5 Tips to Making a JEOPARDY!® for Training Game

Are you struggling to make your corporate training more engaging and memorable? Traditional training methods often fail to capture learners' attention, which leads to poor retention rates and skill transfer. The solution? Try gamification through proven game show formats like JEOPARDY!®

The Training Arcade®, a DIY game authoring tool, makes creating and launching your JEOPARDY!® learning game fast and easy using our pre-built JEOPARDY! template.

But, where do you start? Well, The Training Arcade has done all the heavy lifting of creating the game mechanic, gorgeous art, backend database, hosting infrastructure, and security system, so, you can focus on the content. Here are 5 tips to help you create a JEOPARDY!® learning game that is engaging, entertaining, and educational - something we refer to as the “3 Es”!

Before diving into the specifics, it's worth understanding why game-based learning works. Research shows that gamified training can increase engagement by up to 90% and improve knowledge retention by 75%. This is because games activate multiple learning pathways simultaneously, creating stronger neural connections and leading to more memorable experiences.

1. Create Specific Categories and Clues That are ‘Just Right’

JEOPARDY! co-head writer Billy Wisse offers the following advice in an article he contributed to Popular Mechanics a couple of years back, “A good JEOPARDY! clue has to elicit one of three reactions: ‘I knew that,’ or ‘Darn! I should have known that,’ or ‘I didn’t know that, but now I’m glad I do.’”

This principle aligns with adult learning theory and the Zone of Proximal Development. Your training game needs to challenge learners without overwhelming them, finding that sweet spot where learning occurs most effectively.

In using Billy’s advice for training and education, we recommend first getting a little philosophical. Imagine yourself sitting across from the employee who played your JEOPARDY! game and walking through their results clue by clue.  How is each clue directly related to the skills needed to do their job?  What corrective action would you take if that person responded to a clue incorrectly?  What additional training would you provide them?  What would it tell you about the employee when they provide a correct response?

Correlate the very specific information and skills an employee needs to the specifics of the course and content to which the JEOPARDY! game corresponds.  In doing so, you will be able to construct a meaningful JEOPARDY! game for them.  In essence, work backward from the performance outcome you are looking to achieve the specific clues.

When coming up with your clues, consider implementing Bloom's Taxonomy. Start with more basic knowledge and simple comprehension questions in the lower dollar amounts, then progress to application, analysis, and evaluation questions for higher values. This creates a natural learning progression, building confidence while increasing complexity.

Next, how many clues should you have in your game?  

It depends on the role the game is playing in your educational campaign.  If it’s meant to serve as both the delivery mechanism for the content and the assessment of knowledge, you’ll want more clues.  The maximum number of clues in The Training Arcade JEOPARDY! game is 51. These include one each in the 5 categories by 5 rows in the JEOPARDY! Round, 5 x 5 in Double JEOPARDY! and, 1 Final JEOPARDY! clue.

For comprehensive training programs, you could create a series of interconnected JEOPARDY! games that build upon each other. This approach, similar to our gamification strategies, allows for progressive skill building while maintaining engagement over longer training periods.

Are you thinking how much time it takes for a person to play 51 clues? Well, if the content is well known to a player and the game is being played in single-player mode, you’re probably looking at 45 seconds per clue.  With Online Group Play™ (OGP™), a feature that helps you play JEOPARDY! live on a Zoom call, each clue takes about 2 minutes since the host narrates and there’s usually some playful banter between players.

On the flip side, you can create a JEOPARDY! game that consists of as few as ten clues total = 3 x 3 in the JEOPARDY! round + no Double JEOPARDY! + 1 Final JEOPARDY! clue.  In doing so, you could potentially have a single-player JEOPARDY! game that takes the player about eight minutes to complete.

The number of clues will then depend on the purpose of the game, the amount of content you are looking to gamify, the game delivery (single-player or OGP™), and the time you wish to have your audience invest in the training.

When determining game length, keep in mind the attention spans of your learners and what their learning objectives may be. Microlearning principles suggest that 5-15 minute learning sessions are best for busy professionals. This works perfectly with shorter JEOPARDY! games, which can be completed during coffee breaks or between meetings.

Once you determine the number of clues, it’s time to get out the old quill and ink.  As you write the clues, place them into the categories which will be the column headings for your game.  The categories will shape the player’s thought process and create organic associations.  The more logical the connections between the clues in a category, the tighter the associations will be in the player’s brain, and the easier it will be for them to retrieve when needed.

