Quiz Bowl is a worldwide phenomenon amongst trivia fanatics of all ages. High school kids, college students, and recreational adult friend groups alike seek out other interested people to form small teams with whom they can compete. In a Quiz Bowl competition, trivia questions of all categories are doled out randomly, and a team member buzzes in to give their answer out loud. Unlike some popular quiz shows, such as Jeopardy!, a Quiz Bowl participant can buzz in before the full question has been read aloud, giving extra quick-thinking teams an edge.
Quiz Bowl first originated in the middle of the 20th century. It’s popular in many countries as a stimulating activity play or watch. When it first gained a diehard following, its competitions were often broadcast on the radio or seen live on television. Now, in the digital age, the way Quiz Bowl takes place has changed. By using an array of useful apps, one can practice for their Quiz Bowl competition more easily or run their own in an uncomplicated way.
Whether you’re looking to prepare for an organized Quiz Bowl competition or wanting to hold your very own tournament, our list of these eight apps will help your Quiz Bowl experience go smoothly. Read on to read about our favorite apps for studying before and buzzing in during your competition.
Quiz Bowl Prep Apps
In terms of trivia questions, Quiz Bowl tends to be pretty dry and straightforward. You won’t find a lot of tricky questions or any punny wordplay, just cold, hard trivia facts. Categories are also not a part of the competition, so there’s no telling what types of trivia will come up. Therefore, studying up for Quiz Bowl can prove quite difficult. Not to worry! There is a plethora of trivia apps out there ready to help you and your Quiz Bowl team prepare for your next meet. Below, we’ve listed some of our very favorites for you to download on your own.
Quiz Watch
When preparing for your next meet, Quiz Watch should be the first app you download. It was designed with high school Quiz Bowl players in mind, but its modifiable format makes it suitable for competitors of all ages. Quiz Watch provides in-depth clues in the style of a Quiz Bowl question—not all the words are revealed at once, just like you would hear the question being read aloud. You type your answer on your device as a timer ticks down, and, akin to Quiz Bowl, the question’s reveal stops as soon as you begin to type. You can earn points for each correct answer you give. It’s easy to keep track of your answering history and all of your Quiz Watch stats on the app’s home screen.
Additionally, Quiz Watch allows you to modify both the difficulty and speed of the questions for any player’s skill level. You can also select specific categories based on what areas you need to study most. This app is a great option for individual study, or, alternatively, you and your team can crowd around a single device for a mock competition. Its numerous questions as well as its option to track your progress make this an essential download before your next meet.
Quizbowl Trainer
Are you in search of a hub of knowledge on an array of typical Quiz Bowl topics? Look no further than Quizbowl Trainer. You can buzz in to answer provided questions from one of many trivia categories.
This app allows you to do more than just hold a Quiz Bowl practice competition. After answering a question, you can swipe to access more study tools. Use its flashcard feature to read up on an answer before you make your guess. Then, check out Quizbowl Trainer’s provided list of related facts and terms, formatted in bulleted lists. This is a great option for when you’d like access to multiple study formats right at your fingertips.
Quizlet
Extremely popular amongst students getting ready for exams, Quizlet is a flashcard app with numerous special tools to help you study. You can search through endless public sets of flashcards on any topic or create your own private one. The digital flashcard flips over with just a tap of your finger, making studying on the go extra simple. Flashcards can list terms or show images, as well.
Bored with quizzing yourself? Quizlet can create a test for you out of a set or compilation of flashcards. The app will provide questions of all kinds, such as true or false, multiple choice, and fill in the blank. Then, you’ll get your score back at the end, just like you would for a test in school. This helps you to single out your weaker areas of knowledge for Quiz Bowl so you know exactly what to study up on. If you’re sick of anything reminiscent of schoolwork, it’s time to try your hand at one of Quizlet’s games. While playing Match, you can click and drag a term to its definition or image, doing so as quickly as possible to race to the finish. Gravity is a fun game full of animations—you must protect your planet from incoming “term asteroids” by typing in the terms’ definitions before they drop and collide with the planet. Both Match and Gravity are timed games, which will help you improve your speed before your next Quiz Bowl meet.
Quiz DB
Picture this: you’re on the bus on the way to your next Quiz Bowl meet, and your phone has no service. How on earth are you going to cram before the competition? That’s where Quiz DB comes in to save the way. Quiz DB is an enormous database of previously used Quiz Bowl questions. With an option for offline use, it’s great for studying no matter where you are.
