How to host office bingo
Office bingo is best as a team-building game rather than a secret one. Played openly, it turns the phrases everyone already jokes about into a shared laugh.
- Agree on the setting. All-hands meetings, end-of-quarter reviews, team offsites and holiday parties work well. Skip calls with clients or anyone outside the team.
- Crowdsource the list. A week before, ask the team for the phrases they hear most. Add them to the list and delete any that do not apply.
- Decide how to claim a win. In a room, players quietly raise a hand. On a video call, they post “bingo” in the chat and read their card code so the host can check it.
- Pick a small, shared prize. The winner picks the next team lunch spot or gets the first slice of the birthday cake.
For a mixed office and remote team, create an online game from this page and share the QR code at the start of the meeting. Remote players mark their phone cards while people in the room use paper.
Ways to play it
- Icebreaker first. For a new team, start with human bingo so people learn something about each other.
- Holiday party. Swap in the Christmas bingo list for the December party.
- Phone cards for remote staff. Virtual bingo gives each person a card on their phone, with nothing to install.
- Training review. Replace phrases with key terms from a training session and call definitions instead of words.