About Trivia Games

What are trivia games? Since time immemorial people have been playing the game of testing each other on little known facts and detailed information. Whether it’s a new joke, something that you have learned through experience or a shocking international news story, the information becomes trivial over time and will likely end up being used in trivia board games or online quiz games. Now, all of those gardening tips you learned or the reading up on ancient history you have been doing for the last year can really pay off for you!

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘trivia’ literally means unimportant information. Of course that does not mean that a trivia question is trivial, particularly if there is a large cash prize attached! In recent years the word 'trivia' has increasingly become associated with general knowledge based games, which are played by one or more contestants who answer questions on a variety of subjects. These days this can be done, not only face to face, but on the computer with either a virtual or a ‘live’ audience of other computer users that you cannot see but can play in real time over the internet. This means you can play trivia by yourself against the computer or with anyone around the world at any time of day. Many websites such as this one include many top games which you can play for fun or win cash jackpots.

Many varieties of trivia games are available online with everything from specific genres such as sports or hobby trivia to fully fledged quiz game shows and general knowledge information. On-line trivia games can be great fun for people of all ages and are usually intuitive and easy to play. The formats vary but will usually include on-screen prompts with either multiple choice ‘click’ answers or fill-in-the-blanks formats for easy typing. Most games are timed and range from just a few questions to near endless sessions of brain-teasing interrogation.

One of the attractive things about on-line trivia (along with all of Express Games's other games) is that the games are all skill based. This means the better player wins. Too many games frustrate skilful players because luck determines such a large extent of the game that there is almost no incentive to become good and 'progress' at a particular game. Exploring the world of on-line trivia shown at sites like these where top games favours the truly skilful player. Because of this, you find players who are proud of their hard earned knowledge and often keen to brag on the likes of their Facebook account. And so they should be. Trivia players are a unique bunch - it takes a special mind to become knowledgeable enough to compete in the vast range of subjects that trivia games offer. But remember each game you play makes you more qualified to win the next game. This additional knowledge increases your credibility even in your personal life (although watch out for becoming the annoying know-it-all of your friends!). We have all known those people who seem to have a handy fact on just about any subject under the sun. These are people that everyone respects because they know so much. Many players start the journey just to learn a little about on-line trivia and discover that they have become just such a "walking database" that people come to for advice, and whose word is considered the final arbiter in private trivia arguments.

When you come to play trivia games online, you may be required to sign up for a user account with the trivia game website in order to be eligible for prizes as well as track your high scores or favourite types of games. The user account will allow you access to the site as well as the opportunity to receive additional information on upcoming on-line trivia events or website updates. Some trivia websites invite you to choose a user name and that will be the name that other users see. Have fun and be creative with your user name. After all, it is a game, right? Getting started is easy. Just pick a game that looks like fun and jump into the action! There’s no penalty for not doing well – you can just look at it as a challenge to do better next time. OR, you can pick a different kind of game if the first one doesn’t suit your fancy. You can even try them all. The best fun of trivia games is that you do not necessarily have to be an expert in any particular field in order to do well. General knowledge and quick memory is often just the right blend to make you a trivia master. And, it’s fun to learn from the questions that you don’t know!

Trivia Game History

Like all games be it the Olympic Games, football or cricket, the one thing they share in common is having a history. They all started somewhere or were inspired by something. What we will attempt to do now is try to determine the history of the all time famous trivia games.

It is no secret that the internet has a vast selection of trivia games and quizzes that one can download for the purpose of entertaining family, friends and loved ones. It's also useful for your own personal knowledge building as there is much to be learnt from trivia games online or in books. Trivia games make you think of events, subject areas, locations and just adds to one's pool of general knowledge. One finds that the knowledge gained from trivia games are of areas that normally would have been taken for granted but which having the knowledge proves quite useful.

