How to Host Your Own Virtual Trivia Game Night

Are you unable to get to your weekly pub quiz night? Whether it be due to the Coronavirus pandemic and the stay at home orders, or if you just can’t get out of the house, don’t fret. You can host your own online trivia night from anywhere you have an internet connection.  Here’s what you’ll need to make it happen:

1. A Group of Trivia Fanatics to Join the Fun

Do you have a regular group of friends that you connect with on a weekly basis to play trivia? Or perhaps it’s a group of colleagues that are looking for some after hours team building activities in the new virtual workplace.  Better yet, maybe you have family that you’ve played Trivial Pursuit with over the years. Regardless of the connection, what’s important is you have individuals who love the game of trivia. 

2. A Trivia Game You Can Play Online

Trivia20 is chock full of online trivia games that are ready to go. No need to build your own game, you can select from games spanning a wide variety of topics. There are general knowledge trivia games that appeal to many age groups and demographics. If you’re looking for something more specific there are trivia games focusing on music, movies and sports. You’re bound to find a game that will appeal to your group. As the host of the trivia game, you’ll be moderating the event. You will read the trivia questions to the players, receive their answers, and track scores along the way. There are 20 questions in each game, making for a fun event.

3. Arrange a Date and Time for the Trivia Game Night

Check your calendar and see when you can hold the event. Reach out to some of the guests to see if they’re able to make the event. Once you have a date and time that will work for most of the players attending game night, send out the invitation. Give as much notice as you can to ensure maximum attendance.

4. A Conference Line Platform With Screen Sharing Capabilities

Formerly a luxury used solely by enterprise organizations, conference lines are now more mainstream. Yes the enterprise versions still exist, and you may have an account through your employer that you’re able to use. But if you don’t, there are many free versions you can use for your online trivia game. Here’s a quick list of options.

• Zoom - This conference line provider has become extremely popular since the onset of COVID-19. But it’s actually been around for several years. It’s extremely easy to use, and works perfectly for the needs of an online trivia game when the players are remote. They have both free and premium versions available. The free version has a 40 minute time limit, so while it can be used for the trivia games, it’s cutting it a bit close.
• Facebook Messenger - Naturally this social media giant knows the needs of their audience and came up with a way for their users to share screens online. Just about everyone has a Facebook account, and best of all it’s a free option.
• Skype - Once the go-to source for free calls and messaging, they’re screen sharing option works well for playing online trivia. While it’s still free, the popularity of Skype seems to be waning, so it’s possible the group you want to invite may not all have access to a Skype account.
• Microsoft Teams - This is a good option for those virtual trivia games you want to play with your colleagues as many organizations have Microsoft Teams in use already. The trivia host can share his or her screen via this platform and the players can turn on their webcams to up the fun levels.
• GoTo Meeting - Again, more of an enterprise level solution, but if there’s a need for a work team building exercise and your company already has a contract with GoToMeeting, it’s a great solution that’s stable and easy to use.
• WebEx - One last mention here to a paid conference line platform that you can also use for hosting your trivia game. It’s unlikely family or friends will be familiar with this, but assuming someone already has a subscription it’s perfect for virtual workplace events like trivia.

Those are all the key components you’ll need to host your very own trivia night. Make the most of it and have fun with virtual connections while having a structured activity for everyone to enjoy!