It’s summer, which means it’s officially road trip season! Couples are making treks across state lines to attend their college friends’ weddings, families are heading cross-country to visit Grandma and Grandpa, and young folks are packing up U-Hauls and moving to take first jobs in brand new cities. Fill up your gas tank and put air in your tires—and don’t forget about bringing some games for the road!
No matter where you’re going this summer, chances are you’re going to want some entertainment on the drive. And when you’ve had enough of changing the radio stations, desperately searching for a good song, or you’re sick of your audiobook, it’s trivia time.
That’s right—playing trivia in the car is an excellent way to pass the time on a long road trip. Whether you’ve got a packed van or you’re going solo in your sedan, there’s a travel-friendly trivia option for you.
We’ve already covered the best trivia games to play via an app on your phone, but WiFi isn’t usually available on a road trip and data coverage can be spotty out on the highway. Instead, we’re highlighting physical games you can purchase online or at your local game shop, plus a few you can play without materials at all.
Below are our 12 picks for fun trivia games you can play in the car on your next road trip. Read on to brainstorm how you’ll pass the hours the next time you’re stuck in the car for a day or two. With these games, even the longest, stuffiest road trip will go by in a flash!
Trivial Pursuit: Stuff You Should Know
Beloved classic board game Trivial Pursuit has developed a trivia card game that’s fun for the whole family. Trivial Pursuit: Stuff You Should Know got a deck that contains 600 trivia questions just waiting to be answered.
This card game is inspired by the hit podcast Stuff You Should Know. The cards feature some fun facts mentioned on the show and some other new ones. Regardless of whether you’re an avid fan of the podcast or you’ve never heard it before, you’re sure to learn something new as you play!
Trivial Pursuit: Stuff You Should Know has six trivia categories: Humans, Science and Tech, History, Pop Culture, Myths, Legends, and Conspiracies, and SYSK Selects. That last categories is full of questions that were chosen by the Stuff You Should Know podcast hosts.
It’s a perfect game to play with three to six players, AKA just about how many people can fit in your car. So, buckle up and shuffle the deck!
- ANSWER TRIVIA FROM THE HIT PODCAST: Prove you know your stuff by answering trivia questions inspired by episodes of the hugely popular podcast Stuff You Should Know
- INCLUDES 600 TRIVIA QUESTIONS: Get ready for weird, fascinating, and unbelievable trivia. Each question is inspired by topics from different episodes of the Stuff You Should Know podcast.
- FEATURES 6 FASCINATING CATEGORIES: History; Pop Culture; Myths, Legends, and Conspiracies; Science and Tech; Humans; and SYSK Selects, a mix of topics hand-picked by podcast hosts, Josh and Chuck
- GAME FOR 3-6 PLAYERS: If you're a fan of the Stuff You Should Know podcast or just curious about the world, this trivia game's for you. Get ready for fun facts about food to flies, to hiccups and more
- BOARD GAME FOR ADULTS AND TEENS: This Trivial Pursuit: Stuff You Should Know Edition Game is great for teens and adults ages 16 and up
Trivial Pursuit, But With Only The Cards
Set on playing Trivial Pursuit, but you don’t want to buy a new portable edition to take with you in the car? There’s a simple fix: how about you use just the cards of a Trivial Pursuit game you already have lying around at home?
We think of Trivial Pursuit as a board game, and it’s intended to be one. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be modified for use out and about. Whether or not you play with the contents of the entire game box, those Trivial Pursuit cards have tons of valuable and interesting trivia questions to offer, and you can use them to entertain everyone you’re traveling with.
To do this, simply pick a smattering of cards from any normal Trivial Pursuit board game—you choose the edition. Then, you can keep score mentally or on a pad of paper. There’s no need for game tokens or a table this way, so it’s a great method for utilizing a favorite board game you already have at home while you’re on the road.
Brain Quest For the Car
If you’ve got trivia-obsessed kiddos in your life, you’ve probably heard of Brain Quest. It’s a trivia game that’s made for smart cookie children, but don’t let that dissuade older family members—these questions are fun at any age.
Brain Quest is a game that was constructed with the car in mind. So, it only makes sense that they’d make Brain Quest for the Car. Its long rectangular cards are all fastened together at one corner, so they won’t go flying everywhere if you drop the deck. Nope, instead they’ll all stay as one unit in order.
They’ve got an array of decks for different grade levels and school subjects. The one we’ve linked was specifically made for a car trip, so there are some harder questions peppered in there for the parents in the vehicle. However, you can play with whatever deck suits your fancy on the day of your road trip.
Brain Quest was my favorite game to play on road trips when I was younger. I haven’t picked it up in a few years—nowadays, I’m usually the one doing the driving—but the next time I’m in the passenger seat, I’m packing Brain Quest for the Car in the car.
