The Game

Title: Trivial Pursuit: Genus II Edition (Subsidiary Card Set for Use with Master Game)
Publisher: Horn Abbot Ltd.
Date: 1984 (first release of Genus II in North America)
Contents: Two boxes of orange-backed question-and-answer cards; category “Code Card” insert; original storage box
Origin: Made in Canada/USA, licensed worldwide

Historical Context

Trivial Pursuit was invented in 1979 by Canadian journalists Scott Abbott and Chris Haney, and first marketed in 1981. The original Genus Edition (1981/1983) became a runaway hit, sparking a craze in the mid-1980s. By 1984, the game had sold over 20 million copies and was a household staple.

The Genus II Edition was introduced in 1984 as the first expansion pack, offering a new set of questions while still requiring the original game board and playing pieces. Subsidiary card sets like this one allowed families to refresh their gameplay without buying an entirely new box set.