In a shocking announcement made on February 2, 2012, Buzztime rocked the trivia world with its plans to change its schedule! Many players were sent into a stunned coma-like state. Said one player in New York, "We've been playing Showdown for years at 8:30 pm. Now they've moved it to 8:00 pm. Whatever shall we do???" Trivia buffs in California were outraged. "I normally play Showdown at 5:30 pm. Now it's 7:00pm. The game won't be over until 8:00 pm. That is sooooo past my bedtime!"
      But the really big news is that the Mountain and Pacific time zones, along with Alaska and Hawaii will suffer the ignominy of having to play repeat games. Yes, games that have run a few hours earlier in the Atlantic, Eastern and Central time zones. Most people expect cheating to run rampant as anyone can call a friend back East and get the answers. Talks of boycotts and Armageddon are running wild on the message boards. Will the players revolt? Will Buzztime stick to its guns or will they cave in to the pressure? OTWT. One thing's for sure: TIG will have to do a lot of work to change the game times on this page. For right now, we recommend going to the official New Buzztime Schedule which begins on February 28, a day which may or may not go down in trivia infamy.

      Do you think you're good at trivia? Are you an obnoxious bore who likes to brag how smart you are? Do your friends often refer to you as a KIAA? Love to drink like a fish and roll up $100 bar tabs? Then Buzztime may be just what you're looking for. Buzztime makes interactive trivia games available in about 4,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Almost all of them are restaurants and bars. If you have a drinking problem, so what? Since Buzztime is very addictive, it may replace drinking as your number one problem, and what's so bad about that? You can find your nearest location, a game schedule, and AKOGS at: www.buzztime.com.
      Looking to improve your Buzztime trivia scores? Check out How to win at Buzztime Trivia.
      Another option would be to visit IG's Buzztime Blog.
      If a blog about trivia isn't your cup of tea, another choice would be to take 10 Valium pills and chug down a quart of rum. That would solve sooooooo many problems.

      Too lazy to click on one of those blue links? All right then, here's a list of the games that Buzztime is currently running as of 02/03/12. Each game receives an InsaneGambler.com rating from one to five diamonds, with one being the worst and five the best. Ratings are based on game content, writing, difficulty, accuracy (they do make mistakes) and various other factors. Does the game have interesting, meaningful questions that are educating? Or does it have a lot of "fluff" - pop culture questions that almost all serious players loathe with nothing short of absolute contempt? Are the game's graphics pleasing to the eye? Is the scoring structure fair? The rating is quite subjective of course. One man's pleasure is another man's poison. TIG has been playing Buzztime for more than 18 years, and since this is his website, he'll rate these games any way he wants.

Showdown
      Year in and year out, this game has earned its reputation as Buzztime's finest. It has long had an academic tone to its content and style. There are a total of 41 questions, ranging from the routine to downright wicked. Warning: if you play this game by yourself, you will be humbled by your lack of knowledge. Almost all of the top scorers in this game are playing on some sort of team, sharing answers with the people around them. It's the only way to consistently score high in this game. Win this game and it's like climbing Mt. Everest. Some of the teams are so desperate to win, they use computers to help them get the answers. SHAME ON YOU!!! The game runs from 5:30 to 6:45pm PT. IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

Six
      This is a really cool hour-long game that airs at 6:00pm PT on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Each game is different - no repeat questions. It has a Trivial Pursuit feel to it with six categories of questions: Past, World, Arts, Shows, Games and Science. The graphics are really well done. There are four rounds, with each one a little bit different as far as the number of answers, clues, etc. TIG would give it five stars except for the first round of questions. What's wrong with them? They seem to be written for fourth graders. They have Jeopardy style clues in the questions which practically GIVE you the answer. What's the point? Example: "Doc and Dopey know that after our Sun is a red giant, it will become a:" Answer: White Dwarf! Or how about "Betcha five cents you know that 28 is the atomic number of:" Answer: Nickel Duhhh! FTLOG! IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦

Spotlight
      If movies, television and the whole entertainment scene are your bag, this game is for you. If not, find something else to do. It has really nice graphics and the rounds have quite a variety in style. You'll have to deal with scrambled answers, guess the year, and other clever stuff. This is also one of the Buzztime games which allows you to wager up to 50 percent of your points on the final question. Showdown and Playback do the same thing. It gives just about everyone a chance to win if they get it right and all those ahead of them get it wrong. Some people hate it, others love it. The game starts at 6:00pm PT on Friday and lasts one hour. IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦

Playback
      Music, Music, Music! This 60-minute game starts at 6:00pm PT on Saturdays. Alas, the game went under a serious makeover in 2008 and the reaction of some players was a bit on the cool side, and that's putting it mildly. It was more like an Adolph Hitler impersonator showing up at a Bar Mitzvah. The scoring structure involves bonuses that take a while to figure out and there's one round that is guaranteed to make you scream in frustration the first few times you play it. There's nothing wrong with the content of the game, it's just that the game's format pales in comparison to the other premium games. They do have this cool easter egg thing when you push the number zero between questions. You need to be in the top three on the scoreboard for it to work. Try it, it's fun! IG Rating: ♦♦½

Glory Daze
      This 30-minute game focuses on the events of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. About half the 15 questions are either on movies, television and music. The rest are straight history or odd stuff like fads, fashions, etc. Unlike virtually all other Buzztime games, the factoid that appears after the answer is shown is usually not a real fact, but is a joke instead. Or at least an attempt at a joke. Some hit. Some miss. If you're a Baby Boomer, you should do well. You young whippersnappers will be in trouble. The "fun" starts Tuesday at 4:30pm PT. IG Rating: ♦♦♦

Brainbuster
      Trivia masochists love this 30-minute game that starts at 5:00pm PT on Tuesday. It's the lead-in to Showdown and thus attracts quite an intellectual crowd. The questions are tough. The clues are tough. There are virtually no pop culture questions. Bravo! The game definitely lives up to its name. IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

Speed
      This is a fun game that follows Showdown at 6:45pm PT on Tuesday. The questions aren't any different that the normal Countdown games, it's just that there are 18 of them jammed into 15 minutes. That's why they call it Speed. It's a pleasant change of pace. This game will go belly up on February 21, so play it now while you can! IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦

Speed Freaks
      This is Speed on steroids. All the points go to whoever answers first at your location. As soon as someone answers correctly, on to the next question. If people are answering correctly quickly, up to 35 questions can be shown. Now that's speed! The game starts at 4:45pm PT on Wednesday. If you can't make it then, there's another version of the game that normally runs at 5:15pm PT on Friday but was moved to 5:30pm PT on Saturday starting September 10, as a new NFL-themed game called "The Season" debuted at 5:00pm PT on Friday, September 9. Got it? IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦½

SciFiles
      As the game's name suggests, it's all about science fiction: movies, books, television. Star Wars, Star Trek and Stargate fans get all geeky over this game. 30 minutes. 15 questions. Begins 5:00pm PT on Wednesday. IG Rating: ♦♦♦½

Pastimes
      History buffs enjoy this game that starts at 5:30pm PT on Wednesday. Too bad it's only 15 minutes long with 10 questions. This short format is loathed by most players. IG Rating: ♦♦♦

Lexitopia
      This game is simple to describe. There's a word, then four possible definitions. You pick the right one. Sounds easy, unless the word is fusty, crenulate, cendorex, itigho or numinous. Short format: 15 minutes, 10 questions. 5:45pm PT Wednesday. IG Rating: ♦♦♦½

Nth Degree
      Another of those goshawful short games. It starts at 4:45pm PT Thursday. A nice variety of questions and they're all hard, though sometimes obscure. No clues. All or nothing. Bring your whole brain with you. This game is scheduled to end February 23, so play it now while you can! IG Rating: ♦♦♦

Ask It Already
      Starts 5:00pm PT Thursday. This one's a bit different in that the answers are shown first, then the question. What's the difference? Who knows? Who cares? IG Rating: ♦♦½

Immortal Words
      You're given a quote from a movie, book, television show, politician, etc. Then you guess who said it. Interesting, if you're into that sort of thing. If not, it's kind of a drag. Especially if the quote is obscure or apocryphal. You do know what apocryphal means? 5:15pm PT Thursday. Short format. IG Rating: ♦♦

Topix
      There are currently two versions of this 30-minute game with 15 questions. Each game is about one specific topic. For example, the four topics for February are NFL Players, Chocolate and Cookies, Greek and Roman Gods, and George Washington. The five topics for March are Astrology, Powerful Women, Going Green, Oceans and Seas, and Newspapers. The four topics for April are In Your Backyard (huh?), The Titanic, Baby Animals, and Midwestern States. The Thursday game starts at 5:30pm PT. IG Rating for Thursday Topix: ♦♦♦♦½

