Hey world, we hear you also have Android phones? HQ has a nice little stocking stuffer coming your way… pic.twitter.com/RwY6Qpkk9e
— HQ Trivia (@hqtrivia) December 5, 2017
When we first looked at the iPhone exclusive back in October, the app had several thousand players per day. As Business Insider notes, that number has exploded to more than a quarter million. In addition to the fast-paced game show atmosphere and the possibility of winning real cash prizes, fans have made comedian Scott Rogowsky, as the host, into something of a celebrity.
Clad in his trademark black suits, Rogowsky is well known for making up words — such as “HQties” for the game’s players — and he’s inspired some devoted fans who call him “quiz daddy.”
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Rogowsky refused to divulge what HQ stood for. “I personally change the meaning every week,” he said. “Last week it was Horse Quaaludes, this week it’s Hairy Queens.” He also revealed that he lives with his parents and that he personally sucks at trivia games.
Inspired by game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Jeopardy, the show consists of a dozen multiple-choice trivia questions. Pick the right answer within 10 seconds, and you move on to the next round. A wrong answer means you’re out, although you can still watch the action unfold and add your own comments. Any players left standing at the end split the prize pool and collect their winnings via PayPal.
Former Vine co-founders Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll have been watching as their show takes off. “We all grew up watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. That’s our basis for this kind of stuff,” Yusupov told TechCrunch. “We just wanted to make something that people play … with their friends and family.”
The game itself takes place live daily, with a starting time of 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET (12 p.m. and 6 p.m. PT) every day. The game show format and live video presentation combine to make it an addictive experience that thousands of people have made part of their daily routine.
People love trivia, and tens of thousands of Android players are likely to join in during the coming months. As Yusupov put it, “It’s a way to give people a chance to have fun, maybe win, maybe learn something new.”
Update: Added information about Android availability and more details about host Scott Rogowsky.
