Stars: 5/5
HQ Trivia seems like something straight out of an episode of “Black Mirror.” It’s a live stream questionnaire app that gives out thousands of dollars a day to lucky winners. Players quick enough to answer all 12 questions in a short period of time can see prizes from as low as a few dollars to as high as $50,000 in their PayPals. The stakes are high, but you can’t lose anything from playing, besides 10-15 minutes of your time twice a day. The game goes live every weekday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and usually just 8 p.m. on the weekends.
Millions of people from all over the globe have joined HQ, which was created by Vine developers, Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll. It all began in August 2017 when they released their long-awaited app which, as of Feb. 19, 2018, has given out $572,000 to thousands of lucky winners.
The App Store has gone from apps like Flappy Bird, where you are simply distracted from everyday life to HQ, where you can earn a large sum, which, according to any life coach, is a much better use of time.
The app hasn’t had any advertisements or sponsors because, according to one of its representatives, they aren’t looking for any revenue yet. Silicon Valley investors are putting their faith into HQ, hoping that it will get bigger or at least stay at its current level of relevancy. Since HQ is backed by venture capitalists they are taking big risks, but it seems to be paying off.
HQ has over a million players on average per game. Each game has a unique set of questions read by one of the two hosts. Scott Rogowsky and Sarah Pribis are equally loved and hated by HQ players. They have to keep over a million people entertained while waiting for the game to begin since there are often lags from the large number of people joining. The hosts endure many hateful comments that are shown live as they announce the questions to all the millions of players. Thankfully, a few HQ players, or “H-Cuties” are supportive of the hosts and comment pleasant things.
Each question is shown for only ten seconds, making them impossible to Google. The questions start out relatively simple, such as, “What liquid is typically paired with cereal?” However, since the game has to eliminate all but a handful of players, the questions get progressively harder as it dwindles on. You have to be quick, intelligent and tech savvy to stay in the game.
HQ Trivia is perfect for anyone who fancies themselves as a know-it-all. It is the modern version of ‘Jeopardy,’ which helps it reach a larger audience of multiple age groups. Families can enjoy the game together which is something that the App Store hasn’t seen in a while. It is a genius app that is quickly becoming a household name.