If I remember correctly, the answers to the questions are on the back side of each page of questions, so quite a bit of flipping is required if you’re playing one question at a time. Perhaps opt to answer a page’s worth of questions before flipping it over to check to see if your answers were correct.
- Used Book in Good Condition
- Editors of Brain Quest (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 152 Pages - 04/09/2013 (Publication Date) - Workman Publishing Company (Publisher)
Games Room Car Buff Quiz
If you want to get really meta on your road trip, try your hand at this car-themed trivia game! Car Buff Quiz features a pack of 140 question cards guaranteed to entertain the whole family for hours at a time.
This game will be especially fun if the members of your road trip crew are self-proclaimed car buffs. In other words, if your family members or friends don’t know the difference between a Fiat and a Ford, this might not be the game for you.
But if your crew is big on cars, then have at it! This deck is tiny but mighty and can easily be held in your hand and shuffled by a single rider. Pass the Car Buff Quiz deck around the car and see who knows the most about the topic at hand.
- TRIVIA GAME – Rev your engines and let the quiz begin! The Car Buff Trivia Card Game from Ridley’s will put your car-related knowledge to the test. Do you have what it takes to be crowned the ultimate quiz champion?
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Gather your friends and family, young and old alike, and get the party started. Ideal for 2+ players, this quiz card game is excellent for social gatherings, parties and family nights. It’s also an inspired conversation starter!
- EASY TO PLAY – This quiz game for families is easy to play. Each player takes a turn rolling the die and answering the corresponding question on the card. The questions include a wide variety of car-related topics to test and entertain the crowd.
- INCLUDES – With 140 unique question cards, a decision die and instructions included, you have everything you need to get this trivia card game started. Plus, the sturdy 3.5” H x 5” W x 2” D storage box makes it easy to bring on the go!
- RIDLEY’S – Ridley’s invents exciting, original, quality games and toys to spark imaginations, banish boredom and open up a world of immense fun. Our games offer players a truly unique experience, with innovative bespoke packaging and game play.
How Did You Know That? Card Game
Are you a funky fun fact fanatic? Try your hand at Hygge Games’ How Did You Know That? card game. It’s got hours of fun questions waiting for you, and it’s all in one tiny game box that’s ready to be stowed away in your vehicle.
This game comes with a stack of cards with over 400 wacky trivia questions. Each card is printed with four questions on one side, and the answers to each question on the back. In other words, if you’re the one reading out the questions, shield the other side of the card with the back of your hand so that other players can’t cheat!
Since the answers aren’t listed alongside the questions, you could easily convert this into a team-playing game. Instead of every player for themselves, everyone in the car can work together to determine the answer to every weird question.
If you go through the whole entire deck, that might be enough trivia to get your through an entire afternoon on the road!
How Did You Know That? boasts that none of its questions are boring—these questions aren’t your standard Jeopardy!-esque fare. Instead, they’re super niche, so much so that many of the players may struggle to answer them! If you want to watch as your family or friends gasp incredulously when you give a correct answer, then this is the game for you.
- Do rhinos have tails? What is the most productive workday of the week? Can a goldfish live in carbonated water?
- Do you love trivia games with questions about long-dead classical composers and Eastern European capitals? Sorry, this won’t be the game for you
- How did you know that? is an addictively fun trivia game where not just trivia buffs and know-it-alls stand a chance.
- Get ready to hear the other players yell out “How did you know that?!” when you nail a question no one else knows!
- Perfect for your next party or dinner with friends and family!
Ridley’s Road Trips Travel Trivia
If you want trivia geared specifically towards those in your situation (i.e. being trapped in a hot leather car seat surrounded by your noisy family bored out of your mind) then go for Ridley’s Road Trips Travel Trivia Card Game. With 80 entertaining questions, this travel trivia deck of cards will surely eat up at least an hour or two of your long drive. Its questions are appropriate for the whole family but they’re by no means simple, so everyone in the car can wrack their brains, regardless of their ages.
Each card from the deck features a single multiple choice trivia question. Additionally, there’s a bonus fun fact about the question listed at the bottom of every card. That way, whoever’s reading out the question can learn something new, too!
Ridley’s Road Trips Travel Trivia Card Game comes in a compact box small enough to fit in your hand, so you don’t have to worry about the game taking up valuable real estate in your already packed car. Stow it in the glove compartment or side pocket of the door and take it out when you need a boredom buster.
- TRIVIA GAME – Buckle up and get ready for the great open road with the Road Trips Travel Trivia Game from Ridley’s! Do you have what it takes to be crowned the ultimate quiz champion?
