Christmas movie bingo
Every cozy holiday romance follows the same map, and this game is about spotting it. A big city career woman returns to her hometown, the bakery is in trouble, and the snow starts at exactly the right moment. Hand out cards before the movie and mark each trope as it happens. Nobody calls; the movie does.
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
Christmas Movie Bingo
The 50 words on these cards
- Big city career woman returns home
- Snow starts at the perfect moment
- Someone says 'Christmas spirit'
- The family business is in trouble
- Small town festival
- Hot cocoa with marshmallows
- Ugly sweater moment
- Rival from the big city
- Childhood sweetheart
- Tree lot or tree farm
- Baking contest
- Gingerbread house
- Ice skating scene
- Snowball fight
- Almost kiss interrupted
- Kiss under mistletoe
- Kiss in the snow
- Wise old neighbor
- Mysterious stranger may be Santa
- A wish comes true
- Workaholic learns to slow down
- Sleigh or carriage ride
- Matching sweaters
- Cute dog steals the scene
- Late for an important meeting
- Phone call from the boss
- Someone is snowed in
- A town needs saving
- Secret royal
- Fake relationship
- Decorating a tree together
- Caroling scene
- Inn or bed and breakfast
- Plaid scarf
- Letter to Santa
- Christmas Eve deadline
- Grand gesture in the town square
- Big misunderstanding
- Holiday market
- Wise child gives advice
- Old family recipe
- Lit-up gazebo
- Choosing the job or love
- A ring in a box
- Toast with eggnog
- Someone quits their job
- Charity event
- Fresh start in the new year
- Epilogue a year later
- Everyone gathers on Christmas morning
How to play while watching
Give everyone a card and a marker before the opening credits. When a trope happens on screen, mark it. The first full line calls bingo, but has to say out loud what happened for each square, which is half the fun. Most of these movies tick off a line in the first act; for a full movie, play for two lines, an X or a full card.
Rules for a movie night
Agree on what counts before the movie starts. Does a phone call from a fiancee count as a call from the boss? Does a dog in the background steal the scene? A house rule that the group votes on doubtful squares keeps it friendly. If you watch two movies back to back, keep the same cards: squares carry over and a blackout becomes possible.
For a group chat or a watch party online
Send the PDF to everyone before the start and give each person a card number. During the movie, people post the square they marked in the chat; the first to claim a line posts their card number, and anyone can check the card on the game's page. Every card has a different mix of the 50 tropes, so two players rarely mark at the same time.
Write your own tropes
Watching a lot of these movies over the season? Add the ones your group keeps pointing at, the same actor again, a bakery named after a pun, a dog in a scarf, and print a fresh set. Each square takes up to 40 characters. Short squares read better on the card in a dark room.
Questions
How do you play Christmas movie bingo?
Each player gets a card of common holiday movie tropes. Mark a square when it happens on screen; the first player with a full line calls bingo and explains each square.
Does it work with any Christmas movie?
It is written for the cozy made-for-TV holiday romance, where most of these tropes appear. With an action or animated Christmas movie, expect slower games and edit the list to fit.
How many tropes are on a card?
Each 5x5 card shows 24 of the 50 tropes around a free space, in a different mix on every card.
Can we play it over a video call?
Yes. Send the PDF before the movie with a card number for each person, and post marked squares in the chat.
Can I add my own tropes?
Yes. Edit the list in the form on this page, up to 40 characters a square, and download new cards.