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Use a poster board, digital tool, or gameboard generator to make your Jeopardy!
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Making your own Jeopardy! game is a great way for students to learn course material in a fun way, and game enthusiasts love playing it recreationally. DIYing your own Jeopardy! board means that you can customize the clues and answers in any way that you see fit, adjusting the skill level and categories as needed. Whether you’re looking for an enjoyable way to study for exams or you want something new for game night, creating your own Jeopardy! game is a great solution. Start by choosing whether you want to use a Jeopardy! game maker template, digital slideshow, or go the old-fashioned arts and crafts route.
Making a Jeopardy! Game
- Create a DIY Jeopardy! board with a poster board and index cards. Make a list of 6 categories with 5 clue-and-answer pairs for each one.
- Write each category name on an index card and pin them to the top of a poster board in a single row.
- For each category, write ascending dollar values on 5 index cards (i.e., $100, $200, $300, etc.). On the backside of each card, write a clue.
- Pin these cards, with the dollar-value facing out, in a column directly beneath their corresponding category.
Steps
Section 1 of 6:
Making DIY Jeopardy! on Poster Board
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Make a list of six categories and five clues for each one. If you’re playing this Jeopardy! game as a way to study for your classes, use your school texts and notes to decide what the categories should be. Choose the major themes from the chapters that your upcoming exam will cover, for example. [1] X Research source
- If this is a recreational game, you can either decide on the categories as a group, or the host alone can choose them.
- Whoever is playing the host of this round will be completing the rest of these steps.
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Make an answer key for all your clues. As the host, you’ll need to create a list with all of the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Remember, in Jeopardy! , contestants are given the answer (the clue), and their response should be in question form.
- For instance, if your first category is “Code Names,” the clue may be something like “James Bonds’ Agent number.”
- Then, the answer would be “What is 007?”
- Use this answer key during gameplay to make sure that contestants are giving correct responses.
- Even if you’re creating your Jeopardy! board with a group of people, only the host should see the answer key.
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Write the name of each category on an index card. Use 6 index cards for the game categories. Write one category on each index card and pin those 6 index cards at the top of a sturdy piece of poster board. Line them up in a single row. [2] X Research source
- Make sure to write legibly (or type and print out the text, if you prefer).
- You can also use a marker board if you don’t have a poster board on hand. [3] X Research source
- Write the 6 categories at the top of the marker board and draw lines between them to separate the columns.
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Write your clues and dollar values on opposite sides of 5 index cards. Take 5 new index cards and label them with dollar values: $100, $200, $300, $400, and $500. Flip over the $100 card and write your first clue for Category 1 on the back. The $100 question is the easiest one in the category. [4] X Research source
- Repeat this process for the rest of the cards in the category, with the clues becoming more difficult as the dollar value rises. Write legibly, or type and print out the text if you want it to look extra nice.
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Organize the clue cards in columns underneath their category card. Pin all 5 clue cards for Category 1 directly underneath the Category 1 card. Pin the cards in a column in ascending order from $100 to $500. Make sure the dollar-value side of the card is facing out. [5] X Research source
- Before you pin each card up, write the dollar value in its spot on the poster board so you can more easily keep track of dollars earned as the game continues.
- When the host pulls the card from the board to read the clue, the spot will be empty, but the dollar value will stay on the board.
- Once you get pretty far along in the game, this will help to give the board a little structure.
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Complete all clue cards and pin them to create a 6x6 grid. Each category should have 5 index cards pinned beneath it. The clues should be hidden with the dollar values facing toward the players. At this point, the game is ready to play!
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Section 2 of 6:
Making a Jeopardy! Game in PowerPoint
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Create a title slide with the name of your game. Open PowerPoint and click Blank Presentation . Title the first slide with “ Jeopardy! Game” (or any other title you want). You can also use this space to create a welcome message, insert images , etc. This slide will be the first thing players see during gameplay.
- Give your slides a little pizzazz by going to the Design tab and choosing from the Themes listed.
- You can even customize each Theme with your preferred colors and fonts, if you wish.
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Create a 6x6 table on Slide 2 to use as your game board. Click New Slide to add a blank slide. Click Insert → Table . Add a table that has 6 columns and 6 rows (make a smaller table if you want a shorter game). Click and drag the corners of the table to resize it to fill up your entire slide. [6] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- Write each category name in the top row of cells. Click on each box in the top row, type your desired category, then hit Tab to move to the next cell.
- In each column, write the dollar values in descending order below each category. In the first column, for example, the top-to-bottom cells may read [Category Name] → $100 → $200 → $300 → $400 → $500.
