Game modes

One Platform, Every Kind of Trivia Game

A packed bar on a Tuesday, a birthday party, a conference that runs all weekend. Choose the mode that fits the room, then mix in special rounds to change the pace.

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Modes

How the Game Runs

Live Host

Classic hosted trivia. You start each question, reveal the answers, show the leaderboard and run the room from the host panel while the TV shows the game. Bar trivia, fundraisers, company nights.

Auto Host

The game runs itself: it moves on when everyone has answered or the timer runs out, and it can start at a scheduled time. For when there’s no one to run it — or you want to play too.

Ice Breaker

Players answer questions about themselves in the lobby, then the game asks the room to guess who said what. Built for new teams, parties and first days.

Guest of Honor

Trivia about one person — a birthday, a retirement, a wedding. A theme on top of a live game or an event challenge, so the questions and the moment are about them.

Event Challenge

Self-paced trivia with a deadline. Players start whenever they like, each question is timed from the moment they open it, and prizes go to the top of the board when it closes. Festivals, fairs, conventions and markets.

Special rounds

Change the Pace Mid-Game

321Bingo

Every player gets a five-by-five card of questions. Get one right and the space is yours; five in a row wins the round and a bonus.
How trivia bingo works

321Grid

A board of five categories worth 100 to 500 points. Teams pick tiles from their phones, every team answers by vote, and the fastest correct team takes control — with six team power-ups on top.
How the board round works

321HotSeat

A round about the people in the room: Spotlight and Pick-a-Player questions put one player at a time in the hot seat while the room answers about them.

Redemption Challenge

After a question, a wheel spins across the players who got it wrong. The one it lands on gets a bonus question worth big points — or a big loss.

Underdog Challenge

A wheel picks players from outside the top of the leaderboard for a shared bonus question — the fastest way back into contention.

Caption Contest

Players write a caption for a picture, then vote anonymously for the funniest. No right answer — just the room’s favourite.

Redemption and Underdog run in live games. Ice Breaker, Event Challenge, 321Bingo and 321Grid rounds come with paid plans.

Every mode

What Every Game Shares

Whatever the mode, players join from their phones by QR code or a four-character code with no app, the TV shows the question and the leaderboard, scoring is automatic and faster right answers earn more. Live games add Power-ups — Bet, Double, Duel, Free and the rest — so the strategy is as important as the answer.

Running a bar or restaurant? See how a digital bar trivia night works. Hosting? The host tools build any of these in the Game Builder, and the guides cover rules, prizes, questions and pacing.

Questions

Game Modes FAQ

Which game mode is best for a bar trivia night?+

Live Host, with Power-ups on, is the classic bar night: a host paces the room and the TV shows the game. Many hosts add a 321Bingo or 321Grid round mid-game to change the pace.

Can a trivia game run without a host?+

Yes. Auto Host moves on when everyone has answered or the timer ends and can start at a scheduled time; Event Challenge is self-paced with a deadline, for festivals and conventions.

What is the difference between 321Bingo and 321Grid?+

321Bingo gives every player a five-by-five card of questions and five in a row wins. 321Grid splits the room into teams who pick tiles from a category board and race to answer, with team power-ups.

Do players need an app for any of these modes?+

No. Every mode is played in the phone’s browser after scanning the QR code on the TV or typing the game code at 321trivia.com.

Try a Mode Tonight

The Free Host Demo runs live and Auto Host games. Paid plans unlock the rest.

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