Introduction
Video games have evolved from simple pixelated blips in 1970s bowling alleys into humanity’s dominant entertainment medium—surpassing the global revenues of Hollywood cinema and the international recording music industry combined. From revolutionary 8-bit cartridges that rescued the industry in 1985 to sprawling photorealistic open worlds rendered in real-time ray tracing, gaming defines modern pop culture.
Whether you are preparing a pub trivia round, competing with your Discord clan, or testing your encyclopedic knowledge of gaming history, this collection of 100 video game trivia questions with answers covers arcade pioneers, genre-defining RPGs, esports, console wars, Nintendo, PlayStation and Xbox, Minecraft and mobile hits, iconic characters, and the biggest games of the 2020s. Open “Show all questions and answers” under any round for a printable list.
Round 1: Golden Age of Arcade & Retro 8-Bit Classics
Relive the golden era of smoky arcade halls and early home cartridges. Test your recall on Pac-Man ghosts, Nintendo’s North American resurgence, and the programmers who built the foundations of gaming:
Coin-Operated Classics & 8-Bit Milestones (Q1–12)
What was the original name of Mario when he first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong?
Show all 12 questions and answers
What was the original name of Mario when he first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong?
Answer: Jumpman
Mario was originally named "Jumpman" in Shigeru Miyamoto’s 1981 arcade cabinet Donkey Kong, where he was a carpenter attempting to rescue Pauline.
Which ghost in the classic arcade game Pac-Man is orange and programmed with erratic, wandering behavior?
Answer: Clyde (Orange)
Clyde (named Pokey in Japan) is orange. Blinky directly chases Pac-Man, Pinky ambushes ahead of him, Inky uses complex vector math, and Clyde wanders randomly when near.
In what year was the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) launched in North America?
Answer: 1985
The NES debuted in North America in October 1985 following a test launch in New York City, single-handedly reviving the home video game industry.
What famous button sequence is known as the "Konami Code"?
Answer: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A
Created by Kazuhisa Hashimoto during development of Gradius in 1986 and made famous in Contra, the code grants 30 extra lives.
What species of animal is Sonic the Hedgehog’s loyal two-tailed sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower?
Answer: Two-Tailed Fox
Miles "Tails" Prower is an anthropomorphic two-tailed fox who uses his twin tails like helicopter rotors to fly and catch up with Sonic.
Which 1993 ground-breaking game developed by id Software popularized first-person shooters and LAN deathmatches?
Answer: DOOM
DOOM, created by John Carmack and John Romero, pioneered texture-mapped 3D graphics, user modding (WADs), and network multiplayer deathmatches.
What Russian software engineer invented the world-famous puzzle game Tetris in 1984 on an Electronika 60 computer?
Answer: Alexey Pajitnov
Alexey Pajitnov programmed Tetris in 1984 while working at the Dorodnitsyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.
In the arcade classic Space Invaders (1978), what caused the alien ships to accelerate as fewer remained on screen?
Answer: Hardware CPU rendering fewer sprites, speeding up execution
Creator Tomohiro Nishikado discovered that as the processor had fewer alien sprites to render, the game naturally ran faster. He kept this accidental performance quirk as a gameplay feature!
What 1982 arcade cabinet features an armadillo-like character hopping on isometric pyramid cubes to change their color?
Answer: Q*bert
Q*bert, created by Warren Davis and Jeff Lee for Gottlieb, hopped across 28 isometric cubes while swearing with speech-bubble glyphs ("@!#?@!") when hit.
Which character serves as the iconic titular antagonist in Nintendo’s original 1986 The Legend of Zelda?
Answer: Ganon
Prince of Darkness Ganon (the pig-like beast form of Ganondorf) captures Princess Zelda and steals the Triforce of Power in the 1986 NES classic.
What was the first commercial home video game console ever released, predating the Atari 2600 in 1972?
Answer: Magnavox Odyssey
Engineered by Ralph Baer (the "Father of Video Games"), the Magnavox Odyssey launched in August 1972 using translucent printed plastic overlays placed directly over CRT television screens.
In Capcom’s 1991 arcade smash Street Fighter II, what martial arts master from Japan throws the signature "Hadouken" fireball?
