Brain Teasers
Panic Trivia
Ten questions. Faster correct answers score more.
- Category
- Brain Teasers
- Players
- 2–10 players
- Duration
- ~5 minutes (estimate)
- Best group size
- We recommend 3 to 10 players. It is quick enough to run with any group. It works with 2.
How to play
Panic Trivia is a fast multiple-choice quiz. It works with two or more players. Before starting, the host chooses a category. The game then runs ten questions, one at a time on the TV.
You have 15 seconds per question by default to tap the right answer on your phone. Speed matters: a correct tap the instant the question appears is worth 1,000 points, and the value drops steadily to 500 at the buzzer. Wrong answers score nothing.
Streaks multiply your points. Your third correct answer in a row earns 1.2 times the usual score, the fourth earns 1.5 times, and five or more in a row earns double. A wrong or missing answer resets your streak. The final question of the game pays double, so a lead is never safe.
Then there is the Panic Button. Once per game, each player can press it to double their payout on a question, but if they miss it or sit it out, they lose a flat 250 points. It is a deliberate risk that gives a trailing player a real way back.
It is fun because every second is visible: the timer bar on the TV turns a quiet quiz into a shouting match.
Tips for hosts
- Pick a category the whole room can play. A niche category leaves people tapping at random.
- Explain the Panic Button before question one. Watching someone use it on a hard question is the best moment of the game.
- Perfect for the start of the night or a quick tiebreaker. It only takes about five minutes.
- Read questions aloud for anyone sitting far from the TV.
Best for
Best for: Know-it-alls and quick thinkers who like a scoreboard.
Play Panic Trivia
Open Sofa Showdown on a laptop or computer connected to your TV, choose Panic Trivia from the game shelf, and share the four-letter room code with your friends.
Play now Opens hosting on this screen. Nothing starts until you choose a game.