Happy New Year!

 

CDSK - New Trivia Game for 2023

 

CDSK (2023)

Players - 2+

Ages - 6+

Family fun Trivia Game For All

CDSK is a game I have had my eye on for a while now, the game that has essentially replaced Trivial Pursuit in France. Mass stocks of the English versions have taken some time to arrive, but with the game going live on Amazon this week now is the best time to let you know what it is all about!

In essence, CDSK is not just a game that asks what you know....but it asks how you know it. The core play involves you making a decision, either as a team or solo, on how much you know about a given subject. You can chose between level 1-10 and the more points you go for, the more places you move on the board. (see below)

As you can see above the game is nice and compact with the board folding out from the side of the box. Your first task is to find something around you that can act as a playing piece and off you go! There are no dice in the game, and as mentioned above, your movements are decided by how many points you get from the question cards. Your first card will always be a 'C' card which stands for 'Curious' and covers a wide range of subjects on specific topics such as a country, a person or topics such as Famous Explorers.

Your 'D' cards cover entertainment topics including sport and your 'S' cards are aimed at what they call "school of life" subjects, typically what you find under lifestyle genres at a typical quiz. The 'K' stands for Knowledge and those cards are questions that zone in on Science, Nature and Geography. It is useful to get to know these topics as it may influence how many points you play for on a previous question so you can plan when to land.

In general, a trivia/quiz game lives or dies for me on the quality of questions. Does CDSK have the level of questions to make this game work? In essence yes, the harder end of the questions will stretch even the most ardent quizzer but I would add in a warning that the first three questions on each quad are pitched at a very low, and sometimes odd, level where everybody is going to know it. After one play or a quick peak at a card, you will soon know what the balance is.

The game moves along at a fast pace and before you know it someone has reached the 'Hurry Up and Win' card and must carry out a trivia task to win the game. You also have challenge squares across the board, which for me, are some of the highlights. These could be questions where you have to name ingredients in a cocktail or tell the reader how many of the statements they said are true. This adds some diversity to gameplay and these questions were where I thought the game comes alive.

In all, CDSK is a great family trivia game for the festive period and beyond. It will be a great gift for the Trivia fan in your life and feels unique enough to make it a worthy addition to your shelves. With 2500 questions and quick gameplay you will get a lot of longevity out this game but I will add a few warnings. A group of 2-3 good quiz players will win this game in a few turns, and the risk/gamble element doesn't really work if one player in your group is a trivia powerhouse and is hitting 9s and 10s every time.  But the game can be adapted to provide negative moves, half points etc whichever way you like to even it out.

CDSK is one of the freshest and most original Trivia board games I have seen in some time and is well worth hunting down now it has arrived on the Amazon store here in the UK. (Link Below)

Pop Culture Challenge Final

 Last night the grand final of the Sixth Season of the Pop Culture Challenge took place. Organised by the Online Quiz League, the PCC takes all elements of Pop Culture and places some of the top quizzers in the world going head to head in the MIMIR Format. You can see the final below so I won't post spoilers just yet.....

Podcast Update

I have had a few requests regarding the Podcast in recent weeks. After well over 300 episodes, I have taken an extended break from producing the episodes whilst I think about where I want to take it in the future. The feedback has always been great, I do genuinely think it fills a gap in the market and numbers of listeners have always been solid and above my expectations. Therefore, after giving it some thought and seeing that there still is a demand for new episodes, I am aiming to have new episodes available by the end of the year and going forward.

Watch this space...

International Quizzing Championship Vlog

 Gareth over at the always excellent All Things Quiz has been producing a Blog from the International Quizzing Championships which are currently taking place in Spain. The first installment can be found below, and make sure to follow Gareth's channel for more...