Answer: Ryu
Ryu, an Ansatsuken karate fighter wandering the world to test his strength, channels spiritual ki energy into his signature Hadouken (Surge Fist).
Nintendo was founded in Kyoto, Japan in 1889—over a century before the Switch! For their first seventy years, they manufactured handcrafted Japanese Hanafuda playing cards.
Round 2: Blockbuster RPGs, Action-Adventure & Open-World Epics
Explore the storytelling milestones that proved video games are a legitimate art form. From Sephiroth’s descent in Midgar to Arthur Morgan’s journey across the vanishing American frontier:
Masterpiece Narratives & Open Worlds (Q13–25)
In Final Fantasy VII (1997), what is the name of the colossal, one-winged villain wielding the Masamune blade?
Show all 13 questions and answers
In Final Fantasy VII (1997), what is the name of the colossal, one-winged villain wielding the Masamune blade?
Answer: Sephiroth
Sephiroth, the legendary SOLDIER First Class infused with Jenova cells, summons the devastating Meteor spell to wound the Planet.
What open-world Western masterpiece created by Rockstar Games follows Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang?
Answer: Red Dead Redemption 2
Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) is celebrated as one of the greatest narrative achievements in interactive entertainment, capturing the dying days of the American frontier in 1899.
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, what dragon shout translates to "Unrelenting Force"?
Answer: Fus Ro Dah
"Fus Ro Dah" translates in the ancient dragon Dovahzul tongue to "Force, Balance, Push", blasting enemies off mountain cliffs.
What post-apocalyptic RPG series features the cheerful Vault Boy mascot and Pip-Boy wrist computer?
Answer: Fallout
Interplay and Bethesda’s Fallout series depicts a retro-futuristic alternate history devastated by a global nuclear exchange in the year 2077.
Which 2015 action RPG developed by FromSoftware transports players to the Gothic, Victorian nightmare city of Yharnam?
Answer: Bloodborne
Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, Bloodborne draws heavily from Lovecraftian cosmic horror, emphasizing aggressive rally mechanics over defensive shields.
What is the full name of the legendary monster slayer protagonist in CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher series?
Answer: Geralt of Rivia
Geralt of Rivia, known as the "White Wolf" (Gwynbleidd), was created in Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski’s fantasy novels and immortalized in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
In BioWare’s Mass Effect sci-fi trilogy, what sentient synthetic-organic starship race harvests advanced galactic civilizations every 50,000 years?
Answer: The Reapers
The Reapers, commanded by Sovereign and Harbinger, purge the galaxy in cyclical cycles of planetary extinction.
What is the name of the protagonist in Valve’s Half-Life series, who wields a signature red crowbar while wearing an HEV suit?
Answer: Gordon Freeman
Dr. Gordon Freeman is a theoretical physicist at the Black Mesa Research Facility who battles interdimensional Combine forces without speaking a single line of dialogue.
Which massive 2022 fantasy RPG from FromSoftware and George R.R. Martin won Game of the Year set in the "Lands Between"?
Answer: Elden Ring
Elden Ring sold over 25 million copies, setting a new standard for open-world exploration as the Tarnished seeks the title of Elden Lord.
In Grand Theft Auto V, which of the three playable protagonists is a volatile former military pilot living in a desert trailer in Sandy Shores?
Answer: Trevor Philips
Trevor Philips, voiced by Steven Ogg, is the unhinged, psychopathic criminal mastermind behind "Trevor Philips Enterprises".
What is the fictional name of the sprawling futuristic metropolis where CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 takes place?
Answer: Night City
Night City is a dystopian corporate-controlled megacity located in the Free State of Northern California, designed originally by Mike Pondsmith.
What is the name of the goddess princess that players must rescue across Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild?
Answer: Princess Zelda
Princess Zelda holds Calamity Ganon at bay inside Hyrule Castle for 100 years while Link recovers inside the Shrine of Resurrection.
In Square’s 1995 SNES time-travel masterpiece Chrono Trigger, what cosmic parasite is destined to destroy the world in the apocalyptic year 1999 A.D.?
Answer: Lavos
Lavos burrowed into the Earth’s core during prehistoric times, absorbing the planet’s DNA and energy before erupting in the Day of Lavos.
