Guessing game shows

The 25 best TV game shows of all time

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Survey says these are EW's favorite game shows

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Adam Taylor/ABC; Carol Kaelson/Jeopardy! Productions Inc.; Everett Collection

Game shows have been a TV staple since before TV was TV, going back to the days of radio. Clearly, we haven't gotten sick of them—many of the formats and shows from those early days are still being watched and enjoyed in some form. But which of the many, many panels, sweeps, puzzles, and quizzes out there rank among the best of the best? Here are EW's picks for the best game shows of all time.

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Card Sharks (1978–1981, 1986–1989, 2001, 2019–2021)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

One of the more convoluted game show setups—though no less delightful for it—Card Sharks sees contestants trying to guess answers to questions like "How many of the 100 married women we surveyed lived with their spouse before they tied the knot?" One contestant guesses a number; the other guesses if it's higher or lower. Whoever wins flips over a series of playing cards on the game board, trying to guess if the next card will be higher or lower in value than the last. ABC brought back this show from 2019–2021 with the amusingly smarmy Joel McHale as host.

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Cash Cab (2005–2020)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

What if Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? took place, but in a taxi? That's basically the premise of Cash Cab, which sees New Yorkers attempt to answer trivia questions for dough while host Ben Bailey drives them up or downtown. It's an entertaining and potentially profitable way to pass the time in traffic—but if players give three wrong answers, they're kicked to the curb. Still, we probably know some New Yorkers who've had worse cab rides.

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The Chase (2013–2015, 2021–current)

The Chase

Credit: Game Show Network

Despite what the title might seem to indicate, there's no physical exertion required on The Chase—but mental exertion is another story. Each episode pits three contestants against a trivia expert, known as the Chaser, in a fast-paced game of knowledge. Each player must answer enough questions correctly to stay ahead of the Chaser on the game board and bank cash for their team, or they leave empty-handed. And then whoever is left competes in the Final Chase, answering even more questions, before the Chaser attempts to answer the same number of questions correctly to "catch" the team. We promise it's much easier to follow in practice. A new edition of the series featuring Jeopardy GOATs James Holzhauer and Brad Rutter is currently running on ABC, but the earlier Game Show Network version is a delight as well, if mostly thanks to the sharp tongue and merciless demeanor of Chaser Mark "The Beast" Labbett.

Related: Jeopardy! GOATs on becoming 'the final boss' for their new game show The Chase

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Classic Concentration (1987–1991)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

This was one of two game shows hosted by Alex Trebek. To win this game, which was an update of the 1958–73 version called Concentration, contestants had to match cards on a screen that would subsequently reveal a picture puzzle (a.k.a. a rebus). Whoever solved the puzzle got a chance to win one of the cars placed prominently on display in the studio.

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The Dating Game (1964–1974, 1978–1980, 1986–1989, 1996–1999, 2021–2022)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Another gem from Gong Show creator Chuck Barris, the much-revived Dating Game features eligible bachelors or bachelorettes questioning three anonymous contestants and selecting one for a date at the end of the show. The original version, which ran on ABC from 1965 to 1973, sometimes featured established performers, including Dusty Springfield, Ron Howard, and Sally Field, as well as future stars before they were famous, such as Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds, and Suzanne Somers. A 2021 reboot, hosted by Zooey Deschanel and Michael Bolton, ran for one season on (you guessed it) ABC and consisted entirely of celebrity contestants.

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Deal or No Deal (2005–2009, 2018–2019)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

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Double Dare (1986–1993, 2000, 2018–2019)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

The messiest—or should we say slimiest?—of all the game shows on our list, this Nickelodeon hit combined physical challenges (like spraying whipped cream into a cup your partner held in his mouth) and obstacle courses (which included sliding down a life-sized tongue and spinning in a human hamster wheel). Ah, the good ol' days before shows like Wipeout were introduced!

