Tringo is an online multiplayer game created by Australian developer Nathan Keir (aka Kermitt Quirk) in December 2004 that is available to play inside the virtual reality platform Second Life owned by Linden Lab. It is described as a cross between Tetris and Bingo. Rules Tringo was played by a large group of players at once. Each player is given their own "card" with a 5×5 empty grid. The game provides a new shape every ten seconds, which the player must fit into their board. The object is to create solid square areas of 2×2, 2×3, and 3×3 squares. When that happens, the shape is cleared from the board, and the player earns points. Gameplay Tringo is normally played as a gambling game, using the currency of Second Life, "Linden Dollars" (L$) Because of the need for a large number of players, most game units are not owned privately, but are installed in casino areas and hosted by players who take the role of casino staff. (The game unit is freely purchasable at the cost of L$15000- equivalent to roughly US$50 - but the buyer must also own game land to install it on, and be able to attract the required number of players.) At the start of each game, the host will usually place an amount - around L$100 - in the pot, which is then won by the player who scores the highest number of points. Players are not charged to enter but they are encouraged to add donations to the pot. In the past, the casino gained money via the Second Life "traffic" system whereby any location that attracted large numbers of people for significant periods of time was given an extra L$ award by Linden Lab. Linden Lab no longer gives payout awards for traffic. Popularity Some Second Life players take the view that Tringo's popularity is entirely due to its ability to offer "free money" in this way. (Second Life does not feature monster hunting or any systematic way to earn L$; they must be bought in US$, received in the stipends, or earned through doing business.) Similar games Tringo is similar to Jtris (a solo and multiplayer variation game), Slingo (a cross between slot machines and bingo with a similar multiplayer focus), and Blood 21 (an abstract blackjack which is also multiplayer). Game Boy Advance Tringo was unique as the first game developed with