Calling all board game enthusiasts! 🎲
Whether it’s a cozy family gathering or a lively evening with friends, a board game trivia night promises a unique blend of competition and laughter.
From the classics that have charmed generations to the modern gems captivating current players, our beloved board games harbor a treasure trove of fun facts and curious details.
In this post we have written and collected a trove of board game trivia questions, and we will keep adding to the list! Last count: 87 questions.
Why Board Game Trivia?
Before we delve into the trivia, let’s unbox the significance of this topic. Board game trivia isn’t just a treasure trove of fascinating facts; it’s a bridge connecting us to the whimsical world of board games. It adds a new layer of appreciation for these cherished pastimes, sparking conversations and chuckles.
So, next time you’re huddled around a board game, drop a trivia bomb and watch the amusement unfold!
Check out our other posts on the topic:
Top picks for 3-player and 6-player board games, or best solo board games.
The Trivia Treasury
Now, let’s unlock the chest of board game trivia categorized into captivating themes. Feel free to pick questions from each theme to create a spicy trivia round for your next game night!
General Board Game Trivia
Q: What board game’s name is derived from the Latin for “I play”?
A: Ludo
Q: In chess, which piece has the lowest point value?
A: Pawn
Q: Which board game includes locations like “Park Place” and “Baltic Avenue”?
A: Monopoly
Q: In which game would you find the characters Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlett?
A: Clue (or Cluedo)
Q: Which board game involves a player trying to solve a murder mystery using deduction?
A: Clue (or Cluedo)
Q: What game involves making words using letter tiles on a grid?
A: Scrabble
Q: What’s the primary objective in the board game “Jenga”?
A: To avoid knocking over the tower while removing blocks.
Q: Which classic game involves players trying to solve a crime by guessing the perpetrator, the weapon, and the location?
A: Clue (Cluedo outside of North America).
Q: Which game requires players to guess their opponent’s characters by asking yes or no questions?
A: Guess Who?
Q: In what game do players collect resources like wool and brick to build roads and settlements?
A: The Settlers of Catan.
Q: Which game uses a “pop-o-matic” bubble to roll the dice?
A: Trouble
Specific Board Game Trivia
Q: How many double-word score spaces are there on a Scrabble board?
A: 8
Q: In Monopoly, how much money does each player start with?
A: $1,500
Q: What is the highest-scoring word you can form in the opening move of Scrabble?
A: Muzjiks
Q: In chess, what is it called when a pawn reaches the opposite end of the board and is exchanged for a different piece?
A: Promotion
Q: Which Monopoly token was added to the game through a popular vote in 2013?
A: Cat
Q: In the game Risk, which continent provides the fewest additional armies per turn?
A: Australia
Q: What is the highest possible score in a single turn in Scrabble?
A: 311 points (achieved by playing “OXYPHENBUTAZONE” across the top of the board)
Q: Which chess piece may only move diagonally?
A: Bishop
Q: How many tiles are used in a standard game of Dominoes?
A: 28
Q: What color is the “Double Word Score” space in Scrabble
A: Pink
Q: In Monopoly, what is the cost to buy a railroad?
A: $200
Q: Which square is diagonally opposite to “Go” in Monopoly?
A: “Free Parking”
Q: In Chess, which piece is involved in the special move “en passant”?
A: Pawn
Q: How many victory points are needed to win a standard game of Catan?
A: 10
Q: What special ability does the queen have in the game Hive?
A: She is the piece that must be surrounded to win the game.
Q: What is the most valuable property set in Monopoly, based on improvement costs and rents?
A: Boardwalk and Park Place (the dark blue set)
Q: How many cards does each player draw at the beginning of a standard game of UNO?
A: 7
Q: In Ticket to Ride Europe, what color is the station piece?
A: Gray
Q: How many suits are there in a standard deck of playing cards?
A: 4
Q: How many points is the letter Q worth in Scrabble?
A: 10
Historical and Cultural Trivia
Q: Which ancient board game, originating in India, is considered a predecessor to chess?
A: Chaturanga
Q: Which board game has a star-shaped version popular in China?
A: Chinese Checkers
Q: Which ancient board game was found in the tomb of King Tut?
A: Senet
Q: Which board game was created to teach ethical and moral lessons about the rewards of good deeds and the consequences of bad ones?
A: The Game of Life
Q: What is the ancient Egyptian game “Senet” believed to symbolize?
A: The journey to the afterlife.
Q: The Royal Game of Ur, originating from ancient Mesopotamia, is played with what distinctive feature?
A: Tetrahedral dice.
Q: “Mahjong,” a game originating in China, typically involves how many tile sets?
