Where trivia meets strategy
Run Trivia Nights People Actually Talk About.
Real-time multiplayer trivia for bars, classrooms, teams and live events. Strategic power-ups, a big-screen display, and prizes. Players join in seconds — no app, no install.
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What Is 321Trivia?
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Who 321Trivia Is For
Welcome to 321Trivia!
Why 321Trivia
Everything You Need to Host Like a Pro
Built for real rooms and real competition — not just a slideshow of questions.
Real-Time Multiplayer
Server-authoritative scoring with a trusted clock — no cheating, no lag arguments. Hundreds of players answer at once.
Any Question Type
Multiple choice, true/false, type-the-answer, numbers, and put-in-order rounds — with image and audio media support.
Strategic Power-ups
Bet, Double, 50/50, Duel and more turn every question into a comeback opportunity. Pure skill, plus a little nerve.
Big-Screen TV Display
A dedicated display view for the room — questions, timers, leaderboard and a join QR — perfect for bars and live events.
Soundboard & Atmosphere
Trigger stings, countdowns and celebration sounds from the host panel to keep the energy high all night.
Prize Spinner
End rounds with a suspense-filled prize wheel that draws winners from the players who got it right.
The twist
Power-ups Change Everything
321Trivia Power-Ups add strategy, risk, and player-to-player competition to traditional trivia. Players have a limited number of Power-Ups, so deciding what to play, when to play it, and who to play it against can be just as important as knowing the answer.
Your answer is automatically correct, for full points however long you take.
Challenge another player. Win the stake if you are right and they are wrong.
Bet 100–500 (multiples of 100, up to your bank). Win or lose it on this question.
Correct doubles this question’s value. Wrong loses this question’s value.
Removes half of the incorrect answers. Cannot be undone.
At question end your answer becomes the most popular answer.
Wager on whether another player gets it right. Win this question’s value, or lose it.
Freeze the point countdown, then peek at one player’s answer when they lock it in. Keep yours or take theirs.
Power-ups stack — but not all of them. Free can’t sit beside Bet or Double, because a wager you cannot lose isn’t a wager. Only one power-up may decide your answer. Everything else is fair game, including answering a Duel with a Free. The full grid says which pairs play together, and what the game tells you when they don’t.
See the combination matrixPower-Ups are limited, and that’s what makes every decision matter.
There isn’t one right strategy. And that’s the point.
How every Power-up worksGame types
Every Kind of Trivia Game
Pick how the game runs. Here is what each one is, and who can play it.
Live Host
Classic hosted trivia. The host starts each question, reveals the answers and runs the room from the host panel while the TV shows the game.
- Players
- Not available
- Hosts
- Free Host Demo, Education, Pro, Business+
Auto Hosted
The game runs itself: it moves on when everyone has answered or the timer runs out, and it can start at a set time. Nobody has to run it — so the host can play too.
- Players
- Solo, Party
- Hosts
- Free Host Demo, Education, Pro, Business+
- Venues
- 321Trivia box · launches November 1
Ice Breaker
Everyone answers a few questions about themselves, then the room guesses who said what. For new teams, parties and first days.
- Players
- Party
- Hosts
- Education, Pro, Business+
Event Challenge
Self-paced trivia with a deadline. Players start whenever they like, each question is timed from when they open it, and prizes go to the top of the board when it closes.
- Players
- Not available
- Hosts
- Education, Pro, Business+, Expo
Guest of Honor
Trivia about one person — a birthday, a retirement, a wedding. It plays as a live game or an Event Challenge, with the questions about them.
- Players
- Not available
- Hosts
- Free Host Demo, Education, Pro, Business+, Expo
Round types
Mix the Rounds, Change the Pace
A game is one or more rounds, and each round can be a different type.
321Trivia (Trivia + Power Ups)
The classic round: questions on the TV, answers on phones, faster right answers score more — and Power-ups to bet, double and duel your way up the board.
- Players
- Solo, Party
- Hosts
- Free Host Demo, Education, Pro, Business+, Expo
- Venues
- 321Trivia box · launches November 1
321Bingo
Everyone gets a card of questions. Answer one right and the square is yours; five in a row wins the round and a bonus.
- Players
- Solo, Party
- Hosts
- Education, Pro, Business+
- Venues
- 321Trivia box · launches November 1
321Grid
The room splits into teams who pick from a board of categories and point values, answer together from their phones, and fight for control of the board.
- Players
- Solo, Party
- Hosts
- Education, Pro, Business+
- Venues
- 321Trivia box · launches November 1
321HotSeat
A round about the people playing: Spotlight and Pick a Player questions put one player at a time in the hot seat. Only for groups who already know each other.
- Players
- Party
- Hosts
- Free Host Demo, Education, Pro, Business+
- Venues
- 321Trivia box · launches November 1
Sign Up & Pricing
Play Trivia, or Host It.
Choose how you want to use 321Trivia to see its plans. Sign up in seconds — no setup fees, cancel anytime.