The iconic chiptune music of Super Mario Bros. (composed by Koji Kondo) contains only 6 distinct musical tracks, yet Kondo managed to make them permanently memorable despite severe NES sound chip memory limits.
Round 3: Esports, Competitive Shooters & Multiplayer Legends
From South Korean StarCraft stadiums and late-night LAN parties to modern 128-tick tactical shooters and Battle Royale lobbies with millions of concurrent players:
Competitive Arenas & Clan Battles (Q26–37)
What real-time strategy game by Blizzard became a national spectator esport phenomenon in South Korea during the late 1990s and 2000s?
Show all 12 questions and answers
What real-time strategy game by Blizzard became a national spectator esport phenomenon in South Korea during the late 1990s and 2000s?
Answer: StarCraft: Brood War
StarCraft: Brood War filled Olympic stadiums in Seoul, spawned dedicated cable television channels (OGN), and established professional esports leagues.
In Valve’s Counter-Strike series, what is the exact countdown timer duration (in seconds) between the C4 bomb being planted and exploding?
Answer: 40 seconds
In official competitive Counter-Strike (CS:GO and CS2), the C4 bomb timer is set to exactly 40 seconds (with defusal taking 10 seconds without a kit, or 5 seconds with a kit).
What 2017 battle royale game by Epic Games popularized the 100-player skydiving Battle Bus and instant tactical wood/brick building?
Answer: Fortnite Battle Royale
Fortnite Battle Royale surpassed 350 million registered accounts, revolutionizing cross-platform play, live in-game virtual concerts, and battle-pass monetization.
In League of Legends, what is the supreme neutral objective monster located in the river pit on Summoner’s Rift that grants "Hand of Baron"?
Answer: Baron Nashor
Slaying Baron Nashor empowers the team with bonus attack damage, ability power, enhanced minion aura waves, and accelerated recall times.
What high-flying sports video game developed by Psyonix blends supersonic rocket-powered cars with competitive soccer?
Answer: Rocket League
Originally titled "Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars" on PS3, the 2015 sequel Rocket League became a premier international esport.
What legendary competitive fighting game tournament founded in 1996 takes place annually in Las Vegas, Nevada?
Answer: EVO (Evolution Championship Series)
EVO is the premier global fighting game championship, famous for "EVO Moment #37" where Daigo Umehara parried Chun-Li’s 15-hit Super Art on one pixel of health in 2004.
In Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch, which British offensive hero can manipulate her own personal chronal accelerator to "Recall" backward in time?
Answer: Tracer
Lena Oxton, codenamed Tracer, was trapped in temporal desynchronization until gorilla scientist Winston invented the chronal harness allowing her to manipulate her own time anchor.
What popular sandbox social deduction game released by Innersloth in 2018 surged to global virality in 2020 featuring Crewmates and Impostors?
Answer: Among Us
Among Us became a worldwide cultural phenomenon during global lockdowns, prompting players to call emergency meetings and vote out "sus" Impostors.
In Bungie’s Halo series, what is the military callsign rank of the cybernetically augmented Spartan-II supersoldier protagonist John-117?
Answer: Master Chief
Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, aided by his AI companion Cortana, single-handedly prevents the Covenant from activating the galaxy-sterilizing Halo array.
Which first-person tactical shooter developed by Riot Games pits two teams of five in Attackers vs Defenders using character abilities and precise gunplay?
Answer: Valorant
Launched in 2020 on 128-tick servers with Vanguard anti-cheat, Valorant has become a dominant global FPS esport alongside Counter-Strike.
What was the famous real name of the World of Warcraft paladin player who screamed his own name before charging into the Rookery, wiping his entire raid in 2005?
Answer: Leeroy Jenkins
Ben Schulz yelled "LEEROOOOOOY JENKINS!" in May 2005 before wiping the <PALS FOR LIFE> guild in Upper Blackrock Spire, creating one of the internet’s most iconic memes.
What battle royale shooter developed by Respawn Entertainment is set in the Titanfall universe and features the dynamic movement of Octane, Wraith, and Pathfinder?
Answer: Apex Legends
Apex Legends shadow-dropped in February 2019 without prior marketing, gaining 50 million players in its first month and pioneering the ping communication system.
