​Written By Dusty Ramsbottom, August 18th, 2019

I used to spend hours writing my trivia shows each week. That was back in 2002. Holy moly!

It was a Sunday night weekly at Rock Bottom Pub in Windsor, Ontario. Last time I checked, that show was still going!! Obviously, the baton has been passed forth several times since then, but the energy lives on...

2002 was a simpler time, and I hope they are making a few bucks more than I was then. Especially, considering how long it can actually take to create an interactive experience, with just the right difficulty of trivia questions, and ready for a keen host to take control with. 

Since then, I've kept everything I ever wrote, and those trivia notes have slowly evolved over the years. One day it occurred to me that others would appreciate the work I've put in. I then created Fat Bottom Trivia in Powerpoint format, with notes ready on hand to give to other hosts.

Here's what You'll Need: 

1. A computer or tablet with Microsoft Powerpoint installed. This is included with the Microsoft Office package. 

​Or, you can find an alternative to Powerpoint, though we can't be certain all the functions will work as they should. Some animations or transitions could be affected. Be sure to test any other options out well before your show. Check out https://alternativeto.net/ for recommendations by users. 

2. A connection to a TV or projector. 

HDMI is our #1 friend, nowadays. Inexpensive and reliable. But you may want to think about wireless options such as Apple Airplay, Chromecast, or Roku, depending on your device model. 

After purchase click the download link in the webpage or email. Click each file you've purchased, and download to your desktop. 

4. If your "presenter mode" was turned off, turn it back on to be able to see the next slide, and tips for hosts in the Notes section. 

​5. Click "Read Only":

​6. Go completely through each slide before your show to avoid any surprises, such as locating the "Hidden Side-Games"

7. Use arrow keys or swipe to advance through slides.

8. Clicking on the "Home Screen" and "Question Value".
9. Test The Sound FX. (Right one "mutes")

We have completed testing on our newest pack of trivia presentations. Satisfaction is guaranteed, as always, so let us know how the games went for you. We have tested on twitch and in Virtual Reality environments such as Bigscreen. (https://bigscreenvr.com/)

For any noobs reading this, what you do is download the file. Open it in presenter mode (microsoft powerpoint or equivalent), and make sure your device is connected to a large TV screen at your event, party, or online games. You can also use a dongle device like Google Chromecast (https://store.google.com/product/chromecast) or Apple Airplay (https://www.apple.com/airplay/)

Admittedly, if your guests have never played a lot of games growing up or as adults, they are going to have a tough time. But if you can remember games like "Tekken" "NBA Jam" and "Pokemon Blue/Red" you will enjoy a lot of the questions.

I'd say they are not too terribly difficult for avid gamers, but some of them will definitely make you think. If you have a group of 25 or more (5 teams of 5, perhaps) I think someone will likely get all the questions). If your event has only 5 to 10 players, they will miss some. Be sure to give out hints whenever they seem lost, and emphasize the right parts of the questions to help them figure it out with the clues that have been laid out.

We've got you covered there too.

There is an excellent forum of hosts and players on our Discord Server:
https://discord.gg/28E72F6

And you will find some videos of particular games on our Twitch Channel and Youtube:
https://www.twitch.tv/fatbottomtrivia/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTXTCj29Z4F7trMfzm6x1og

Written By Dusty Ramsbottom, June 14, 2019

​If you can get to it in time, contact hosting@fatcityentertainment.com for a complimentary copy of "The Wild West" Fat Bottom Trivia Presentation. This Promotion will Expire on July 31st. 

Fat Bottom Trivia games are available to use at your local trivia events, but not permitted to reproduce electronically. Feel free to brand your event however you choose. 

All presentations are tested on Powerpoint, but you may find equal usability from a free alternative such as LibreOffice or Google Docs. 

For a detailed guide to installing Powerpoint from Microsoft click here.

If you are ready, or already have an Office 365 subscription, download it here: https://office.microsoft.com/powerpoint/

Choose the Slide Show tab from the top, and depending on what version you are using, there will be an option to enable "Presenter Mode" Or "Presenter View". This will ensure you can see the answers on the next slide after choosing categories, as well as any notes for the hosts, if there are any. 

Fat Bottom Trivia games are only available at the Fat City Trivia Store.

I typically permit the first player or team that arrived to choose the first category. This is a good way to ensure that guests are punctual in their arrival before the games.

If the player chooses a "hidden side game" then the rules apply to them, and that team gets to decide on the choice, if there is one. 

People come to trivia nights for interactions with other teams, to listen to a funny host, and to show off their trivia skills that would be otherwise useless in the real world...

Encourage teams to dance, sing, or even play paddy-cake with the opposing teams next to them. You'd be surprised what people will do for a few make believe points. And they'll gloat about it the next day around the water-cooler. That's when you know you've got a great show. 

