Interactive trivia

A memory device storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform a method comprising:

• implementing an interactive trivia game at a trivia service, including:
• establishing a persistent network connection with a plurality of remote player devices participating in the interactive trivia game;
• issuing trivia game events to the plurality of remote player devices simultaneously based on:
• a local timing manager of the trivia service;
• a schedule of trivia events;
• and
• verifying scores for the plurality of remote player devices by:
• receiving, from a remote player device, an answer message including a response timing value;
• comparing the response timing value against an elapsed time measured by the local timing manager, independent of any player-side clock;
• and
• rejecting a user response included in the answer message when the response timing value falls outside a predetermined timing tolerance relative to the elapsed time measured by the local timing manager, enabling synchronized and cheat-resistant play of the interactive trivia game by the plurality of remote player devices.

A system comprising:

• a trivia service configured to implement an interactive trivia game, including:
• establish a persistent network connection with a plurality of remote player devices participating in the interactive trivia game;
• issue trivia game events to the plurality of remote player devices simultaneously based on:
• a local timing manager of the trivia service;
• a schedule of trivia events;
• and
• verify scores for the plurality of remote player devices based on the local timing manager by rejecting response timing values included in an answer message from a remote player device that fall outside a predefined latency threshold relative to the local timing manager, enabling synchronized and cheat-resistant play of the interactive trivia game by the plurality of remote player devices.