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The Spruce / Sabrina Jiang
Whether the subject at hand is movies, geography, or '80s pop songs, playing a trivia game can be a fun way for friends and family members to bond and compete over shared knowledge.
We researched the best trivia games on the market for kids and adults alike, considering factors like audience, topic, and difficulty level. After narrowing down the topic choices. we chose PlayMonster's 5 Second Rule Uncensored as the best trivia game. The hilarious adult-themed game (there's a family-friendly version too) is energetic and interactive every single round.
Here are the best trivia games for every type of group.
Best Overall: Play Monster 5 Second Rule Uncensored Game
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Courtesy of Target
Exciting fast pace
Hilarious topics
Easy to learn
Can get repetitive after a few rounds
What do buyers say? 90% of 8,900+ Amazon reviewers rated this 4 stars or above.
This party game is definitely not appropriate for kids, but it super fun for an older crowd. Note that the company does make a tamer version (available on Amazon) that works better for families. The point of the game is to read the card and spit out three examples that answer the question in five seconds or less.
Although some of the 300 questions are more straightforward trivia ("Name three erogenous zones" or "Name three celebrities who've been caught naked"), others, like "Name three things you should never do at a funeral," give the player a little more freedom with their answers. To challenge and distract players even more, a "Twisted Timer" is included, which counts down the seconds using clacking marbles, making things feel even more tense.
Our tester loved that this game was easy to follow and a great jumping off point for an exciting game night with friends. Playing with new people every time ensures a new experience that never gets boring (which it might with the same group over and over again). For an affordable price, it's a must-have adult party game.
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The Spruce / Shannon Wells
Best Guessing: North Star Games Wits & Wagers Deluxe
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Dominic Crapuchettes
Perfect for a family or party
Suitable for various ages
Less challenging than answering trivia questions
May be frustrating for young kids
This fast-paced trivia game is based on more than general knowledge, so players of all ages can get in on the fun. Wits & Wagers combines trivia with gambling by having players make educated guesses that come as close to the correct number as possible. Bet on the question you believe is correct and risk losing your chips in the process.
Unlike other games, all players answers a question that has a numerical answer. All of the guesses are then placed in order from lowest to highest, and you bet on where you think the correct answer lies or if you think everyone guessed too low or too high. Thus, players do not need to have a wealth of knowledge to enjoy Wits & Wagers but rather be willing to gamble on the closest option.
Best for Kids: Buffalo Games Weird But True Board Game
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Courtesy of Target
More collaborative than other picks
Choose between two choices
Educational
Can get repetitive after time
If your kids are hooked on the Weird but True! books from National Geographic Kids, they'll love the chance to play this trivia game that's based on the series. It's an inclusive option because everyone plays every question. For some cards, you only need to answer "A" or "B," so those cards can have multiple winners, which may help prevent arguments and make younger kids feel more confident.
Other question formats include "Fact or Fiction" (choose which statement is true), "Brain Blitz" (name as many things in a category as you can during a timed interval), and "Eye Wonder," where everyone looks at a close-up image and tries to guess what's being shown. Each round takes 20 to 40 minutes, so your kids won't feel like it's dragging on, and the game can be played with up to five players.
Best Classic: Hasbro Games Trivial Pursuit
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Multiple topics
Fun and challenging
Beautiful design
Some wish the questions were categorized better
With its wheel-shaped board and six familiar categories (arts and literature, sports and leisure, geography, entertainment, science, and history), this iconic game is still a favorite among kids, teenagers, and parents, who likely grew up playing the original version. This update comes with a timer to help keep things moving at a brisk pace and nearly 3,000 questions to challenge players for years to come. You can speed up the game by allowing players to collect pie pieces each time they correctly answer a question, not just when they land on a wedge-shaped space. If you're playing with children, you can level the playing field by letting the younger ones answer questions from the Family Edition (available on Amazon).
Best for Large Groups: Bananagrams Linkee: The Trivia Quiz Game
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Courtesy of Amazon
Diverse questions and topics
Suitable for various ages
Pop culture included
May lose entertainment value after going through all of the cards
With Linkee, answering the questions correctly isn't enough. Players must answer four questions in a row, then find the link between the answers before any other teams. The first team to guess correctly gets a letter and the first team to spell on "linkee" wins.
The team aspect makes this perfect for parties or game nights. Players of all ages will enjoy this game, just be sure to diversify your teams to increase the wealth of knowledge. Questions range from pop culture to history, so everyone is guaranteed to get some of the questions right.
Best for Families: Dr. Moku STEM Family Battle Board Game
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Courtesy of Amazon
STEM-based
Pop culture references
Simple to play
May be too difficult for young players
Children's mastery of STEM subjects subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) is often linked to future academic success. But you don't need to tell your kids that—just let them enjoy this rousing game that requires both strategizing and basic scientific knowledge. The questions are divided into categories: Flyweight is for younger children while Heavyweight is aimed at teens and adults (although some parents felt their teens were better matched to the Flyweight questions).
To keep things engaging, references to video games (like Minecraft), movies, and songs are sprinkled in as well. Gameplay is simple: Players must roll the dice, answer questions correctly, and be the first to finish moving through the board.
Best Two-Player : Hygge Games ...I Should Have Known That! Trivia Game
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Portable
Wide range of topics
Great for groups or two people
Can lose enjoyment after going through all of the cards
Opt for a trivia game for date nights, road trips, or dinner time with one that is easy to grasp and perfect for two players. I Should of Known That challenges you to random trivia questions on a wide range of topics that will have you learning something new and wishing you had known certain answers.