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Gather your friends and family, young and old alike, and get the party started. Ideal for 2+ players, this game of questions is excellent for social gatherings, parties and family nights. It’s also an inspired conversation starter!
- EASY TO PLAY – This family trivia game is easy to play and tons of fun for everyone. Simply take turns reading and answering questions like ‘In which National Park would you find the Tioga Road?’ and learn something new!
- INCLUDES – This trivia card game includes 80 questions featuring multiple choice game play and bonus facts. Plus, it’s packaged in a small, durable box that’s portable and ready to gift to any travel lover in your life.
- RIDLEY’S – Ridley’s invents exciting, original, quality games and toys to spark imaginations, banish boredom and open up a world of immense fun. Our games offer players a truly unique experience, with innovative bespoke packaging and game play.
Millennials Vs. Boomers Trivia Card Game
Ever wished you could play a game that poked fun at generational divides through silly banter? Well, look no further. This Millennials Vs. Boomers Trivia Card Game from The Imagineering Company is the perfect game to find out which generation is supposedly smarter—and it comes in a little box perfect for packing in the car.
Millennials Vs. Boomers comes with over 200 cards, each with a trivia question and answer written on it. The cards are sorted into a “Boomers” pile and a “Millennials” pile, so you can easily quiz members of the older generation about the younger generation, and vice versa. Clearly, this game could incite some competition, so try to keep things light to avoid any ill will on the road.
This is the ideal game for an intergenerational road trip. Millennial “kids” (let’s be real, there are some millennials in their 40s now, so they’re not really kids anymore) will delight in playing this game with their boomer parents or grandparents.
And don’t forget about the Gen Z-ers! Any younger players will surely love to roast both of the aforementioned generations—that’s always how it goes, isn’t it? Set aside those generational rivalries and enjoy some good ol’ family fun with Millennials Vs. Boomers Trivia Card Game! Want even more for the Gen Z crowd? Be sure to also check out Millennials Vs. Zoomers!
- ⭐ FUN PARTY GAME: Our exciting family card game features two-sided cards, with 1,000 questions that cover five categories: Geography, History, Pop Culture, Sports, and General trivia. Making this a great party card game that can be played by a wide range of ages.
- ⭐ PLAY AND LEARN: Are you seeking for a fun way to learn about the United States? Playing our millennial vs boomers Game, you will learn about historical landmarks, tourist spots, famous people, and the pop culture that has forged this great country.
- ⭐ BATTLE TIME: Floppies? Beepers? Emojis? Memes? The generational difference is still very much alive. Help or hinder other players as you race to be the best! Our trivia game plays like a tabletop video game. Ideal for your screen free family game night and parties.
- ⭐ PERFECT FOR ANY OCCASION: A perfect activity for nights, birthdays, dinner parties, vacations, and any time you want to have fun! You can also take it wherever you choose for a good time.
- ⭐ BRILLIANT GIFT IDEA: This family card game is the perfect birthday gift for teens, girls, parents, adults, friends, or family as well as any party games or trivia card game lover in your life. Have a food fight on trivia night or family game night!
I Should Have Known That! Card Game
Another wonderful option for a portable trivia card game well-suited for the car is I Should Have Known That! It’s got over 400 questions in its deck of cards, and can be played by just two players.
Made by Hygge Games, this deck of cards covers the answers to trivia questions that you really ought to know. Unlike How Did You Know That?, these questions aren’t too wild or wacky. Someone in your group will likely know the answer to every single one. Therefore, it might be best to designate a buzzer sound ahead of playing this game to designate which player to answer—otherwise, things might get a little too competitive!
If your vehicle is stuffed to the brim so much so that you’re not sure you have room for the box, no worries! Simply remove the cards from the box and fasten them into a stack with a rubber band. Now, I Should Have Known That! will fit in your pocket wherever you go.
- Is starboard on the left or right side of a boat? How do you say “Japan” in Japanese? Is a penguin a bird? How long did Sleeping Beauty actually sleep?
- In contrast to traditional trivia formats, you don’t receive points for answering questions correctly. Instead, points are subtracted for every incorrect answer!
- Contains 110 cards with more than 400 questions about things that you should know
- An addictively entertaining trivia game where it will only be a matter of time before you hear yourself say… Ahhh!... I should have known that!
- Players 2+ / Age 14+ / Box size 5.7 x 5.7 x 1.8 inches
Ridley’s Foodie Vacation Travel Trivia
If you’re traveling with any foodies, then Foodie Vacation Trivia is a must-play. This deck of 80 cards is meant to be portable, so hand it over to whoever’s in the passenger seat and pass ‘em around the vehicle, trading off who reads out each question.
