Board ideas

There are many games with variations of this, from pictionary (follow a path) to trivial pursuit (get 6 pieces in different categories). Which do you like to play more?

I guess another question would then be, "Is this just Trivial Pursuit, but with continents?" Presumably not, since Trivial Pursuit is testing existing trivia knowledge, while you're trying to teach. So then yet another question is, "Are you teaching by letting kids get stuff wrong and then they read the answer and hopefully remember it, or is there a deeper mechanic?"

Hmm.. that's probably an example of a non-trivia mechanic..

If you had a map and you had to locate something as quickly as possible, a new player could search and eventually find it, but the more you play the faster you'd get. A new player with no knowledge wouldn't be locked out the way they would be in a trivia game.

If you have a trivia game with all new players, everyone's gonna miss every question, which isn't going to be fun.

Perhaps you could design some more "dynamic"!? "Candy Land" is a "Roll & Move" game that is mostly centered on LUCK (dice rolling or wheel spinning like in "The Game of Life", etc.) There isn't too much deep thinking or strategy in this.

But perhaps instead of JUST "Trivia", you could ADD a "Push-Your-Luck" (PYL) mechanic! What I mean is that instead of having six (6) Categories, you could maybe have six (6) SCORING LEVELS. If you are incorrect you lose your turn (and gain 0 Points). So Question #1 = 1 point, Question #2 = 3 Points (1+2), Question #3 = 6 Points (1+2+3), etc.

This is just to ADD some strategy for the players.

Some categories may be EASIER and therefore "encourage" players to test their LUCK and try for a 2nd or 3rd question.

Also on your MAP (which could be local or regional or even global) instead of punishing players who get the wrong answer, how about establishing a growing "influence" in the map.

For example if the MAP is Western Europe and Player #1 answers one question and earns "1 Point", a cube is placed of his color. That indicates the "influence" to "control" the territory (or space). To BEAT Player #1 NOW, you would need to answer 2 Questions...

And so it would be a MAD RUSH ... To move around and ANSWER one (1) Question. Each point gained gives you "+1 Point" to some score (total in the end). Then it becomes HARDER to score "3 Points" by answering 2 Question in one of the territories (or spaces).

If Player #2 did this, the previous player would lose 1 Point and Player #2 would gain +3 Points!!!

The idea is to REQUIRE a score that puts players "up-wards" of 3 Questions answered. Some percentage (%) of Level 3 and Level 2... So that the game is not TOO DIFFICULT.

Just sharing some ideas, cheers!