A: 144 tiles.
Q: Which board game was invented by a French film director and became popular in the 1970s?
A: Pictionary
Q: In ancient Rome, which game, bearing similarities to backgammon, was popular?
A: Tabula
Q: Which strategy board game was invented in 1957 by a French film director Albert Lamorisse?
A: Risk
Q: The game of Go has its origins in which country?
A: China
Q: Which board game was patented under the name “L’Attaque” in 1909?
A: Stratego
Q: In which game do players try to outwit each other by crafting the most valuable stained-glass windows?
A: Sagrada
Modern and Popular Board Game Trivia
Q: Which cooperative board game involves players working together as a team of disease-fighting specialists?
A: Pandemic
Q: What game, designed by Klaus Teuber, has players collect resources to build roads, settlements, and cities?
A: The Settlers of Catan
Q: Which game involves bluffing your opponents by describing imaginary rules?
A: Mao
Q: Which party game has players draw cards and perform challenges under categories like “Show,” “Do,” and “Say”?
A: Cranium
Q: Which popular cooperative game designed by Matt Leacock involves players trying to cure four diseases before they spread too far?
A: Pandemic
Q: What is the island of Catan made of?
A: Hexagonal tiles
Q: In “Ticket to Ride,” how many train car cards does each player start with?
A: Four
Q: Which popular modern board game takes its name from the Latin for “I see” and involves players dividing assets into portions to be chosen by others?
A: Dixit
Q: Which 2010 board game designed by Antoine Bauza involves players trying to build a civilization through strategic card drafting?
A: 7 Wonders
Q: What board game, designed by Uwe Rosenberg, challenges players to develop their own personal forest?
A: Indian Summer
Q: What game mechanic is employed in “Gloomhaven” which involves players choosing their actions by playing cards?
A: Hand management
Q: What object must players keep afloat in “Forbidden Island”?
A: The Island itself (by shoring up flooded tiles)
Q: In “Codenames”, what role gives clues to their team to find the words of their color?
A: Spymaster
Q: In the board game “Splendor”, what are players collecting to purchase development cards?
A: Gem tokens
Q: “King of Tokyo” is a game designed by which famous game designer?
A: Richard Garfield
Card Game Trivia
Q: What card game, often associated with gambling, involves forming sets and runs of cards?
A: Rummy
Q: In Poker, what is the highest possible hand?
A: Royal Flush
Q: Which classic card game has a “Shooting the Moon” strategy?
A: Hearts
Q: Which card game uses terms like “bidding” and “trump suit”?
A: Bridge
Q: In which game do players try to get rid of all their cards by playing a card that matches the top card of the discard pile in either rank or suit?
A: Crazy Eights
Q: Which card game, popular in the United Kingdom, involves trick-taking and bidding, and is often played by four players?
A: Whist
Q: In Blackjack, how much are face cards worth?
A: 10
Q: What is the target number in the game Baccarat?
A: 9
Q: What card game involves phrases like “stick” and “twist”?
A: Pontoon
Q: Which card game has a unique pack of cards including suits like sabres and polo sticks?
A: Piquet
Q: What game often referred to as “patience” can be played with one or more players?
A: Solitaire
Q: In Texas Hold’em Poker, what is the term for the first three community cards dealt to the table?
A: The Flop
Rare and Niche Board Game Trivia
Q: What is the name of the game which is similar to Bingo but uses images and is commonly played in Mexico?
A: LoterĂa
Q: In which game do players use beans as currency to build profitable crop sets?
A: Bohnanza
Q: In the board game “Talisman,” players are on a quest to gain what object?
A: The Crown of Command.
Q: Which game features a plant-like alien species called “Philodendron” and has a focus on co-operative negotiation?
A: Cosmic Encounter.
Q: In “Twilight Struggle,” players vie for political influence during which historical period?
A: The Cold War.
Q: The board game “Puerto Rico” involves managing plantations and producing what type of goods?
A: Colonial goods like sugar, tobacco, and coffee.
Q: Which game, published by Ravensburger, has players guide their pawns through a shifting labyrinth to collect treasures?
A: Labyrinth.
Q: What 1981 board game involves players using different-shaped pieces to create images from a challenge booklet?
A: Ubongo
Q: Which board game is based on a historic event, the siege of a fortress in Russia by Napoleon’s army?
A: Fortress Besieged
Q: What game has players designing a quilt by placing polyomino pieces onto their player board?
A: Patchwork
Q: Which board game involves players trading spices sought after by traders along the ancient spice road?