OQL - New Season

 

The current season of the Online Quiz League is coming to an end next week (Season 11 almost over....how time flies!) - That means now is the ideal opportunity to get involved with the largest Online Quiz League in the UK. Whether you have a team of 4 or want to register as a solo player, all options are on the table. Full information on the league, including every single question thats ever been asked, can be found HERE

Buzzer Quiz Questions #6

 And the final post in this series of Buzzer Quiz Questions is below. I hope you have enjoyed/got some use out of these and as mentioned if anyone does want a Word copy emailed, then let me know on daniel@thequizaddict.coom

 

10	Most often used a female first name, this four letter name gives its name to an Island in the Solomon Islands, a region of Guinea and a district of Panama. It’s the name of a sweet Banana Pepper, a failed British Formula One Team and a language spoken in Indonesia.. It’s the first name of an Irish Dancer who became famous as a court Dancer to King Ludwig of Bavaria. The statue that comprises the German Film Award is often given this name. Charles Bronson starred in a film with this four letter name as its title and the character played by Marlene Dietrich in ‘The Blue Angel’ had this as both her First name and surname. This name is short form of the Spanish name Dolores. It’s the first name of a Bunny from the Looney Tunes Franchise  and a famous car from a Superhero movie franchise. In a Barry Manilow song, a woman with this name is mentioned as having “Feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there”. . For ten points, what is this four letter name that is also the title of a song by the Kinks which was banned from BBC Radio for its reference to Coca Cola	Lola
	Bonus – One Word Female Song Titles
Bonus 1	In 1999, Blondie reached the top of the UK Singles charts with what song?	Maria
Bonus 2	Valerie, whilst also a hit for Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse, was originally a hit for which Liverpool based band?	The Zutons
Bonus 3	What female forename connects a 1964 hit for Them and a 1982 hit for Laura Brannigan?	Gloria

 

 

11	Winner of two Academy Awards, four Golden Globes and Five Baftas, this 33 year old woman was listed by Forbes Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019. Along with her husband, the filmmaker Tom Ackerley, she co-founded the production company ‘LuckyChap’ entertainment.  The role which made her famous was initially supposed to be a guest character but lasted three years and upon moving to American her breakthrough TV role involves her playing a character who ran away from her own wedding to take a job as a flight attendant. This woman has played various roles in an established film career including a British Queen, a key character in the DC Extended Universe Films, a victim of a famous murder, an employee of Fox News and an Olympic Athlete. In 2008, she began playing the role of Donna Freedman on Neighbours and would later star in such movies as ‘Promising Young Woman’, ‘Suicide Squad’ ‘Bombshell’ ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ and ‘I Tonya’ - for ten points, name this Australian Actress who plays the title character in the 2023 movie ‘Barbie’?	Margot Robbie
	Bonus – 2023 Movies
Bonus 1	Creed III marked the directorial debut of which actor, who plays the title character of Adonis Creed in the movie itself?	Michael B Jordan
Bonus 2	Which American actress, known largely for comedy roles, played the role of Ursula in the 2023 live action remake of the Little Mermaid?	Melissa McCarthy
Bonus 3	What is the subtitle of the ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ movie released in 2023?	Quantumania

 

 

12	The British civil servant Gladwyn Jebb served as the acting head of this organisation for 3 months until the first elected head was appointed This organisation has six principal operational organisations including those related to Justice, Defence and Economics. The Food Programme division of this organisation has its headquarters in Rome, and the Tourism headquarters are in Spain  whilst the Environmental Program division of this organisation has its Headquarters in Kenya. There are six official languages of the Organisation including French, Russian, Arabic and Spanish and all correspondence with this organisation must be in one of these languages. The first elected leader of this organisation was the Norwegian man Trgvy Lie. With its headquarters in New York, this organisation succeeded the ineffective League of Nations. For ten points, name this intergovernmental organisation whose stated purposes is the maintain peace and security whilst developing international co-operation and friendliness between countries of the world?	United Nations
	Bonus – UN Secretary- Generals
Bonus 1	Which man is the youngest person to have been appointed as UN Secretary General? He is also the only man to have died whilst in office, being killed in a Plane Crash in 1961	Dag Hammarksjold
Round 2	Holding the position from 1992 to 1996, which man has served the shortest tenure as UN Secretary General? This African was denied re-election to the post after a veto from the USA	Boutros Boutros Ghali
Bonus 3	Appointed in January 2017, which Portuguese man is the current UN Secretary General?	Antonio Guterres

 

 

