How Happy Bingo works
A round runs about 10–20 minutes depending on the size and the win condition. Here is what the host and the players each need to know.
Host
- Pick the card size: 3×3 for 5–8 people or a short slot, 5×5 for a bigger group with time, 4×4 in between.
- For 3×3 and 5×5, write an anchor question for the centre. The bar is "every single player can find someone" — the safest is "Someone who showed up today". A 4×4 card does not have this square.
- Fill the question pool (9 for 3×3, 16 for 4×4, 25 for 5×5) and swap out anything nobody matches, or that only one person matches.
- Set how many lines are needed to win. Fewer for a small group or a short slot.
- With a small group, turn on self-claiming, otherwise squares nobody matches will stall.
- Spend a minute at the start on the three things that matter: the other person has to confirm it themselves, hitting the target puts you on the board but the game keeps going, and the ranking is just for fun.
Players
- Enter your name to join, then wait for the host to start.
- Read your card once you get it. Everyone has the same questions, but the order is different for each person.
- Pick a square you think you can find someone for, and go talk to them.
- Back on your phone, tap that square and choose the person you just talked to.
- It only ticks once they confirm. If they never answer you can cancel; if they decline, find someone else.
- When someone asks you to confirm, read the description before you tap — confirming cannot be undone.
Common questions
Does everyone have the same card?
The same questions, yes — one shared pool. The order is different for everyone, so your third square is not your neighbour’s third square. The centre of a 3×3 or 5×5 is the exception: that anchor question is the same for everyone.
Can I keep going back to the same person?
Yes, there is no limit. That is why two people is enough to play. In a bigger room the questions push you towards different people on their own.
Do I win when I complete a line? Does the game stop?
The target is whatever the host set, which may be more than one line. And the game does not stop when someone hits it — it runs until the host ends it, and anyone who has hit the target can go for a blackout.
Can someone undo a confirmation?
No. It takes effect the moment they tap, so read the description first. Declining is different — that happens before anything is ticked.
Can latecomers join?
They can join the list, but they get no card this round — the questions were locked in at the start. They can still be matched with and can confirm for others, and they get a card next round.