Category design is crucial for knowledge transfer. Consider using real workplace scenarios as category names. For example, instead of "Safety Rules," use "Crisis Management" or "Customer Complaints." This contextual framing helps learners see the application to their daily work.

Next, when naming the categories, we provide you with a maximum of 30 characters for each category header and 295 characters for each clue. Go ahead and add a bit of mystery and whimsey!  It’s harder and requires more creativity to keep the category headers and clues short.

And, here’s a fun conundrum to keep in mind.  Since each person will play your JEOPARDY! training game in the order of their choosing, make sure to not inadvertently give away an answer to a particular clue through a related clue in a different category.

Important note on game strategy: Have each row of clues get progressively difficult and have the clues in Double JEOPARDY! be more difficult than the JEOPARDY! round.  Suffice it to say, Final JEOPARDY! should be the most difficult clue in the game.

The level of difficulty for a clue can be based on the content of the clue, its obscurity, and the type of response available to the player, as you’ll soon see in hint #2.

Enid Crystal, Instructional Designer shares her thoughts on creating good clues: “When designing your game, it’s helpful to keep two questions in mind: what knowledge do you want the player to walk away with and what will the player experience be during the game. You want to hit the sweet spot when providing clues and response choices. Like Goldilocks and the three bears, your clues and response should not be too easy, not too difficult, but just right. Cleverly written clues can help inject fun and challenge into your game. Word your clues to be playful and intriguing; providing enough – but not too much- information to spark the player’s curiosity and imagination.”

Pro tip: Test your clues with a small group before full deployment. This beta testing approach, which we recommend for all our custom learning games, helps identify questions that are too easy, too difficult, or unclear. User feedback during this phase is invaluable for optimization.

2. Challenge Your Learners with Meaningful Multiple Choices and Text Input and Guide Them with Feedback

After you’ve created your clue, determine the phrase to begin the correct response (eg. What is? What are? Who is? Who are? etc.). Then create the responses. The Training Arcade® gives you the option to create responses to your clues in the form of multiple-choice or text input. When creating a text input response, you have the option to include up to 50 variations of acceptable responses per clue.

The choice between multiple-choice and text input responses significantly impacts learning outcomes. Multiple-choice questions work well for recognition-based learning, and text input promotes deeper recall and application. Research in cognitive psychology shows that tasks involving recall create stronger memory traces than recognition tasks.

Deciding which response type, multiple-choice, or text input, is part of the art form of game creation.  Multiple-choice responses (2 to 4) can be easier for the player than the blank [Type Response Here], but it’s not a given because the level of difficulty depends on the clue and context.  We recommend mixing things up between the response types to keep the players on their toes.

Consider using multiple-choice for foundational knowledge questions and text input for scenarios involving application. This approach mirrors actual job performance where employees have to first understand concepts before they apply them independently.

When writing your multiple-choice response, make the choices meaningful. As with other aspects of creating a game, writing multiple response choices is a balancing act. “Avoid choices that are tricky”, says Paul Wilson, Instructional Designer, and Adobe Captivate Expert. “They don’t help people learn. Make sure all your answers are plausible. So often developers will put in answers that are obviously distractors that the interaction isn’t challenging and even juvenile.”

Non-plausible responses break the wall of suspension of disbelief needed for creating the most emotionally interesting entertainment and must be avoided.

When crafting distractors, or incorrect multiple-choice options, base them on common misconceptions or frequent errors seen in your workplace. This approach not only makes the questions more difficult but also helps address actual knowledge gaps in your organization.

With your fabulous categories, clues, and responses written, you’ll next turn your attention to corrective feedback.  While not required, providing feedback to a player when their brains are open to contextually relevant information is critical.  Seize the moment to correct when the player has responded incorrectly and provide additional information to the player who responded correctly.  You are never required to have feedback for a clue but we certainly suggest adding as appropriate.

Effective feedback should be immediate, specific, and actionable. Instead of only saying "Correct!" or "Incorrect," give some context about why the answer is right or wrong. For example: "Correct! The 24-hour rule for incident reporting ensures compliance with OSHA regulations and protects employees and the organization from potential liability."

With so many of our subscribers to The Training Arcade using their games as part of ongoing professional education, we added an even deeper level of feedback, aptly called Advanced Feedback.  For those clues you deem worthy of a lot more information, you can add an unlimited number of slides that appear after a player has responded to a clue.

Advanced Feedback is especially valuable for complex topics that require more detailed explanation. Try linking to additional resources, company policies, or related training modules. This creates a thorough learning ecosystem that extends beyond the game itself, similar to our approach with LMS integration.

