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Merry Quizmas

Need something to unify, distract or occupy your loved ones at Christmas?

This quiz format requires almost zero preparation and and can kill a few hours of downtime between courses of food and gift gouging.

Basic version

This version has no “judge” or “quizmaster”, everyone is part of the team and you are simply a facilitator to explain the game, keep rough time and get it started.

  1. Divide the family into roughly evenly sized teams.
  2. Give each team a question sheet and 30 minutes (or longer) to write six quiz questions (and their answers).
  3. Give each team an answer sheet.
  4. Each team then takes turns asking their questions. All the other teams answer them on their answer sheet. The questioning team then reads out the answers and answering teams score themselves.
  5. If a team has managed to write a question that is answered correctly by only one of the answering teams (i.e. its a difficult question, but not so difficult that noone can answer it) they get a bonus point. So six perfect questions in your round would yield six bonus points.
  6. Repeat until all teams have had their turn asking questions, add up the scores and you're done.

Though you only need pen and paper I’ve made some download and print question and answer sheets:

The answers sheet assumes up to six teams but there are four more rounds on the second page in case you need them.

“They can’t be trusted” edition

If you don’t trust your family to respect the integrity and honour of The Quiz, a few extra rules can help make sure everyone has a true and just time.

Pick and choose whichever you think might help:

  1. Appoint an adjudicator who will take in the question sheets, ask the questions, mark the answers and keep score.
  2. Ban mobile phones (I mean this is basic quiz etiquette)
  3. Ban questions that refer to specific non-famous people (e.g. family members, people we know etc.)
  4. Award bonus points for best team name, best question and best question theme (e.g. if a team have written all their questions around a single theme). Can be judged by an adjudicator if you have one or by popular vote (you can't vote for your own team).

If you do it, let me know how it goes via email or twitter.

Merry Quizmas to all and to all — a Quiz night!