| Ah, Trivia. A waste of time so ancient it predates | | | | where the original Trivial Pursuit game now resides. |
| iPhones, computers, probably even books. | | | | You can play the game in classic mode or a new |
| We are fairly certain that on some long-ago winter | | | | "pursuit mode," play with up to four friends via wifi, |
| night, in some long-forgotten language, a hunter or | | | | and download new questions for a price. Typical of |
| gatherer grunted "he paint seven antelope on cave | | | | the EA formula: buy the rights to a classic, offer a |
| wall, then die from oozing wound," and was | | | | new option, charge a premium price--and do it all |
| answered "Who Og?" Yet here we are, in 2010, no | | | | very well. Psst, Sony, take note: Jeopardy has more |
| smarter, no more advanced in any real sense, tapping | | | | than 3 categories per round. |
| on our iPhones like chimps trying to get skittles in | | | | PopQ Trivia, Sina Mobasser; $1.99. It's trivia from the |
| some demented grad school experiment--and still | | | | pop world, and you'll find everybody who's anybody |
| obsessed with trivia. | | | | in PopQ's 15 categories, not to mention everybody |
| Since we can't stop playing trivia games, we may as | | | | who's nobody. Attention parents and grandboomers, |
| well be entertained. Here are the 5 Best Trivia Apps | | | | you can play too--pop means all eras of pop, and |
| for your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch devices. | | | | there's a "where are they now" category that should |
| Ben Stein: It's Trivial, Griptonite Games; $3.99. What is | | | | make you feel right at home. No friends-only game |
| it about Ben Stein that just screams inconsequential | | | | play, but you can challenge friends to beat you to |
| but accurate facts? Is it the nasal monotone? The | | | | the top of the global leaderboard--along with a few |
| horn-rimmed glasses? Whatever it is, this game | | | | thousand strangers. |
| features plenty of the signature snarky Stein | | | | 6501 Crazy Facts, Charles Jamerian; Free. The best |
| sarcasm, the Stein faux- (or is it?) egotism, and the | | | | of a genre of "just the facts, ma'am" apps, Crazy |
| opportunity to denude Stein of some of his hard-won | | | | Facts has no gameplay, no mass-market namesake, |
| stuff (shades of the TV forerunner, "Win Ben Stein's | | | | no glitz, no glitter. Just facts you didn't know, unless |
| Money.") Well worth the $3.99, and his trivia is | | | | you're very strange. It keeps growing, and is still |
| actually, in some way, significant. For just a taste of | | | | ad-free and free-free. |
| Stein, download the lite version free. Anybody got a | | | | That Ain't It, IMAK Creations; $4.99. One of these |
| better trivia app? Bueller? Bueller? | | | | things is not like the others. Spot it...fast! Play for |
| Trivial Pursuit, Electronic Arts; $4.99. Just after the | | | | either top dollar or speed record. Play until you can |
| stone age mentioned above, in the eyes of some, | | | | put it down--and good luck with that. Two global |
| came the 1980s, when Trivial Pursuit was born (with | | | | leaderboards, no multiplayer option. |
| some bits of unimportant history in between). | | | | Full disclosure: though some are well-done, we |
| Fortunately, their elders can now school them on | | | | avoided games based on anybody's favorite band, |
| those bits of unimportant history through Trivial | | | | TV Show, or sacred religious texts. If you want niche |
| Pursuit--at least the history pie wedge, which is | | | | trivia, hit the App Store search box! |