QuizQuiz (video game)

QuizQuiz (Korean: 퀴즈퀴즈), also called Quiz Quiz, was a massively multiplayer online quiz game developed by Nexon. Its visuals used a super-deformed anime style for players, environments, and the few non-player characters in the game. Launched in 1999, it was among the earliest free-to-play titles to rely on a microtransaction revenue model. The game was offered as a free beta download from Nexon’s website, but its North American service ended due to a small player base. It continued operating in South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, though the servers in Japan and Singapore were eventually closed in December 2004.

After creating an account and logging in, players entered a lobby where they could chat with others (with limited options; fuller chat was available in player-made chat rooms) and see which games were open. Most games were trivia-based or puzzle games like Reversi. To join a game, players simply clicked its button. Games could host between two and thirty-two participants. Doing well earned in-game currency, which could be spent on clothes and items for a player’s avatar. Most items were purely cosmetic, showing off a player’s intelligence and earning respect from others. Some items, however, gave gameplay advantages—for example, sunglasses in the true-false game. A player’s overall performance was tracked with an IQ meter, and many items required a certain IQ level before they could be purchased.

Several games were available, most involving trivia or puzzles, with multiple versions of some games. (Note: the names below may not be exact, as no current English website exists.)

In the Survival Olla Olla Game, nine players sat in buckets suspended over water filled with crocodiles (for trivia) or sharks (for typing). Buckets started in the middle of the screen. In the trivia version, the server asked multiple-choice questions, and players answered using function keys F1–F4. Correct answers raised a player’s bucket; wrong answers lowered it. If a bucket touched the water, that player was eliminated and sent back to the lobby with a small IQ penalty. The first player to reach the top won, though in some versions the last player standing won if no one reached the top. Winners gained IQ. Players often shared answers to help everyone gain IQ, while some deliberately gave false answers to trick others.