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Pub trivia games are often inconsistent in quality these days.
The trivia questions are a mixed bag of too-obscure-to-care and the blatantly obvious.
My theory? AI has sapped the fun out of pub trivia games.
Quizmasters snap their fingers, and ChatGPT generates ready-to-go lists of trivia questions.
These AI-generated trivia are like fast food.
It’s all quickly produced and lacking soul.
They leave you craving the depth and charm of a thoughtfully prepared, human-crafted trivia experience, much like a heartfelt, home-cooked meal.
At Water Cooler Trivia, we’ve been serving up carefully curated, engaging trivia challenges that satisfy your craving for authentic, human-crafted fun for years now.
From what I’ve observed, the perfect pub quiz boils down to five non-negotiables:
To give you something a bit more actionable, here are three next steps to consider.
Sure, I’m a little biased, but Water Cooler Trivia is perfect for pub trivia games.
When you use Water Cooler Trivia, you’re not wrestling with the same constraints as you would on other platforms.
Instead, you get a setup that lets you focus on the fun parts.
Hosting, bantering, and watching people light up when they nail a tough question.
Everything’s delivered in a clean, flexible format you can adapt to your crowd.
It’s like hosting trivia night with your favorite assistant quietly doing all the heavy lifting.
You can schedule recurring games, choose from curated categories, or even create custom rounds to match the mood of your pub.
And it’s built to be used by real humans, not tech wizards.
You don’t need a full-blown survey.
Just pay attention to reactions.
Listen for the groans, the laughs, the “wait, I know this” moments.
Ask a few regulars what they thought of the questions or pacing.
Keep an ear out for which categories brought the room to life and which ones fell flat.
This kind of feedback is gold because it helps you fine-tune each week’s quiz.
It shows people that you’re not just running trivia. You’re curating an experience.
Let’s be honest: no one’s showing up for a half-price nachos voucher.
You don’t need to blow your budget.
Just make it feel memorable.
Try a "losers get to choose next week’s theme" twist.
Offer a quirky prize like a pub-branded pint glass or trivia-themed crown.
Even silly titles like “Most Unhinged Answer” or “Best Team Name” keep people coming back.
People want bragging rights just as much as actual prizes, so lean into it.
Pub trivia should never feel like a chore for you or your players.
If the system’s smooth, the questions are smart, and the vibes are high, trivia night becomes something people plan their week around.
Water Cooler Trivia was built for exactly that.
Because great trivia isn’t only about knowing facts.
It’s about creating a night people remember.
I’ve had more than a few conversations with pub owners over the years.
They all say the same thing: trivia is supposed to draw a crowd, but most platforms don’t make it easy.
Too many moving parts. Too many questions that don’t land.
And too many nights where it just doesn’t feel worth the effort.
But when they switch to Water Cooler Trivia, they tell me it finally clicks.
People stick around longer. Sales go up. The room has energy.
That’s the difference between trivia that fills tables and trivia that fills time.
1,200 groups take part in Water Cooler Trivia every week.
The hand-written quizzes get delivered via email to participants at exactly the same time each week.
Once the quiz is complete, humans and robots come together to grade fairly and quickly.
We then send out detailed scorecards via email.
Getting people off the couch (or "off the sofa" if you're reading this from across the pond) and into the pub on a weeknight is no small feat.
It’s not enough to toss a few questions together and hope for the best.
You’ve got to create an atmosphere that gives people a reason to show up and a reason to come back.
That’s what we aim to do every single week with Water Cooler Trivia.
You get questions people talk about the next day.
You get formats that are easy to run and fun to play.
And you get a tool that actually helps bring people through the door.
Because when trivia’s good, punters talk.
And when punters talk, they bring their mates next time.
Try it out with a four-week free trial (generous, I know) and you’ll see what I mean.
