How a love of quizzes turns into trips and new communities

Taking part in quizzes and game shows is increasingly moving off-screen. Fans travel to other cities for finals and tournaments, and at the same time find their people and build lasting social ties.

Statistics show that game shows remain consistently popular. And some people are die-hard fans of this kind of entertainment. Some of them are even ready to set off on a trip in order to be part of their favorite show. Quiz tourism is becoming a noticeable phenomenon, where the experience and the community often matter more than winning.

Quiz tourism as a new weekend habit

Traveling for games is no longer a novelty. Hundreds of people every week cover tens and hundreds of kilometers to end up at an in-person game in another city, and see it as normal as going to the movies. Some plan their holiday around a major tournament, while others follow traveling mobile quizzes that “relocate” to a new venue each time. Weekend plans are now shaped not by a beach or a museum, but by the finals schedule.

A format that not long ago seemed like niche entertainment is gaining momentum with each season. Tournament organisers note audience growth in regions where people had barely heard of quizzes before, and participants’ travel costs sometimes run several times higher than the ticket price.

From watching to taking part

It all starts innocently enough. A person watches the next episode of a favorite quiz show or completes an online quest, without expecting any major prizes. Gradually, favorite teams emerge, they recognise the host’s voice within seconds, and the format’s details become the subject of animated debates with friends. From a viewer, a person turns into a supporter, and then into a player, drawn to where the action is.

This shift from the screen to a real-life venue is rarely abrupt. More often, it resembles a gradual build-up, when each new step seems like a logical continuation of the previous one.

The first trip out—and the season-finale effect

The turning point comes when tickets to a neighboring city are suddenly bought “on a whim,” because that’s where the season finale is taking place. The first trip out opens the way to the rest: random cities, small halls, unfamiliar streets come together into a personal geography of quiz travel. Half the country can end up chasing a traveling quiz, and the sense of belonging to this “chase” is as energising as the game itself.

Regular trips expand the map so quickly that participants start marking every city they’ve had the chance to play in. Over time, this set of points turns into a symbol of a new way of life.

The trip as the real prize

Even without a win, a participant takes home something more valuable than a trophy. Short trips with the team, coffee in Yaroslavl or Minsk, a rushed search for a place to stay so as not to miss the morning briefing, the adrenaline of the final second before an answer. Experiences become the main reward, and the route laid out for the sake of the game turns out to be more interesting than any travel guidebook.

Travelling for games leads not only to new locations, but also to new people with whom these routes gradually become shared.

An in-person game as a gateway to “your people”

The first offline game feels like a party where everyone already knows each other, yet is genuinely happy to see newcomers. People don’t typically ask about your job title or income here. Instead, they discuss questions from past rounds, argue about why the host accepted a controversial answer, and recall the best moments of the finals. People who would hardly ever cross paths in everyday life find common ground within minutes.

A team that teaches you how to compromise

Team play creates a fast track to bonding. You have to trust your partners, make decisions instantly, and debate without it turning into conflict. Over time, inside memes, jokes, and catchphrases appear that only insiders understand. At some point, it turns out that the people who come to your birthday are quiz friends, not former classmates.

When the community extends beyond the game

Outside the venue, participants help each other look for work, recommend books, and chip in for a joint trip with the whole team. There are instances where players from different cities formed a joint team, and then someone moved in order to be closer to new friends:

• Post-game dinners together
• Pooling funds for away tournaments
• Recommendations and professional support

What keeps people in this micro-world is not so much the results as the support and shared emotions. Getting knocked out of the tournament is disappointing, but it doesn’t become a tragedy, because it is seen as part of the shared journey, not the end of it.

A game that shapes both your itinerary and your social circle

Quizzes turn an ordinary pastime into regular trips and broaden a player’s social network, forming an established culture of meetups, travel, and mutual support. The thrill of competition here is tightly interwoven with a sense of belonging, and it is this combination that makes the phenomenon something bigger than just a game.