Before going any further it might be helpful to first define the word trivia in an attempt to garner background knowledge on the matter at hand. Trivia is said to come from the word trivial which which entered the English Language in the early 15th century going on 16th century. 'Trivial' was derived from the word from 'trivialis' which means three way road. Apparently, the Roman Empire had a sophisticated message network whereby at road intersections, there would also be noticeboards relaying news and gossip from Rome i.e. 'trivia'. Another explanantion for the derivation of this word is that trivia was information that was 'vulgar' 'commonplace' and 'associated with the street'.

The association between trivia and quizzes goes back to the 1960s when two students of Columbia University called Ed Goodgold and Dand Carlinsky created an inter collegiate quiz which tested contestants. They called this a “trivia contest”. Evidence shows that the trivia game was in a Columbia Daily Spectator column and it was said to have been published in 1965. It carried on from there with other colleges following suit until it became an institution in and of itself. The term trivia became even more popular in 1966, when Goodgold and Carlinsky published their book “Trivia”, which featured in a number of best seller lists. Further books followed suit including, The Trivia Encyclopedia written by Fred L Worth in 1974. He then published The Complete Unabridged Super Trivia Encyclopedia in 1977, followed by Super Trivia vol. 2 in 1981. The popularity of all these books lead to an increasing number of trivia games where players participated to test their knowledge against others.

Over time trivia games spread across a variety of formats. The board game 'Trivial Pursuit' was created in 1979 by Scott Abbot and Chris Haney Worth and of course we can't fail to make reference to all the television trivia game shows on offer such as the ever popular Jeopardy or Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? to name but a few. And then of course along came the internet and with it a boom in online trivia games. Play against the computer or against a friend; for real money, play money or for nothing at all; pick a specialist subject or a general knowledge one. The choice is endless. All in all trivia games have been around for quite sometime and they are surely here to stay.

What online trivia quiz games are available?

At Express Games, we offer a fantastic collection of online trivia games, giving you the chance to win great prizes, or simply give those BrainCells a workout.

If you want to experience the thrill of a television trivia quiz, why not try some of our online game shows? Choose from Who Wants to Be a Millionnaire?, Catchphrase, Reversal of Fortune and Bullseye. All of these games let you enjoy the excitement of these trivia quiz shows, including video clips of the celebrity hosts and the big money prizes - all from the comfort of home.

Or if you're looking for pub-style online trivia quiz games, we've got plenty of those to choose from as well, including Hangman and Battleships.

Alternatively, pick your favourite topic and enjoy an online trivia quiz all about that. From music or maths to football or headline news, there's sure to be an online trivia quiz game that you'll love!

How to play online trivia quizzes with Express Games

When you play online trivia quizzes from Express Games, you have a wonderful range of options of how to play. The choice for you will depend on how you wish to play the online trivia quizzes.

All of the online trivia quiz games are available as free demo versions. You can play as much as you want without having to register or spend any money. But you won't get to take part in any of our jackpot tournaments or win any of our prizes and bonuses.

Another way to play online trivia quiz games is to register and challenge friends and other Express Games members in mini tournaments or by trying to work your way up the leader boards. And with our fantastic online community, you can take the opportunity to meet new friends, participate in live chats and browse other members' blogs. If you want, you can even post your winnings to Facebook to let all your friends know what you're up to.

Of course, our favourite way of playing online trivia quizzes is to put a little money into the game. This adds to the excitement and gives you the chance to win some amazing prizes. Some of our jackpots can be as high as £100!

Start playing online trivia quizzes from Express Games today!

If you're ready to test your general knowledge, start playing online trivia quiz games from Express Games. And if you're looking for other online games, we've got those too. Choose from puzzle games and card games, as well as online bingo.

Registration is fast and easy and when you join Express Games, we'll give you £5 in bonus money so you can start playing our online trivia quizzes right away.

To find out more, simply visit our FAQs page, and also be sure to find us on Facebook, where we'll keep you up to date with our special offers and latest jackpot tournaments.