Who we are
Trivia, Done Right
321Trivia was built by trivia hosts, for trivia hosts. We set out to create the experience we always wanted: fast, reliable, and genuinely fun for both hosts and players. With server-authoritative scoring you can trust and unique strategy-based power-ups, every player has a chance to stay competitive until the very last question. It's easy to launch, simple for players to join, and designed to deliver an exciting, seamless game night every time.
Meet the Founders of 321Trivia
Mark Thompson
Co-Founder
About the Co-Founder of 321Trivia
Looking back, it seems like everything I’ve done over the past 40+ years—from technology and database programming to playing music and entertaining crowds—has somehow played a part in creating 321Trivia. My professional career began in 1983 with Continental Cablevision, where I started as a cable installer. I eventually became the lead technical trainer, and as the company evolved into MediaOne, I moved into management, leading teams of installers and service technicians. When the company later became AT&T Broadband, I was promoted to Area Manager and became heavily involved in rebuilding cable systems in multi-dwelling properties to support the new technologies that were emerging at the time, including high-speed internet and Voice over IP (VoIP). Managing increasingly complicated construction projects led me to Microsoft Access and database programming. I began building my own tools to manage contractors, track construction projects and even create preliminary cable system designs. I didn't realize it at the time, but that experience would become very important years later.
From Technology to Entertainment
Music had actually been part of my life even before my cable career began. I started playing bass and singing professionally in 1980, beginning with local bars and restaurants and eventually performing with larger bands. I played bass on studio projects with local artists, performed with TNT, a nine-piece rock band with a powerful brass section, and later joined a six-piece band that performed at weddings and special events for about 15 years. Those years taught me something that you can't really learn from a computer: how to entertain a room full of people. In 2007, I brought that experience together and founded Southtown Entertainment, Inc., providing DJs, photobooths and lighting for weddings and special events, along with DJ entertainment, karaoke, and trivia for local establishments. Since 2007, Southtown Entertainment has entertained guests at more than 9,000 events.
Building Our Own Technology
I've always enjoyed figuring out how to make things work better. That led me to develop the FantasyFX Greenscreen Photobooth, an interactive photobooth that allows guests to choose from more than 500 backgrounds and multiple layouts. Rather than relying entirely on off-the-shelf software, I used my database programming experience to create the touchscreen program guests use to browse and select their backgrounds before entering the booth. I even designed the booth with a motorized camera, lighting and touchscreen system that can be adjusted for people of different heights and lowered for guests using wheelchairs. It was another example of something I've done throughout my career: See a problem, figure out a better way to do it, and build it.
And Then Came 321Trivia
That same philosophy eventually led to 321Trivia. My son, Ryan, and I have spent the last four years developing 321Trivia together. We both have extensive database experience, which means we tend to approach problems in much the same way—and that has made us a great development team. But there was another important piece to the puzzle. While we were developing 321Trivia, I was also using it at real trivia events. That gave us something incredibly valuable: immediate feedback. I could see firsthand what worked with players, what didn't, what kept a game moving, and—just as importantly—what a trivia host needed behind the scenes to run a smooth, entertaining event. Ryan and I would brainstorm, make changes, add features and then put those ideas right back into actual games. That process has shaped 321Trivia into much more than a program that simply displays questions and keeps score. We've put a tremendous amount of thought into the behind-the-scenes tools that help hosts build and run quality trivia games while keeping the experience fun and engaging for the people playing.
Ryan Thompson
Co-Founder
About the Co-Founder of 321Trivia
Technology and problem-solving have been a common thread throughout nearly every part of my career. From telecommunications and military service to aviation, technology leadership, and software development, I've always been drawn to understanding how things work, finding ways to improve them, and building solutions to real problems. That mindset eventually became a major part of creating 321Trivia with my dad. My professional career began at Comcast, where I started as a field technician before moving into dispatch, training, and leadership roles. Telecommunications taught me early that technology, processes, and people all have to work together. A great technical solution isn't very useful if it's difficult to use or doesn't solve the problem people actually have. That lesson followed me as I moved deeper into technology, cybersecurity, program and project management, product development, and digital transformation. Along the way, I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Technology Management and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I'm currently pursuing a Doctor of Technology at Purdue University.
Technology and Military Service
In 2013, I joined the United States Air Force, serving on active duty in Security Forces before transitioning to the Air National Guard. As my military career progressed, it increasingly intersected with technology. I had opportunities to work on software, data systems and technology initiatives designed to improve how organizations accomplish their missions. After commissioning as an Air Force officer, I completed pilot training and became an MQ-9 pilot with the Iowa Air National Guard. Military operations and aviation reinforced something I had already learned throughout my civilian career: technology needs to be reliable, information needs to be clear and the person using a system shouldn't have to fight the technology to accomplish the mission. That philosophy has influenced nearly everything I've built. Over the years, I've developed databases, software applications, automation, artificial intelligence and other systems designed to simplify complicated processes. I later founded VioletNexus to continue developing software and technology solutions around that same idea. For me, technology isn't about adding features simply because they're possible. It's about understanding the problem, understanding the people using the system and building something that makes their experience better.
