A good home quiz feels effortless to the people playing it. That is because the host did a little thinking beforehand. None of it is hard, and most of it takes ten minutes with a cup of tea.
Start with the people, not the questions
Before you write a single question, think about who is coming. A quiz for six old university friends is a different animal from one for three generations of family on Boxing Day. Ask yourself:
- How many are playing? Four to eight people is the sweet spot for a living room. Any more and you will want teams.
- What ages? If there are children, you need questions they can actually answer. Our family quiz night guide has ideas.
- What are they into? One round on a shared passion (a TV series, a football club, the family's holidays) gets more laughs than any amount of capital cities.
How many rounds, and how long?
The most common mistake is planning too much. People arrive late, the pizza takes longer than expected, and somebody always wants to argue about question four. A rough guide:
- Allow about a minute per question, including reading it out, thinking time and a bit of chat. Marking and announcing scores adds a few minutes per round.
- Ten questions makes a tidy round. It is long enough to matter and short enough that nobody drifts off.
- For an evening, plan four to six rounds. That gives you roughly an hour to an hour and a half of quiz, with a break in the middle.
- For a quick game before dinner, two or three rounds is plenty.
Mix up the round types so the rhythm changes. A general knowledge round, a picture round, a music round and a quick-fire round feel very different, and different people will shine in each.
Teams or every player for themselves?
Individual play is great when everyone is roughly matched and competitive. Teams work better when knowledge is uneven, because the strong players carry the less confident ones and everybody feels part of it.
- Keep teams to two to four people. Bigger teams leave someone sitting quietly at the edge.
- Split up couples and know-it-alls. Pairing the quiz champion with the youngest player is a time-honoured trick.
- Let teams pick a silly name. It costs nothing and gets everyone talking.
Keep the scoring simple
A point per correct answer is clear and quick to mark. If you want a little extra spice, try one of these:
- A bonus for speed in one round, so the fastest right answer scores more.
- A joker: each team chooses one round in advance to score double.
- Half points for answers that are nearly right, if you are feeling generous.
Whatever you choose, explain it before the first question, not when someone queries it in round three. Our guide to quiz night rules and scoring goes into more detail.
Show the scores between rounds. A visible leaderboard turns a pleasant evening into a proper contest, and gives the team at the bottom something to chase.
Prizes: small and silly beats big and serious
You do not need prizes, but they add a nice finish. Keep them light: a bar of chocolate, a paper crown, first pick of the leftover cake, or the right to choose next week's film. A booby prize for last place often gets the biggest cheer. If children are playing, consider a small prize for everyone so nobody goes to bed in tears.
Have a tie-break ready
Ties happen more often than you would think. Decide in advance how you will settle one, so it does not turn into a debate. Two good options:
- Closest wins. Ask a question with a number for an answer, such as the year something happened or how tall a famous building is. Nearest guess takes it.
- Sudden death. Ask one question at a time to the tied players. First correct answer wins.
Write two or three tie-break questions on a card and keep them in your pocket. You may never need them, but you will be glad they are there.
Get the tech set up before anyone arrives
Using the TV makes a home quiz feel like a game show, and it saves you reading every question aloud. Whatever you use, test it the afternoon before:
- Check the Wi-Fi reaches the sofa. If players are answering on their phones, they all need a decent signal.
- Put the Wi-Fi password somewhere visible for guests who are not on your network.
- Turn the TV volume to a level you can talk over. Music between rounds is lovely; music during questions is not.
- Charge your own phone and keep a charger near the sofa for guests who arrive on two per cent.
- Run one test question so you know how everything looks on the big screen.
On the night
Start with a warm-up round of easy questions so everyone scores early. Keep the pace up: if a question is causing a long argument, make a ruling and move on. Take a break at half time for food and drinks. Read out the scores with a bit of drama, especially before the final round. And above all, enjoy it. A relaxed host makes for a relaxed room.