13	Despite his prominent work in an artistic field, this man suffered from poor long distance vision which affected his years of education. This had an impact on his rejection from several art schools but was perhaps a mixed blessing as it cancelled his draft into the Franco-Prussian War. For the last 20 years he lived in a Hotel in Paris, which he converted partly into a studio, and saved it from closure by Promising the French Government it could be used a Museum after his death -which is still open to this day. One of his lovers, accused him of stealing her ideas and trying to kill her, before she destroyed her own work and was committed to a Psychiatric hospital – that lover was Camille Claudel.  One of this mans most famous works commemorates an event in the Hundred Years War, another depicts a scene from the Inferno in Dante’s Divine Comedy and another honours a French novelist. Those works are the sculptures entitled Burghers of Calais, the Gates of Hell and the Monument to Balzac. However, arguably his two most famous works depict an image thought to represent the practice of philosophy and the lovers Francesca Da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta. For ten points, name this French sculptor known for ‘The Thinker’ and ‘The Kiss’?	Auguste Rodin
	Bonus – Most Expensive Sculptures
Bonus 1	Selling for $141 Million in May 2015, the most expensive sculpture ever sold is ‘Pointing Man’ (L Homme au Doigt) which was created by which Swiss sculptor? The second most expensive Sculpture ever sold ‘Walking Man’ is also by this artist	Alberto Giacometti
Bonus 2	4th on the list, selling for $58 million, is ‘Balloon Dog’, which is the highest selling piece from a living artist ever sold? This is one of many works of Ballon Dogs by which American artist	Jeff Koons
Bonus 3	Selling for $8 million, is Nu De Dos, or Back IV, which is the only art work from which mans ‘Back’ series ever sold? This Fauvist Frenchman was better was better known as a Painter.	Henri Matisse

 

 

14	Ferdinand Ward, known as “the Best-Hated man in the USA”, lead a failed Ponzi Scheme which caused the near Bankruptcy of this former President. However, this President saved his finances whilst dying from cancer by having his memoirs published by Mark Twain.  This mans wife, Julia, was the first First Lady to be recorded on Film. This President features on the current $50 Bill and has done so since 1914. The controversial Orville Babcock was indicted for the Whiskey Ring Scandal that happened during the two-term reign of this President. Taking the Presidency between Andrew Johnson and Rutherford B Hayes, this man was born with first name Hiram, for ten points, Who is this American President who served as the 18th President from 1869 to 1877 and had a middle initial which didn’t stand for anything?	Ulysses S Grant
	Bonus – Presidential Scandals
Bonus 1	Which President denied an affair with his slave Sally Hemmings, but DNA evidence in the 1990s showed that he fathered at least three of her children? At the time Hemmings would have had no legal rights to deny unwanted sexual advances from her owner	Thomas Jefferson
Bonus 2	Instead of heading to devastated areas, which President flew over New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Air Force One? This lead Kanye West to proclaim on a live TV fundraiser that his President “Doesn’t Care About Black People”	George W Bush
Bonus 3	After an eventful few years including a three year prison sentence for tax fraud and campaign violations amongst other things, and both suing and being sued by Donald Trump, which of Trumps former Lawyers is the man held responsible for making the hush money payments to Stormy Daniels via the Essential Consultants company he created for that very purpose?	Michael Cohen

 

15	Rolled sheeting of this metal became mandatory for use in roofing in Paris in the 1860s which is reflected in many paintings of the era. Its name derives from the alchemist Paracelsus who named it after the German word for Prong or tooth. Andreas Margraff discovered the pure metallic form of this in 1746 and Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta discovered its electrochemical properties in 1800. Around 55% of the 11 million tonnes of this mined every year is used in the Galvanization of steel and to protect it for corrosion. Sphalerite is the most common ore of this metal. Meat, Liver, Cheese and bran are all good dietary source of this element which is an essential trace element for humans.  Low levels of this element in  soil is one of the most common causes of cereal crop failure. Calamine lotion, which is a mixture iron oxides and this element, has been used to treat conditions such as burn, eczema and sunburn for many years and its  a key ingredient in nappy cream. Brass is an alloy of copper and this element. This is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table and has the Atomic number 30. For ten points, name this metal which has the atomic symbol ZN?	Zinc
	Bonuses - Alloys
Bonus 1	The term Pewter covers a variety of alloys that primarily consist of which element?	Tin
Bonus 2	Used to create a permanent bond between metal workpieces, Solder is an Alloy of Tin of what other element?	Lead
Bonus 3	An Amalgam is the name given to any alloy of which metallic element with any other?	Mercury

