Trivial Pursuit – leave it in the box
There must be a lot of Trivial Pursuit lovers in the world because there’s an excessive number of Trivial Pursuit versions of there. (Boardgamegeek.com has entries for more than 160 Trivial Pursuit game versions!)
Or maybe it’s more like Monopoly – a lot of people have the game but it really just collects dust on the shelf.
After Trivial Pursuit first came out (1981), it quickly became THE hit party game. But I’m still having a hard time figuring out why.
Do people really enjoy playing games that make them feel dumb?
I love a good challenge, but when there’s really not much chance to know the answers to obscure facts, no thanks. I say put it back on the shelf. Or better yet, take it on a scout camp for a campfire starter.
Do you play the game or does the game play you?
This week, while on a business trip, I found myself playing Trivial Pursuit. I use the passive tense because I definitely didn’t seek this one out.
Our meetings were held at the Kent Manor (great place) in Baltimore during a big snowstorm. After a wonderful dinner, the host told us they had games in the parlor. While the mention of games got me excited, I knew not to expect too much. It wasn’t likely that there would be great modern board games.
Sure enough, the games rattled off we’re the games you’d expect – the games that most visitors would be familiar with – Monopoly, Sorry, and Trivial Pursuit.
In the group was a coworker that loves Trivial Pursuit. She grew up with games of Trivial Pursuit played frequently in her home. As a youngster she’d watch from the sideline as the adults had their men vs. women battles. And she vividly recalls when she knew an answer that the adults didn’t know because she had just read about that certain waterfall in school. She has always been hooked.
Yep. I knew which team I’d join.
Our team went first and I was shocked when I knew the answer to our first question. Woah! That’s not supposed to happen.
Then double shock when I knew the answer to our second question. We were on a roll!
Of course, from there it went downhill and quickly became the game I remember – a game of confused stares, throwing up hands, and saying “don’t even have a clue”, with the occasional right answer popping up here and there.
Looking at the stack of question cards at the end of the game (it did eventually end), it was easy to see the disproportionate amount of cards of incorrect answers to correct answers.
It was great to hang around a cozy parlor on a cold snowy night laughing and joking. And I guess that’s why people keep buying copies of Trivial Pursuit – conversation starters. You can chat about all sort of obscure things.
Much better Trivia games out there
With so many great modern party games, there’s a lot of better options available for enjoying times with a group of friends or coworkers.
The biggest thing I wished for that night was a copy of Wits & Wagers!
With a trivia lover in the group I’d gladly play off of that interest in choosing a game. Wits & Wagers would be a great way to go because you don’t have to know the answers to win or to enjoy the game experience. At the same time, you’ll still come across obscure facts that spur many interesting discussions.
You get the great social experience that people look for in Trivial Pursuit, without the alienation of folks feeling dumb.
In Wits & Wagers the trivia questions all have a numerical answer. Players write down their guesses, then place them on the table in order of lowest to highest. Then players get to bet on which answer they think is closest to being correct without going over. Collect (or lose) your chips/tokens and move on to the next question. So much less intimidating as a trivia game and lots more enjoyable.
While the number of Wits & Wagers game versions isn’t even close to the number of Trivial Pursuit versions, there are 3 to choose from.
They’re all great party games with unique trivia questions. The differences lie in the types of questions and the scoring.
I like the Family questions and the Party scoring the best. To find out more about the differences, check out our reviews of Wits & Wagers Family and Wits & Wagers Party.
So if you’re looking to play a trivia party game, leave Trivial Pursuit in the box and grab Wits & Wagers Party!
As far as future business trips go, I might just have to throw Wits & Wagers in my carry on next time. You know, just in case…
Trivial Pursuit has lead away the hearts of many; they must repent and turn from their evil works and partake of more celestial games.