After you've calculated the scores, you have yourself a winner, and a defending champion!

There are many more ways to improve your shows, with prizes, tournaments, and returning champions, but if you decide to utilize our pre-made presentations, you can jump-to-front-of-the-line, as they say. 

You know me, I can't do anything without giving something away...

So, if you made it this far, please enjoy a free download of my ebook "How to host a successful trivia night" by using the code HOST100 at the Fat City Trivia Store

"Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Murderlirious in Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

Written By: Kevin Cochrane, Published June 13, 2019

​Lights illuminate the studio, and your eyes focus on the camera, hoping they’re not bulging like a cartoon character. Your flushed face signals what your soaked armpits already understand. You’re in it now. The camera swivels when your introduction sequence initiates. You hear your life distilled into a three-point package: occupation, hometown, and name. Hello, game show world, your skittish smile announces. My friends and family have told me I’m pretty good with trivia. I’m not so sure now, because I think I’m going to faint before we even make it out of the intro. But you’ve studied, logging the miles through topics from contemporary hip hop to ancient funeral rites. You consumed quality books from all kinds of genres, always with a notepad next to you, scrawled with insights and observations. You’ve traveled widely, and when you do, you’re not a tourist. You inhabit your travels, locating yourself in all the experiences and sights, glazing over nothing and accumulating knowledge with each footstep. So, of course, you’re terrified. But underneath those sweat glands, an elated confidence bubbles. No more practice tests. No more shouting answers from the couch. You’re competing in the moment and against other elite contestants. And you’re going to do more than just show up… Yet you haven’t expended a single frequent flyer mile or packed a suitcase. It’s a Thursday night, and a few friends have gathered in your apartment for this moment...

Screenshot of Unknown VR Dude from Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

But virtual reality opens up a new front in your trivia night battles through digital technology. With a head-mounted display and either a gaming console or VR system, you can enter into an immersive world.
 
Through the head-mounted display, VR generates a simulated environment like video games, except now, you’re the character. Sensors respond to your eye and hand movements, and the graphics shifts accordingly so you can operate as if you’re embedded in the environment.
 
Your trivia night forecast has been altered forever.
 
You and your friends can play trivia games through VR, whether it’s a game show format like Fat Bottom Trivia or Music Trivia Party.
 
Life commitments can make it difficult to gather for trivia night at physical location on a consistent basis.  VR provides a broader scope of options for gameplay, whether it’s meeting under the same roof or linking up online via different residences. We have officially gone global, and already hosted players from countries around the world. So far, only in English... but 2019 has been a great year so far, and it ain't over yet!

"Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Everyone in "Buckerooni's Trivia Room"
Using Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

Written by Dusty Ramsbottom, February 4th, 2019

Valentine’s Day can either be a night to remember, or a complete pain in the kaboose. Well, I am here to tell you now, that IT CAN BE BOTH!

Ok, so for those of you reading this who do not really know what we do here, we create game’s nights that kooky entertainers like myself can download and use at parties, weekly trivia nights, or even big event productions. Some are “Team” games like Fat Bottom Trivia, or there are games that are more fun as individuals, such as Music dobOFF or Triv81.

Many of the games were written by myself personally, but some have been written by some of the other experienced hosts within our community. If you ever have suggestions for new games, or special requests, just let me know! -> dustin@fatcityentertainment.com

All the games have been tested in front of real audiences, and I know every game can be a great tool in your repertoire as an entertainer to create fun events, that people will remember and talk about for weeks after the fact. They are pretty much all family-friendly other than the slight innuendo here and there. In-yer-end-o.. Ha!

We now have games prepared for pretty much all the big holidays, and here are my top picks for Valentine’s Day this year!

Plug your computer into a big-screen, or even use Chromecast or Apple TV to mirror your screen, and you are ready for an interactive Jeopardy!-esque game show. Though these games are more interactive with extra side-games, and a final challenge. You’ll need Powerpoint or an equivalent to run the program.

(Check out Brian and Chris Jones from the Jones Zone Podcast host this game for their friends at Loom Coworking in Fort Mill, South Carolina)

If you want to take it up a notch, finish off with an all-music trivia game. Give bonus points to the teams with high energy, dancing and participation. These games are based on old-school entertaining we used to do at the bars with only 2 cd players and a wireless microphone. We’ve since cleaned up the format and added the questions and side-games on the big-screen. But a good host knows how to work a room with any tools at their disposal.

Don’t forget to follow the music playlist for this game.

Thanks for sticking through this read. If you want some more information on how to host your own kick-ass parties, here’s a secret code for a free download of the Host Handbook from the trivia store: host100

I like to give bonuses for those of us who focus and can see things through until the end. :)