Trivial Pursuit: 25 Fun and Random Facts (History, Stats, Trivia,…)

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco

There’s no game that better tests your wits than Trivial Pursuit. This classic board game is familiar, but there’s more to it you may not know. 

Trivial Pursuit revolves around knowledge tidbits. It is only fitting that you know more about it through the fun and random facts I’ll share in this article. 

Here are many fun and random facts about Trivial Pursuit: 

1. The Creators Made It While Playing Scrabble 

An interesting thing about Trivial Pursuit is it’s a game made by people playing over another game. Chris Haney and Scott Abbott were having a round of Scrabble when they had a eureka moment – why not make their own game? Hence, Trivial Pursuit was born.  

2. It Was Invented by Canadians 

Chris Haney and Scott Abbott, Trivial Pursuit’s creators, were Canadian news editors. This tidbit may help explain why most of the original editions’ questions were related to Canada. Moreover, some editions, like the Baby Boomer one, were available first in Canada before anywhere else. 

3. It Was Initially an Unprofitable Enterprise 

Despite Trivial Pursuit’s present success, the game had a bleak start. Haney and Abbott found it challenging to find investors and had to sell the first board games at a price much cheaper than it would cost to make the board. It may have taken time, but all investors (including the game’s original artist) eventually profited well. 

4. It Allows Many Players

While some games, like chess, are very restrictive in the number of players, Trivial Pursuit is not. Up to six teams are needed for a complete game. However, as they say, the more, the merrier. If you have a group of 12, you could play with partners. Any larger groups could easily divide into larger teams.

5. It Often Features Six Categories  

Trivia questions are usually divided into six categories. The classic ones are 

• Geography
• Entertainment
• History
• Arts and literature
• Science and nature
• Sports and leisure

However, other editions can deviate. For instance, the Stuff You Should Know Edition, available from Amazon.com, has categories for:

• Pop culture
• Myths, legends & conspiracies
• Science & tech
• Humans
• Questions from podcast hosts

6. There Are Hundreds of Editions 

There have been hundreds of Trivial Pursuit editions, and the figures keep growing. These editions may be improved versions of existing ones, or they may be inspired by pop cultures, such as famous movies, bands, etc. The Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit game is one example of this.

7. Genus Was the Original Edition

The original edition of Trivial Pursuit was called Genus. There have been many versions, such as Genus I, Genus II, and Genus III. There is even a Master Edition released in 2010. However, its questions are suited for 16+, so playing with kids may not be best. 

8. There’s a Baby Boomer Edition  

Baby Boomer refers to the generation born between 1946 to 1964. Given the prevalence of generation gaps, with each generation having its own pop culture, a special edition of Trivial Pursuit should be made just for them. Questions are taken from the 1950s and 1960s culture, making them relatable to Baby Boomers. 

9. There Are Various Movie and TV Editions 

These are examples of movies and TV series that inspired special editions: 

• Star Trek
• Star Wars
• Warner Brothers 
• Friends 
• The Nightmare Before Christmas 
• Harry Potter 
• Lord of the Rings 
• Power Rangers 

10. There’s a “Bet You Know It” Edition

There are many Trivial Pursuit versions with a twist, like the Bet You Know It Edition. Instead of relying on personal knowledge to win, players bet on their hunches – whether or not a specific player knows the answer. If their hunch was correct, they get a wedge. 

11. There Are Music Editions

Over the years, Trivial Pursuit has put out several music-related editions that focus specifically on the most popular bands and artists of all time. These are some band and music-inspired Trivial Pursuit editions: 

• Beatles 
• Rolling Stones 
• Classic Rock 
• The Music Master Game 
• Music Edition 

12. It’s Been the Subject of Lawsuits 

Trivial Pursuit’s creators and distributors had to deal with significant lawsuits over the years. One major case was from Fred Worth, an author of several trivia books, who claimed that most of the game’s questions were taken from his works. Lack of copyright led to its dismissal. 