A: Century: Spice Road
Q: Which board game was inspired by the events of the 1917 Russian revolution and involves both cooperative and competitive gameplay elements?
A: Dual Powers: Revolution 1917
Miscellaneous Board Game Trivia
Q: Which game involves answering questions in categories like “History” and “Science & Nature” to earn pies?
A: Trivial Pursuit
Q: What board game uses hexagonal tiles to create a map where players build settlements, roads, and cities?
A: The Settlers of Catan
Q: Which two-player abstract strategy game uses black and white stones and aims to control the most territory?
A: Go
Q: In “Dungeons & Dragons,” what polyhedral die is used to determine hit points, damage, and other random outcomes?
A: D20 (20-sided die).
Q: “Betrayal at House on the Hill” involves exploring a spooky house until what event happens, changing the course of the game?
A: The Haunt.
Q: Which board game allows players to strategize as farm owners, managing their resources and livestock?
A: Agricola.
Q: In which game do players create contiguous territories of their color on the board, aiming to have the most points?
A: Blokus.
Q: “Battleship” is a game in which players try to sink the opponent’s fleet. Which ship takes up only two spaces?
A: The Patrol Boat.
Q: Which two-player game involves moving pieces in an orthogonal direction and capturing opponent’s pieces by leaping over them?
A: Checkers
Q: Which board game requires players to utilize bricks, wheat, ore, grain, and lumber to build their civilization?
A: The Settlers of Catan
Q: Which board game, often played during Christmas in Italy, involves players racing to the finish while experiencing gains and setbacks?
A: The Game of the Goose
Q: Which game involves players using tiles to create a path for their pawn to reach goal cards?
A: Tsuro
Q: Which board game, inspired by a popular video game franchise, involves players exploring a mansion to find ghostly bosses?
A: Luigi’s Mansion
Crafting the Perfect Board Game Trivia Setup
1. Quantity and Quality of Questions:
- Recommended Number: Aim for 30-50 trivia questions, providing a substantial pool without overwhelming participants.
- Diverse Themes: Ensure questions span a range of board games, from timeless classics to contemporary favorites.
- Varied Formats: Mix multiple-choice, true/false, and open-ended questions to keep things engaging and accessible.
2. Diversity in Categories:
- History Buff: Questions about the origins and evolution of board games.
- Game Mechanics: Dive into how popular games are played and their unique mechanics.
- Iconic Moments: Explore memorable milestones in board gaming.
- Creators & Designers: Highlight the brilliant minds behind our favorite games.
- World Records: Unearth astonishing feats in the board game universe.
3. Know Your Audience:
- Knowledge Level: Gauge the familiarity and expertise level of your participants to curate suitable questions.
- Age Appropriateness: Ensure questions are suitable and engaging for the age group present.
- Interest Areas: Identify any particular games or genres your group is especially fond of to increase relevance and enjoyment.
4. Adaptable Difficulty:
- Balanced Approach: Strive for a balance between straightforward, intermediate, and challenging questions.
- Expert Rounds: Include a handful of particularly tricky questions for seasoned gamers while ensuring beginners can still partake and succeed.
5. Interactive Rounds:
- Pictionary-Style Rounds: Guess the game based on drawings or images.
- Quick Fire Rounds: Elevate excitement levels with rapid-fire questions and time limits.
- Audio Rounds: Use sound effects or theme music from board games to stimulate nostalgic moments.
6. Fair Play and Scoring:
- Transparent Scoring: Keep scoring straightforward and transparent to avoid confusion.
- Bonus Points: Introduce surprise bonus rounds or award extra points for creative answers to keep the atmosphere light and playful.
- Friendly Competition: Prioritize enjoyment and camaraderie over fierce competition.
7. Utilize Technology:
- Online Platforms: Consider using online quiz platforms for easy setup and automated scoring.
- Virtual Participation: Ensure remote friends can join the fun via video calls or live streams.
8. Prizes and Rewards:
- Online Platforms: Consider using online quiz platforms for easy setup and automated scoring.
- Virtual Participation: Ensure remote friends can join the fun via video calls or live streams.
- Thematic Prizes: Offer board game-related rewards, such as new games, unique tokens, or custom-made trophies.
- Participation Awards: Remember to acknowledge and appreciate everyone’s involvement.
Wrapping It Up: Board Game Trivia Fun
And there you have it – a sneak peek into planning a board game trivia night that’s sure to be a hit! Just remember: mix those questions up, keep things lighthearted, and ensure everyone’s having a great time. After all, the best game nights are those where everyone leaves with a smile, perhaps a new fact in their pocket, and eager for the next gathering. Roll on, trivia buffs!
