Beyond sports: squares for any event
The 10 by 10 squares grid is a beautifully flexible format. While it was designed for football, the concept works for any event where you can assign a numeric outcome. People have gotten incredibly creative with how they use it, and some of the most fun squares games have nothing to do with sports at all. If you have not played before, our How to Play guide covers the basics, and our guide for non-sports fans explains why anyone can enjoy it.
This is one of the most popular non-sports uses for a squares grid. Baby shower squares use two axes that represent something about the baby: date of birth and time of birth, or birth weight and length. Guests claim squares before the baby arrives, and the person whose square matches the closest wins.
For example, one axis could be the last digit of the birth date (1 through 31, mapped to 0 through 9) and the other could be the last digit of the birth weight in ounces. It adds a fun guessing element to the shower and gives everyone a reason to check in when the baby arrives.
To set this up, create a manual game with custom team names like "Birth Date" and "Birth Weight." Share the link with shower guests and enter the results manually once the baby is born.
The Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and other award shows work surprisingly well with a squares grid. One axis represents the time of the first award presentation, and the other represents the time the show ends (or the last digit of the total runtime in minutes). You can also get creative and use the number of acceptance speech interruptions, standing ovations, or any other countable event.
This gives people who do not care about the awards something to root for during the broadcast. Instead of arguing about which movie deserves Best Picture, everyone is watching the clock and counting standing ovations.
A wedding squares grid can be a fun reception activity. The axes could represent the time of the first dance and the time the last guest leaves, or the number of toasts given and the number of songs played. It works as a conversation starter and gives guests something interactive to do besides dancing.
Set up the grid ahead of time and share the link on a card at each table, or include it in the wedding program. The couple can enter the results the next day and announce the winner in a follow-up message to guests.
Squares work for internal company events too. Launching a new product? Use a grid where the axes represent the number of sign-ups on day one and the number of support tickets filed. Hosting a company-wide challenge? Track participation numbers on a grid. Running a sales contest? Use weekly totals.
The key is finding two numeric outcomes that people care about and mapping them to the grid. The randomness of the number assignment means it stays fair regardless of what the numbers represent.
On election night, you can run a squares grid where the axes represent the last digit of each candidate's vote total at a specific time, or the last digit of the total votes counted in your state. This keeps people engaged with the results without the conversation turning political. Everyone is just watching numbers, not arguing about candidates.
New Year's Eve is a natural fit. One axis is the last digit of the temperature at midnight, and the other is the last digit of the number of people at the party. Or use the time the first person falls asleep and the number of champagne bottles opened. The sillier the categories, the more fun it is.
For any of these, create a manual game on our create page, customize the team names to match your event, and share the link. It takes less than a minute to set up and adds a layer of fun to any gathering. For tips on organizing the best experience, see what makes a good grid and our etiquette guide.
Of course, the original use case is still the best. NFL squares for the Super Bowl remain the most popular format by far. But NBA squares, NHL squares, college football squares, and March Madness squares all work great. If you want to know which numbers give you the best odds, check out our post on the best Super Bowl squares numbers. Whether it is sports or something completely different, the squares format brings people together. See how it compares to other activities in our party games comparison. And for the full backstory, visit our History and FAQ pages.