Trivial Pursuit Websites
Resources and sites about Trivial Pursuit.
Trivial Pursuit Resources on the Internet
Trivial Pursuit has a surprisingly low profile on the Internet. We all know the story of the decline of Trivial Pursuit, how board game tastes changed from straightforward board game play to more involved, interactive "party gaming," how TP editors dumbed down subsequent editions of the game to appeal to a larger audience, and how the game has fallen out of favor after generation an estimated $1 billion in revenue over the past thirty years. But to have such a slight presence online, in a world populated by obsessives and board game fanboys? That's strange.
Here are my ten favorite Trivial Pursuit websites, ranging from the official Hasbro site to articles about the game and other resources. All links open in new browser tabs for your safety.
1. An Article by Trivial Pursuit Contributor Juan Rodriguez
I include this article in my list of the top ten Trivial Pursuit websites because it is so weird and well-written, if not exactly "insightful." Juan Rodriguez, a co-worker of Trivial Pursuit creators Abbott and Haney, spent sixteen plus years of his life coming up with tens of thousands of questions for different Trivial Pursuit editions. Here's his take on his life with Trivial Pursuit, a dizzying narrative that's not always "safe for work" but totally juicy, especially for those of us who live and breathe TP.
2. Pogo.com Trivial Pursuit Games
Here's a quick link to all of Pogo.com's Trivial Pursuit online games--both of them. Die-hard TP fans could use a little more game variety, especially considering one of the games is nothing more than a weekly trivia question and answer game loosely based on Trivial Pursuit, but if you need a quick hit of trivia action, Pogo.com's got you covered.
The two games, Trivial Pursuit Turbo and Trivial Pursuit Daily 20, both offer Pogo.com members a chance to win actual cash money and other prizes. The games are very different--Trivial Pursuit Turbo is closer to traditional TP game play, while Daily 20 hands out prizes to people who get a certain number of TP trivia questions right.
Neither game is anything like sitting around a TP board with your buddies, but they'll do in a pinch.
3. Hasbro Games - Trivial Pursuit
This is the "official" Trivial Pursuit website put together by Hasbro. If you try to go to TrivialPursuitOnline.com (the URL for the old Trivial Pursuit online game) you'll be redirected here as well, thanks to the closing of the old online game by Hasbro.
Unfortunately for Trivial Pursuit fans, this site doesn't do much other than try to sell you copies of Trivial Pursuit board games. There's a "Question of the Week" feature, which is about as much fun as it sounds. Links to Trivial Pursuit's (equally useless) Facebook page as well as the Hasbro Toy Shop are the only features that jump out when you first load the site.
Hasbro has the opportunity to put something really cool in this space, like an online version of the game or news and chat or forums for Trivial Pursuit fans. Instead, the page is about 40% links to purchase copies of the game, which we can find well enough on our own thank-you-very-much.
It's a short burst of Trivial Pursuit action, and the questions are multiple-choice and not exactly hard, but it is a good way to satisfy a TP craving while you're at work (on a break of course) or to jog your memory before a TP tournament.
The guy who runs this blog is a die-hard Trivial Pursuit fan who, for a while, ran a regular series where he'd post a random Trivial Pursuit card one day then provide the answers the next. This is a good way to bone up on TP questions and answers, and I've found myself able to memorize more than a few questions and answers from reading the daily updates here.
6. Trivial Pursuit on BoardGameCapital
If you've lost your Trivial Pursuit rules or want to look at the rules for other version of Trivial Pursuit, this site lists the basic rules in text-form and gives PDF file versions of different edition's rule books free of charge. Good when you need to prove that it actually IS legal to put more than one playing piece on the same square at the same time.
7. Trivial Pursuit on Wikipedia
Insightful, well-written articles on Wikipedia are few and far-between, but the wiki for Trivial Pursuit breaks the mold. The information on this wiki page is well-researched and well-indexed, and there's links to some obscure TP stuff like the short-lived Trivial Pursuit board game and a long list of every official Trivial Pursuit edition along with category details and other info. The history of the game given at this wiki is pretty accurate, though it doesn't go into enough detail for the average TP fanatic.
8. BoardGameGeek's Guide to Trivial Pursuit
BoardGameGeek, or "BGG" as its denizens refer to it, is the perfect spot to read game reviews and news on new games and editions. There's tons of basic information at the top of the page that even the TP wikipedia page has glossed over, and information on all sorts of new editions and new card sets available to enhance your Trivial Pursuit gameplay.
Some of the best stuff at BoardGameGeek is in the comments section, where people talk about their experiences with TP, their opinions of new TP versions, and even stories when they totally flipped out while playing Trivial Pursuit. Good for a laugh.
Sites about Other Topics
Just added: a directory of websites on the Internet organized by Trivial Pursuit category.
I also want to give a shout out to some of my other buddies and friends in the webmaster community. These sites are NOT about Trivial Pursuit, but you might find them useful anyway:
- A1 Movie Reviews -- Browse reviews of hundreds of great (and not so great) movies. You'll find a lot of interesting facts in these articles.
- Answers Everyday -- A new question and answer site, but unlike a lot of other sites in this niche, this one goes into a lot of detail in each question and answer. It's well-researched and provides a lot of insight and analysis.
- The Background Records Blog -- Now, if you want to know some trivia, this blog is loaded with it. You'll find a ton of information about surnames, government records, and obscure methods that private investigators use to find people.
- Communizine -- Written by a group of pals, this blog has information about science, holidays, entertainment, technology, history, and just about anything else you can think of.
- Coupons for Movies -- Another site I operate--this one focuses on how to save money on movie tickets, DVDs, Blu-rays, and snacks--basically, anything that a movie lover might want at a discount.
- The Middle-earth Blog -- Written by one of my friends, who happens to be one of the top Tolkien scholars in the world, this blog is a great resource packed with details about history, mythology, language, literature, and so much more!
- The Moneycrat Blog -- A friend of mine owns and operates this site about dealing with money and how to accomplish things without borrowing a lot of cash.
- Printable Coupon Pages -- Learn about where to find some great deals and savings online, such as for Arby's and McDonalds but other businesses, too.
- RPG Collecting -- Browse reviews of dozens of great role-playing games.
- Supervenient -- This is a great little blog that digs deep into some of the most interesting questions, such as why they cut grooves in highways. You'll be surprised to learn that it's not for rain.
