Hitster Bingo rules

2 to 10 players · ages 16+ · 30 minutes · party game

A disco ball that picks the category, a song from the app, and 25 seconds to write down your answer. The first to complete a row shouts Bingo. Meanwhile the whole table sings along, and that may well be the real point. Don't have the box yet? Hitster Bingo is in the shop.

Set up in one minute

1. Choose a side of the game board: side A for beginners, side B for experts. The categories differ per side; they are listed below.
2. Put the disco ball in the middle of the board and place the five piles of music cards in their spots, QR code facing up.
3. Everyone gets a score card and a marker. There are six cards in the box, so with more players you play in teams.
4. Open the Hitster app on one phone. Whoever holds it is the DJ. The DJ scans the cards but simply plays along. A smartwatch is off limits for the DJ: the title can appear on it.
5. Everyone draws a card. Whoever draws the oldest song goes first. Then put the cards back.

How to play a round

In short: spin the disco ball and the light arrow points to a category. The DJ scans the top card of that pile. As soon as the song plays, press the disco ball and everyone has 25 seconds to write. A correct answer earns a cross in the square of that colour.

1. The active player spins the disco ball. The arrow that stays lit shows the category for this round. It applies to everyone.
2. The DJ takes the top card of that pile and scans the QR code with the app. The song starts playing.
3. Press the disco ball. The timer runs for 25 seconds. Everyone writes their answer in the white box on their score card before the red light comes on.
4. The DJ turns the card over. The correct answer is on the back. Everyone checks their own answer while the others look on.
5. Right? Put a cross in the square with the colour of this round's category. Wrong? Then nothing, and you hope for a better category next round.
6. The next player spins the disco ball.

Please note: the colours are in a different order on every score card. That is intentional, so nobody has the same row.

The categories

Side A, for beginners:

Category	What you write down
Group or solo artist	Group or solo. A duet counts as a group.
Before 2000?	Yes or no.
4 years either side	A year. If you are no more than four years off, you score. Exactly right? Then you may remove a cross from an opponent.
Decade	The period, for example the 80s.
2 years either side	A year, no more than two years off. Getting it exactly right here also lets you remove a cross.

Side B, for experts:

Category	What you write down
Song title	The title. Nearly right? The other players decide together.
Exact year	The year of release; only the exact year counts.
Name of group or singer	The artist. For a collaboration, the main artist is enough.
Decade	The period.
3 years either side	A year, no more than three years off.

When does the game end?

As soon as someone completes a row: horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Shout Bingo and show your card. If you play in teams, the team wins. If two players complete a row at the same time, they play on until one of them gets one cross further first.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need a paid Spotify account?

No. Without a paid account, the app plays a clip, triggered by the gyro sensor (turning your phone over) or after a countdown. With a paid account you can also choose to play the whole song from the start.

Can we use cards from other Hitster versions?

Yes. Cards from other editions fit in the piles. Each edition has its own symbol on the card, so you can keep them apart afterwards.

What if the disco ball points to an empty pile?

Top up that pile with cards from another edition, or spin again. Agree on this beforehand so nobody starts complaining halfway through.

How many players is it most fun with?

From four players it really comes alive, because then you can see who is close to a Bingo. Above six you play in teams, and that only makes the debate about "was it 1987 or 1989" more fun.

Can the DJ play along?

Yes. The DJ scans the card but does not see the answer until the card is turned over. So just write along.

Tips for experienced players

• Pick one line and stick to it. If you spread yourself a little everywhere, you will not have a row anywhere at the end.
• In the year categories, close enough is good enough. Guess the middle of the decade you are hearing and you will almost always be within four years.
• Keep an eye on the others' cards. Whoever is close to Bingo is the one you want to take a cross from with an exact year.

Another game for this table

Is everyone still singing along after a few rounds? Then Magical Athlete suits this group well. You put together a team of runners, each with their own crazy power, and no race ever goes the same way twice. For a shorter game in between, grab Flip 7: flip cards until you dare to stop, and whoever goes too far ends the round with nothing.

Looking for a game to give as a present? Have a look at our top 10 Sinterklaas games or the top 10 Christmas games.

Do you play a house rule that is not listed here, or have you spotted a mistake? Let us know and we will update it.