Trivial Pursuit was born in Nerja: the story of the game created by two Canadians on the Costa del Sol

The popular question and answer game was conceived in 1980 by two Canadian sports journalists during their stay in the El Capistrano urbanisation of Nerja. The project, which had the support of a local hotelier, was launched in 1982 and has sold over 90 million copies.

Trivial Pursuit, one of the most famous board games in the world, has its origins in the Málaga town of Nerja. It was there that Canadian sports journalists Scott Abbot and Chris Haney developed much of the project that would revolutionise family entertainment.

A summer in 1980 in El Capistrano

The story dates back to 1980, when both journalists settled for several months in a house in the El Capistrano urbanisation, owned by Haney's family. Their intention was to shape a new board game of questions and answers that combined general knowledge with entertainment.

Abbot and Haney frequently visited La Cueva, a bar located in El Capistrano, where they explained their idea to anyone willing to listen. It was precisely there that they found one of their first financial backers. The owner of the establishment, Phil Donnason, decided to invest in the project.

During their stay, they also often visited the well-known beach bar Ayo, on Burriana beach, one of the most emblematic spots on the Nerja coastline. There, amid tapas and sea views, the creators continued to refine the game's categories.

From Nerja to global success

Trivial Pursuit began to make its way towards its official launch in 1982, during the New York International Toy Fair. The success was immediate. Over the years, the game has surpassed 90 million copies sold, has been translated into 17 languages, and has been marketed in nearly 30 countries, in addition to having numerous themed editions inspired by movies, series, musical groups, or historical events.

The research on the authors' stay in Nerja was conducted by Englishman David Baird over a decade ago, and since then the game's connection to the Costa del Sol has been a source of local pride.

For the residents of Nerja, knowing that a global phenomenon was conceived on their streets and beaches is a tourist and cultural incentive. The bar La Cueva and the beach bar Ayo are must-visit stops for curious visitors wanting to relive those days of creation.

Trivial Pursuit was not the first question board game, nor even the first to include the word 'trivial' in its title. But it has undoubtedly been the most successful and socially famous, and its birthplace is in the Málaga Axarquía.

Now, every summer, the story is retold, and it is not uncommon for a tourist to sit on the same terrace where Abbot and Haney imagined the questions that today challenge millions of players.