- Change the color scheme of your table by going to Table Tools → Design . Choose from the color options presented.
- If you’d like to customize any text, highlight it and hit the Home tab. From here, you can change font type, size, and color. You can also align the text to be centered in the box.
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Create “clue” and “correct answer” slide layouts in the Slide Master tab. Go to View → Slide Master . Click Insert Layout and name it as “Clue.” Add an action button to the slide by going from Insert → Shapes → Action Buttons . Select the rightmost option—a “custom” action button—and draw it on the slide.
- Open the Action Settings window. Under Hyperlink to: , click the dropdown menu and select Next Slide Hit OK .
- Right-click the action button on your slide, press Edit Text , and add a caption like “Answer” or “What Is…”
- Insert another slide layout from the Slide Master tab and rename it as “Correct Answer.” Add another action button and select Slide 2 (your game board) on the Hyperlink to: dropdown menu.
- You now have two slide layouts: one for clues and one for correct answers. Having these slide layouts made will make it easier and more efficient for you to add clue and answer slides in the next step.
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Use your slide layouts to create 25 pairs of clue-answer slides. Add a blank slide to your presentation. Select Layout → Clue . Add another blank slide and select Layout → Correct Answer . These two slides (Slides 3 and 4) make up one complete clue-answer pair.
- Duplicate these slides to create as many pairs as you have questions in your game board grid.
- For example, if you made a 6x6 grid, you’ll have 25 clues. You’ll need to make 25 pairs of clue-answer slides.
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Hyperlink your clue slides to the corresponding squares on your board. Return to your game board slide. Right-click on the text in a cell (e.g., “$100”) and select Hyperlink . Click Place in This Document and select the slide where you’ll write the corresponding question. Click Ok to insert the hyperlink . [7] X Research source
- Restrict navigation so that slides can’t be changed with mouse clicks. Select all slides and click on the Transitions tab.
- In the Transitions tab, look for the On Mouse Click checkbox and uncheck it.
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Fill in each clue and answer slide with your chosen questions. Go through each slide and type in your clues and answers. Make sure that a matching clue and answer are on adjacent slides and that the answer slide always follows the clue. [8] X Research source
- Check your work by hitting F5 to enter presentation mode. Return to your game board.
- Click through each category and answer to make sure all your links work and lead to the correct clues and answers.
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Personalize your Jeopardy! game by adding themes or media. You can make a PowerPoint Jeopardy! game as simple and bare-bones as you like, or you can get really creative with it. Add pictures to your clues by dragging and dropping pictures into the slide or clicking Insert → Pictures and uploading an image from your computer.
- Add music by selecting Insert → Audio and uploading an audio file from a free source like Musopen.org .
- Program the music to play automatically with Audio Tools → Playback → Start: Automatically .
- Add video clues by dragging and dropping a video into a slide or selecting Insert → Video . Set the video to autoplay though Video Tools → Playback → Start: Automatically.
- Add transition effects to any slides you like via Slide Master . For a particularly authentic game, add the Flip transition to correct answer slides so it looks like flipping a flash card.
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Section 3 of 6:
Creating a Jeopardy! Game in Google Slides
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Create a 6x6 game board on your first blank slide. Go to Google Slides and select Blank presentation under “Start a new presentation.” Go to the Slide menu and select New slide from the dropdown. Select any text boxes on the slide and delete them. [9] X Research source
- Create a new text box and use your toolbar to customize it with a border—this is your first “Category” box. Click the corners to drag it into a rectangle shape and position it on your slide.
- Create another slightly smaller text box and place it directly underneath your first box—this is your first “clue” box. Duplicate it to create four additional boxes.
- Drag all these boxes into a column. Select all six boxes and right-click them. Select Copy , then click Paste five times to create a 6x6 game board.
- Enter your category titles (e.g., “History,” “English,” “Spanish”) in the first row of boxes, and write cash values (e.g., $100, $200, $300…) in descending order in each column.
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Create your clue and answer slide layouts. Select View then Theme Builder . Press Ctrl + M to create a new slide and click Rename . Name the slide as “Clue slide” or something similar. Click OK . Select the shape button and select Callouts , then choose a fun shape like a star or cloud. Drag the shape into the lower-right-hand corner of your slide.
- Right-click your shape and select Link from the menu that appears. Choose Next Slide from the Link dialog box.
- Press Ctrl + M to create another new slide and repeat the above steps, except name this slide as “answer slide.” When you right-click your shape and select Link , choose Slide 2 (or whatever side your game board is on).
