When somebody says the word “trivia,” what do you think about? Perhaps you grew up playing Trivial Pursuit with your parents and siblings, and that will always be trivia in its truest form for you. Maybe you spend your evenings and commutes to work playing Trivia Crack. Perhaps your first impression of trivia was Kahoot! quizzes in English class. Or maybe you’re a pro trivia player who likes to attend pub quizzes and host their own events!
All these people would probably have their own unique definition of trivia. The player that likes pub quizzes could say that trivia games must have 10 rounds of 10 questions, while the Trivial Pursuit player could argue that there must be six categories. Neither one of them would be wrong, but their answers would be very different. So, what is trivia, really?
If we consider all the different player archetypes, we can come up with a list of criteria for any trivia game or question. That’s exactly what we did to write this article. But, before we get into that, I’d like to share my view of trivia.
The official meaning of the word trivia, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is, “details or information that are not important.” While you could say that that is true, it is up for interpretation. Certainly, you will not learn life-changing information through a game of trivia, but you can discover facts that are interesting to you. Thus, I think that trivia has to be interesting or concern a topic that invokes some emotion in the player.
To me, trivia is best described as a fun fact. A piece of trivia should be entertaining first, educational second. It must be presented in a way that strikes up interest and initiates a conversation. Just a random fact or question doesn’t have to be trivia. Entertainment is the very essence of trivia. If your fun fact or trivia game is not making people laugh, it’s probably not very good. To support this claim, we’ve provided some important criteria to judge trivia by.
Is it Interesting?
Despite most definitions calling trivia a useless fact, a good piece of trivia actually has to be interesting. It should invoke some sort of emotion in the person answering. Generally speaking, nobody cares about the year something happened; that’s too difficult to remember and it is not that interesting. In my opinion, trivia is best described as a fun fact or an interesting tidbit of information. If it’s not interesting, it’s not good trivia.
Is it Educational?
Though this is not necessary, I feel as though a good piece of trivia needs to teach you something. Sure, there are lots of trivia out there that serve no particular purpose. However, many people love when their trivia teaches them something interesting about the world. The educational aspect is a redeemable quality that parents search for when they buy trivia games for their children. It is also fun to feel like you’re learning something when you’re playing a game or enjoying yourself in any other way.
Is it Answerable?
Some trivia games defy this rule by providing questions that nobody can possibly know the answers to. While that type of trivia can have its moment, most trivia questions should be answerable. If you cannot even fathom the possibility of guessing the answer, then it’s no fun. In addition to that, there needs to only be one answer. If there are more ways to answer a simple question, it is not a good piece of trivia.
Is it Categorized?
There is an infinite number of topics in the world. You can probably keep coming up with topics for the rest of your life and never run out. Trivia should fit in one of those topics. Trivial Pursuit introduced the original trivia topics—Geography, History, Entertainment, Arts & Literature, Science & Nature, and Sports & Leisure. Trivial Pursuit set the tone for trivia games for decades. Of course, there is the occasional wild card and random category, but trivia shouldn’t be too random.
The fun fact in question has to relate to something in your life. If you’re hearing a piece of trivia that’s too hypothetical, you won’t find it interesting. However, if the trivia relates to your favorite show or a country that you learned about in school, you are more likely to find it interesting and worth remembering.
What Type of Media is it?
Trivia can be categorized not only by topic, but also by the type of media used. Most trivia is presented in the form of fun facts or questions. That can be verbal or written. However, there are additional types of trivia that are presented in an audio or visual format. You will often encounter questions that are accompanied by images in trivia apps. They are also present at pub quizzes and even game shows like Jeopardy!
What Is a Good Trivia Question?
If you want to write a good trivia question, then you could probably use some tips about trivia writing. Start by setting the scene for your question. Define the media type as well as the form of delivery. You can read it out loud or put it in writing. Maybe it’s not even a question at all! If you’re familiar with Jeopardy!, you know what I mean.
Then, you need a theme or category. The easiest way to go about that is following the Trivial Pursuit method. There are six categories and your question should fit in one of them. That goes hand-in-hand with knowing your audience. Who is going to hear this question? Make sure your audience can answer the question. That leads us to the next point—make sure there is just one answer to your question! That also depends on your writing style. Try to make your question as unambiguous as possible. The point is not to trick your audience, but to entertain them.
Once you’ve got your good trivia question, all you need to do is make it better! Easier said than done, right? To make a question better, you can expand it. For instance, you can add more information to the question. That doesn’t have to make it easier (though it can). What it does, is add entertainment value. Finally, if there is any way to make the question funny, do it! Humor is the ultimate form of entertainment. Make your guests laugh and they will keep coming back for more trivia.
What Is a Trivia Night?
A trivia night is an event where people gather to answer trivia questions competitively. It is usually held in the evening, though there is no rule stating that you cannot enjoy some morning or afternoon trivia. Usually, there are 10 rounds with 10 questions in each. Guests come already divided into teams. At the end of the game, the team with the highest number of correct answers gets a prize. The rest is up to you!
Some trivia nights have a theme. It may be movie night, where all the guests are encouraged to come in costume and answer questions about the film industry. If you’re running a trivia night, you can come up with your own theme, send out invitations, bring decorations, have drinks, and even make themed appetizers! Of course, the way you organize your trivia night will depend on the venue you’ve secured. If you’re running a small game at home with just your circle of friends, you can afford to do anything you want.
Pub quiz organization is very different. You need to secure a venue, market the event, prepare a PowerPoint presentation, print out answer sheets, come up with interesting prizes, check the sound system… the list goes on. You can also run a virtual trivia night, which is an excellent solution for friends who want to get together and can’t because of distance. Check out our trivia night checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything!
Final Words
Your definition of trivia will certainly depend on your experience with it. I encourage you to explore the world of trivia and all its different corners–it might even be good for you! Play board games, download trivia apps, read books filled with fun facts, watch TV game shows, and attend pub quizzes. Who knows, maybe you’ll enjoy it so much that you will start to host your own trivia events!
Whatever your experience with trivia is, please share it with us in the comments. What does trivia mean to you? What is the truest form of trivia in your opinion? What are some criteria that trivia absolutely must fill? Do you agree with the opinions stated in this article? Let us know what you think!
Leave a Reply