How to run an online pub quiz
A pub quiz without the pub, or just without the marking. One person hosts from their browser and shares the screen on Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet; everyone else answers on their own phone. Each game is a round of ten trivia questions, scored live, so the host can play too instead of reading questions and adding up sheets.
No accountsRoom opens in secondsUp to 40 players
How to run a pub quiz online in five steps
- 1Pick the call and tell people to bring a phone. Zoom, Teams, Meet, FaceTime or a Discord call all work: the quiz runs in the browser alongside it.
- 2Open huddlequiz.com/host, choose Standard (10 questions) for a proper round, and share the host window on the call. The join code and QR code are on it.
- 3Everyone opens huddlequiz.com/join on their phone and types the code and a team name. Two or three people can share a phone if they're in the same room.
- 4Press start. Questions run for 20 seconds each, a right answer is 100 points plus up to 100 for speed, and the board updates after every reveal.
- 5Call a break, then start the next round with a rematch. Three or four rounds with a breather between them is a full quiz night.
A pub quiz format that works online
- Rounds of ten. One Standard game is one round, about ten minutes. Themed rounds are one tap away: the host can narrow a game to film, music, sport, geography or any mix of the 16 categories.
- Teams on one phone. Pairs or threes sharing a phone keep the chatter that makes a pub quiz a pub quiz, and quieter players get someone to think out loud with.
- No marking. Answers are scored the moment they lock in, so there is no swapping sheets and no arguing over handwriting.
- The host plays too. Take a seat from the host screen. Nobody has to sit the night out reading questions.
- Scores on the shared screen. The board updates after every reveal where the whole call can see it, which ends most pub quiz arguments before they start.
Where people run it
- The Friday team call: two rounds before everyone signs off, and a running league table in the group chat.
- Friends in different cities: a video call, a round each of film and music, and a rematch for the losers.
- The actual pub: phones out, host screen on the table, no pens. A Quick game of three questions fills the wait for the first round.
Online pub quiz FAQ
How many rounds should an online pub quiz have?
Three or four rounds of ten questions, with a break between them, is about an hour of play and keeps everyone sharp. Start a new game for each round.
Can I choose the topics for a round?
Yes. On the host setup page, pick one or more of the 16 categories such as film, music, sport, geography or history, or leave it mixed.
Do we need a quizmaster?
No. The game deals the questions, keeps the clock and marks the answers, so the person hosting can play along.
Does it work on Zoom, Teams and Google Meet?
All three, and anything else with screen sharing. The quiz is a website, so nothing is installed in the meeting app.
How many people can join?
Up to 40 players per room, the host included if they play. Larger teams can split into rooms and compare winning scores.
Is it really free?
Yes, with no accounts and no signup. If you enjoy it, buying the maker a coffee helps keep the servers running.