Pub Quiz Generator

The right mix of rounds makes or breaks a quiz night. Here are 30 pub quiz round ideas, from the classics every quiz needs to rounds with a twist and special rounds for Christmas, Halloween and family nights, with tips on how to run each one.

Rounds that work every time

1. General knowledge

The backbone of any quiz. Open with an easy general knowledge round so every team gets points on the board, and finish with a harder one to separate the leaders. See our general knowledge questions.

2. Film and TV

Everyone has watched something. Mix old classics with recent hits so every age group has a chance. See our film questions.

3. Music

A round per decade (60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s) lets every age group shine at least once during the night. See our music questions.

4. Sport

Football, cricket, rugby, tennis, the Olympics and Formula 1. Keep it varied so it isn't only for the football fans. See our sports questions.

5. Geography

Capital cities, flags, rivers and mountains. It's easy to pitch at any level. See our geography questions.

6. History

From the Romans to the Cold War. A good round to put in the middle of the night. See our history questions.

7. Food and drink

A natural fit for a pub. Dishes of the world, British classics, cocktails and beer. See our food and drink questions.

8. Science and nature

Space, the human body, animals and everyday science. Good for the teams who always know the boring facts. See our science questions.

Rounds with a twist

9. Picture round

Hand out a sheet of pictures at the start (famous faces, landmarks, country outlines, paintings or close-ups of everyday objects) and collect it at the break. Teams can work on it all night. See our picture quiz questions.

10. Connections (What links these?)

Each answer in the round shares a hidden link, or you give four clues and teams name what links them. A bonus point for spotting the link early adds tension.

11. True or false

Quick to read, quick to mark, and surprisingly hard. Good for a round in the middle of the night when you need to catch up on marking. See our true or false questions.

12. Odd one out

Give four items. Teams say which one doesn't belong and why. Accept any reasonable answer that is well argued: it starts friendly arguments.

13. Anagrams

Scrambled names of countries, capitals, films or footballers. Put the category on the sheet so it isn't impossible.

14. Name the year

Three or four events from the same year. Teams name the year, with a point for being exact and half a point for being within one year.

15. Who am I?

Clues get easier as you go. Five points if a team gets it on the first clue, down to one point on the last. It works well read aloud.

16. Emoji round

Film titles, songs or phrases spelled out in emoji. Great on a printed sheet or on the pub TV.

17. Dingbats

Word puzzles drawn as pictures: "head over heels", "once in a blue moon". Hand them out with the picture round.

18. Nearest number

How tall is the Eiffel Tower? How many bones are in the human body? The closest team wins. Also the best tie-breaker there is.

Rounds that need a bit more preparation

19. Music intros

Play the first five seconds of a song and teams name the artist and title. Check the pub's music licence covers playing recorded music.

20. Famous voices

Play short clips of well-known voices from film, TV or radio. Keep the clips short and the volume high.

21. Baby photos

For a work or family quiz: collect baby photos of the people in the room and have teams match them up. Ask permission first.

22. Taste test

Crisps, chocolate bars or soft drinks with the labels hidden. Check for allergies before you start, and label anything containing nuts.

23. Local knowledge

Questions about your own town, the pub's history or the people behind the bar. Regulars love it, and nobody can look it up.

24. Higher or lower

Read a number (a year, a height, a population) and teams say whether the real answer is higher or lower. Fast and easy to mark.

Rounds for special nights

25. Christmas round

Christmas films, number ones, food and traditions. Add a few easy ones for the people who only come to the Christmas quiz. See our Christmas quiz questions.

26. Halloween round

Horror films, monsters, folklore and spooky trivia. Keep it fun rather than gory. See our Halloween quiz questions.

27. Bonfire Night round

The Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes and fireworks: perfect for the first week of November. See our Bonfire Night quiz questions.

28. New Year round

A look back at the year just gone plus New Year traditions around the world. See our New Year's Eve quiz questions.

29. Kids' round

At a family or school quiz, give the children a round of their own (animals, books, films, space) and let them answer it without the adults. See our kids quiz questions.

30. Hard round

One really hard round, near the end, for the serious quiz teams. Use it with a joker so teams can choose to avoid it. See our hard quiz questions.

Putting the rounds in order

Most pub quizzes have six to eight rounds of ten questions, with a break after round three or four. A running order that works almost anywhere:

1. An easy general knowledge round to settle everyone in.
2. Two specialist rounds, such as music and sport, or film and geography.
3. A round with a twist: true or false, connections or odd one out.
4. The break. Collect the picture round, mark, and read out the scores so far.
5. Two more specialist rounds.
6. A harder general knowledge round to finish, so the top teams are separated.

Hand the picture round out at the start and collect it at the break. Offer a joker: each team picks one round before it starts to score double points. It adds tactics and keeps the scores close. For more on rules, marking and tie-breakers, read how to run a pub quiz.

More for quiz night

How to run a pub quiz · Pub quiz team names · How to run a quiz night fundraiser · All quiz questions

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