3. Create a Healthy Sense of Urgency

In the television show, Alex Trebek gives the contestants 5 seconds to respond to a clue. While 5 seconds makes for great TV, it’s probably too short for an employee to respond to course-related queries.  We’ve found that 30 seconds works well for the single-player mode, though if your content is complicated or if the response type is Text Input, you may want to increase the time to 45 seconds.  Don’t make the timer too long, as it can slow the pace of the game.

Time pressure activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can enhance focus and memory formation when used appropriately. However, excessive pressure can trigger anxiety and impair performance. The key is finding the ideal challenge level that energizes without overwhelming.

At the outset of creating a game, you will set a default timer for each clue in the game. When creating each clue, you will have the opportunity to override that default.

You might try varying your timers based on question complexity and cognitive load. Simple recall questions might only need 20-30 seconds, while complex problem-solving scenarios could take closer to 60-90 seconds. This adaptive timing respects the different mental processes required for different types of learning.

For JEOPARDY! games played in the Online Group Play mode, we recommend shortening the time for each clue to create a higher degree of urgency and to keep the game moving along at a brisk, fun pace.

An additional note about the OGP mode: if you wish to increase the game excitement and motivate engagement by all, you can penalize players for not responding to a clue.  Or, you may choose to match the gameplay mechanic on the TV show, if a player does not respond to a clue, they would not be penalized for not responding.  Not penalizing a player for not responding minimizes guessing.  If you prefer to not have players guess if they don’t have a clue, toggle <Allow No Response> to YES in the Game Info tab.

For team-based training scenarios, you could implement collaborative features where team members get to discuss answers before responding. This approach, which has shown success in our virtual training programs, promotes peer learning and knowledge sharing.

4. Don’t Forget Double JEOPARDY! and Final JEOPARDY!

As indicated earlier, Double JEOPARDY! is an optional round and a great addition to your JEOPARDY! game.  This second round of gameplay allows the learner to wager more money and compete even further to climb the ranks of the leaderboard.

Double JEOPARDY! serves as an excellent opportunity to reinforce key concepts from the first round while introducing more advanced material. This spaced repetition technique is proven to enhance long-term retention and is a cornerstone of good instructional design.

Unlike Double JEOPARDY!, Final JEOPARDY! is a required clue round and should be the most difficult one in the game.  To replicate the feel of the TV show, you may wish to consider having its response be Text Input.

Final JEOPARDY! should focus on synthesis and application rather than simple recall. You may pose scenario-based questions that require learners to integrate multiple concepts covered throughout the game. This approach tests if learners are able to apply their knowledge in realistic workplace situations.

Technical note: A player must have at least $1 to wager and play Final JEOPARDY! If they do not have at least $1, they will be able to play along in "fun mode" but their response will not impact their score or standing on the leaderboard.

The wagering mechanism in Final JEOPARDY! introduces an element of risk assessment and confidence calibration. This metacognitive aspect helps learners judge their own knowledge and comfort level with the material, which is key for self-directed learning.

5. Make the Game More Engaging with Images and Videos

Because people have different learning styles (visual, auditory, reading, writing, and kinesthetics) and use these modalities in varying degrees on the job, we felt it critical to enable you to employ the spectrum of communication styles in creating a game.

Modern learning science has moved beyond traditional learning styles theory, but the principle of multimodal learning still remains valid. Different types of content are better suited to different media formats. More complex processes benefit from video demonstration, while statistical data is typically presented better through infographics.

You can craft your clues and even Advanced Feedback with text, images, and even videos!

When bringing in multimedia elements, make sure they serve a clear instructional purpose rather than just adding visual appeal. Each image or video should directly support the learning objective and provide information that wouldn't be as effective in text format.

Technical note: The image ratio for images and videos needs to be the standard 16:9. We recommend keeping the image file size less than 1 MB and videos less than 30 seconds to keep the pace of the game moving forward. Keeping videos to short snippets is especially important for virtual instructor-led training conducted with large groups.

For maximum accessibility and engagement, include captions for all videos and alt-text for images. This not only supports learners with disabilities but also accommodates different learning preferences and technical constraints.

Adding images and videos will not only help educate but will up the level of engagement, entertainment, and fun!

Consider creating custom multimedia content that reflects your organization's specific context, products, or procedures. This personalization increases relevance and helps learners see the direct connections between the game content and their daily work responsibilities.

Launch and Play Your JEOPARDY! Online Game 

Before launching your game across your organization, conduct a pilot test with a small group of representative learners. This quality assurance step helps identify technical issues, content gaps, and user experience problems before they impact your entire audience.