Related: Double Dare: The eternal allure of getting 'super sloppy'

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Family Feud (1976–1985, 1988–1995, 1999–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Adam Taylor/ABC

We surveyed 100 people and asked, ''Name the top five reasons Family Feud belongs in this gallery'':

5. The family portraits in the set's side panels at the beginning of each episode are priceless.

4. There's really no way to prep for the show—basically just don't be brainless.

3. From Richard Dawson, to Ray Combs, to Louie Anderson, to Richard Karn, to John O'Hurley, and, most recently, to Steve Harvey—the game show has seen more hosts than Hugh Hefner has girlfriends.

2. Who doesn't get a cheap thrill out of chucking inanimate objects at the TV every time a player gives an idiotic answer?

1. We still have no idea who exactly these ''100 people surveyed'' are, or how the show finds them, but we're okay with that.

Related: Louie Anderson reveals Family Feud contestants would get into fights during commercial break

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The Gong Show (1976–1980, 1988–1989, 2017–2018)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

This Chuck Barris production is like America's Got Talent's granddad. Contestants, often displaying dubious performance skills, were rated by a panel of celebrity judges drawn from the rung of the showbiz ladder that included Arte Johnson, Jamie Farr, and Rip Taylor. While Talent judges use a buzzing ''X'' to boot performers, The Gong Show judges ''gonged'' bad talent off the stage.

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Hollywood Squares (1966–1989, 1998–2004)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

It's human tic-tac-toe! With celebrities! The goal for the two contestants—a male and a female, better known as Mister X and Miss Circle—was to win three squares in a row by deciding whether the star in the square was telling the truth when asked a trivia question.

Related: Hollywood Squares turns 30

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Jeopardy! (1964–1975, 1978–1979, 1984–current)

Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek

Credit: Jeopardy! Productions Inc.

Clue: It's the game show that inspired one of the funniest parodies ever on Saturday Night Live.

Answer: What is Jeopardy?

Correct!

The quiz show—which first aired in 1964 and consists of three rounds where contestants try to answer clues in the form of a question—has cemented its impact on pop culture by providing constant fodder for SNL.

Related: Jeopardy! releases special tribute to Alex Trebek for late host's final episode

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Let's Make a Deal (1963–1986, 1990–1991, 2003, 2009–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Game shows have always been about making a deal, but this was the mother lode! Longtime host Monty Hall did his best to trick contestants in the audience—who wore crazy costumes to try to get his attention—into taking a deal that was worse than the prize in their hands. Players, natch, were hoping to get more out of their deals.

Related: Let's Make a Deal attracts biggest audience ever amid coronavirus lockdown

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Love Connection (1983–1994, 1998–1999, 2017–2018)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

It was kind of like The Dating Game, but better. Before the show, a bachelor or bachelorette would choose from one of three members of the opposite sex to go out with, then the studio audience would pick whom they wanted the person to go out with. Original host Chuck Woolery would interview the daters, and if the audience's pick matched the bachelor's or bachelorette's, the pair got another date for free! Ah, corporate-sponsored l'amour.

Related: Chuck Woolery's Love Connection

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Match Game (1962–69, 1973–79,1979–82, 1990–1991, 2016–2021)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Fans adored this celebrity matching game primarily for its bawdy humor and banter between host Gene Rayburn and beloved panelists such as Charles Nelson Reilly, Brett Somers, and Betty White.

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Name That Tune (1974–81, 1984–85, 2021–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Given a few notes from famous songs, contestants were challenged to, obviously, ''name that tune.'' This kind of format is certainly popular, as Name That Tune seems to have spawned Don't Forget the Lyrics and The Singing Bee.

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The Newlywed Game (1966–1974, 1977–1980, 1985–1989, 1996–1997, 2009–2013)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Newlywed couples answered questions to see just how well they actually knew each other. The show became famous for arguments between couples who maybe didn't know each other as well as they thought; it led to more than one divorce.

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Press Your Luck (1983–1986, 2002–2003, 2006, 2019–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

We have nothing to say except: No whammies! No whammies! Just in case you have no idea what we're talking about, we'll explain. So, on the game show, which first aired in 1983, there were two rounds: In the first, players answered questions, and then in the second, they faced a big game board where they tried to have a rotating flashing light stop on a dollar or prize square and not on a ''whammy'' space, which would wipe out the prizes they'd earned.

