What's the modern version of Trivial Pursuit?

March 16, 2024 11:47 AM

I'd like to play more general knowledge quizzes with my family, and I used to enjoy Trivial Pursuit. Has it kept up with the times, or are there better options today?

Questions need to be a good mix of challenging, informative, easy, fun, interesting, factual, scientific, geographical, historical, cultural, pop cultural, timeless, and up-to-date. Suitable for teenagers and grownups. Something that can be played for short or long sessions.

It doesn't need to be a board game. In fact, it would be much better if it wasn't a board game, which has to go in and out of storage and requires a clean table. This could really just be an app or website. I'm happy to pay for it if it's good.

posted by snarfois to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (8 answers total)

It's not new but I like Wits & Wagers a lot, and it checks off most of your requirements. It's easy to play with different age groups because the answers are all numeric and, really, a lot of the gameplay is betting on who came closest once you see the spread of answers people have given.

By coincidence on the blue today, I had a reason to mention the parlor game context in which a lot of late 18th / early 19th C. crossword-like trivia puzzles were worked out, and to expand on that slightly, Jane Austen's Emma provides a couple of examples of people working out puzzles collaboratively as a sort of parlor entertainment.

Given your particular requirements, one option might be to just work crosswords together. USA Today gives two easy ones free per week without registration. WaPo republishes the LA Times crossword, always free. The Seattle Times republishes the NYT puzzle for free. Brendan Emmett Quigley's blog has a bunch of free ones. Etc. The thread on the blue has a lot of context about their contemporary issues.
posted by Wobbuffet at 12:12 PM on March 16 [2 favorites]

Mind the Gap is designed with different generations in mind (a good balance of questions for each). My family and I enjoyed it. It does not have all of the categories you're looking for. The categories are pop culture, TV and film, music, headlines, and slang.
posted by Eyelash at 12:39 PM on March 16

Smart 10 is a really fun one -- it doesn't require a board, and everyone gets to take a stab at every question, with it getting more difficult as it goes around the group. There are several types of questions, and enough variety (some more modern stuff, some more historical or general knowledge stuff) that everyone can play.
posted by cider at 1:33 PM on March 16

I would say the closest similar thing that I have played would be Bezzerwizzer which it seems has an english language version.
posted by Iteki at 1:57 PM on March 16

If a book would work, my trivia-obsessed family really enjoys this one. We have two teenagers and often do a category or two of these questions at dinner.
posted by hovizette at 6:06 PM on March 16 [3 favorites]

There are a zillion pub trivia podcasts, would those do?
posted by inkyz at 8:21 PM on March 16

Jackbox games has one called You don’t know Jack. It was really popular during the pandemic.
posted by tinymegalo at 9:12 PM on March 16 [4 favorites]

The Dropout show Um, Actually (mostly nerd trivia) has a board game version now.
posted by creatrixtiara at 9:13 PM on March 16 [3 favorites]