Fundamentally, bingo is a card game that involves calling numbers, and players must match the numbers that the caller draws on the grid of cards until a particular pattern is complete. The winning pattern differs depending on the version that you are playing. It can be horizontally, vertically, diagonally, or the full house.
When it started in Lo Giuoco del Lotto D’Italia, bingo was quite different from the way it is being played these days. It has evolved through many variations and versions due to its widespread popularity.
Beyond its variations, the game has also evolved into something bigger as other games and events draw inspiration from bingo in one way or the other. Here are a few such games and activities.
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which players place tiles containing a letter each on a 15×15 grid board to form maximum words. The game is played in a crossword-style, and the word reads from left to right and downward in columns.
It is quite similar to the Bingo game with the grids, and there is even a term in scrabble called ‘Bingo’, which refers to the situation where a player uses all the tiles in a single turn. This style is taken from the game as players say “Bingo” after completing a particular pattern.
Language Bingo
This game is very common in schools and takes different forms. In a version of the game, the caller reads out the definition of a word, and the players must find the word and cross it on the grid of cards, each containing words.
Another version involves calling out the synonym or the antonym of a word, and the players have to find the original word on their cards. When they find the word, they have to shout the word “Bingo.”
Online Bingo
Numerous bingo platforms are available online too, as featured on Whichbingo. You will find the best bingo offers and the UK’s largest list of online bingo websites. Many of the Bingo sites have bonuses, exclusive prizes, and you will even find tournaments on some of the best online bingo sites in the UK. On top of this, these sites often have Slingo games and titles which is a mix of slots and bingo in one!
Capital Bingo
In this game, the cards contain the capital of countries, and the caller draws countries while players have to draw the capital. After crossing the right countries in the right pattern, the player shouts “Bingo” to win.
Restaurant Bingo
This Bingo activity aims to bring more traffic to restaurants in the city of Glens Falls after there was a huge reduction of customers due to the pandemic. Customers can print a Bingo card containing names of 24 restaurants in the city in a 5×5 grid with the middle-box empty.
Customers mark the restaurant they visit, and when they have covered five in a row, column, or diagonally, they stand a chance of winning a prize.
Also, there are other attractions as one lucky winner gets a $20 gift card every week. This game project is a collaborative effort between Glens Falls and the Business Improvement District. Some of the participating restaurants include:
- Morgan & Co
- Juicin’ Jar
- Rock Hill Bakehouse Cafe
Voila! Europe 2020
Yael Karavan and Silvia Mercuriali combined the Human Rights Treaty with the game of bingo uniquely. This show was a perfect ending for the theatre festival as it effectively addresses the world’s right system and freedom.
Each participant of the online event receives a bingo card containing a set of human rights. Every ball reveals a display that corresponds to a corresponding human rights article. The online event uses a great background and several other elements that make the event very interactive.
Voila! Europe 2020 is a comic use of art elements like dance and music that circles back to the very serious subject of the flaws in the present human rights system.
There was a moment where all the participants were involved in a group dance to reiterate the freedom of movement. It was a gaming reawakening to our rights as human beings.
