Guide
15 pub quiz round ideas
Variety is what makes regulars come back. These formats all work with multiple-choice questions on a shared screen and answers on phones — with a clear note where you need something extra.
Short answer
Mix four rounds from these fifteen formats: one accessible opener, two themed middle rounds and one harder closer. Picture, odd-one-out, year-guessing and multiple-choice formats run directly in Trivolino; audio and handout rounds need your own materials.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · The Trivolino team
Rounds that run directly in Trivolino
- 1. Mixed opener — six easy general knowledge questions to get everyone scoring. Prep: low.
- 2. Picture round — a photo per question, four options. Prep: collect and check images. Runs natively, since each question can carry an image.
- 3. Odd one out — four options, one that does not belong, explanation on reveal. Prep: medium.
- 4. Guess the year — 'in which decade did X happen?', with four ranges. Prep: low.
- 5. True or false, four ways — two true and two false statements, pick the true one. Prep: medium.
- 6. Numbers round — populations, distances, dates as four brackets. Prep: verify every figure with a date qualifier.
- 7. Local knowledge — your town, your venue, your street names. Prep: medium, and excellent for regulars.
- 8. Anagram round — unscramble to one of four answers. Prep: low.
- 9. Logos and brands — a cropped logo image with four options. Prep: use images you are allowed to display.
- 10. Categories — 'which of these four is a fish?' style rapid questions. Prep: low, great as a fast final round.
- 11. Wipeout-style closer — higher points and a 25-second timer for six harder questions. Prep: low, using speed scoring for tension.
- 12. Connections — four items, identify what links them. Prep: medium.
Rounds that need your own materials
- 13. Music round — play a clip yourself and show four options on screen. Trivolino does not play audio for you, so run the audio from your own device.
- 14. Handout round — a printed sheet for sketches, maps or joining dots. Marking stays manual; use it as a bonus round rather than a scored one.
- 15. Physical challenge — beer-mat stacking, paper-plane distance. Score it yourself and announce it between rounds.
How to sequence them
Open with a round where nearly everyone scores, so nobody feels out before they have started. Put your prep-heavy round second, when attention is highest. Keep a picture or fast-fire round third to change the pace, and close with the hard round where the points matter.
Between rounds, show the leaderboard — it is the moment people talk to each other, which is the real reason they came.
Timing and points
- 20 seconds is right for most short questions; 25 for anything with a longer stem or an image.
- Keep points equal across a round, and raise them only for the final round.
- Use classic scoring when the room is mixed, and speed scoring when the regulars want a tighter finish.
- Six to seven questions per round keeps each round under 5 minutes including the reveal.