Common Knowledge: The Trivia Game

ENTERTAINMENT - Spending time with friends and family this summer? Bored? Need a fun trivia game that is good at parties?

Introduce your friends to...

COMMON KNOWLEDGE: THE TRIVIA GAME
Created by Charles Moffat

What you Need
Paper and pens for everyone, plus 1 extra piece of paper for the scorecard.

How to Play
1. Each person writes down a number (or the name of the person asking) for each person playing the game, minus 1 for themselves.
2. Each person, in turn, then provides a trivia question of their own making which they think is common knowledge (but they're hoping 1 or 2 people won't know the answer). Try to make the question reasonably specific. If in doubt people can ask for clarification.
3. Each person then writes down their answers (askers don't answer their own questions). Give everyone a minute or two to write down their answers.
4. Everyone then takes turns saying their answers. Each person scores a point for each question they answered correctly (they can also be awarded half-points for "acceptable answers".
5. "Acceptable Answers" are judged only by the person who asked the question. (If you don't know the answer try writing down something funny and see what happens. The judge might deem it acceptable.)
6. The asker only scores a point for their own question if at least half of the people answering got the question correct. If less than half gets it correct then they get zero points. If nobody got it correct (including acceptable answers) they take a -1 penalty to their total score for the round.
7. A round is when everyone has asked 1 question each and everyone else has provided their answers. Keep track of the point scores on a separate piece of paper.
8. Play 5 (or more) rounds and then add up the scores for every round. Congratulate the person with the highest score.

EXAMPLE QUESTIONS: (And answers)

What Hollywood actor appeared semi-nude in Cosmopolitan? (Burt Reynolds, an acceptable answer would be "The guy who was in Smokey and the Bandit")

What is the first name of the oldest Hilton hotel heiress? (Paris)

Who is considered to be the King of Rock and Roll? (Elvis Presley)

What band said they were bigger than Jesus? (The Beatles)

What is the conversion rate of pounds to kilograms? (2.2 lbs to 1 kilogram)

What is the last book in the New Testament? (Revelations)

Which candidate demanded a recount in the 2000 United States election? (Al Gore)

Basically your goal is to ask questions which most people (at least half) would know (things that are common knowledge to the people present) and be able to answer correctly.

And there you go, a truly fun and interesting trivia game and you don't need anything but paper and pens. You can also play it in a car, on an airplane, while in a stuck elevator with friends. Its versatile, fun, you learn new things and good for laughs.

REMEMBER TO RECYCLE.