      Another version of Topix normally runs at 5:30pm PT on Friday and usually has an entertainment theme. However, it was moved to Saturday starting September 10, as they ran a new NFL-themed game called "The Season" in its normal Friday time slot. IG Rating: Friday Topix: ♦♦♦½

Trendalicious Trivia
      This 15-question, 30-minute game runs on Fridays at 7:00pm PT. As the title of the game suggests, it's full of pop culture, and for many players that's a real bummer. IG Rating: ♦♦♦

Tuned In
      Television, mostly older shows, is the theme of this 10-question, 15-minute game that starts at 5:45pm PT on Saturday. Not exactly Buzztime's best effort. IG Rating: ♦♦

Countdown
      This has long been the staple of Buzztime's trivia schedule. About a dozen of these 30-minute, 15-questions run during the average day. All categories of trivia are covered, but about half of the questions are in the "pop culture" category. This is a serious irritant to veteran players who constantly complain about too much movie, too much TV, too much "Dancing with the Stars" questions. These people HATE pop culture, and you probably will too when you see four straight questions about "Survivor 15: The Alleys of Wichita." IG Rating: ♦♦♦½

Buzztime Trivia
      Probably the most hated game on Buzztime. Why? It's only 15 minutes with 10 questions. There are only four answer choices. There are no clues. The questions are pretty much the same as in Countdown, but the game just has a hurried, cheap feel to it. TIG compares it to going to a big Las Vegas casino and playing a nickel slot machine. After an hour you hit a jackpot. Lights shine, bells ring, hundreds of coins spit out. Woo-hoo! I hit the jackpot! Money is all over the place and when you add it all up, there's 20 dollars there. That's all, just 20. WAWOTTW There are about 25 of these during the day. Study the Buzztime schedule so you can avoid as many of them as possible. IG Rating: ♦ (and that's being generous)

Cross Checked
      This is for all those hockey fans out there. A 15-minute, 10-question game that runs at 3:30pm PT Saturday during the hockey season. It's so popular, they run another one at 3:45pm. This is one of several games that run only on the Buzztime Sports Network. Sports bars, especially those in Canada, are more likely to have this game than non-sports places. IG Rating: none (he's never played it)

QB1
      This is a great game that let's you predict each play of an NFL game. The more you get right, the more points you score. Trying to describe the game won't do it justice. If you're a football geek, this could really be a fun experience. Unless you have a temper, in which case it may give you some anger management problems. For football fans, IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦   For non-football fans, IG Rating: ♦

Race Day
      NASCAR fans rejoice! This game is for you. It has a 15-question trivia game based on the Sprint Cup series and there's also a prediction game where you pick the race leaders and other race stats. The game's time varies, depending on when the Sprint Cup race is scheduled. For NASCAR fans, IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦   Non-NASCAR fans: IG Rating: ♦

Sports IQ
      This well-designed hour-long game became an instant favorite among sports fans when it debuted in 1995. But the hammer fell in 2008 when, with virtually no warning, the game was cancelled. Boo-hoo-hoo. The players cried, they whined, they begged, but no dice. No SIQ. The game finally returned in the summer of 2009 and now airs Mondays at 4:30pm PT. IG Rating: ♦♦♦½

The Season
      This hour-long game ran at 5:00pm PT on Friday nights during the 2011 NFL season. There were 44 questions. About half were directly about the NFL but the other half were questions like what river flows through which NFL city. What city's favorite food is corn flakes and molasses. Which player just got married to a country singer. Stuff like that. For more details go to the official game description of The Season at the Buzztime website. IG Rating: ♦♦♦♦½ (It's actually pretty good - you don't need to be a football fanatic to enjoy it.)

R.I.P. - Fox Sports Trivia Challenge
      This hour-long game had been a Buzztime staple for 20 years or so until it was cancelled by TPTB. The last game ran on October 31, 2011. There were 34 questions in the game. The first eight were about things that had happened in the past few weeks. The next 26 were mostly in the past, so you really had to know your sports to get a good score. If not, you'd feel pretty stupid. The game long had a reputation as one of Buzztime's best-written and most challenging games. We can only hope that it returns in the not too distant future.

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