Human bingo for work, played on everyone's phone
Human bingo is an icebreaker where every square describes a person, like "can change a tire," and players go around the room finding a coworker who fits each one. To run human bingo with My Event Bingo, you send one link, everyone opens their own shuffled card on a phone or laptop, and they tap a square when they find their match.
The button opens a ready-made getting-to-know-you card with the squares already filled in. Give the game a name, create it, and you have a link to share.
Everyone gets a different card
Each card draws its squares from the same list in a different order, so the person next to you is hunting other squares. Tapping a square marks your card only, unless the host turns on shared marking. There is no caller and no numbers.
The app checks the line, the room checks the facts
When a player's tapped squares make a row, a column or a diagonal, the app calls the bingo for them. Whether Dave really can change a tire is between Dave and his coworkers.
How to run human bingo at work
It works the same for a team meeting, an onboarding day or an offsite. Give it a short slot at the start, or let it run through a long day.
- Open the game and name it. Tap the button on this page. The getting-to-know-you squares are already in it, so you don't type any squares, just the game's name.
- Set the start time. Pick about fifteen minutes before people arrive. Anyone who opens the link earlier sees the start time on the game's welcome card, and anyone who turns up late can still join.
- Pick the number of winners. The game ends once that many people have a bingo, and the default is five, which is too low for most rooms. Raise it to about half the group so most people are still playing when it ends; for a game that runs all day, raise it further.
- Create the game and share the link. Put it in the meeting invite or the team chat, or show the QR code at the front of the room. Players don't need an app or an account; they open the link and tap Join Game.
- Give the one rule. Find a person who fits a square, then tap it. A good house rule is one coworker per square, so nobody fills a row by talking to the same person. Some squares are personal, like star signs, so say up front that nobody has to answer one they'd rather not. Anyone who'd rather not use a phone can pair up with someone or sit it out.
- Let them mingle. Every card is shuffled, so neighbours are hunting different squares. Walk around and nudge the quiet corners.
- Ask who they found. The app records the tap, not the name. Once people have a bingo, ask them to read out who they matched. That's where the real introductions happen.
What's on the card
The card is filled from a list of getting-to-know-you squares. A few of the ones already on it:
- Is a coffee lover
- Doesn't drink coffee
- Doesn't drink tea
- Is a morning person
- Owns a business
- Plays football
- Plays piano
- Plays guitar
- Doesn't have Facebook
- Doesn't have Instagram
- Lives abroad
- Can change a tire
- Been on a cruise
- Never been on an airplane
- Played sport in college
- Has a dog
- 2 cats
- A fear of heights
- Traveled to more than 5 countries
- Is wearing an old school watch
- Is wearing sunglasses
- A master's degree
- A doctorate
- Same birth month as you
Where it works
Frequently asked questions
Do players need an app or an account?
No. They open the link or scan the code and tap Join Game. A name and an icon are optional.
Does the app know who I matched?
No. It records that you tapped the square, not who you found for it. If you want names, ask people to say them out loud or post them in the game chat.
What happens when someone gets a bingo?
The app spots the finished line and calls it. By default, play carries on for everyone else until five people have a bingo, then the game ends. You can change that number when you create the game.
Do people need to know each other first?
No. That is the point. It works best when half the room has never spoken to the other half.
Is there anything to print?
No. Every card is on a screen, so there is nothing to hand out or collect.
Is it free?
My Event Bingo is free to play. No purchase necessary, no real-money wagering, and no prizes of monetary value.