How the 5×5 grid works
A 25-square board is a 5×5 grid. Instead of one number per row and column, each axis position covers a pair of digits: 0-1, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 and 8-9. When you press Reveal Numbers, the tool randomly decides which pair sits in which position on each axis — the two draws are independent, so the top axis and the side axis end up in different orders.
Winners work exactly like on the big board, except a square matches two digits instead of one. Take the last digit of each team's score at the end of a quarter, find the pair that contains it on each axis, and the square at that intersection wins the quarter. If the rows team has 24 and the columns team has 13, the last digits are 4 and 3 — 4 lives in the 4-5 pair and 3 lives in the 2-3 pair, so the square at that row and column wins.
Why pick 25 squares
- Small groups — with 5 to 25 players everyone gets at least one square.
- Quicker to fill — a family dinner or a single classroom team fills the board in minutes instead of an afternoon.
- Easier to scan — five rows and five columns fit comfortably on a phone screen during the game.
The trade-off is simple: fewer squares means each square matches twice as many score combinations, so winners are decided a little more coarsely than on the 100-square board. For a small group that is usually a feature, not a problem.
Running the game
Type both team names, have everyone claim squares (or paste the names for a random deal), then Lock board and Reveal Numbers. Enter each quarter's score in the score panel and the winning square lights up automatically — the tool applies the pair rule for you, so there is nothing to work out by hand. Print the blank 25-square board from this page on one Letter page if you prefer paper on the wall.