In JEOPARDY!, we provide a <Save Draft> feature that will enable you to save your game even if you haven’t created all the clues in your game.

Once your game is created, you have a bevy of options for sharing it with your employees to play.  In summary, you can copy the link and share it via email, text, or chat window; embed the game into an iFrame on your website; embed the game as a web object into a course you create using your preferred authoring tools, such as Captivate, Storyline or Lectora or PowerPoint presentation; or embed the SCORM manifest into your LMS.

The flexibility of deployment options means you can bring JEOPARDY! games into existing training workflows without disrupting established processes. Whether you're using our LMS solutions or third-party platforms, seamless integration guarantees maximum adoption and engagement.

When you're ready to go big-time, play game show host with your very own multiplayer Online Group Play JEOPARDY! Game. Run your virtual quiz show by placing your JEOPARDY! game into Virtual Instructor Led mode and copy the game link into the chat window of any of the popular web conferring tools such as Microsoft Teams Skype, WebEx, Google Meet, or BlueJeans.

Online Group Play turns individual learning into a social experience, utilizing the power of peer interaction and friendly competition. This collaborative approach often leads to increased engagement and knowledge sharing among team members.

Analyze The Results

Data-driven training decisions are essential for steady improvement and demonstrating return on investment, or ROI. The analytics capabilities in The Training Arcade provide insights that go far beyond simple completion rates, offering useful intelligence for training optimization.

The games in The Training Arcade have two sides to one coin: one side is driving deeper learning through the power of play, and the other is mining the data from player engagement.  The Training Arcade analytics dashboard is engineered to unveil patterns of individual and group engagement with your educational material.  Understanding the results of the player training is a key to identifying knowledge gaps, course-correcting at the individual and group levels, and through iteration, ensuring your training program delivers a healthy return on investment.

Key metrics to monitor include:

• Question-level analytics to identify consistently missed concepts
• Time-to-completion patterns that reveal content difficulty
• Repeat play behavior indicating high engagement
• Team performance comparisons for targeted interventions

Tactically, in the analytics dashboard, you will be able to quickly see the number of users, scores, rank, sessions, session duration, % of clues correct/incorrect, total clues answered, specific right or wrong, and time to respond to each clue.  You can sort the data, select reporting periods, and export the data for integration with your other systems.  Because you can only achieve what you measure, we want to help to ensure you have all the data to achieve success.

Use this data to create personalized learning paths and follow-up training recommendations. For example, if analytics show that 70% of learners struggle with questions in the "Compliance" category, you might create additional microlearning modules or schedule focused training sessions on that topic.

Maximizing Your Training ROI

To ensure your JEOPARDY! training games deliver maximum ROI, consider these additional strategies:

Pre-Game Preparation: Send learners relevant materials or prerequisites before game day. This priming effect enhances performance and ensures all participants start with a baseline level of knowledge.

Post-Game Follow-up: Don't let the learning end when the game does. Create action plans, discussion forums, or follow-up assignments that help learners apply their knowledge in real workplace situations.

Continuous Improvement: Regularly update your games based on analytics data, learner feedback, and changing business needs. A static game quickly becomes stale and less effective.

Integration with Broader Learning Strategy: JEOPARDY! games work best as part of a comprehensive learning ecosystem. Consider how they fit with your AI-powered authoring tools, video coaching programs, and other training initiatives.

It’s Really That Easy!

In creating the JEOPARDY! game, our goal was to dazzle your employees with the authenticity of the TV show and immerse them intellectually and emotionally in your content.  Equally important was to make the creation of clues, responses, and feedback as straightforward and fast as possible.  We wanted to release your creativity and alleviate all technical considerations as you transform the training experience into a positive and memorable one.

The combination of familiar game mechanics, competitive elements, and targeted learning content creates a powerful training tool that learners actually want to engage with. In a world where attention is the scarcest resource, game-based learning offers a proven path to capturing and maintaining learner interest while achieving meaningful learning outcomes.

Ready to revolutionize your training approach? Our team of learning experts is available to help you design, implement, and optimize your JEOPARDY! training games. From initial concept to ongoing analytics, we're your partners in creating engaging, effective learning experiences that drive real business results.

Start your free trial today and let us know how we did.

Related Resources:

• Download our free eBook: "Why Learning Often Fails: 5 Proven Tactics to Increase Engagement and ROI"
• Explore our comprehensive gamification services and custom game development capabilities.
• Discover how AI can enhance your training content creation.