In 2014, an excavation team in Alamogordo, New Mexico dug up 1,300 buried cartridges of Atari’s notorious 1982 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, proving the 30-year-old urban landfill legend was 100% real!
Round 4: Console Wars, Hardware Secrets & Bizarre Easter Eggs
Hardware rivalries, accidental glitched monsters, and hidden secret rooms that defined the home console wars between Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft:
Hardware Wars & Hidden Secrets (Q38–50)
What fatal hardware defect caused Microsoft’s Xbox 360 to display three flashing red quadrant lights around the power button?
Show all 13 questions and answers
What fatal hardware defect caused Microsoft’s Xbox 360 to display three flashing red quadrant lights around the power button?
Answer: Red Ring of Death (RRoD)
The "Red Ring of Death" caused by lead-free solder joint fractures cost Microsoft over $1.15 billion to expand hardware warranties and replace units worldwide.
What was Nintendo’s original CD-ROM hardware accessory partner in the early 1990s before negotiations fell apart and the PlayStation was born?
Answer: Sony
Nintendo famously partnered with Sony engineer Ken Kutaragi to build a Super NES CD-ROM drive, but broke the contract at the 1991 CES, prompting Sony to build the PlayStation independently out of vengeance!
What famous developer hid his name in a secret room inside the 1979 Atari 2600 title Adventure, creating the first known video game Easter Egg?
Answer: Warren Robinett
Because Atari refused to credit programmers in game manuals or cartridges, Warren Robinett secretly programmed a hidden gray pixel room displaying "Created by Warren Robinett".
What iconic boss in Metal Gear Solid (1998) read your PlayStation memory card files and forced you to plug your controller into Port 2?
Answer: Psycho Mantis
Psycho Mantis shocked gamers by reading memory cards (commenting if you played Castlevania or Suikoden) and reading controller input until you swapped ports!
What terrifying explosive enemy in Minecraft was accidentally created when creator Notch accidentally swapped the height and length values of a pig model?
Answer: Creeper
Markus "Notch" Persson made a coding typo swapping the dimensions on an ordinary pig, gave the upright tall creature a green camouflage texture, and created the iconic Creeper.
What optical disc storage format introduced on the PlayStation 3 in 2006 offered 25 GB to 50 GB of storage per disc?
Answer: Blu-ray Disc
Sony’s inclusion of a built-in Blu-ray player in the PS3 proved decisive in winning the format war against Toshiba’s competing HD DVD format.
What memory card accessory for the Sega Dreamcast controller featured a built-in monochrome LCD screen, D-pad, and buttons for standalone mini-games?
Answer: Visual Memory Unit (VMU)
The Dreamcast VMU acted as a save card, private tactical screen (for calling football plays in NFL 2K), and a portable Tamagotchi-style pet raiser (Chao in Sonic Adventure).
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, what comical item can you place over an NPC shopkeeper’s head to steal all their goods without being caught?
Answer: A Wooden Bucket / Basket
Placing an ordinary wooden bucket or laundry basket over a shopkeeper’s head obstructs their AI ray-cast line of sight, allowing you to clean out their store in broad daylight!
What was the historic single number spoken by Sony executive Steve Race at E3 1995 that instantly devastated Sega’s $399 Saturn console?
Answer: "$299"
After Sega announced the Saturn was available immediately for $399, Steve Race walked up to the podium, said "$299", and walked off the stage in the most famous mic drop in gaming history.
In Silent Hill 2 (2001), what animal is hilariously revealed to be controlling all the supernatural horrors of the town in a secret joke ending?
Answer: A Shiba Inu Dog
In the legendary "Dog Ending", protagonist James Sunderland opens a steel door to discover a Shiba Inu wearing a headset and pulling levers at a high-tech control console.
What was the internal development codename for the Nintendo Wii before its official public title was revealed in 2006?
Answer: Revolution
The Wii was codenamed "Revolution". (GameCube was "Dolphin", and Nintendo 64 was originally "Project Reality" developed with Silicon Graphics).
What sound designer’s face popped up in the bottom-right corner of the screen singing "Toasty!" during uppercuts in Mortal Kombat II?
