JeopardyLabs is a free web application where you can create templates for a Jeopardy! Game without the need of PowerPoint or other complex application. If you’re an American then I am sure you know how fun Jeopardy can be. If you don’t know what Jeopardy is, let me break it down for you:
A team or a single contestant will be provided a table of clues where each cell has a clue valued with a certain amount of dollars/points depending on the difficulty. The team/contestant selects a cell under a topic which will display the clue (or answer). Based on the clue, the Player(s) need to form a question to win the round. So for example, If I select a cell under ‘Music’ that says “Michael Jackson”, the winning answer would be “what is king of pop” (questions start with “What is” usually). This is a quiz in reverse! If the team/contestant gives a wrong question, the amount on the clue will be deducted from the amount they already have (and yes, your score can go negative). The question will be passed around for the subsequent teams to answer.
Earlier, the most used method to create a Jeopardy! template was through PowerPoint. In PowerPoint, a table has to be created where each cell is hyperlinked to another slide which contains the clue. With JeopardyLabs, Jeopardy! templates can be created in minutes and effortlessly, unlike with PowerPoint.
So let me show you how to make some enjoyable Jeopardy! rounds with JeopardyLabs. By the way, I am sure you’ll love these 5 websites where you can play “Who wants to be a Millionaire”.
How to make Jeopardy! Templates using JeopardyLabs
On JeopardyLabs, you can browse Jeopardy! templates made by other users or you can create your own. Click on Start Building to create a password for the template you’re making. You’ll come to the tabled Jeopardy! layout.
Now all you have to do is fill in the cells and divisions with answers and topics respectively. Click on a cell and enter its answer and question:
The text content can be shaped with some HTML tags too. With <em> tag you can make a string styled in italics and with <sup>, the string or character can be set as superscript (useful in mathematical clues). Check out the bottom part of the log-in page to get a better idea.
Save the template when finished. You can now share the URL of the template with your friends to play the game. The template can be accessed again and edited using the password that was set.
How to Play Jeopardy! using JeopardyLabs Template
Before starting the game, make sure you have a host who will present the questions and assign the points. Go to the generated link, select the number of teams/contestants and click Start. If you wish to download or share this template, the download and share links are given below the Start button. The teams will be presented with answers by the host. The host will have to increase/decrease the points based on the team’s performance.
Final words
JeopardyLabs has made things easier for Jeopardy! lovers. They won’t have to dedicate a lot of time to make a simple Jeopardy! template. On the contrary, I do feel using PowerPoint provides way more control over the layout design. JeopardyLabs doesn’t allow you to change the price/points of the clues to make more challenging rounds. Templates will be available publicly through search engines, a drawback that affects the privacy of your created Jeopardy! game. This review prompts me to award JeopardyLabs with 4.7 stars.
Try JeopardyLabs here.
