Trivial Pursuit has been a family favourite for over 40 years, but it turns out that many people have been playing the game wrong – and it could mean you’re cheating
Trivial Pursuit, a staple of family entertainment for over four decades, has some rules that may surprise even the most seasoned players. The Christmas season often sees us gathering with our loved ones, dusting off board games like Monopoly and Scrabble from the loft for some quality time together.
Among these cherished pastimes is Trivial Pursuit, a game where participants answer trivia and pop culture queries to collect small plastic wedges that slot into their game piece. Once all six wedges are collected, the player must journey to the centre of the board to answer a final question chosen by their opponents.
However, it appears many of us may have been playing the game incorrectly. A Reddit post revealed a specific rule about how players should navigate towards the centre at the end, suggesting that many of us might have unknowingly been bending the rules for years.
The post detailed an instance where a man was playing with his father and attempted to reach the centre. When his father rolled a five and overshot the centre, he opted to move three spaces forward into the centre, then two spaces back down the same path he had ascended.
The rules of Trivial Pursuit clearly state a player cannot move up and down the same spoke in one turn. However, they also suggest that if a player overshoots the centre, they can choose which spoke to descend – potentially implying they could select the same one they just ascended, as it’s ultimately the player’s choice.
A man shared his recent experience: “I’ve recently run into an argument about the rules of Trivial Pursuit with my father. In our last game, he gathered his pies and then set about trying to reach the hub. He overshot his roll with a five, then tried to move forward three spaces into the hub and back down the same spoke he had started on, essentially staying on the same space.
“After consulting the rulebook, we noticed that while the rules state that you cannot move up and down a spoke on the same turn, it also states that upon overshooting the hub, you may choose the spoke you go down.
“So, based on your expert opinions, was this a legal move or not?”
Commenters on the post were almost unanimous in their belief that backtracking is never allowed, so while a player can choose their spoke, they cannot select the one they travelled up.
One person commented: “You’re not permitted to backtrack. If I remember correctly, the original rules explicitly stated that in this instance, you only have five options to choose from. Definitely illegal.”
Another player explained: “I would say that he can’t go back down the same spoke he went up on. The rules say that you cannot move forward and back in the same move. This rule can certainly coexist with the rule stating that you can pick which spoke to go down if you overshoot the hub – you can pick any possible spoke, except for the one that you are not allowed to go down.
“You are allowed to choose from the possible spokes that the rules of the game allow you to go down. It doesn’t say that you may ignore other rules when you choose the spoke, so it’s reasonable to assume that you can choose any spoke that the rules allow.”
It’s worth noting, however, that multiple versions of Trivial Pursuit have been launched since the original game came out in 1981, and some of the rules have changed over the years. These rules may vary considerably in editions such as the Junior version, as this is designed for a younger audience.
Therefore, it’s always advisable to check the rule book before you begin playing.