Answer: Dan Forden
Mortal Kombat sound designer Dan Forden would pop into frame in a purple shirt shouting "Toasty!" in a falsetto voice, which could trigger a secret battle against Smoke.
What is the theoretical maximum score achievable in a "Perfect Game" of classic arcade Pac-Man across all 256 stages?
Answer: 3,333,360
A perfect Pac-Man score is exactly 3,333,360 points: eating every dot, fruit, and ghost on every level up to the glitched split-screen level 256 without losing a single life.
Round 5: Nintendo Legends: Mario, Zelda & Pokémon
From the first Pokémon cartridges and Yoshi’s debut to Tom Nook’s island loans and the best-selling Switch game of all time.
Nintendo Franchises (Q51–60)
In which year were the first Pokémon games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in Japan?
Show all 10 questions and answers
In which year were the first Pokémon games, Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released in Japan?
Answer: 1996
Satoshi Tajiri’s Game Freak released the games for the Game Boy in February 1996, inspired by his childhood hobby of collecting insects. Pokémon Red and Blue reached North America in 1998.
Which Pokémon is number 001 in the National Pokédex?
Answer: Bulbasaur
Bulbasaur is first in the Pokédex, followed by Ivysaur and Venusaur. Pikachu is number 025, and Mew, the secret 151st Pokémon of the original games, is 151.
What is the name of Mario’s green dinosaur companion, introduced in Super Mario World (1990)?
Answer: Yoshi
Shigeru Miyamoto had wanted Mario to ride a horse-like creature since the NES days, but the hardware couldn’t handle it until the Super Nintendo.
In The Legend of Zelda series, what is the name of the hero that players control?
Answer: Link
One of gaming’s most common mix-ups: Zelda is the princess. Link is the hero, Epona is his horse, and Navi is his fairy guide in Ocarina of Time.
Which Nintendo console, launched in 2017, works both as a handheld and docked to a TV?
Answer: Nintendo Switch
The Switch sold more than 150 million units, making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console. Its successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, launched in June 2025.
In the original Super Mario Bros. (1985), what was Princess Peach called in English-language releases?
Answer: Princess Toadstool
She was always Peach in Japan, but Western manuals called her Princess Toadstool until Super Mario 64 (1996) used both names. Pauline was the woman Mario rescued in Donkey Kong.
Which handheld console, launched in 1989, came bundled with Tetris in North America?
Answer: Game Boy
Bundling Tetris made the Game Boy appeal to adults as well as children. Gunpei Yokoi’s team chose a cheap monochrome screen so it could run for many hours on four AA batteries.
In Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020), which raccoon sells you a “deserted island getaway package”?
Answer: Tom Nook
Tom Nook’s home loans became a running joke among players. The game launched at the start of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns and sold more than 45 million copies.
What is the best-selling game on the Nintendo Switch?
Answer: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold more than 60 million copies on the Switch, according to Nintendo. It is an enhanced port of the 2014 Wii U game Mario Kart 8.
Which Nintendo designer created both Mario and The Legend of Zelda?
Answer: Shigeru Miyamoto
Miyamoto based Zelda on his childhood explorations of fields, forests and caves around Kyoto. Hideo Kojima created Metal Gear at Konami.
Round 6: PlayStation & Xbox: The Modern Console Wars
Sony’s 1994 debut, the meaning of the controller symbols, Kratos, The Last of Us, Kinect and the biggest acquisition in gaming history.
PlayStation & Xbox (Q61–70)
In which year did Sony launch the original PlayStation in Japan?
Show all 10 questions and answers
In which year did Sony launch the original PlayStation in Japan?
Answer: 1994
The PlayStation launched in Japan on December 3, 1994, and in North America in September 1995. It became the first console to sell more than 100 million units.
Which four symbols appear on the face buttons of a PlayStation controller?
Answer: Triangle, circle, cross and square
Designer Teiyu Goto said the triangle represents a point of view, the square a sheet of paper, and the circle and cross “yes” and “no,” as they are used in Japan.
The Spartan warrior Kratos is the hero of which PlayStation series?
Answer: God of War
God of War began in Greek mythology in 2005 and moved to Norse mythology in 2018, when Kratos became a father figure to his son Atreus.
In which year did Microsoft launch its first Xbox console?
