Quiz & Puzzle Book Sales Boom as Non-Fiction Declines in 2025

The urge to shout out the answers while watching quiz shows like University Challenge or Only Connect isn’t a sign of excessive competitiveness, according to publisher Richard Green – it’s a fundamental “human urge.” And that urge, it turns out, is driving a surprising resurgence in the popularity of quiz and trivia books.

Sales in the category experienced a “bumper year” in 2025, the best since records began in 1998, fueled by a desire to test and display knowledge. According to figures from NielsenIQ BookData, the category saw a 24% increase in sales value compared to 2024. Puzzle sales volume is up an even more dramatic 91% since 2019, a trend occurring even as overall nonfiction sales decline – falling 6% year-over-year to their lowest level since 2014.

Green, who publishes titles like Wordle Challenge for Quarto, attributes the spike to a need for “good old-fashioned escapism” in a world saturated with a “relentless” news cycle. Solving problems in the form of puzzles, adds Stephanie Duncan, editorial director at Transworld, is “fun and therapeutic.” Transworld’s The 1% Club Quiz Book topped the quiz category last year, selling 166,000 copies, with a second edition moving 106,000 copies and a third slated for release in November.

The appeal extends beyond simply distracting from current events. Publishers are also noting a growing desire for alternatives to screen time. Author Tim Clare suggests that physical quiz books offer a “single-serving” form of media, free from the distractions of email and social media. This trend, he believes, may be linked to the “unparalleled growth” of the board game industry during lockdown, when many people rediscovered the joys of sudoku, jigsaws, and cryptic crosswords.

The success of Murdle, a murder mystery logic puzzle published in 2023, exemplifies this phenomenon. The book sold 115,000 copies in 2025 alone, not including sales of its various iterations. “People are willing to write them, and writing good ones,” Clare observed, highlighting the quality of content now available.

The shift in consumer behavior is also prompting a re-evaluation of strategy within the bookselling industry. Waterstones, according to Clare, has “completely changed” how it approaches games over the past six years, recognizing the “huge crossover” between readers and gamers. “You are leaving money on the table as a book retailer if you don’t cater to that audience with books that either are about games or include games.”

Accessibility is also playing a role. Social media platforms are demystifying traditionally challenging games like cryptic crosswords, with explainer channels breaking down complex clues and making them more approachable. The popularity of quiz and game books is also being fueled by spin-offs from popular podcasts and shows, including The Rest Is Quiz and The Official Race Across the World Puzzle Book. “People want to be more engaged with formats these days, rather than being a passive viewer,” says David Bodycombe, producer of Lateral with Tom Scott, which also has an accompanying book.

While quiz and puzzle books are thriving, the broader nonfiction market is facing challenges. “It’s a real struggle, the market’s difficult,” Green acknowledged, noting that his publishing house, which handles both quiz books and narrative nonfiction, is feeling the pinch. However, he cautioned against viewing the situation as entirely negative, framing it as part of the natural publishing cycle.

Despite the overall decline, demand for true stories “remains as strong as ever,” according to Sara Cywinski, nonfiction publisher at Pan, which published The Rest Is Quiz. Duncan agrees, pointing to recent bestsellers like Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Giuffre, A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot, and Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams as evidence of continued interest in compelling nonfiction narratives.

However, consumption habits are evolving. While physical nonfiction book sales are down, audiobooks are experiencing a surge in popularity, largely due to their convenience. Cywinski highlighted the “massive success” of the audiobook version of Careless People, Wynn-Williams’ account of her time at Facebook.

The rise of platforms like Substack, where essayists and journalists are publishing directly to subscribers, is also impacting the book market. Clare explained that work that might have previously been released as a book is now appearing serially online. YouTube video essays and podcasts are also offering alternative avenues for nonfiction content. “I don’t reckon these are bad forms of media,” he said, “but my heart is in the nonfiction book.”