Twice a day, every day, without fail, my phone lights up with the same notification: "HQ is live! Are you ready to play?" I hear the same chime all around my office, and many of my friends promptly pull out their phones with rapt attention, ready for the chance to finally win HQ Trivia [1].
But . . . what is it? You've probably seen people mention it on your Twitter timeline, or maybe you've even watched the hysterical video [2] of a woman having an emotional breakdown over winning $11 in the game. So allow me to introduce you to 2018's hottest internet phenomenon, HQ Trivia.
What is it?
HQ Trivia is an addictive live trivia game that all takes place within an app and, bonus, comes with a possible cash prize. The games take place twice per day — noon and 6 p.m. PT — and consist of 12 questions ranging from easy to hard. As hundreds of thousands of viewers tune in, they are presented with multiple-choice options that they must decide on within mere seconds . . . and with every round, more folks choose incorrectly, disqualifying themselves.
Whichever players succeed in answering all 12 trivia questions correctly then split the cash prize — which sometimes means each winner receives mere cents, while other times it can amount to thousands of dollars!
Who can play?
Anyone with a smartphone and a fast WiFi connection can play HQ Trivia by downloading the free app (available for iOS [4] and Android [5]) and creating a player profile.
Who hosts the game?
There are several live HQ Trivia hosts, but most notable is quirky personality Scott Rogowsky [7] — sometimes referred to as "Quiz Daddy." Since HQ started in Fall 2017, Rogowsky has become a cult-favorite of trivia fanatics, with some publicly lamenting his absence [8] while he was away for his holiday break and others creating meme videos [9] all about Scott.
How does it operate?
The trivia game comes from the app workshop of the guys who founded Vine, which explains how they know a thing or two about gaining a viral following! Money-wise, the prize pot for every game of HQ Trivia comes courtesy of venture capital [10].
