Human bingo
Human bingo, also called people bingo, is a mingling game: each square describes a person, and players find someone in the room who fits it. Download 30 different numbered cards, or edit the prompts below to fit your group. For other crowds see the icebreaker bingo sets.
Download 30 cards (PDF) Paper and print options
30 different numbered cards, two to a page. Free, no sign-up. The same link prints the same cards next time.
Card 1 - every card is different
Human Bingo
The 50 words on these cards
- Has a pet fish
- Was born in another state
- Can whistle a song
- Has been on a plane this year
- Plays a musical instrument
- Has never seen snow
- Can touch their nose with tongue
- Has a birthday this month
- Speaks more than one language
- Has broken a bone
- Is the oldest child
- Is an only child
- Has met a famous person
- Can juggle
- Likes pineapple on pizza
- Has been to a concert this year
- Has a garden
- Can do a cartwheel
- Has ridden a horse
- Was born in a leap year
- Has run a race
- Collects something
- Has the same first initial as you
- Has camped in a tent
- Drinks tea, not coffee
- Has been to another country
- Can say hello in 3 languages
- Wears glasses
- Has a dog
- Has a cat
- Is left-handed
- Has been on TV
- Can bake bread
- Has climbed a mountain
- Knows how to sew
- Has seen the ocean this year
- Is wearing something blue
- Has a tattoo
- Has read a book this month
- Can name 5 state capitals
- Has been to a national park
- Has the same favorite color as you
- Prefers sunrise to sunset
- Has built a snowman
- Has eaten sushi
- Loves to dance
- Has been fishing
- Can play chess
- Has planted a tree
- Has a nickname
How to play human bingo
Hand out the cards and pens and set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes. Players walk around and ask questions: Have you ever ridden a horse? When someone fits a square, they write their name in it (or the player does). Each person can sign only one square on a card. The first player with a full row, column or diagonal shouts bingo and reads out the names. Keep playing for two lines or a full card if the room is still buzzing.
Group size
The game works best with 15 to 60 people. With 24 squares and one name per person, a full card needs 24 other players, so in smaller groups play for a single line, or let each person sign two squares. In a very large room, split it into halves so people do not spend the time looking for a familiar face.
After the game
The debrief is where people learn names. Ask the winner to read their line, and have each named person stand up and add one sentence: where the horse was, which instrument they play. Then ask the room: who found a surprising fact? Which square nobody could fill? Five minutes of this does more than the hunt itself.
Writing your own prompts
Good prompts are true for some people but not most: Has ridden a horse beats Has eaten pizza. Keep them easy to ask out loud, and avoid anything people might not want to share in public, such as money, health, weight, religion or family situation. Mix in a few things players can see, like Is wearing something blue, so shy players can start without a question. Edit the list in the form below, each prompt up to 40 characters.
Printing
The PDF holds 30 numbered cards, two to a page, each with its own mix of 24 of the 50 prompts in a different order, so neighbours cannot copy. Need more? Change the number of cards in the form, up to 500, and pick Letter or A4 and one, two or four cards a page.
Questions
What is human bingo?
A mingling game where every square on the card describes a person, like Has a pet fish. Players find someone in the room who fits each square and write their name in it. The first to complete a line wins.
How many people do you need for human bingo?
About 15 or more is ideal. With fewer players, play for one line, allow two squares per person, or print smaller 4x4 cards.
How long does a game take?
Most groups need 10 to 15 minutes to get a line. Set a timer, and if nobody has bingo when it rings, the player with the most names wins.
Can I change the prompts?
Yes. The form on this page holds all 50 prompts. Edit, delete or add your own, up to 300, and download new cards. Each prompt can be up to 40 characters.
Is human bingo the same as people bingo?
Yes. People bingo, human bingo, find someone who and get to know you bingo are names for the same game, with prompts written for different groups.