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The Price Is Right (1956–1965, 1972–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Cliff Lipson/CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images

As host of the show for 35 years, Bob Barker made The Price Is Right—with iconic games like Plinko, Triple Play, and the Showcase Showdown—an institution. Even though he retired in 2007, opening the door for new host Drew Carey, the answer to ''What did you do when you were home sick from work or school?'' remains the same: ''I watched The Price Is Right,'' of course!

Related: RuPaul jokes he hasn't 'been in a grocery store in about 30 years' in Price Is Right clip

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Pyramid (1973–1988, 2012, 2016–present)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

On this game show, two teams—each with one celebrity and one unfamous person—faced off. One teammate gave the other clues for a certain category, such as ''Things That Are in Egypt.'' Clues would be words like ''pyramids,'' ''sphinx,'' and ''Cairo.'' Each round had six categories that, when stacked up, created the famous pyramid. Over the years, in many different incarnations, the total prize money ranged from $10,000 to $100,000.

Related: A Dick Clark appreciation: The deceptively laid-back, conservative revolutionary

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Singled Out (1996–1998, 2018, 2020)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Remember when contestants on a low-budget MTV matchmaking show whittled down possible mates by physical traits such as eye color? And remember when cohost Jenny McCarthy would yell at male players, yank their ears, and just be all-around crude on said series? No? Well, we do, and we secretly wish Singled Out—and the obese naked cupid who served as the face of it—would make a comeback. (But this time on something longer than a Quibi.)

Related: Jenny McCarthy remembers that time she crashed Madonna's Oscar party

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Supermarket Sweep (1965–1967, 1990–2003, 2020–current)

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

Credit: Eric McCandless/ABC

Long before players raced around the globe for cash on The Amazing Race, they were racing around a grocery store on Supermarket Sweep. The game show, which originated on ABC in 1965, had teams of two answer grocery-related questions (e.g., unscramble this popular brand: "CYULK SRACMH") to earn money toward a big sweep, where they were let loose in the store to stock up their carts.

Related: Supermarket Sweep host Leslie Jones knows grocery stores and 'what the hell is expensive'

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To Tell the Truth (1956–1978, 1980–1981, 1990–1991, 2000–2002, 2016–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

To Tell the Truth put a new spin on the What's My Line? format with an intriguing twist: a celebrity panel is presented with three contestants, and they must guess which two are impostors and which is the real person described by the host. That real person is sworn to tell the truth (hey… that's the name of the show!) while the other two do all they can to deceive the panel. Another classic of game shows' golden era, ABC revived To Tell the Truth in 2016 with Black-ish star Anthony Anderson hosting.

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What's My Line? (1950–1975)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: CBS via Getty Images

A true classic of TV's first Golden Age, What's My Line? saw a panel try to guess contestants' occupations through a series of yes-or-no questions. The show also featured a "mystery guest" round, where the panelists would be blindfolded and attempt to determine a celebrity guest's identity. What's My Line? remains incredibly entertaining more than a half-century on; you can find a trove of classic episodes on YouTube, featuring such showbiz icons as Julie Andrews, Alfred Hitchcock, and Louis Armstrong.

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Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (1999–current)

Greatest Game Shows

Credit: Everett Collection

Using lifelines (50/50, Phone-a-Friend, and Ask the Audience) contestants attempt to answer enough trivia questions to reach the million-dollar grand prize. Sure, it sounds pretty simple, but when host Regis Philbin (now replaced by Jimmy Kimmel in the daytime version) inquires, ''Is that your final answer?'' even we viewers at home feel nervously unsure.

Related: Chef David Chang makes Who Wants to Be a Millionaire history by winning $1 million prize

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Wheel of Fortune (1975–current)

CELEBRITY WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Credit: Ricky Middlesworth/ABC via Getty Images

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Game Show Like Wordle? List of 8 TV Shows We Found

If you like word-based trivia and crosswords, then you have probably come across Wordle. This new online word guessing game is taking the world by storm and more and more people are jumping on board with this new game. But what is it? And why is it so popular? Let’s find out!

