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What You Need to Survive

Never Leave Home Without

Before the beginning, there's you at your house. Many hosts prep a bag (or pouch) that always has their essentials: app cards, backup pens and answer sheets, a dongle, a phone charger. You know if you will want breath mints, maybe some stickers; just plan ahead.

The Trivia Questions

Questions are linked in an email sent by 3pm on your trivia day.* Read them over and make sure you know how to pronounce everything.
*Exceptions: Block Z is sent to everyone on Tuesdays; Weekend questions are sent on Fridays. 

  • The questions are also in the app, of course, but are also formatted into a Sheet and a Doc - both live in Google Drive.

  • When you read a question into the microphone, it should never be the first time you’ve read the question. We recommend that you print out the questions. Check out this handy document of commonly mispronounced words we frequently use in our questions!

  • Be sure to download the Sound Round (if your location uses it; if it doesn’t, you’ll have a second image round instead), and make sure that it plays properly from your device. This MP3 file lives in Dropbox.

  • Note that we use different blocks of content throughout the week! Block A = Tuesday, Block B = Wednesday, Block C = Thursday-Friday, Block D = Saturday/Sunday/Monday

App Cards or Answer Sheets

The Host Kit includes a stack of cards for the mobile app (to help get players onto the answer site), paper answer sheets, pens, a Sharpie, and a laminated app info page to reuse. The answer sheets are necessary if you’re using pen-and-paper; if you’re running on the app, then the app cards are super helpful. The vast majority of our sites use the app, but the paper sheets will be a helpful lo-fi backup if the WiFi dies or something. That's also where the pens come in, though some hosts will offer a free point to teams that provide their own pen (it's not encouraged, but it is allowed). 

App Cards

This small, business-card sized resource has a QR code to help players easily get to play.triviamafia.com and join your game. There is a spot to jot down the four-digit game code, and brief instructions for players on how to get set up. Give one to each team when you walk around recruiting participants! We also have laminated sheets with this info for you to re-use each week. If you want to download and print a quarter-sheet version, you can find that here.

We will replenish your stack of cards as often as needed! Use the Host Feedback Form to send the requests. Please allow 10 days (two shifts!) for delivery.

Answer Sheets

Answer sheets are half sheets, double-sided. Each pad has 100 sheets. We recommend bringing a pad with you every time you host, just in case the WiFi goes down or there’s a server snafu on our end. This can also be given out as scratch paper if you’re using the app! Helpful for those players who just like a tactile keepsake for the game.

There is no Image Round on the answer sheet. The Image Rounds are online! Direct players to the URL to view it (the URL updates daily, and expires once we move to a new set of questions). The passcode/URL slug for the Image Round will be sent along with the questions. There are two image rounds for each block of questions - the Round 4 Image Round, and the Round 7 Alternate Image Round (if you're not running the Round 7 Sound Round). 
It will be something like "triviamafia.com/b52" or "

Note that you’ll have to allow for more time for grading, so shave a little time off the space between questions when you’re reading (~45 seconds between each, generally).

Tell us when you’re running low on sheets or pens (via Host Feedback), and we’ll send you more. Please allow for 10 days (two shifts!) for delivery.

Note that the score totals are on the bottom of the second page! We’ve also include a helpful “Notes” space for players to keep track of their thoughts. Find our Cheat Sheet for timing and housekeeping reminders, and the printable PDF of the Answer Sheet here.

Prizes

All (official) prizes are given at the end of the game, though a few sites will give out a small prize at the halfway point.

Trivia Mafia stipulates the value but not the type of prizes that the customer venue provides; in most cases, it’s gift cards. But maybe you’ll have merch or other items to give away! First Place gets a $30-value prize, Second Place gets a $20-value prize; the $10-value prize can be given out at your discretion. Reward Third Place, or “Best Team Name,” or “Most Improved,” or “Third Worst,” or “Best Wrong Answer.” It’s up to you, is what we’re saying, just do it the same way every time.

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