Quiz DB’s questions cover a wide variety of typical Quiz Bowl topics, such as Mythology, History, Current Events, and the Fine Arts. You can search for specific questions or read up on general knowledge. The database also sorts topics and questions into different skill sets for both high school and college students based on what competition they were originally used for (fun fact: the app tells you exactly where and when each question was asked, too!).
Looking to refresh your memory? The app lists your search history so you can go over tricky questions or topics one more time before your meet. It’s a great tool for individual use or team practice, and one of our favorite options for Quiz Bowl prep.
Buzzer Apps
Back in the early days of Quiz Bowl, those running the competition would have to invest in an elaborate system of wired and lock out buzzers to create a proper setup. This was often complicated and expensive, which blocked access for many and discouraged smaller groups from participating. Plus, long, tangled wires could make setting up a meet difficult and time-consuming, inconveniencing players and hosts alike.
Today, smartphone and computer apps, as well as websites, make holding Quiz Bowl simple and accessible for all. As long as players and hosts have their own individual smart devices, game play requires almost no setup prep. Here’s a list of some of our favorite apps to help you and your Quiz Bowl team buzz in.
Game Show Buzzer
Game Show Buzzer is a tricked-out app perfect for moderating a teamed trivia night. With numerous special features specifically intended for Quiz Bowl use, this is our top choice for an app to help you run your next meet. With Game Show Buzzer, a designated host can invite teams to join with a unique passcode. The host starts each Quiz Bowl round via the app. They can also opt to start a timer for each round, and the app will clearly show the seconds that remain to all participants. Each team can then buzz in with their individual smart device. Once points are earned, the host can tally them on the screen for all to see.
Game Show Buzzer doesn’t require a shared WiFi or a Bluetooth connection, helping players join the game quickly and making setting up for your meet extra smooth. And its graphics are quirky and cute—confetti fills the screen every time you win a point! With clear instructions and a structure that directly complements Quiz Bowl gameplay, this app is an excellent choice.
Trivia Bowl Buzzer
Trivia Bowl Buzzer is another great option to use as your Quiz Bowl’s buzzer. The app allows you to switch modes between game host, team captain, and individual player. With a Bluetooth connection, teams, players, and hosts alike can connect their iOS devices to each other. Players tap the big red button in the center of their screen to buzz in. When a player presses the button, both the team’s device and the host’s device vibrate, making it clear to all who the fastest team is.
The app’s sole drawback is the possibility that the Bluetooth connection malfunctions or lags, making close rounds more of a toss-up. Consider using Trivia Bowl Buzzer for a practice competition to test your connections before opting for it during your high-stakes meet.
The Ultimate Buzzer
If you’re bored of basic buzzer noises, we at Trivia Bliss recommend The Ultimate Buzzer as a unique way to liven up your Quiz Bowl meet. It has over 60 available sounds you can use to buzz in, making it essentially a portable sound board. Choose from noises such as Rooster, Hammer on Metal, Drum Roll, or Alarm Clock and then swipe over to the buzzer screen. A big red button will fill the center of your device’s screen. Once you’re ready to answer, simply tap the screen to buzz in. Your buzzer’s sound will emanate (loudly!) from your speaker, letting everyone in the room know that your time to answer has arrived.
The Ultimate Buzzer is perfect for cultivating the classic and fun game show energy during Quiz Bowl and keep nervous participants from taking the competition too seriously—it is just a game, after all! If you’re looking for even more sounds (and want to avoid a copious amount of ads), the Pro Version is also available for purchase. While this app is lots of fun, it doesn’t allow for a host to preside over the game. Therefore, teams have to buzz in independently, and if they hit the buzzer at the same time, the app can’t tell you who edged their way in first.
Friend Game Buzzer
Whether you’re competing with your friends or against another school’s team, Friend Game Buzzer is a solid option for Quiz Bowl gameplay. Players can join the host’s game via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. If your device is AirPlay compatible, you can use that to play, as well. The host labels the meet’s title, then starts the timer once they ask a question. Press the center of the screen to buzz in—but be careful not to click the “Quit Session” button on accident!
The host can award points to each team via their own device, eliminating the need for a separate individual to be a scorekeeper. Again, its use of Bluetooth can be a drawback if a lag occurs, so it’s best to test the app out before using it during an important competition.
If you’d like to hear about even more of the best buzzer apps out there, check out our article “7 Apps You Can Use as a Buzzer for Quiz Games.” Likewise, check out our list of the best buzzers for at-home trivia.
Final Words
We at Trivia Bliss commend your efforts to make your Quiz Bowl experience the best it can be. Whether you’re a host or on a team, these apps will make your Quiz Bowl experience extra simple and convenient.
Got a Quiz Bowl app suggestion for us? Let us know in the comments. Happy quizzing!
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