This game is made by Ridley’s, the same company that made the Road Trips Travel Trivia game we mentioned a little while ago. Like the aforementioned game, this one contains one fun fact per card that pertains to the trivia question listed above it. And every question is multiple choice, so if you’re completely stumped, you’ve got a one in four chance of guessing it right.
Foodie Vacation Triviais especially fun if you’re on your way to a food or drink-oriented event. Maybe you’re on the road to a faraway winery, or you have plans to head to a food festival once you get to wherever you’re going. No matter what your eating plans are, this game is sure to get the car hungry and excited for the new dishes that await at your final destination.
- TRIVIA GAME – Do you have a thirst for knowledge? Discover great dishes from across America and the world with the Foodie Vacation Trivia Game from Ridley’s. Do you have what it takes to be crowned the ultimate quiz champion?
- FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – Gather your friends and family, young and old alike, and get the party started. Ideal for 2+ players, this game of questions is excellent for social gatherings, parties and family nights. It’s also an inspired conversation starter!
- EASY TO PLAY – This family trivia game is easy to play and tons of fun for everyone. Take turns reading and answering questions like ‘In the U.S., Donut Day is celebrating during which month each year?’ and learn something new!
- INCLUDES – This trivia card game includes 80 questions featuring multiple choice game play and bonus facts. Plus, it’s packaged in a small, durable box that’s portable and ready to gift to any food lover in your life.
- RIDLEY’S – Ridley’s invents exciting, original, quality games and toys to spark imaginations, banish boredom and open up a world of immense fun. Our games offer players a truly unique experience, with innovative bespoke packaging and game play.
Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast
If you’d rather hear trivia questions from an experienced host as opposed to whoever’s in your backseat (sorry, Sis!), then why not listen to a trivia podcast? The Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast is a great one to start with!
Though it’s geared towards the whole family, the Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast is an excellent option if you’re traveling alone. You can’t flip over trivia flash cards if you’re driving, after all!
Listening to a trivia podcast is an awesome alternative that’ll allow you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road while you get quizzed on an array of topics. The Family Road Trip Trivia Podcast covers plenty of fun trivia topics, including DC Comics, Disney, The Office… really just about any family-friendly media you can think of! They have more than just media-based trivia, too—they also feature quizzes themed around various holidays and decades.
There are over 100 episodes of the Family Road Trip Trivia podcast, all about ten minutes long. So, sit back and queue a bunch of ‘em up to get you through a few hours of your long drive!
Make Up Your Own Trivia!
If none of the trivia game options we’ve listed above sound good to you, don’t worry. You can always make up your own trivia game as you complete your journey!
This can especially come in handy if you’re making a road trip last minute and didn’t have time to purchase a physical card game ahead of time.
When you make up your own trivia, you can choose whatever theme you’d like, or come up with a smattering of totally random questions. Designate a single family member or friend to be a host of sorts or trade off which rider is asking the questions. Each person in the vehicle can designate a buzz-in noise or sound effect for themselves ahead of time so answers don’t get shouted over one another.
Just a quick note about safety in the car: be conscientious during gameplay and keep yelling and jostling to a minimum. It’s easy to get pretty rowdy making up your own trivia—questions can get bawdy and the car can turn from calm and quiet to loud and raucous in a split-second. No matter what, be aware and considerate of the driver—their concentration is imperative for the safety of everyone in the car.
DIY Music Trivia
If you want to play trivia in the car, but also want to rock out to a bangin’ playlist as you complete the drive, why not make up your own music-themed trivia as you go?
For this game, you’ll probably want to designate a single rider to be in charge of the aux cord. From there, they can create a queue of beloved songs via their own music library or a streaming service (just be mindful of smartphone data usage!). Any song can have a place in this game so choose tunes from any era or genre—old standbys, new favorites, obscure indie bops, show tunes, and anything in between!
The designated host will shuffle the songs or start playing the queue, and from there players in the car have to guess the name of the song and its artist as quickly as possible. Perhaps designate buzz-in sound effects ahead of time—or opt not to, and instead watch as fun chaos ensues while everyone talks over each other to try to get their guess in first.
For bonus points, the players can answer further questions about the song. And these bonus questions can be entirely variable based on your own personal preferences. For example, the host can pause the music and ask the players what lyric comes next, or quiz players on fun facts about the song’s band or artist.
DIY music trivia is a wonderful way to involve the whole car in a game without physical materials—other than an aux cord and a smartphone, that is. If you’re craving a jam session with the fam, we highly suggest playing this the next time you’re trapped in the car for a while.
Final Words
Thanks for reading through our list of the very best trivia games to play in the car on a long road trip. We hope you’ve got some new ideas for how to pass the time when you’re taking a trip on the open road.
Did we miss your favorite trivia game to play in the car? Or do you have another suggestion? Hit us up in the comments. Safe travels and enjoy your journey!
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