What is Wordle?

Wordle is a browser-based word guessing game that is the new viral trend of 2022. This game was developed based on algorithms using 5 letter words from the dictionary.

Wordle picks a random word each day that you have to guess in 6 tries. The game has color-coded letter hints to help you along the way and guessed letters not present in the answer are automatically removed.

Related: Does Everyone Get the Same Wordle?

Why is Wordle so popular?

Wordle results can be shared online and as everyone around the world faces the same problem each day, most users tend to share their results online as soon as they manage to solve them.

This is solely for bragging rights and to be the best and the fastest in the world. Everybody seems to be rushing to get on the trend to get their bragging rights which is why the game recently shot up in popularity.

But what do you do once you have solved today’s puzzle? You can’t just sit around waiting for the next day’s puzzle. Thus here are some game shows similar to Wordle to help you keep company while you wait for the next day’s word.

Related: Can you use the same letter twice in Wordle?

8 TV Game Shows like Wordle:

While there have been many popular word guessing game shows, here are our top 9 picks that are quite close to Wordle. Let’s get started.

1. Jeopardy (1984 to present)

Rating: 8.2/10 (IMDB)

Jeopardy is one of the most popular game shows in the world. The concept is simple, Jeopardy is a quiz competition where you have to frame the correct question based on the clues provided by the host.

2. Wheel of Fortune (1975 to present)

Rating: 6.7/10 (IMDB)

Wheel of Fortune is another world-famous game show based on word-based puzzles. You have to fill in the blanks to solve the word puzzles while spinning the wheel to win cash prizes in case you manage to guess the word.

3. 25 words or less (2019 to present)

Rating: 6.5/10 (IMDB)

25 words or less is a recently launched word-based game show where contestants and celebrities team up with each other. The teams then have the challenge of playing a word guessing game using only 25 words.

Related: What does Wordle Color mean?

4. Lingo (2021 to present)

Rating: 6/10 (IMDB)

Lingo is a long-running game show that was recently revived in 2021. The contestants involved each get their own randomly generated cards using which they have to guess a randomly chosen 5 letter word.

5. Million Dollar Password (2008 to 2009)

Rating: 6.4/10 (IMDB)

If you’ve ever seen Jimmy Fallon’s games then you are probably familiar with Password. This popular game has seen multiple revivals over the years and Million Dollar Password is the latest one. Hosted by Regis Philbin, teams compete against each other while trying to get their partners to guess the assigned password in each round.

6. The $100,000 Pyramid (2016 to present)

Rating: 6.1/10 (IMDB)

.Pyramid is another long-running game since the last century. The latest season was released in 2016 which is still going on today. Hosted by Michael Strahan, contestants are paired with popular celebrities where they have to pass on hints to their partner to help them guess the associated words correctly.

7. Chain Reaction (2021 to present)

Rating: 6.9/10 (IMDB)

Chain Reaction is another long-running game show that was recently revived. The game is about creating chains of two-word phrases where teams compete against each other. The game has tons of bonus rounds that keep it fresh while giving losing contestants always a chance to get back in the game.

8. Tug of Words (2021 to present)

Rating: 5.5/10

Tug of Words is a new word-based game show that was launched in 2021. As the name suggests, teams answer word clue questions to pull the tug of war rope on their side with the flag to win.

9. America Says (2018 to present)

Rating: 7.5/10 (IMDB)

Lastly, we have America Says, a popular game show around the world with numerous adaptations. Contestants compete against each other to guess survey answers submitted by the general public in an attempt to showcase their knowledge about the people and their country.

Is there a Wordle app?

Sadly, there isn’t an official Wordle app for iOS or Android yet. There are many unofficial clones out there with less than satisfying puzzles and more malicious code and adware.

We recommend you stay away from such clones until an official app for Wordle is released by the developer which should happen soon considering its popularity.

Related: How to get Wordle app yourself for your iPhone or Android

We hope this post easily helped you find some game shows like Wordle to fill in your time. If you have any more questions or need any help, feel free to drop a comment in the comments section below.

