Game Overview
What is Initials Game Live?
Initials Game Live (known internally as IGL) is a fast-paced live trivia game, played by teams or individuals in a bar or taproom setting, that offers a new twist on traditional pub trivia.
Given a two-letter set of initials and a series of short but increasingly helpful clues, players use their phones to submit two-word answers that adhere to the given initials. Critically, only one answer may be submitted for each item. The sooner a correct answer is submitted, the more points that player/team receives. Incorrect answers receive 0 points.
Initials Game Live is based on The Initials Game, a weekly radio game show that has been played on the "Power Trip Morning Show" on the Twin Cities sports radio station KFAN since 2014. Trivia Mafia developed the live version of the game in 2024 in partnership with KFAN host Cory Cove, the game's inventor.
Game Overview
Every answer in an IGL round uses the same two-letter set of initials. These answers (known as "Items") can be just about anything: a person's name, the title of a movie, or simply a concept. For example, a "TM" round could include such items as "Tobey Maguire," "Thin Mints," "Total Mayhem," or "Trivia Mafia."
Players are given a series of six short clues about each item. The sooner a player identifies the correct answer, the more points they receive.
Gameplay
Initials Game Live is played on smartphones or other internet-enabled devices.devices via the IGL web app.
Prior to the start of a round, the host reveals the initials that will be in play for that round. Once a round has begun, a series of clues will begin to appear on the player's screen. At the same time, a 1500-point timer will begin counting down at a rate of 10 points per second.
Clues begin vague and confusing, and grow gradually easier. Once the player submits a correct answer, they are awarded the number of points shown on the timer at the time of their submission.
Crucially,Crucially: playersPlayers are only allowed to submit one answer per item. If that answer is wrong, they receive zero points and are out of the game until the next item.
A round of IGL consists of five items. Each item contains six clues. A typical game is three rounds (15 items).
Next: Before You Begin >