Answer: 2001
The Xbox launched in North America in November 2001 alongside Halo: Combat Evolved. It was the first console with a built-in hard drive.
Which online gaming service did Microsoft launch for the Xbox in 2002?
Answer: Xbox Live
Xbox Live brought voice chat, friends lists and online matchmaking to consoles. It is now part of the Xbox network and Game Pass subscription.
Which 2013 Naughty Dog game follows Joel and Ellie across a post-apocalyptic United States?
Answer: The Last of Us
The Last of Us won more than 200 Game of the Year awards. HBO’s TV adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey premiered in 2023.
Treasure hunter Nathan Drake is the star of which PlayStation series?
Answer: Uncharted
Uncharted debuted in 2007 and is also made by Naughty Dog. Tom Holland played a young Drake in the 2022 film.
Which motion-sensing camera did Microsoft release for the Xbox 360 in 2010?
Answer: Kinect
Kinect tracked players’ whole bodies with no controller, and Guinness named it the fastest-selling consumer electronics device. Microsoft stopped making it in 2017.
Which game publisher did Microsoft finish buying in October 2023, for about $69 billion?
Answer: Activision Blizzard
The deal, the biggest in gaming history, brought Call of Duty, World of Warcraft and Candy Crush under Xbox after regulators in the US, UK and EU reviewed it.
Which PlayStation console introduced the DualSense controller with adaptive triggers?
Answer: PlayStation 5
The PS5 launched in November 2020. Its adaptive triggers can stiffen to mimic the tension of a bowstring or a car’s brake pedal.
Round 7: Minecraft, Roblox & Mobile Gaming
Diamonds and the Ender Dragon, Robux, Angry Birds, Pokémon Go, Candy Crush, Simlish and the rise and fall of Flappy Bird.
Sandbox & Mobile (Q71–80)
Which company bought Minecraft’s developer, Mojang, in 2014 for $2.5 billion?
Show all 10 questions and answers
Which company bought Minecraft’s developer, Mojang, in 2014 for $2.5 billion?
Answer: Microsoft
Creator Markus “Notch” Persson left Mojang after the sale. Minecraft has since become the best-selling video game of all time.
In Minecraft, which is the weakest pickaxe that can mine diamond ore?
Answer: Iron pickaxe
Mining diamond ore with wood, stone or gold breaks the block without dropping a diamond. Gold pickaxes are fast but only as strong as wood.
In Minecraft, in which dimension does the Ender Dragon live?
Answer: The End
Players reach The End through a portal in a stronghold, activated with Eyes of Ender. Defeating the dragon rolls the game’s credits and the “End Poem.”
What is the virtual currency used in Roblox?
Answer: Robux
Roblox creators can exchange Robux they earn for real money. V-Bucks are Fortnite’s currency, and Minecoins are Minecraft’s.
In Angry Birds (2009), what do the birds attack?
Answer: Green pigs
The pigs steal the birds’ eggs. Finnish studio Rovio’s game became one of the first mobile hits, passing a billion downloads across its versions by 2012.
Which 2016 augmented-reality game sent millions of people outdoors to catch creatures on their phones?
Answer: Pokémon Go
Niantic’s Pokémon Go was downloaded more than 500 million times in its first year. Its map was built on data from Niantic’s earlier AR game, Ingress.
Which company developed Candy Crush Saga?
Answer: King
King launched Candy Crush on Facebook in 2012 and on phones later that year. Activision bought King in 2016 for $5.9 billion.
Which Finnish company makes Clash of Clans?
Answer: Supercell
Supercell, based in Helsinki, released Clash of Clans in 2012 and later Clash Royale and Brawl Stars. China’s Tencent owns a majority stake.
What is the name of the made-up language that characters speak in The Sims?
Answer: Simlish
Simlish was improvised by voice actors so the dialogue would never feel repetitive or need translating. The green diamond above a Sim’s head is the Plumbob.
Which developer pulled the viral mobile hit Flappy Bird from app stores in 2014, saying it had become too addictive?
Answer: Dong Nguyen
Vietnamese developer Dong Nguyen said the game was earning about $50,000 a day from ads when he removed it. Phones with it still installed briefly sold for high prices on eBay.