Unlike other trivia card games, you don't earn points by answering questions correctly, but rather lose points when answering incorrectly. There are over 110 cards included in the pack with 400 questions, so you can play over and over again. Portable card games like this are perfect for taking and playing on the go.
Best Sports: Mindware Sports Trivia Challenge
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Courtesy of Walmart
Sports themed
Suitable for various ages
Visual game
May get repetitive after a while
The beauty of this game is that it can be played by both sports nerds and those whose knowledge is a bit more...limited. Questions are split into two different levels ("rookie" and "pro"), and they come in a few different formats. "Name It" requires the player to come up with a straightforward definition. "Know It" has a multiple-choice question. And "See It" shows a magnified photo of a sports-related object, and players must try to guess what it is.
A wide range of activities is covered, including soccer, ice hockey, badminton, and even bobsledding. The object of the game is to move through the board collecting chips for correct answers (they're worth different point values) and to ideally avoid obstacle squares, such as "on the ropes," "yellow flag," or "water hazard," which will delay your progress.
Best Challenging Trivia: Game Development Group Wit’s End Board Game
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Courtesy of Amazon
Challenging
Simple instructions
Tons of questions
Not suited for young ones
Trivia fans seeking a challenge should try this multifaceted game, which includes questions divided into four creative categories: Teasers (word riddles), Odd One Out (guess the answer that doesn't belong), Sequencing (arrange a list of four answers in the correct order, such as animals with the most to least teeth), and Wild Card, which, as the name suggests, could be anything and includes topics like geography, current events, and math.
Players praised the subject matter, saying that even when they got an answer wrong, they learned something distinctive and memorable. There are some similarities to Trivial Pursuit: You roll the dice and move around the board. Although instead of collecting pie pieces, the goal is to advance from the outer ring toward the middle and answering incorrectly can push you back toward the edges again.
Best Pop Culture : Goliath Pop Trivia
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Goliath
Covers multiple generations
Fun and challenging
Not much of a game structure outside of the questions
Calling all pop culture aficionados! Test your knowledge of your generation and beyond with this trivia card game focused on all things movies, music, and popular culture from different decades in history. There are six different categories that range from fads and fashion to naming the year of historical events from that time.
Goliath Pop Trivia would be an awesome game to play with older and younger family members to learn about life throughout six decades. Teens and grandparents alike will love reminiscing on the past in this nostalgic yet challenging and exciting game.
The PlayMonster 5 Second Rule Uncensored Game was popular with testers for its simple premise and high entertainment value—just note that it's recommended for ages 17 and up. If you're looking for something more kid-friendly, the Weird But True Game by National Geographic Kids can be played up to five players, where each player participates each round.
What to Look for in a Trivia Game
Audience
Some trivia games are best with just a few players at the table, while others are great for entertaining larger party groups. Also, some trivia may get a little racy and may not be age-appropriate for everyone, so check the suggested age level before selecting a game for your crew.
Challenge level
Do you want to play primarily for fun or really test players’ knowledge? Some trivia games are more challenging than others, and some involve more of an educated guess element that are better suited for kids. Finding the right mix of challenging but not completely impossible is a good goal.
Type
There are some trivia games that cover a variety of topics, while others center around specific ones such as entertainment or sports. Certain games are fairly straightforward while others shake things up and add fun new twists. Consider who'll be playing most frequently—as well as their interests and playing style—when choosing a game.
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How do you play trivia over Zoom?
Playing trivia games over Zoom is as easy as picking a time, hosting a group call, putting everyone who shows up on gallery view to make sure that nobody is tempted to cheat, and sharing trivia questions that you can display by sharing your screen so that participants can answer in group chat. Or you can use the “raise hand” function as a de facto buzzer if you prefer. If you are hosting a large game, teams can use the “breakout room” function to discuss answers amongst themselves. You can create the trivia quiz yourself, use an online random trivia generator to find questions, or try any number of free or paid online trivia apps that were designed specifically for this purpose.
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What are the age requirements for trivia games?
There are trivia games for people of all ages. Some trivia games are targeted at adults with racy themes or advanced subject matter. Others are directed at kids to help them build skills and test knowledge. And then there are trivia games designed for the whole family with general interest questions on a variety of topics that do not so much test knowledge as they encourage the art of the educated guess. If you are purchasing a trivia board game, be sure to check age limits and requirements to get a sense of whether or not the game will be appropriate for you and your family.
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What is a trivia game?
A trivia game is a competition where players take turns attempting to correctly answer questions about insignificant, obscure, or otherwise unimportant facts on a variety of subjects. Players are given a time limit to answer questions aloud, in writing, or according to the rules of the specific trivia game or competition they are playing or participating in. The person with the greatest number of correct answers at the end of the specified game period wins. Trivia games may take the form of board games to play at home with family and friends, pub quizzes, or online trivia nights played on Zoom.
Why Trust the Spruce?
Lexi Dwyer is a parenting and lifestyle writer for The Spruce. Her work has appeared on digital media outlets like Fatherly, What To Expect, and Today.com.
Additional reporting was done by Julia Fields, a lifestyle writer for The Spruce and The Spruce Crafts, covering all things surrounding toys, gifts, crafts, and the holidays.