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Your Game, Your Rules

Here’s how to make your game work for your group

The rules are completely up to you! Pingo is meant to be flexible, so agree your own "house rules" before you start. Here are some ideas to help you decide.

  1. What if I don't have any fake pins to trade?
    The pin boards - and some of the Cast Member's pin pads - in the Disney parks in the USA are sadly covered in fake pins (also known as "scrappers"). You don't need to find or buy a lot of fakes to play Pingo Bingo (actually, we'd prefer it if you didn't!). All you need to do is either a) trade for a real pin, if you find a real pin on a board; or b) take a photo of the pin that you found. So take a few real traders with you - or simply just take photos - then you don't need any pins to play at all! (Photos also work if you forget to take all your traders to the park with you!!)

  2. What does the winner get?
    Decide what the winner (or winning team) receives. It could be:

    • A pin of their choice
    • A mystery bag of their choice
    • A treat or snack
    • A drink of their choice

  3. What if nobody can get a winning line?
    If every line (up, down or diagonally) is blocked so nobody can get a winning line, what happens?

    • Do you declare it a tie?
    • Does the team with the most squares claimed win?

    If more than one team ties for the most squares, decide how to break the tie. For example:

    • The first team or person to find a bonus pin chosen by the rest of the group
    • A quick game of Rock, Paper, Scissors
    • Everyone in tying teams are declared winners

  4. "Whole Pin / Part Pin Rule"
    Agree how specific clues work before you start. For example:

    • If the clue is "Mickey Glove", does any pin with Mickey's Glove on it count, or only a pin that is just Mickey's glove
    • If the clue is "Red", does the whole pin have to be red, or is it enough that most of the pin is red

  5. How many pins can you trade at each stop?
    Decide how many pins can be traded at:

    • Each pin board
    • Each Cast Member's pin pad or lanyard
    • Each fellow pin trader

    The suggested rule is:

    • Up to two pins at each board
    • Up to two pins with each Cast Member
    • Just one pin per trade with other pin traders (as they will usually have a wider selection)

  6. Start, finish and timing
    Agree:

    • The start location
    • The finish meeting point
    • What time everyone needs to be back

    If the game is set for two hours, decide whether:

    • Everyone has to be physically back at the finish point within those two hours
    • Or you all stop pin trading when the timer runs out, then head back

    The app will automatically lock the game at the end of the duration you set, so any moves after that will not count.

  7. Where can people go?
    Decide if:

    • Everyone can go anywhere they like as soon as the game starts
    • Or you all agree to head off in different directions so that one team or player is not just following others

Feel free to tweak any of these or invent your own. As long as everyone agrees at the start, you have got the right rules for your game!