our handy guide to the best trivia rental services in the U.S. and Canada, which can be found here.
Special Trivia Groups
Certain groups of trivia players might need more guidance than others. We’ve listed a small sampling of those groups here, along with an outline of how a game for such a group could be run. Read on to learn more about how to play large-group trivia with a special group.
How To Play Trivia with A Large Group Online
We have already covered how to play trivia on Zoom, but what about on another online platform? There are video-sharing services and multiplayer games that can serve your large group well when it comes to playing online.
You’ll be able to find our guide to the best online trivia games for teams here. These are ideal for large corporate groups looking to bond their employees.
How To Play Christmas Trivia with A Large Group
‘Tis almost the season! When playing Christmas trivia with a large group, you want to think about trivia games that are sure to bring boatloads of cheer to all who play. Consider playing name that Christmas song trivia so you can relive those blissful holiday memories as you test your brain. Alternatively, you can play trivia with stocking stuffer prizes.
Another idea for a large group Christmas trivia game is a pastry walk. Have participants in the game sign up to bring Christmas candies, cookies, and cakes, and number them as they are dropped off. Then, set up a game board-like, life-sized “maze” of sorts out of paper and tape along the floor. Write numbers on some of the paper spots, and make sure that they correspond to the numbered treats. As participants walk around the floor, they’ll stop once they reach a paper with a number on it. They’ll answer a Christmas-themed trivia question pulled out of a hat. If they get it correctly, the Christmassy sweet treat that corresponds to their spot is theirs to take home and enjoy!
How To Play a Trivia Game with A Large Group
Earlier, we talked about how to break up your large group into smaller teams for play. But what if you prefer to play without smaller teams? If you want to give each individual player a chance to answer for themselves, the game may be a little more complicated (and perhaps quite a bit longer), but it’s still doable!
Jeopardy! or a similar game is ideal for a large group of single players. Choose something more complex, and it’s likely to take too long to finish a game. A virtual buzzer or app that allows users to connect via one central hub is ideal for ensuring this supersized game goes smoothly. Consider using a trivia rental service or an online trivia platform (see the lists linked above!) to help you pull off this difficult trivia game feat.
How To Play Bible Trivia with A Large Group
Plenty of churches hold Bible trivia games to engage their congregants and create community amongst the group. What better place to hold Bible trivia than in your church itself?
A church makes for an excellent gathering space for worshipping and trivia quizzing alike. Meet after your Sunday service to quiz your fellow churchgoers on your favorite Bible verses, parables, and passages. With Bible trivia, you can get even more godly goodness out of your holy morning.
If you’re looking for specific Bible-related trivia board games to play, we’ve got a guide for you available here. Test your Good Book know-how with any of these excellent games. Most of them are modifiable, and, with a little creativity, they can be expanded to suit a large group.
How To Play Baby Trivia with A Large Group
If you’re expecting a child and you’re a trivia lover—first of all, congratulations! And secondly, you might want to consider incorporating a fun trivia game into your preparations. Whether you’d like to quiz your friends on your individual pregnancy and baby plans or if you’d like to cover questions about pregnancy in general, there are plenty of baby trivia options for you.
A baby shower often consists of 15-35 guests, so gear your game toward your specific group size. If your group is on the smaller end of large, consider making a homemade Jeopardy board with posterboard and colorful paper. Using this method, the group can crowd around the board to read the questions and flip over the answers.
In a larger group, a projector may be necessary for all participants to be able to read each of the questions.
Consider giving each player a piece of paper on which to write their answers. Then, the answers can be revealed after each question has been read out and every player has had a chance to write down a guess.
Looking for some baby-related trivia for your upcoming shower? Check out our compilation of baby trivia themes and questions. Though geared towards a game of baby Jeopardy, they can be used in myriad trivia game formats—the sky’s the limit!
Final Words
Thanks for reading through our list of how to play trivia with a large group. We hope you enjoy utilizing these methods the next time you’ve got a trivia event coming up. And if you’d prefer to play trivia on your own, we’ve got a list of trivia games suitable for one player as well.
Want to learn even more about hosting a trivia night? Check out our vast array of resources for trivia nights, available here.
Do you have any helpful tips for playing trivia in a large group? How about any methods that have helped you to host one successfully? Sound off in the comments below, please!
Leave a Reply