- Now, you have two slide layouts that you can use repeatedly to make all of the clue and answer slides that you need.
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Use your slide layouts to create all of your clue and answer slides. Select New Slide → Layout → “Clue slide.” Create a text box and type in the clue. For example, your $100 clue under “History” may be “Even a century and a half after his death, he remains the tallest president in U.S. history.” [10] X Research source
- Directly after this clue slide, create a new slide with the “Answer slide” layout. Create a text box and write the correct answer to this clue—which, in this case, is “Who is Abraham Lincoln?”
- Repeat this process until you’ve created all clue and answer slides. Make sure each answer slide directly follows its corresponding clue slide.
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Create links between your game board and clue slides. Return to your game board slide and click on one of the dollar value boxes. Click the “link” icon in the toolbar. From the menu that appears, select Slide in this presentation and click the clue slide that you want to assign to that dollar value. [11] X Research source
- Remember that the easier clues should have lower dollar values, and the difficulty of clues should increase towards the bottom of each category column.
- Repeat this process until all boxes in your game board (except the category titles) have been hyperlinked to their corresponding clue.
- As a shortcut, you can also hyperlink boxes by selecting them and pressing Ctrl + K .
- Customize your game as much as you’d like to by inserting images or changing the themes and colors of each slide. Then, you’re ready to play!
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Section 4 of 6:
Using Online Jeopardy! Templates
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Search online for “jeopardy templates.” You will get pages and pages of hits. Some templates are fully customizable, while others will generate the clues/answers for you. You can download game templates for PowerPoint, Google Docs, or Microsoft Excel, or use one that a gaming website provides.
- These templates range from simple to elaborate. Do a little exploring to see what is out there.
- Jeopardy! game maker sites also allow you to make Jeopardy! games directly on the site; no template required.
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Choose and download a template to your device. After you’ve found a Jeopardy! template that you like, download it to your computer, mobile phone, or tablet. Some template websites offer versions for all possible devices, while others cater to a specific device type.
- These template files are not large, so download a few different ones that interest you.
- You can experiment with several until you find the right fit.
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Open the template file and follow the prompts to set up the game. If you’re filling in all of the data yourself, start compiling your clues/answers. Follow the template's tutorial to complete and setup the game. [12] X Research source
- If you’re playing this game as a way to study for a class, use your school texts and notes to decide what the categories should be.
- Select major themes or topics from textbook chapters to help you study for exams.
- If this is a recreational game, you can decide on the categories as a group or devise some other way to come up with them.
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Plug all of the required data into your template (if required). Remember, the higher the dollar value, the harder the question should be, so increase the difficulty as the dollar value gets larger in each category. [13] X Research source If you need to memorize vocabulary words, use those as your answers.
- The clues will be the definitions of the corresponding vocabulary words.
- Once the template is completely filled out, the game is ready to play.
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Section 5 of 6:
How to Play Jeopardy!
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Jeopardy! is a trivia game where players answer questions to earn money. Questions (or clues) are selected from six distinct categories. Each category contains five clues ranging from easiest to most difficult. Depending on its difficulty, each clue is assigned a dollar value (e.g. $200, $400, etc.). [14] X Research source
- The object of the game is to be the player with the highest score at the end of the game.
- The game is typically played with a host and three contestants, although you can include more contestants or put them into teams.
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On each turn, a player selects a question category and dollar amount. The host reads the clue, which is written in the form of a statement. The first player to “buzz in” must answer the clue in the form of a question. [15] X Research source
- For example, a clue may be “The final color after mixing yellow and blue” or “The first president of the U.S.” The answer must be phrased as a question, such as “What is GREEN?” or “Who is GEORGE WASHINGTON.”
- If the answering player is correct, they earn that dollar value and select the next clue.
- Play continues until all clues have been revealed and answered.
- The second round of the game, known as Double Jeopardy, is played the same way but with new categories and doubled dollar amounts.
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All contestants answer the same question in “Final Jeopardy.” Final Jeopardy is the final round of the game. A single category is revealed to players. All players (unless they have a negative score) must place a wager on whether they’ll answer the question correctly. Depending on their confidence in the category, players may wager as little as $0 or up to the entire current score. [16] X Research source
- For example, a player who’s earned $1800 in the past two rounds can wager any number between $0 and $1800.
- Once all wagers are placed, the host reads the Final Jeopardy question. Players have one minute to write their answer on a piece of paper.
- After the minute is up, the correct answer is revealed. Players who wrote the correct answer win their wager, while those who answered incorrectly lose it.
- The player with the highest final score wins the game.
