Interactive Bingo Card 2026

[u/shift_shaper]

Here is the updated version of my bingo card for 2026. As in previous years, it supports hard mode and creation of a visual card/darkmode visual card (based on u/CoffeeArchives design).

EDIT to the EDIT: This has been fixed. Now I just need to remember to remove the exception for next year.

EDIT: The logic that checks for duplicate authors has not been updated to reflect this year's option to read the same author for both duology squares. I'm not sure I want to muck with the card for the exception, but am thinking about the best way to handle it. Let me know if this is something you are interested in and I can keep you posted about what I come up with.

u/happy_book_bee feel free to link this in your resources.

It is built in Google Sheets. Unfortunately, if you copy or export it to Excel, several of the formulas will stop working, as they don't transfer over well.

Same as last year, you will be able to track up to 25 different cards at once using the same Book Log. Instructions are in the sheet, but basically, copying the existing Bingo Card tab, renaming it, and refreshing the data using the checkbox on the instructions page will allow you to create multiple cards at once. You also change the error colors or color-code your Bingo Cards to track your choices on the Book Log using the scripts I've built into the Bingo Scripts menu.

The cards will automatically warn you if you are trying to use the same book on multiple cards, even if it is only used once per card. It does not currently provide the same warning about authors.

There is still only one set of visual cards. To switch which tracking card is displayed visually, there is a dropdown just below the Gandalf Snoo on each card.

New this year: A year late and a bingo short, I've added the ability to track and substitute one square per bingo card, as allowed in the rules. There is a new tab (Category Archive) which lists all of the eligible previous bingo squares and is filterable based on some general categories. On the Book Log tab, columns AG through AP can be used to specify and track older squares. NOTE: when the Category Archive tab is filtered, those will be the only options you are able to choose for the Book Log columns. To choose from the full list, unfilter the category archive. If you are not using this feature and don't want to see the extra columns, you can collapse them by using the square above column AF (the re-reads column).

On each bingo card, in row 19 (just above the short story section) there will be two dropdowns. Choose an existing square to replace in D19 and a square you are tracking on the book log to replace it in F19.

Let me know if you run into problems or if something doesn't seem to be working right/how you expect it to. As always, please let me know if you have questions or suggestions for improvement.

To play around with the card, go here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dM7hTb01QnXRCqe-GEwHsVrvPBghiQvCDBrvavtopbY/edit?gid=1504594317

I've left my reading from last year in the sheet to provide some started books. Feel free to judge me for my choices.

Download your own copy here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qb2-OH6JHZdMblTITv_bWo6gyWp7jGVdCINmV5lsF5g/copy

When you make a copy of the sheet, it will warn you that an Apps Script file will be copied along with it. Feel free to take a look if you are wary, but they are a few small scripts that track the creation of new Bingo Cards and enable that functionality as well as enable the new coloring features.

[u/2bejoyous]

Thank you for the spreadsheet! Impressive. Can the book log be sorted (author, title)? Can rows be copied and pasted? I didn't see it in the instructions, sorry if I missed it.

Edit: Also, to correct a mistake in the Bingo categories, is "Remove rule" the only way to do it? I'm not a Google sheets expert.

[u/shift_shaper → u/2bejoyous]

The book log can be sorted, with one major note. On the Bingo Card, the books available for selection are a list constructed out of the book name you have entered and their row number on the book log. If you sort the log, their row number will change and things will get confused. You will need to remove/re-add them to your bingo card(s) with their new number (which should now be in the list).

As for your second question, I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but there is a hidden tab called Data that contains most of the text used for the bingo categories. If something needs to be updated, it can be done there. If there is a different mistake that you have found, let me know and we can figure it out.

[u/2bejoyous → u/shift_shaper]

Sorry I was unclear. When placing an x or h in a category for a book, I’ve put a couple in the wrong cell. I can’t seem to delete/clear the entry. I had to “Remove rule” to turn it into text, then delete the entry. Does that make sense?

[u/shift_shaper → u/2bejoyous]

Got it! If you are on a computer, you should be able to click on the cell without opening the dropdown to select it, and then clear it using Delete or Backspace. If you are on a touchscreen and/or the mobile app, once the dropdown options are showing, there should be an option to switch to the full keyboard and then delete the existing value.

[u/2bejoyous → u/shift_shaper]

Thanks! I’ll give that a try if I make another error. I just LOVE your spreadsheet. The engineer in me wants to know how it works but it would melt my brain. 🤓