Quiz Round Ideas

Teams solve a series of logic-based puzzles where no specialist knowledge is required. The challenge is spotting patterns, thinking laterally and avoiding the obvious answer.

Example: Lyrics, I'm never gonna dance again. Guilty ____ have got no rhythm. (FEET)

Give one or two letter clues to the first letters of the answer.

A mini-round of five questions. Questions 1–4 are worth one point each. Before Question 5, teams must decide whether to 'Gamble' or 'Pass'. Gamble correctly to double your score for the round, or answer incorrectly and score nothing.

Create a simple AI image prompt based on the answer and ask teams to identify the phrase. For example, for the answer “Murder on the Dancefloor”, use the prompt:

Example AI Prompt

Teams answer five General Knowledge questions, scoring one point for each correct answer. Answer all five correctly to Complete the Chase and claim a one-point bonus.

I usually play either the classic nine-letter conundrum or a longest-word challenge using nine randomly selected letters. Award points to the quickest correct answer or to the team that finds the longest valid word.

I include questions on old laws, police ranks, legal acts, famous criminals and unusual cases. The subject is broad enough to make the round serious, surprising or light-hearted.

I use questions on famous businesses, billionaires, company slogans, brand histories and products that became household names.

Instead of asking teams to guess survey answers, I use real Top 5 or Top 10 lists and remove one answer. Players then have to identify the missing item.

I mix straightforward food questions with a few on-screen picture clues. It does not have to stay within the TV programme either—anything relating to baking or famous dishes works well.

Each question has three options. Choose the correct answer to score a point, but avoid selecting the Impossible answer. If you do, every point you have scored in that round is wiped out. It creates brilliant tension because teams often overthink simple questions.

I combine traditional quiz questions with on-screen picture clues. The subject is huge, so do not just stick to TV chefs—restaurants, ingredients, cooking methods and international cuisine all work well.

Display two products on the screen and ask teams which has the higher (or lower) RRP. The products can be anything from supermarket groceries and household items to technology, cars or luxury goods. Mix obvious choices with a few unexpected comparisons to keep players guessing. Award one point for each correct answer.

I use genuinely interesting multiple-choice questions with surprising answers. The explanation afterwards is often more entertaining than the question itself, making this a great discussion round.

Include a mixture of questions on football, rugby, golf, tennis, athletics, Formula One, Olympic sports and memorable sporting moments. Picture rounds also work particularly well.

Questions on car brands, logos, classic models, Formula One, rallying, road signs, famous roads and motoring trivia. Picture rounds work particularly well for identifying cars and manufacturers.

Ask questions about infamous double agents, historic betrayals, fictional villains, political scandals, cheating, spies and memorable acts of treachery. Include a few modern examples to keep the round current.

Ask five General Knowledge questions on a variety of subjects. Teams may leave any question blank to bank their current score, but every incorrect answer breaks the chain and scores zero points for the entire round.

Show teams a familiar phrase with some of the letters removed and provide a clue to help them solve it. Teams write down the complete phrase, scoring one point for each correct answer.

Give teams four answers labelled A, B, C and D. Their job is to write the letters in the correct order. The sequence might be earliest to latest, highest to lowest, alphabetical or any other logical order. It sounds simple but often catches people out.

Teams begin with Question 1 and work through to Question 15. They have three lifelines to use whenever they wish. If they answer incorrectly without using a lifeline, their score stops at that question. It creates a real sense of pressure as the questions become more difficult.

Create a series of questions where every answer has something in common. For example, all answers might begin with the same letter, contain a hidden word, rhyme with each other or share another connection for teams to discover.

The other method is to use the version on the smartphone app.

Read each word aloud and ask teams to write down the correct spelling. Mix genuinely difficult words with deceptively simple ones to keep the round interesting.

Give a word in 3 different languages and ask the players to translate the word into English.

Reveal the answer, then provide three possible questions labelled A, B and C. Teams must decide which question correctly matches the answer.

Ask a selection of official-style driving theory questions covering road signs, the Highway Code, hazard awareness and safe driving. Perfect for seeing who really remembers the rules of the road.

Present two events and ask teams to choose A or B as the one that occurred first. The events don't have to be historical—they could be television premieres, sporting achievements, product launches, music releases or anything else with a place in time.

Ask teams to name the year of famous events from history, entertainment, sport, technology or popular culture. Mix well-known moments with lesser-known facts to keep everyone guessing.

Present three options labelled A, B and C, along with a clue if required. Teams decide which is the odd one out based on a shared characteristic or hidden connection.

Ask four normal quiz questions and have teams write down each answer. For Question 5, don't ask a question—instead challenge teams to look at the four answers they've already written and identify the connection between them.

Ask two quiz questions with numerical answers. Teams add their two answers together to produce the final answer.

Display a country's national dish alongside its national football shirt. Teams identify the country represented by the two images. Either picture may provide the clue—or both may be needed.

Use AI to recreate famous historical events, but with an obvious twist. Characters might be dressed in the wrong era, wearing modern clothing or using technology that didn't exist. Teams identify the original historical event. Example, get Ai to generate an image of the Battle of Waterloo with people dressed as football casuals on mobile phones.

Display a map with three marked locations labelled A, B and C. Ask teams which pin correctly shows the location of a famous landmark, town, attraction or city.

Display an official UK road sign and ask teams to identify its exact meaning. For an added challenge, provide only the initials of the answer as a clue, helping teams narrow down the possibilities.

Display photographs of two famous brothers or sisters and ask teams to identify the surname they share. Mix entertainment, sport, politics and history for a varied challenge.

Display a series of Dingbats and ask teams to identify the word or phrase each one represents. The puzzles can range from simple everyday sayings to song titles, films, books or famous expressions. Award one point for each correct answer.

Play five clips, each from a different decade, ranging from classic vinyl-era hits to today's biggest chart successes. Teams identify the song title and/or artist. Mixing old and new music keeps the round fair for all ages.

Play short clips of famous TV theme tunes, mixing classic programmes with modern favourites. Teams identify the television show from the music alone.

Play clips from songs by artists best known for having just one major chart success. Teams identify either the artist, the song title or both.

Play one version of a song and ask teams to identify the artist who also had a hit with the same song in another year. Mix modern covers with classic originals to keep everyone involved.

Using audio editing software, reverse short intros or clips from well-known songs. Teams must identify the original song title or artist from the backwards audio.

Using acapella recordings or isolated vocals, play just one lyric from a famous song without any accompanying music. Teams identify the song title or artist from that single line.

Play clips from songs that reached Number One in the UK charts. Teams identify the artist, song title or both. You can also theme the round around a particular decade or year.

Using audio editing software, place the acapella vocals from a well-known song over the instrumental version of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. Teams must identify the original song hidden within the Rickroll backing track.

Play clips of popular songs that have been rearranged in a Motown style. There are 100’s on YouTube. Teams identify the original song title or artist. The familiar lyrics combined with an unfamiliar arrangement make this a real crowd-pleaser.

Play four short music clips and ask teams to identify each song title. Once they've named all four, they must identify the word or phrase that appears in every title. Award one point for each song and a bonus point for finding the connection.

Ask questions covering house music, trance, drum & bass, dance anthems, DJs, festivals, clubs and rave culture from the 1980s through to today. Audio clips work particularly well in this round.

Prepare short audio clips with one important word removed or replaced by a beep. Teams listen carefully and write down the missing lyric. The clips can be made using basic audio editing software such as Audacity or Adobe Audition.