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References
- ↑ https://oodlesofmusic.com/2023/06/19/how-to-make-a-low-cost-no-tech-Jeopardy-game-for-any-classroom/
- ↑ https://cradlerockingmama.com/how-to-make-a-jeopardy-style-quiz-board/
- ↑ https://tekhnologic.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/5-ways-to-play-jeopardy/#ppt
- ↑ https://tekhnologic.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/5-ways-to-play-jeopardy/#ppt
- ↑ https://oodlesofmusic.com/2023/06/19/how-to-make-a-low-cost-no-tech-jeopardy-game-for-any-classroom/
- ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-table-to-a-slide-34f106c9-5320-4b89-9129-806e64b258ac
- ↑ https://slidesgo.com/slidesgo-school/powerpoint-tutorials/how-to-make-a-jeopardy-game-in-powerpoint
- ↑ https://slidesgo.com/slidesgo-school/powerpoint-tutorials/how-to-make-a-jeopardy-game-in-powerpoint#designing-the-clue-slide
- ↑ https://www.sarahmillertech.com/teacher-blog/coaching-tech-pd-using-digital-templates-and-printable-guides-tf2kz
- ↑ https://business.tutsplus.com/tutorials/make-jeopardy-on-google-slides--cms-38040#toc-509d-how-to-quickly-make-a-simple-jeopardy-game-on-google-slides
- ↑ https://www.sarahmillertech.com/teacher-blog/coaching-tech-pd-using-digital-templates-and-printable-guides-tf2kz
- ↑ https://www.pftq.com/jeopardy/
- ↑ https://tekhnologic.wordpress.com/2016/01/06/5-ways-to-play-jeopardy/#ppt
- ↑ https://wpfiles.mines.edu/wp-content/uploads/emcis/Games%20and%20Activities/Jeopardy/How%20to%20Play%20Jeopardy.pdf
- ↑ https://wpfiles.mines.edu/wp-content/uploads/emcis/Games%20and%20Activities/Jeopardy/How%20to%20Play%20Jeopardy.pdf
- ↑ https://wpfiles.mines.edu/wp-content/uploads/emcis/Games%20and%20Activities/Jeopardy/How%20to%20Play%20Jeopardy.pdf
- ↑ https://jstudyguide.com/blogs/jeopardy/category-is-a-guide-to-the-most-common-jeopardy-categories
- ↑ https://bookriot.com/literary-jeopardy/
- ↑ https://www.newsweek.com/can-you-solve-these-real-jeopardy-clues-about-world-history-1535037
- ↑ https://www.bu.edu/gk12/kristine/jeopardy.pdf
- ↑ https://jstudyguide.com/blogs/jeopardy/category-is-a-guide-to-the-most-common-jeopardy-categories
- ↑ https://www.watercoolertrivia.com/trivia-questions/food-trivia-questions
- ↑ https://youtu.be/Hrqn6be6uZQ?t=7
- ↑ https://triviabliss.com/what-exactly-counts-as-potpourri-in-jeopardy-with-84-examples/
- ↑ https://www.jstudyguide.com/blogs/jeopardy/category-is-a-guide-to-the-most-common-jeopardy-categories
- ↑ https://youtu.be/sWACBQnfG_A?t=8
Community Q&A
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QuestionIs there a list option with questions and answers?Community AnswerSome of the downloadable templates will plug in clues/answer for you, but in most cases you'll need to create them. If you want to play Jeopardy through a website, the clues/answers are provided.
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Tips
- You can also add a Double Jeopardy round to your Jeopardy! game. For the poster board method, you’ll need a second set of completed index cards to pin up on the board. For digital methods, copy and paste your template and add new clues and answers.Thanks
- Many digital Jeopardy! game makers allow you to use mobile phones or tablets as “buzzers.” Alternatively, you could use a service bell , toy horn , or even have contestants race to slap the host's hand.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If playing Jeopardy with younger children, write questions and answers like a normal trivia game instead of Jeopardy's "answer with a question" format. This may be too confusing for them to understand.
- Make the poster board big enough so that everyone can see. You may also want to write in dark colors and large font for your index cards.
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About This Article
Article Summary
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The easiest way to make a Jeopardy game is to find a template online and fill it in. If you prefer to set up your game using Power Point, open a blank presentation and create a table that has 5 columns and 6 rows. Use the top row of cells to create categories, like “Mammals,” and fill in the rest of the cells with game points, like “$100.” Then, on the remaining slides, type the clues for the questions and hyperlink them to the squares with the points. To learn how to make a Jeopardy game with index cards, keep reading!
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