 

16	Construction is currently underway in Wolverhampton to renovate a building that will become a museum dedicated to this British chain. As well as on high streets, branches of this chain can be found at Heathrow and Gatwick airport as well as London Victoria and London Liverpool street station . The first branch of this chain opened in Colney Hatch Lane in Muswell Hill London in 1979 with the initial branches located in and around the Haringey area. Axminister carpets produce a unique carpet for each new branch of this chain which reflects the name and location of that branch. The chain gets its name from a mixture of a character in Dukes of Hazard, and a school teacher of the founder who told him he would never amount to much On 2018, the founder deleted all of the social media accounts belong to the chain claiming they brought nothing but bad publicity. This was somewhat ironic as when the Covid Pandemic hit, he refused initially to close all 874 branches of his chain, refused to pay staff until the government had paid furlough and refused to pay suppliers. Locations of branches of this chain include former banks, railway stations, cinemas, a Corn Exchange and the one in Harrogate is located in the towns former Royal Baths.  The Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramgsate is the largest in the UK with a capacity to hold 1,500 drinkers and diners.  For ten points, Tim Martin is the founder of which chain of pubs operating in the UK and Ireland?	Wetherspoons
	Bonuses –  UK Pub and Restaurant Chains
Bonus 1	The largest pub company in the UK is which company that operate over 4,800 venues? It was formed in 2010 and involved the purchase of pubs from Mitchellls and Butlers and later Yates and Slug and Lettuce brands.	Stonegate
Bonus 2	Which chain was founded in 1997 with the first two stores located in Soho and within Harvey Nichols? Despite being British and having no presence in Japan, it focuses on the ‘Kaiten’ style of delivering food to customers	Yo Sushi
Bonus 3	With 158 sites in the UK, and owned by Mitchell and Butlers, which chain originated in 1985 and features a chef on the logo who’s name suggests a real person, but its origin is unknown? They specialise in one particular style of meal meaning they use over half a million Turkeys and half a million beef joints every year	Toby Carvery

 

Buzzer Quiz Questions #5

 

The next entry into the Buzzer Quiz Question series...

6	This man was one of the many summoned by Pope Sixtus IV to fresco the walls of the newly completed Sistine Chapel. This artist adopted the name we most know him by from that of a nickname of his brother.  In the early 1460s he was apprenticed to Fra Fillip Lippi and after Lippi’s death in 1469, this man took on Lippi’s son as an apprentice of his own. Born in 1445 in Florence,  one famous work by this man, includes a group of figures from classical mythology that are depicted in a garden setting which is said to represent the growth of Spring, a season which gives this painting its title. Perhaps the most famous painting by this person includes a Roman Goddess arriving on the shore, having emerged from the sea fully grown. For ten points, name this Italian Painter of the Early Renaissance whose most notable works included ‘The Adoration the Magi’, ‘Primavera’ and ‘The Birth of Venus’?	Sandro Botticelli
	Bonus – Another 15th Century Artist
Bonus 1	The complex polyptych altarpiece in St Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, commonly known as the Ghent Altarpiece, is a work attributed partly to which man alongside his brother Hubert?	Jan Van Eyck
Bonus 2	Jan Van Eyck’s most famous work is perhaps which 1434 oil painting, believed to depict an Italian merchant and his wife who is dressed largely in green?	The Arnolfini Portrait (Wedding)
Bonus 3	What animal features between the central figures in the painting ‘The Arnolfini Portrait’? The animals is closely related visually to what is now called a Brussels Griffon	Dog

 

