We played HQ Trivia a few times and came away empty handed

Unless you've been concentrating totally on the latest battery issues affecting Apple and Samsung, you have probably heard of HQ Trivia. This is the app that is rewarding those with advanced knowledge of trivia, with real cash. We figured that we would give this a shot to see if we could turn our knowledge of useless information into some money. If you haven't played, here are the basics of the game. After installing the app on your iOS or Android device, you set up a free account and that is all you need to do to join in the fun.

Games start at 9pm EST every day with a 3pm EST matinee on weekdays. But there often is a delay before the first question drops. Each game consists of a series of 12 questions that are introduced by a live host, whose main job is apparently to bore the hell out of you while you're waiting for the next question. When a question is asked, you see it on your screen with three possible answers. You tap on the answer that you believe to be right. Keep in mind that you only have 10 seconds to answer, and boy does that time fly by.

Now that Android users are able to play we should see an increase in the number of players. In fact, over one million people tried to join the 9pm game tonight, but only 750,000 can play at one time. In a tweet, HQ said that it is working to remove the cap so that everyone can play. The video quality is not great, and there have been times when the streaming video has frozen, which is not good when you're dealing with a game where time matters. A few days ago, the 9pm game was delayed by 2 and a half hours because of a technical issue. Considering that HQ is seeking to raise money at a $100 million valuation, improving the quality of the feed should be a must.

The first two questions are usually a sure thing, and we've been able to advance past the first two rounds each time. But to be honest, we've been unable to get past the fourth question. That has given us a ranking for the week of 1768, but a cash balance of $0. By the way, prize money is sent directly to the winner's PayPal account, which means that if you're lucky enough to earn some cash, you should be able to have the money in your hands rather quickly.

Questions covered a number of different categories, so those with well-rounded trivia knowledge should have a shot at winning some money. Developed by Vine co-founders Rus Yusupov and Colin Kroll, HQ is addictive. Like some of those carny games that rope you in by making it seem so easy to win, HQ makes it feel as though you have a reasonable chance at winning. And that is what brings the players back day after day (twice on weekdays).


If you have an Android or iOS powered handset, you can install HQ on your handset by clicking on the appropriate link: (iOS|Android).