Parents' Guide to

This Is Not a Game by Sam Bee

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Smart, snarky trivia for politically minded players.

App iPhone , iPad , Android Free Trivia Games
This Is Not a Game by Sam Bee Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • This is Not a Game by Sam Bee screenshot #1
  • This is Not a Game by Sam Bee screenshot #2
  • This is Not a Game by Sam Bee screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

As an online trivia contest, THIS IS NOT A GAME BY SAM BEE doesn't have a story. Instead, you compete against other online players, and yourself, as you answer humorous political trivia questions. All of which are hosted, and commented on, by comedian Samantha Bee, host of the TV show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Those who answer all 10 correctly split a prize, though you can keep playing if you get one wrong -- you just can't win the money.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Though it's basically the same as other online trivia contest apps, the humor and clever questions make it more fun than most. In This Is Not a Game by Sam Bee, the comedian and host of the TV show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee makes snarky comments as you do your best to answer 10 clever and humorous political questions. Competing against other people, players have to do their best to answer 10 questions correctly, in hopes of winning their small part of a cash prize. But don't worry if you miss one (which you will sometimes, because they can get a bit tricky); you can always use your free life, or you can keep going in "Dead mode," where answering correctly can earn you a free life for the next time you play. It's just a bummer you can only play once a day (6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT), and only against other people; a single-player practice mode could've been fun. And while this works the same as every other online trivia contest where there's a small cash prize, what sets it apart is the game's ribald humor and snarky attitude. Which, fittingly, makes This Is Not a Game by Sam Bee the interactive version of the show that inspired it: as darkly comedic as it is insightful and informative.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about marketing promotions. Along with trying to get people to pay attention to politics, this is also clearly designed to get you to watch Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. Does this bother you, or do you accept it as the way a TV show has to promote itself these days?

  • The point of This Is Not a Game by Sam Bee is to get people to pay attention to politics and thus vote in the upcoming election, but why is it important to pay attention to politics? Do you understand how politics can impact your life?

  • This trivia game has some ribald jokes and edgy humor. Do you think that's necessary, or do you think the game would've worked with a safer, all-ages approach?

App Details

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