7	Amongst the many deep dives into this mans personal life journalists have uncovered a coca cola addiction which led to severe dental work when younger, a daily Peleton fitness workout regime with famous instructor Cody Rigsby and a dream job of being manager of Southampton Football club. This man graduated from Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 2001 before heading to Stanford University where he gained a BA in Business Administration. Following this, his nonpolitical work has included roles at Goldman Sachs and The Childrens Investment Fund Management.   This man claimed he made an “error of judgement” in January 2023 when a post on Instagram led to a police fine for not wearing a seatbelt.  This man became MP in 2015 when he succeeded another former Conservative Leader, William Hague, in the constituency of Richmond. In 2019 this man became Chancellor, a position he held throughout the Covid 19 pandemic and is largely credited with introducing the Furlough scheme. For ten points, name this man, the current Prime Minister of the UK?	Rishi Sunak
	Bonus – Recent Politics
Bonus 1	Whose appointment to the role of Chief of Staff to Kier Starmer has caused controversy in recent months due to her role in leading the report into the Conservative Partygate Scandal?	Sue Gray
Bonus 2	In the July 2023 By Elections, which was the only seat held by the Conservatives? Won by Steve Tuckwell on a majority of  just under 500, it is the former constituency of ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson	Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Bonus 3	In April 2023, who was named as the successor to Dominic Raab as the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor?	Alex Chalk

 

 

8	The El Greco works ‘Portrait of an Unknown Gentleman’ and ‘The Nobleman With His Hand on His Chest’ are thought by some to be this man, but no authenticated portraits of this man exist.  He was badly wounded in the Battle of Lepanto but continued to serve as a solider for a further 5 years when he was captured by Barbary pirates and spent 5 more years in captivity. He later worked as a Government Tax Collector, during which time his 1585 work, La Galatea, was published, which is labelled as his first novel . Works followed included the long poem ‘Journey to Parnassus’, ‘Eight Plays and Eight Interludes’ and ‘The Travails of Persiles and Sisimunda’. His most famous work was published in two sections, ten years apart, and is considered to be the founding work of Western Literature and the first modern novel. The plot centres on a member of the low nobility from La Mancha with the first name Alonso. For Ten Points, name this Early Modern Spanish author who is most famous for writing ‘Don Quixote’?	Miguel De Cervantes
	Bonus – Spanish Art and Literature
Bonus 1	The leading artist in the court of Philip IV, which Spanish artists masterpiece is often considered to be the 1656 work ‘Las Meninas’?	Diego Velazquez
Bonus 2	Located in Madrid, what is Spanish National Museum for 20th Century Art? Named for a Queen, it is home to famous works including Picasso’s ‘Guernica’	Reina Sofia
Bonus 3	Which Spanish poet and playwright, whose works included ‘Blood Wedding’ ‘Yerma’ and ‘The House of Bernadarda Alba’ was assassinated by Spanish forces at the start of the Spanish Civil War?	Federico Garcia Lorca

 

 

9	Due to the fact that this man had worked a welder at Harland and Wolff, he fronted a BBC Documentary in 2012 that marked 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic. In 2017 he fronted a family game show based on the card game ‘Obama Llama’ that was entitled ‘Partners in Rhyme’. His 2008 autobiography has the title  ‘Better Late Tha Never’ which reflects the relatively late age at which this man became mainstream famous. He was the British commentator on the Eurovision Dance Contest in 2007 and 2008. Alongside Lucy Worsley, he fronted the BBC Four series ‘Dancing Cheek to Cheek’ and teamed up with Ainsley Harriott for a show entitled ‘Big Food Adventure’. This man had only taken up Dancing aged 19, due to his doctor recommending it as a therapy for a foot injury. After going professional, he won an array of competitions including the British Championship on 2 occasions. But his most famous contribution to the world of dance is perhaps the roles he served for over 17 years on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and for 12 years on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Passing away in 2023, for ten points, can you name this former head judge  who made his Final Strictly Appearance on Xmas Day 2016, allowing him one final chance to shout his catchphrase ‘7’?	Len Goodman
	Bonus – 2023 Deaths
Bonus 1	Which American actor passed away in June 2023 at the age of 89? He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ and was Emmy nominated for his role in the Netflix show ‘The Kominsky Method’	Alan Arkin
Bonus 2	It was announced this week that which 67 year old BBC newsreader has passed away after a long fight with Bowel Cancer?	George Alagiah
Bonus 3	‘Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head’ ‘They Long To Be Close To You’ and ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ are amongst the 73 US and 52 UK Top 40 hits written by which man who died in February 2023?	Burt Bacharach