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Word game live, or How are we being deceived? | Money

You look at the word and instantly guess it! Well, you think, no one can guess such an easy word? In addition, people keep calling and saying terribly stupid answers. Here's your chance to get rich the easy way, especially since the host doubled the winnings!

Pick up the phone, dial a number, and then ... Here a pleasant female voice tells you that “you are out of luck, try again”, or you are lucky, but wait until they put you on air, or “you got through second, call again”, “they will call you back, please wait”.

In the end, someone wins, but not you. Instead of replenishing your wallet, you find that you have spent well and even went into the red.

You are indignant at the fact that you have been so cleverly circled around your finger, you want to immediately call somewhere and complain about this lawlessness.

But the most amazing thing is that everything is legal!

After all, in small print, which can be read only by coming close to the screen, it is written that the game is paid, admission is only from 18 years old, that the full terms and conditions of the game can be found on the website of the game organizer. Everything is correct.

How does the system work?

Your call is answered by none other than an answering machine. The system automatically determines who is allowed into the second round and who is not. Of those who made it to the second round, only one will be automatically selected! He will take the winnings, everything is legal here. As a result, both the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe, that is, the organizer, having demonstrated the win, shows that everything is legal for him, and the rest are simply unlucky, because this is just a game.

The scam show host talks a lot, often full of heresy, while waving his arms. He begs you to call, because if you do not call, someone will get ahead of you! Thus, the vanity of the host and his nervousness is transmitted to the viewer and does not allow him to think about what is happening properly. But the trick is that no one can get ahead of you, because the winner is determined by the machine.

Yes, such "shows" are not complete without psychologists. How do you like constantly flashing inscriptions, showing the host from different angles, and the skirts are nowhere shorter than the pretty hosts, calls from people who say the wrong answers, urging you to call? After all, the transmission time is limited, and the money must be collected in time.

Legally everything is correct, everything is justified. In the context of the ban on slot machines, such shows are becoming a new danger for Russia, especially since the service is formally banned under the age of 18, but bets are accepted from all phones, so it’s not a fact that your beloved child will not make you happy one day with a tidy sum.

Draw your own conclusions, gentlemen, forewarned means saved.

Tags: scam, stock, caution, TV, win, income, deception, safety, money, quiz show

OUR EVENTS

Programs for adults.

HALL:

1. Gold Rush. 8-30 active participants, from which 2 (or 3) teams are formed. The rest of the guests (if any) - the auditorium. In this case, interactive with the audience are added. Teams take turns choosing task categories, and they receive coins for winning each competition. The team with the most coins is declared the winner. In this game, in addition to the opportunity to prove oneself, to train the ability to work in a team, there is a place for comic contests, dancing, and recreation. Duration 1.5-2 hours, includes musical breaks. Cost 13.000r.

2. It was in the evening . 8-16 active participants, of which 2 teams are formed. The rest of the guests (if any) - the auditorium. In this case, interactive with the audience are added. The game is based on the show of the same name on the STS channel. Teams are invited to cope with simple and not so simple tasks in the style of explainers, guessing melodies, etc. A fun game in which you can discover yourself from an unexpected side. Duration 1.5-2 hours, includes musical breaks. Cost 12.000r.

3. Move your brains. from 10 participants. An entertaining team game based on Brainstorm, which involves friendly communication and collective attempts to guess the answers to tricky and funny questions. Duration 1. 5-2 hours, includes musical breaks. Cost 12.000r. The cost of participation for groups of more than 50 people is negotiated separately.

4. Cash flow.
5-10 participants. A business game created by R. Kiyosaki to teach financial literacy. In the game, fundamental investment and accounting skills are acquired, which will be useful in real life, because the main goal of this game is to teach you how to manage your money and fulfill your dream! Duration 2-3 hours Cost 900 rubles/1 participant. On request - more than 3 hours (the cost is negotiated separately).
It is possible to combine this game with other board games if the number of participants is large. A "table game night" where different games are played on multiple tables at the same time and people have the opportunity to try out different games. Cost 12.000r.
It is possible to combine with the work of a DJ 1.700r / hour.

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