While some families sing songs or tell ghost stories around a campfire, Scott Moffat and his three siblings grew up with fireside trivia at their cottage on Lake Rosseau, Ont. “My dad would bring out the Game of Muskoka,” recalls Scott. This worn deck of cards, created in the 1980s by an erstwhile Bracebridge entrepreneur, featured six categories about local lore, geography, nature, and more. “My dad is a Muskoka nut,” says Scott. “I’ve never met someone else who rivals his deep love of the region. Most of the questions were over our heads, so he used it as a way to teach us about the area.”
Scott now owns and shares the family cottage with his siblings. “The game made it clear to me that there was so much to appreciate here, at all times of year,” he says.
Fast-forward to 2023, when Scott was having a drink with his friends, Muskoka locals Natalie Archer and Chris Kadonoff, the managers of Sawdust City Brewing and Muskoka Springs beverage company, respectively. “We were discussing Sawdust’s upcoming trivia night,” says Scott. “I mentioned we could really use a Muskoka-themed trivia night—nothing but questions about Muskoka—and I told them about the cards. Next thing you know, we decided to make a new set of cards with 150 questions in order to commemorate Muskoka Springs’ 150th anniversary.”
7 fictional cottage board games that we wish were real
Scott called “anyone who might be interested” in suggesting questions, including the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre, small businesses, and cottagers—ultimately drawing on about 100 sources. He also pulled a few questions from the original game. He made sure each question and answer was verified with at least two independent sources.
He used his own experience in designing the game, such as obscuring the answers to keep the reader engaged and make it more fun to play solo. Scott also added fun facts to the cards to elaborate on the answers with interesting details.
Fireside Trivia: Muskoka Edition was released in local stores last summer. Sales were brisk, and Scott’s notion of a “fun, one-off” project has evolved into something bigger. He’s curated material for a 160-question trivia set to commemorate Canada’s 160th birthday next year (but available this summer). Meanwhile, he says he’s constantly fielding question suggestions for a sequel to the original game, as well as inquiries from cottagers in other regions. And he’s pleased about the impact the game has had. “I did this out of my passion for Muskoka.”
This article was originally published in the Summer 2026 issue of Cottage Life.
Related Story 5 purchases that will make the cottage your older kids’ favourite place to be
Related Story The forbidden lawn dart still beguiles all these years later
Related Story 5 tips for setting up a kid-friendly archery range at the cottage