How to host a quiz night

One week before: plan the content

• Decide the length. 60 minutes total is the sweet spot: about 25 questions plus leaderboards.
• Build four rounds with a theme each. Mixed openers, then two themed rounds, then a harder closer.
• Keep questions short. Under about 12 words fits comfortably on a shared screen.
• Keep options short too. Long options shrink the type for the whole room.
• Write one-line explanations for anything that might be argued about after the reveal.
• Check every fact and remove any question whose answer could change — current record holders, rankings or office holders need a date qualifier or should go.

Equipment checklist

• A shared screen everybody can see, ideally 16:9, with a browser and fullscreen.
• A separate laptop or tablet for you, the host — never mirror your screen to the audience.
• A reliable connection for the host device; players can use mobile data.
• A microphone if the room is larger than about 40 people.
• A printed or on-screen fallback of the join code, in case someone's camera fails.
• Prizes, and a plan for ties.

The technical rehearsal

Do this on the real screen, on the real network, ideally at the same time of day. Open the event lobby, join from your own phone, and run one question end to end: open it, watch the answer counter, close answers, reveal, show the leaderboard.

In Trivolino you can do the whole rehearsal in preview mode with simulated participants. It does not admit real players and does not consume your monthly event allowance.

• Is the question readable from the furthest seat?
• Is the QR code scannable from the middle of the room?
• Does the countdown feel right for your questions — too slow is worse than too fast.
• Do you know where the 'lock joining' and 'skip question' controls are without looking?

Scoring: pick one and say it out loud

Classic scoring gives every correct answer the same points. It keeps late joiners and slower readers in the game and suits mixed groups.

Speed scoring gives a base score plus a bonus that shrinks as the countdown runs. It creates tension but favours fast readers, so avoid it when questions are long or the audience is mixed.

Announce the mode before question one, and say whether there is a prize for second and third place. Equal scores share the same rank.

A sample 60-minute agenda

• 0:00–0:15 — Lobby open, QR code on screen, music on, you welcome people and explain scoring in one sentence.
• 0:15–0:25 — Round 1, six easy questions, 20 seconds each. Leaderboard.
• 0:25–0:37 — Round 2, seven questions, 20 seconds. Leaderboard.
• 0:37–0:48 — Round 3, six questions, 25 seconds, one picture question. Leaderboard.
• 0:48–0:57 — Round 4, six harder questions, 25 seconds, double points if you like.
• 0:57–1:00 — Final podium, full rankings, prizes.

Hosting habits that keep the room with you

• Read the question out loud once, then stop talking while the countdown runs.
• Close answers early when the counter stops moving — waiting out a dead countdown kills momentum.
• Reveal, give the one-line explanation, then move immediately.
• Show the leaderboard between rounds, not after every question.
• Lock joining when the last round starts so nobody joins for the finale.
• If a question turns out to be wrong or ambiguous, skip it without scoring rather than arguing — it is voided for everyone equally.

When something goes wrong

If your host device loses connection, the open question still closes at its deadline; the event waits for you rather than skipping ahead. Refreshing the host screen or the display does not restart the event.

If a player's phone dies or they refresh, reconnecting restores their place and their score, and does not take a second player slot.

If the event is full, existing players can still reconnect while new arrivals see a clear message. On paid plans you can raise the running session's capacity after an upgrade, without restarting.