Round 8: Iconic Video Game Characters & Villains
Lara Croft, Samus Aran’s big reveal, Bowser, Dr. Eggman, Solid Snake, GLaDOS, Agent 47 and the Umbrella Corporation.
Heroes & Villains (Q81–90)
Archaeologist Lara Croft is the hero of which series?
Show all 10 questions and answers
Archaeologist Lara Croft is the hero of which series?
Answer: Tomb Raider
Lara Croft debuted in 1996 and became one of gaming’s first female icons. Angelina Jolie played her in two films, and Alicia Vikander in a 2018 reboot.
At the end of which 1986 Nintendo game is the armored hero Samus Aran revealed to be a woman?
Answer: Metroid
Players who finished Metroid quickly enough saw Samus remove her helmet, one of gaming’s most famous twists. The series gave its name to the “Metroidvania” genre.
Mario’s arch-enemy Bowser is also known by which title?
Answer: King Koopa
Bowser rules the Koopa Troopas. Miyamoto first imagined him as an ox, then made him a turtle-like monster after a designer’s sketch.
What is the name of Sonic the Hedgehog’s mad-scientist arch-enemy?
Answer: Dr. Eggman (Dr. Robotnik)
He was always Dr. Eggman in Japan and Dr. Robotnik in the West, until Sega combined the names in 1998. Jim Carrey played him in the Sonic films.
Solid Snake is the hero of which stealth series?
Answer: Metal Gear
Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear (1987) made avoiding enemies more important than fighting them. Splinter Cell’s hero is Sam Fisher.
The sarcastic AI GLaDOS, who promises players cake, appears in which game series?
Answer: Portal
GLaDOS runs the Aperture Science test chambers in Valve’s Portal (2007), and “the cake is a lie” became one of the internet’s first big gaming memes.
What color is Nintendo’s round hero Kirby?
Answer: Pink
Kirby’s first game on the black-and-white Game Boy (1992) left his color a mystery, and the US box art showed him white. Creator Masahiro Sakurai always intended him to be pink.
What is the codename of the bald, barcoded assassin in the Hitman series?
Answer: Agent 47
Agent 47 has been the star of IO Interactive’s series since Hitman: Codename 47 in 2000. The barcode on the back of his head marks him as a clone.
In BioShock (2007), what is the name of the underwater city players explore?
Answer: Rapture
Rapture was built by industrialist Andrew Ryan as a free-market utopia. Columbia is the floating city of BioShock Infinite (2013).
In Resident Evil, which corporation created the T-virus?
Answer: The Umbrella Corporation
Umbrella’s red-and-white logo is one of gaming’s most recognisable. Aperture Science is from Portal, Black Mesa from Half-Life and Abstergo from Assassin’s Creed.
Round 9: Modern Gaming, Indies & Records
Recent Game of the Year winners, Steam and the Steam Deck, Twitch, indie hits Undertale and Stardew Valley, and the Nintendo Switch 2.
Modern Era (Q91–100)
Which game holds the record as the best-selling single video game of all time, with more than 300 million copies?
Show all 10 questions and answers
Which game holds the record as the best-selling single video game of all time, with more than 300 million copies?
Answer: Minecraft
Minecraft passed 300 million copies in 2023. Tetris has sold more in total, but across hundreds of different versions by different publishers.
Which 2023 game by Larian Studios won Game of the Year at The Game Awards?
Answer: Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3, based on Dungeons & Dragons rules, also won Best RPG and Best Performance (for Neil Newbon as Astarion) on the same night.
Which game won Game of the Year at The Game Awards in December 2024?
Answer: Astro Bot
Team Asobi’s Astro Bot, a PlayStation 5 platformer starring the robot mascot from Astro’s Playroom, also won Best Action/Adventure Game and Best Family Game.
Which PC gaming store and platform did Valve launch in 2003?
Answer: Steam
Steam began as a way to update Counter-Strike and became the biggest PC game store in the world, with more than 30 million people online at its peaks.
Which handheld gaming PC did Valve release in 2022?
Answer: Steam Deck
The Steam Deck runs SteamOS, a Linux-based system, and can play much of the Steam library on the go. It inspired a wave of rival handheld PCs.
