Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Gamesver Team and JC Franco
What city was the first capital of the United States? How many bones does the human body have? You may or may not know the answers to these questions, but did you know there are more upsides to playing trivia other than being crowned the winner?
The rest of this article will go into discussing the benefits and advantages of trivia games, helping you understand why they are more than just a fun way to pass the time.
Here are 18 benefits and advantages of playing trivia games:
1. They Help Us Socialize
Whether it’s trivia night at your local cafe or game night with friends and family, getting together over a round of trivia provides an opportunity to spend quality time with the people you cherish 一 and perhaps make new friends.
Regular social contact improves our mental and physical well-being by encouraging a positive outlook on life, reducing feelings of loneliness, and even helping us live longer.
2. They Boost Our Dopamine Production
You might be familiar with that thrilling sensation that rushes through you whenever you get a trivia question right. That’s dopamine surging through your brain in response to experiencing something rewarding.
The human brain releases dopamine 一 also known as the “feel-good hormone” 一 when we participate in activities that make us feel good. Playing trivia can help stimulate dopamine production, which is essential in regulating our moods and strengthening our memory and attention.
3. They Help Boost Our Self-Esteem
Studies show that we tend to perform better at trivia questions that revolve around topics we are passionate about. Being able to prove to ourselves and others that our knowledge of certain subjects is unmatched can improve our self-esteem 一 while intimidating the competition in the process!
4. They Can Reduce Our Screen Time
The amount of time we spend on our devices has become astonishingly high. The average American spends many hours of their day waking hours looking at a screen. Over time, that can equate to a considerable amount of years spent interacting with digital devices (and other gadgets) and ignoring the people around us.
A good, old-fashioned trivia meet-up offers a source of entertainment that doesn’t have to involve our devices, which in turn creates room for more meaningful connections with the people around us.
5. They Encourage Us To Learn
If you’re a trivia enthusiast, gearing up for a game may involve building up your knowledge base on your topics of interest through copious research. Not only does this increase your chances of winning, but it also creates a healthy appetite for learning.
Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.” And even if you don’t get all the answers right at the next trivia contest, you can still learn a thing or two from the questions you get wrong. That’s a win-win!
6. They Help Us Exercise Our Brains
Just like our muscles need exercise, our brain needs a workout now and then to keep our mental capabilities razor-sharp.
The prefrontal cortex 一 the part of the brain responsible for memory, problem-solving, and focus 一 stands to gain directly from playing trivia regularly. Trivia forces us to tap into the mental faculties directly linked to our prefrontal cortex by requiring us to pay close attention to questions and dig into our memory for the answers.
Because the prefrontal cortex makes up over 10 percent of our brain, it’s definitely in our best interests to keep it in the best shape possible.
7. They Improve Our Cognitive Skills
Cognitive skills refer to our intellectual ability to learn and reason. Like any other skill, we need to work on our cognitive competencies regularly to keep improving.
Activities that involve recollection and reasoning are an excellent way to exercise our cognitive skills and supercharge our brain power, and trivia does just that.
8. They Help in Children’s Cognitive Development
A game of trivia does more for your children than keep them entertained.
By improving cognitive skills, playing trivia can take up an essential role in the cognitive development of your little ones from childhood through to adolescence. Not to mention, a round of trivia can help your kids learn something new in a fun and engaging way.
9. They Can Strengthen Parent-Child Relationships
Parents don’t always have the luxury of spending quality time with their children. One way to bond with their youngsters is by taking part in activities that are fun for every member of the family.
For example, they can consider making trivia night a weekend tradition at home. It has the bonus of giving the kids something to look forward to every week!
10. They Are a Great Icebreaker
Are you wondering how to ease tension and get people to mingle at a get-together? A few rounds of trivia can be an excellent icebreaker for a corporate or social event.
Organizing attendees into teams makes them work together while encouraging them to let their guards down. In addition, the friendly competition creates a lively atmosphere that gives non-participants the gentle nudge they need to socialize amongst themselves.
11. They Can Help You Relax
Having ways to unwind is considered a healthy, if not necessary, part of our routines. Getting together with family or friends for a few rounds of trivia allows us to connect, socialize and have fun, all while letting our hair down for some much-needed relaxation.
Signing up for 一 or even organizing 一 trivia nights at your local cafe can also give you something to look forward to outside your regular schedule.
12. They Can Reduce Our Cortisol Levels
Linked closely to helping us relax, playing trivia can reduce our cortisol levels.
Our brain releases cortisol 一 the “stress hormone” 一 to help us deal with stressful situations. While this is a normal bodily function, too much cortisol can lead to high blood pressure, reduced cognitive abilities, and weakened immunity.
The social aspect of playing trivia can help us unwind and provide a healthy distraction from the demanding schedules of our day-to-day lives.
13. They Can Get People Together for a Good Cause
Hosting a trivia challenge can effectively bring people together to create awareness about a specific issue 一 or even raise funds for charity.
Whether at a neighborhood talent show or as part of a corporate social responsibility calendar, a trivia-themed event can allow attendees to have fun while contributing to a good cause.
14. They Help Us Think Under Pressure
While high-pressure situations may be few and far between for many of us, it doesn’t hurt to get a little practice on how to stay calm in a tense situation. Playing trivia can test your ability to think clearly when time is of the essence, a skill that’s transferable to many other areas of life.
15. They Enhance Teamwork and Collaboration
While you can certainly play trivia as a solo player, there’s plenty of positive experience to be gained while playing as part of a team.
In a family setting, setting up teams can reinforce bonding amongst family members. Strong family bonds are especially important in making the young ones feel a sense of confidence and security in their family unit.
Even amongst friends or colleagues, working together towards a common goal (winning the game) can improve communication and connections, ultimately bettering relationships.
16. They Help Develop Resilience in Children
Winning at trivia can be exhilarating. On the flip side, losing is possible now and then. While this might be easier for an adult to accept, the concept of friendly competition might be harder for our little ones to grasp during family trivia get-togethers.
Experiencing wins and losses at an early age teaches children how to deal with the ups and downs of life, setting them up to be mentally and emotionally strong adults.
17. They Help Promote Diversity and Inclusivity
One of the best things about trivia is that almost anybody can play regardless of age, race, or gender. All you need to take part is strong knowledge about a particular topic.
With such a simple requirement for participation, trivia promotes the inclusion of players from all walks of life and encourages interaction among people from different backgrounds.
18. They’re Simply Fun
Perhaps one of the most direct benefits of playing trivia is that it’s simply a fun activity.
Everything 一 from getting friends and family together and meeting new people to the friendly competition and the boost of well-being that comes with winning 一 all comes together to make a game of trivia worthwhile and valuable to the social and mental aspects of our lives.
This article was co-authored by our team of in-house and freelance writers, and reviewed by our editors, who enjoy sharing their knowledge about their favorite games with others!
JC Franco
JC Franco serves as a New York-based editor for Gamesver. His interest for board games centers around chess, a pursuit he began in elementary school at the age of 9. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Mercyhurst University, JC brings a blend of business acumen and creative insight to his role. Beyond his editorial endeavors, he is a certified USPTA professional, imparting his knowledge in tennis to enthusiasts across the New York City Metropolitan area.