David Wall also sued creators for allegedly stealing the game’s idea from him. However, he lost. 

13. Some Game Sets Are Expensive

While most Trivial Pursuit game sets can be bought at an affordable price, there are expensive collector’s items. Zontik Games offers Trivial Pursuit game sets that cost a small fortune; the price will depend on whether the pieces are pewter or sterling silver. The board is made of calfskin with silver or gold embossments. 

14. It’s in the Game Hall of Fame 

Games Magazine, which started in 1977, was a publication dedicated to games and puzzles. It has its own Hall of Fame, where a game can only become part of the hall if it has been produced for at least ten years. Trivial Pursuit was inducted in 1993. 

15. There are Editions in Many Different Languages

Trivial Pursuit has been produced in many languages. Some non-English editions include the Edicion Jóvenes Carrozas released in 1988. It is in Spanish and covers questions from the 1960s and 1970s. 

The Edition des Stars, meanwhile, is a French extension pack released in 1988 containing 500 questions.  

16. It’s Sold and Played in Many Countries 

It’s easy to get a Trivial Pursuit game anywhere as it is available worldwide. However, if it is not in stock at your local store, you can always get it online. Various editions of the game are being sold on Amazon and other online retailers. You can often find used copies of older games on eBay.

17. There’s an Online Version 

Suppose you’re not a fan of board games or don’t have anyone around to play with when you want to play. No worries. You can play Trivial Pursuit Online through Pogo.com. There are a maximum of 20 players for each game. You can choose from modes such as Complete the Pie and Daily 9. 

18. There’s a Video Game Version

There are also video game versions if you prefer a Trivial Pursuit game compatible with your console devices. Trivial Pursuit Live! is available on ubisoft.com. It is played with a TV game show setup with exclusive question formats. 

19. There Are PC Versions

There have also been PC versions of Trivial Pursuit released. An example is Trivial Pursuit: A New Beginning from Domark Software. It was released in 1988. These games allowed individual users to play the game against an AI opponent when they didn’t have anyone else to play with them.

20. It Was Eventually Bought by Hasbro

Hasbro, one of the biggest distributors of Trivial Pursuit, bought the game for about $80 million from Horn Abbott Companies. The purchase was announced in March 2008. Thus, the game was passed on to one of the world’s most prominent family entertainment and games manufacturers. 

21. There Have Been Game Show Adaptations

Some TV game show adaptations have been launched based on this game, including:

• Trivial Pursuit (American)
• Trivial Pursuit (British)
• Trivial Pursuit: America Plays

22. It’s Earned Billions of Dollars

The popularity of Trivial Pursuit has allowed its distributors and creators to earn billions of dollars. This is through the millions of copies of Trivial Pursuit being sold worldwide. It’s what made Hasbro’s 80 million dollar purchase of the game so lucrative.

23. There Are Thousands of Questions

A trivia game can get quite dull once you’ve been through all the questions, but that may not be so if you have to deal with thousands of facts. 

Here are the numbers of questions for two popular editions:

• Classic Edition: This one has 2,400 questions and is one of the most-played versions of the game.
• Family Edition: Family Edition has 1,200 questions and is fun for the whole family. 

24. There’s a Family Edition  

As I’ve mentioned, the original Trivial Pursuit edition, Genus, is not child-appropriate. However, you can still play the game with your kids with the Hasbro Games Trivial Pursuit Family Edition.

The Family Edition is made for eight years old and above. Questions and materials are designed to be child-friendly. 

25. You Need to Know Fun, Random Facts To Win

A great way to wrap up this list of fun facts about Trivial Pursuit is to affirm one fact that we all know: you need facts to win the game. 

Trivial Pursuit is a fun platform for people to showcase their knowledge in certain areas, like movies, which you can’t display in everyday life. But it’s not just about showing what you know, but also learning new knowledge while enjoying the game.