Games for nights with friends: 5 soccer rounds

A game for the diwaniya and nights with friends

Most nights with friends end up on soccer sooner or later — who’s better, who scored that goal, which year. A soccer quiz turns that argument into a real contest with points, where “I’m sure” gets settled on screen.

Hajma is made for exactly these nights: two teams of any size, a ref holding the phone or running the screen, and the game on the TV from the browser with nothing to install. It fits diwaniyas, majlis nights, friends’ get-togethers and the build-up to a big match.

Rounds that light up the room

• The lie: one player reads a fact and defends it, the rivals rule true or false — the best round for spotting a poker face.
• Describe without the name: 60 seconds to get your team to a player or club without saying it.
• The sequence: three clubs in a row from a player’s career — name the next one.
• Who is he?: from his photo, career or clues — 600 points for the obscure ones.
• The buried number: an age, height or year — closest takes the points.

Rules made for banter

Steals make every question a chance for the rivals: miss, and they answer for all the points. The hat-trick pays 100 for every third right answer in a row — and 100 for breaking the rivals’ streak. Lifelines add the Snatch (take their question before they answer) and Point drain (a right answer costs them too). It all keeps a match open to the last question.

Questions that start arguments

Set up the night in 5 minutes

1. Open hajma.app on the TV, or plug in a laptop.
2. Sign up free and buy a game in the Store, or resume one saved in My Games.
3. Split the room into two teams, pick a ref, name the teams.
4. Each team picks three lifelines, then three categories in turns.
5. Kick off — most points after 36 questions wins.

Pick categories smartly

Picking categories is half the match: teams take turns choosing three each, so think about what the rivals know too. If they have a die-hard Al Hilal fan, don’t hand them the Al Hilal category — each team gets one question of every value in every category.

In Gulf get-togethers, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Pro League, the Gulf Cup and legends like Bader Al-Mutawa and Sami Al-Jaber are big favorites; Europe fans go for the Champions League, the Premier League, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Play it tonight

Start from the game page; games are in the Store and the full rules in How to play. For challenge ideas without the app, see 12 soccer quiz challenges, and for family nights family group games.