Which live-streaming platform for gamers did Amazon buy in 2014, for about $970 million?
Answer: Twitch
Twitch grew out of Justin.tv. It popularized watching other people play games live and turned streamers into celebrities.
Which 2015 indie RPG by Toby Fox lets players finish the game without killing a single enemy?
Answer: Undertale
Toby Fox made almost all of Undertale himself, including its music. Choosing to spare or fight monsters changes the story and its ending.
Which developer, known as “ConcernedApe,” made Stardew Valley almost entirely on his own?
Answer: Eric Barone
Eric Barone spent about four and a half years making the 2016 farming game, writing the code, art and music himself. It has sold more than 40 million copies.
In which year did the Nintendo Switch 2 launch?
Answer: 2025
The Switch 2 launched on June 5, 2025 with Mario Kart World. It sold more than 3.5 million units in its first four days, a record for a Nintendo console.
The World Video Game Hall of Fame, which opened in 2015, is part of which museum?
Answer: The Strong National Museum of Play
The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, inducted its first class in 2015: Doom, Pac-Man, Pong, Super Mario Bros., Tetris and World of Warcraft.
Industry Reference: All-Time Highest-Selling Video Games & Hardware
Review official verified lifetime sales data published by platform holders (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) and Guinness World Records:
| Game Title | Verified Units Sold | Publisher / Developer | Debut Year | Historical Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minecraft | 300,000,000+ | Mojang / Microsoft | 2011 | Best-selling standalone video game in human history. |
| Grand Theft Auto V | 195,000,000+ | Rockstar Games | 2013 | Generated $1 billion in gross retail revenue in just 3 days. |
| Tetris (EA Mobile) | 100,000,000+ | Electronic Arts | 2006 | Most downloaded paid mobile game of the feature-phone era. |
| Wii Sports | 82,900,000 | Nintendo EAD | 2006 | Highest-selling single-platform game (bundled with Nintendo Wii). |
| PUBG: Battlegrounds | 75,000,000+ | PUBG Corporation | 2017 | Pioneered the modern 100-player battle royale gaming phenomenon. |
| Mario Kart 8 / Deluxe | 70,500,000+ | Nintendo EAD | 2014 / 2017 | Highest-selling racing game across all generations. |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 61,000,000+ | Rockstar Games | 2018 | Biggest entertainment opening weekend in modern history ($725M). |
| Console Generation | Primary Era | Market Leader | Hardware Sales | Industry Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd Gen (8-Bit) | 1983–1987 | Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) | 61.9M | Saved the North American video game market after the 1983 crash. |
| 4th Gen (16-Bit) | 1987–1993 | Super Nintendo (SNES) | 49.1M | Fierce console war between Sega Genesis and Nintendo. |
| 5th Gen (32/64-Bit) | 1993–1998 | Sony PlayStation (PS1) | 102.4M | Pioneered CD-ROM storage and full 3D polygonal graphics. |
| 6th Gen (128-Bit) | 1998–2005 | Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) | 155.0M | Affordable DVD player integration and legendary game library. |
| 7th Gen (HD Era) | 2005–2012 | Nintendo Wii | 101.6M | Casual motion controls, Xbox 360 HD online gaming, and PS3 Blu-ray. |
| 8th Gen (Modern) | 2012–2020 | PlayStation 4 & Switch | 117M / 140M+ | Hybrid handheld gaming, 4K HDR displays, and digital subscriptions. |
Mind-Blowing Gaming Curiosities & Developer Secrets
Verified historical trivia compiled from developer post-mortems and official archives:
The famous "boing" jump sound effect in original Super Mario Bros. was created by rapidly pitch-shifting an ordinary synthesized triangle wave, saving precious bytes on the 40KB cartridge.
Sony originally partnered with Nintendo to build a CD-ROM drive for the Super Nintendo. When Nintendo backed out at CES 1991, Ken Kutaragi vowed to build Sony’s own standalone console.
The 2005 Corrupted Blood Incident in WoW was so accurate at modeling quarantine breakdowns and superspreaders that the CDC consulted Blizzard to study real-world human behavioral epidemics.
In August 2021, a pristine sealed copy of the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. for NES sold at auction for an astounding $2,000,000, setting an all-time world record.