CALL it revenge of the nerds. Call it total geek domination. But one thing?s for sure: geeky ?gimiks? are on the rise. Wearied by mind-numbing partying and endless booze fests, college students and yuppies recently started looking for alternatives for a fun night out.

First there was Rockeoke and its mutations: Broadwayeoke, Disneyoke, Sing-Along-Kot ? these song-and-beer fests allowed yuppies to let go of all pretensions and have a fun, goofy time without having to look cool with a pricey cocktail in hand.

Then, Rock Band parties became popular with people who cherished rock star fantasies (without having to learn how to play a musical instrument). But now, the latest geeky nighttime trend is unquestionably trivia night.

No one?s really sure where trivia night first began gaining popularity in Manila; but questions of originality aside, trivia night (quiz night to some) is definitely sprouting like mushrooms around the metro.

Email the author at biancaconsunji@yahoo.com.

Restaurant 121

One of the more established trivia night destinations, Restaurant 121 packs in the 20 to 40-something crowd of yuppies and expats. Quiz master Brian Banta presides over the games every Tuesday night, where the topics can cover obscure geographical tidbits to pop culture staples. The food is cheap (look out for staples such as sisig and rice meals) and the beer is cold, so it?s a must-visit if you want to hang out with your barkada and show off your knowledge.
Call ahead or come really early, way before the scheduled time of the 9:30 p.m. start, because it?s hard to get a table ? trivia night at Restaurant 121 is that popular.

Questions tend to be more difficult, with completely random categories (?Beers of the World,? for instance). Competition here is high; be prepared to psyche the other teams who come on a regular basis and are ready to defend their thrones.

Address: 2/L, 121 Allegro Center, 2284 Pasong Tamo Extension
Contact: 8928301
Schedule: Tuesday nights from 9:30 p.m. to about 1:30 a.m.
Budget: P150-300 per head
What to expect: Yuppies, expats, a happily rowdy crowd drunk on Beer Below Zero and Jagermeister
The payoff: A bottle of booze and gift certificates for the team who wins at the end of the night

Reasons to come

Cheap ? but filling ? food and drinks
A varied and interesting range of questions (you?ll learn things you never knew!)
Friendly sense of competition among different teams

The drawbacks

It starts and ends too late so many teams leave halfway, leaving only the hardcore teams to finish.
The same teams win every week (powerhouse teams merged, leaving little room for others to win)
The frequent breaks are too long (30 minutes for intermission only dampens otherwise high spirits, so the momentum breaks)
Seats are hard to come by

Capricciosa

A newcomer on the block, Italian restaurant Capricciosa?s quiz night has been around for only a couple of months, but is quickly gaining a following among the younger set.
Owner Will Tan, who presides over the games, says, ?The ones who come to Capricciosa are younger and are from the north area ? we get a lot of college students and yuppies, particularly the ones from Ateneo.?

Capricciosa is probably one of the most wholesome venues for trivia night; clean-cut, smart yuppies gather to share pizza, pasta and cold beer over questions. But make no mistake ? the competition can get pretty deadly as well.

Address: G/F Fox Square Building, 53 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan
Contact: 7440490, 7440689
Schedule: Wednesday nights from 9:30 p.m. to about 12:30 a.m.
Budget: P300-500 per head
What to expect: Yuppies, students?people who may have been your orgmates in school
The payoff: A bottle of liquor (sometimes two) and P1,000 in gift certificates for the team who wins at the end of the night, plus a round of shots for the team that wins in each round

Reasons to come

Pretty good Italian food to begin with; we like their five-cheese pizza and yummy fruit shakes
Smoke-free environment
Crowds can get rowdy but not too wild
Free shots if you win a round!
Happy Hour for the drinks

The drawbacks

The food is pricier than at other venues
The venue isn?t well known yet, so it takes a while to fill up for the game to start
The Wi-fi is turned off during the game proper to ensure no cheating goes on, but a bummer if you really need to check your e-mail or send a Tweet during the game
The restaurant is a bit small, so you can?t jam in too many teams (less competition!)