Building 321Trivia
That same philosophy became the foundation for 321Trivia. My dad and I began developing 321Trivia together in 2022, bringing two very different but complementary backgrounds to the project. I focused on the technology behind the platform, including software architecture, development, cybersecurity, real-time game systems, and the overall management of the project and product development. My dad brought decades of experience creating databases and custom technical solutions, along with something equally important: decades of experience entertaining people. Whether performing music in front of thousands, DJing weddings and parties, hosting karaoke, or running live trivia, he understood how to engage a crowd and create an experience people enjoyed. That combination became our biggest strength. Instead of developing 321Trivia in isolation, we were able to test it at real events with real players. My dad could see what worked, what didn't, and what players and hosts actually needed. We would brainstorm ideas, make changes, build new features, and put them right back into live games - rapid, iterative development. That cycle continued for years and shaped what 321Trivia is today. We didn't want to simply replace pencils and answer sheets with smartphones. We wanted to rethink what a trivia game could be. We introduced Power-Ups, question challenges, and strategic choices that make knowing the answer only part of the game. At the same time, we focused on making the host experience just as intuitive, building tools that make games easier to create, manage, and run. The result is 321Trivia: a platform shaped by years of technology experience, decades of live entertainment, and thousands of real-world events. And we're still building.
Questions
Everything People Ask First
Still stuck? The help videos walk through every screen.
Do players need to download an app?+
No. Players open 321Trivia in any phone browser and type the 4-character game code — or scan the QR code on the big screen. There is nothing to install, and no account needed to play.
How many people can play at once?+
Hundreds. Every plan runs the full real-time game; the plans differ in how many players a single game holds and how many hosts can run games at the same time. The free plan is enough for a small room.
Can I run trivia remotely or for a hybrid team?+
Yes. Players join from wherever they are, and the host controls the pace from one screen. Share the TV display over a video call and a remote team plays exactly like a room full of people would.
What kinds of questions can I ask?+
Multiple choice, true/false, type-the-answer, closest-number estimates, put-in-order and matching rounds — each with optional image or audio media. You can write your own, pull from the shared question library, or generate a round with the AI builder.
What are power-ups?+
Power-ups are per-round abilities players spend at the right moment: Bet points on a question, Double your score, cut the options with 50/50, Duel another player, or lock in a Free correct answer. They are enforced by the server, so last place always has a route back.
Do I need special equipment to host?+
A laptop for the host and a screen for the room. The TV display shows the question, timer, leaderboard and join QR; the host panel runs the game, sounds and prize spinner from a separate window.
Is scoring fair if someone has a slow connection?+
Scoring is server-authoritative and timed against a trusted clock, not the player device. Answers are graded where the game state lives, so lag arguments and client-side tampering are both off the table.
What is 321Trivia Solo?+
Solo is for playing, not hosting. Press one button on your phone and you are put straight into a live game of up to 6 players, matched with other players and our regulars, whenever you feel like a game. You keep a permanent profile with your rating, game history, streaks and category strengths, and climb daily, weekly, monthly and all-time leaderboards.
What is 321Trivia Party?+
Party gives you a trivia game of your own to start whenever you like. Share the code and up to 10 people join from their phones. Each game is 10 questions built for you from the 321Trivia library, and it runs itself: you press start, and there is no host panel to drive. Computer players can fill empty seats and step aside when real people arrive. Party includes everything in Solo.
Do my friends need a subscription to join my Party game?+
No. Only the person hosting the party needs Party. Everyone else joins with the game code in any phone browser, with no app, account or payment.
What is the difference between Solo, Party and the host plans?+
Solo is you, playing live games against other people whenever you like. Party is a private game for you and your friends that runs itself. The host plans, starting with the Free Host Demo, are for running your own trivia nights: build your own questions, put the game on a TV and control it from a host panel.
Can I switch between Solo and Party, or cancel?+
Yes. Upgrading from Solo to Party takes effect straight away and you only pay the difference for the rest of the billing period; moving down takes effect when the current period ends. You can cancel at any time.
Is there a free way to play?+
Yes. Joining a game someone else is hosting is always free: type the code or scan the QR on their screen. There is also a free 321Trivia Weekly game anyone can play once a week from a shared link.
How much does 321Trivia cost?+
To play, Solo and Party are low-cost monthly subscriptions. To host, the Free Host Demo lets you run a real game, and the paid host plans add bigger rooms, more concurrent hosts and extra hosting features. Current prices are on the Players page for Solo and Party, and on the Hosts page for the host plans. No setup fees, and you can cancel at any time.
Contact us
Talk to a real person
Booking trivia for your venue, thinking about hosting, or stuck on something — we answer every message ourselves.
Ready to Play?
Drop in with a code, or choose how you want to get started: playing, hosting or trivia at your venue.