10 Games Like Human Bingo

Human bingo is a classic. Everyone gets a card, walks around, and finds people who match the squares.

But it doesn't fit every event.

Maybe your group's played it too many times, or you have 150 people and don't want to print 150 sheets.

Here are 10 games like human bingo, with how to set each one up.

Best for: 5 to 30 people. Time: 10 to 15 minutes.

Each person shares three facts about themselves. Two are true, one is made up. Everyone else guesses the lie.

• Give people 2 minutes to come up with their three facts.
• Go around the circle, or split into groups of 5 to 6 if you have more people.
• After each guess, ask the person to tell the story behind the weirdest true fact.

Tip: the story after the reveal is where the real conversation happens. Don't rush it.

Best for: 20 to 80 people. Time: 10 minutes.

Everyone gets half of a pair, like 'Peanut Butter' or 'Jelly.' They walk around until they find their other half.

• Print or write pairs on cards: famous duos, song lyrics, movie quotes.
• Hand them out at check-in.
• Once pairs find each other, give them a question to talk about for 3 minutes.

Tip: this is the closest to human bingo's 'go find someone' feeling, but each person only has to find one person.

Best for: 50 to 1,000+ people. Time: 30 to 60 minutes.

If you love human bingo but have a big crowd, Jam Bingo is the digital human bingo

No paper sheets. No pens. Everyone scans one QR code and plays on their phone.

Each person gets one prompt at a time, like 'Find someone who has lived in another country and ask what they miss most.'

They find a match, have the conversation, then scan each other's QR code to unlock the next prompt.

• Create your game and add 10 to 15 prompts. You can write your own or start from a template.
• When you create the game, you get one QR code for your event. Put it on the big screen so guests can scan it with their phone camera.
• Tell the room how to play: 'Scan the code to get a prompt, find someone who matches it, chat, then scan each other's code to get your next prompt.'
• If you're worried a prompt might be tough, turn on skips. Guests get a Skip button after 60 seconds, so nobody gets stuck.
• While people play, put the leaderboard on the big screen. It shows who has made the most connections, which keeps the room competitive.
• At the end, shout out the top 3 people on the leaderboard.

• One prompt at a time means real conversations, not a rush for signatures.
• Nothing to print, hand out or collect.
• Everyone plays at once, so it works the same for 100 people as it does for 1,000.
• Every connection is saved, so people can follow up after the event.

Want the full rundown? Check out the conversation bingo app.

Best for: 15 to 60 people. Time: 15 to 20 minutes.

Like human bingo, but teams work together to find people who match a list.

• Split into teams of 3 to 4.
• Give each team a list: 'Someone who speaks 3 languages,' 'Someone born in December.'
• First team to check everything off wins.

Tip: teams make it easier for shy people, since they don't have to approach strangers alone.

Best for: any size. Time: 5 minutes.

Call out two options. People move to one side of the room or the other.

• Point to two sides of the room.
• Call out pairs: 'Coffee or tea?' 'Beach or mountains?' 'Early bird or night owl?'
• After each move, have people say hi to one person on their side.

Tip: save a spicy one for last, like 'Pineapple on pizza: yes or no?'

Best for: 10 to 100 people. Time: 10 minutes.

Pairs race to find 3 things they have in common. The catch: nothing obvious like 'we both work here.'

• Pair people up with someone they don't know.
• Give them 3 minutes to find 3 things in common.
• Switch partners and run 2 to 3 rounds.

Tip: ask a few pairs to share their weirdest match with the room.

Best for: 10 to 40 people. Time: 5 to 10 minutes.

The group lines up in order of birthday, January to December, without talking.

• Tell the group: no talking, only hand signals.
• Give them 3 minutes to line up.
• Go down the line and have each person say their birthday out loud to check.

Tip: once they're lined up, have neighbors chat for 2 minutes. They already broke the ice.

Best for: 10 to 60 people. Time: 15 to 20 minutes.

Speed dating, minus the dating. Pairs chat for 3 minutes, then switch.

• Set up two lines facing each other.
• Put one question on screen each round.
• Ring a bell or change the song to signal a switch.
• Run 4 to 5 rounds.

Tip: the question on screen is what keeps it from turning into 'So what do you do?'

Best for: 15 to 50 people. Time: 10 to 15 minutes.

Stick a famous name on each person's back. They walk around asking yes-or-no questions to figure out who they are.

• Write famous names on sticky notes.
• Stick one on each person's back as they arrive.
• Rule: one question per person, then move on to someone new.

Tip: the 'one question per person' rule is what makes it a mingling game.

Best for: 20 to 80 people. Time: 10 minutes.

Everyone writes a fun fact on paper, crumples it up and throws it across the room.

• Hand out scrap paper and pens.
• Have everyone write their name and a fun fact.
• Count down from 3, and throw.
• Each person picks up a snowball and finds the person who wrote it.

Tip: have a recycling bin ready. You'll thank yourself later.

• Under 30 people: Two Truths and a Lie, Birthday Line Up or Who Am I?
• 30 to 80 people: Find Your Match, People Scavenger Hunt or Snowball Fight.
• Only 5 minutes: This or That.
• 100+ people, or no paper: Jam Bingo.