How to Set Up A Trivia Bingo Game?
Right! This is one of the most-searched bingo games at the moment, and you’re about to see precisely why players love it so much. Back in the day, games like Trivial Pursuit dominated the board game scene with unprecedented global sales exceeding hundreds of millions of copies since inception. It is described as ‘a reminder of the frivolities of the 80s’, and it’s legacy lives on in the form of Trivia Bingo – a new-age phenomenon.
Bingo is loved all over the world, as the ultimate social gambling game. Indeed, bingo is quite possibly the world’s most easily franchised game, since it is so versatile that it can fit into myriad variants. Consider Trivia Bingo as a case in point. This entertaining game is played on a grid-like format, the specifics of which will vary from one trivia bingo game to the next. In our expose, we will introduce you to the standard 5 x 5 grid format that is universally renowned among 75 ball bingo fans. Before you play Trivia Bingo with friends, switch off your mobile phone or turn on airplane mode. That way – nobody cheats.
The format comprises 5 horizontal rows, and 5 vertical columns. From the left to the right, the letters B-I-N-G-O are emblazoned on the columns, similar to 75 ball bingo. Just like any other bingo game, you are tasked with completing a winning pattern before other players online, or in person can shout out Bingo! The beauty of this game is its shift from traditional numbers to trivia. Each square in your bingo grid is not filled with numbers 1-75, or numbers 1-90 (90 ball bingo games). The squares are filled with answers to trivia.
The bingo caller, or random number generator churns out different categories of trivia questions for players to answer and match on their bingo cards. Be advised that these questions do not pertain to bingo, although the odd one may. Categories can include parliament and politics, entertainment (Hollywood movies, TV shows, theatre), medical science, finance and economics, sports and hobbies, earth and nature, literature, mathematics, astrology, history, et al. Naturally, the questions must be set up first, the answers thoroughly researched, and then the bingo cards created.
Online Trivia Bingo Games
Most of us have played trivia-style games before. Think of all those quizzes you took in high school, or in university? At home, trivia games are equally popular. Many trivia-style attractions are showcased on mobile phones through apps nowadays. You simply login and wait for the games to begin. Mark the answers on your card, and climb the ladder to big prizes. In Trivia Bingo in person, you’re not necessarily playing for big prizes – you competing against other players to form a winning bingo pattern. Prizes can be trivial such as a can of soda, or even an onion!
Online trivia bingo games are easy to find. The bingo cards are beautifully decked out with the letters B-I-N-G-O emblazoned across each column from left to right. Remember numbers 1-15 won’t be found in the B column, and 16-31 won’t be found in the I column. If you do see the word BINGO, it’s done for dramatic effect, to add authenticity to the game.
Online trivia bingo games have the trivia questions ready with a repository of questions which are aligned with all the bingo cards. The questions will change with each round of play. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers to all of the questions, nobody does. You will be given a reprieve in certain online bingo games with allocations for errors. For example, in the Trivia Bingo game hosted by Sporcle, players are given 5 incorrect answer chances before they are automatically disqualified from the game.
With online trivia bingo, there are time limits in place. If you don’t answer all the questions before the timer runs out, a new game begins and you forfeit your score sheet. This game allows you to play against the computer, or against other random players. Sometimes, you’ll be able to see how other players are performing in real-time, with the number of correct trivia bingo answers on their tickets. Unlike traditional bingo where auto-daubing takes place for you, here you actually have to pick the right answer.
Depending on the quality of the Trivia Bingo Room, certain servers will actually keep track of your performance in real-time. You will be able to see how many wins you have recorded overall, in public or private rooms. The first player to form a winning bingo is deemed the winner and then the game will end. With Sporcle Trivia Bingo for example, you get a rating on site which allows other users to see just how good you are. Remember that this is not ordinary bingo, where random numbers are matched. You actually have to know the answers to the trivia in order to form winning bingo cards. Fortunately, with online Trivia Bingo games, you don’t need to worry about carrying around a bulky bingo dauber. You simply click on your selections, and Bob’s your uncle!
Make Your Own Trivia Bingo Games
Trivia bingo games can just as easily be made for home-based entertainment. The first order of business is creating a format for your trivia bingo cards. Some folks like to use a 5 x 5 grid, while others prefer an 8 x 8 grid. The more options there are on the bingo cards, the more difficult it will be to form winning combinations. It’s important to stress how important accurate and reliable data is when compiling Trivia Bingo questions and answers. The veracity of the answers must be ironclad. Next, a big sampling of questions is presented to Trivia Bingo contestants. For every correct answer, the appropriate bingo square must be marked off.
A variety of patterns is indicated for players to complete. These can take the following forms:
- 4 Corners
- Diagonals
- The Entire Grid
- Any Horizontal Row
- Any Vertical Column
- Any of 4 Possible Corner Quarters
Of course, there are other patterns, letters, and symbols that can be completed with Trivia Bingo games. Some of these may be difficult to complete since the bingo caller has many more questions than there are answers on your Trivia Bingo card. Players at land-based bingo games may be given bingo daubers to mark off their bingo cards accordingly. Once you have formed winning patterns you will need to shout out Bingo to claim your prize. Players who call Bingo first will win whatever prizes are up for grabs at home games.
It’s really important to pick interesting topics for your Trivia Bingo games. Try to enlist the help of friends, colleagues or family members to make it more interesting. Players tend to enjoy helping out, providing questions and answers to their specialty areas of interest for Trivia Bingo. Once you’ve got a good selection of questions and answers, you can confidently set out to craft your Trivia Bingo games. Best of British to you mate!
Summary
- Everyone should switch their mobile phones and/or tablets to airplane mode while playing home Trivia Bingo games. That way, it’s a real test of your knowledge, and it sparks collaboration among players.
- Trivia Bingo games are played in a bingo-style format with questions and answers as opposed to numbers.
- Players are required to match the correct answer with each question.
- Once the necessary patterns have been formed, players can call out Bingo!
- Prizes vary among Trivia Bingo games. These can include rudimentary prizes such as food, bingo cards, or cash.
- You can play Trivia Bingo online or in-person at home. When you make your own Trivia Bingo games, it’s important to enlist the support of others to access more topics and more questions.
- Enjoy Trivia Bingo with as many interesting questions as you can find. Players tend to enjoy the challenge as much as they enjoy winning Trivia Bingo games.
