Game shows are fun to watch. Sometimes, it's exciting to watch the contestants succeed masterfully, or to fail miserably. Viewers may love screaming at their televisions the answers to questions. And for some who consistently watch the same game show, they watch with hopes of being on the show one day. With video games, game show fans can feel one step closer.
Unfortunately, there aren't many amazing game show games. And though there are plenty out there, it's hard to know which ones function well and which don't. But thanks to Metacritic, its easier to decipher which games to be a contestant for and which to avoid.
10 Best: Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Special Edition (Multiplatform) — 61%
Despite its random European host, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? Special Edition is as true to the legendary game show as an installment like this can get. The game starts out by all contestants playing answering a question by sorting four choices. The person that sorts the choice correctly gets picked for the hot seat. In the hot seat, contestants must answer 15 questions correctly in order to win the game.
9 Worst: Wheel of Fortune (PS3) —55%
There is so many Wheel of Fortune games out there, it's hard to know which are good and which to avoid. The 2009 version by Sony is one to avoid. The gameplay still includes everything from the regular version of the show. Players are given a series of word puzzles where they will need to spin the wheel and guess one letter at a time to solve it.
The game features the normal rounds as well as the final individual puzzle. While the game is about what is to be expected gameplay-wise, the visual aesthetic of the game is not worth its price tag.
8 Best: Jeopardy! (PS2) —62%
Jeopardy! is another game show that frequently gets made into a video game. One of the best versions of the game came out during the Playstation 2 era, published by Atari. Just like in the classic game show, players will need to select money amounts from specific categories.
Each amount has a prompt in which the players must provide an answer in the form of a question. Despite the mediocre keyboard, the game was well-liked for having multiple modes and the ability to take the practice contestant exam the real show uses to find people for the show.
7 Worst: Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader: Make The Grade (Wii) — 51%
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? has come and gone over the years as a TV game show, including in its latest stint with Nickelodeon. Still, it left enough of a cultural footprint for some video games to be made about it. Make The Grade wasn't a terrible game, but it did leave a lot to be desired in critics' eyes.
The game's format includes picking from a plethora of categories at five different grade levels. The goal is to answer all of them correctly without getting a single one wrong.
6 Best: Trivial Pursuit Live! (Multiplatform) — 63%
Sometimes the best game show video games are the ones that aren't real game shows. Trivial Pursuit Live! is the first non-real game show on this list, but it's just as exciting as if it was pulled from the television.
The game presents players with a series of trivia questions. Answering a certain amount of questions correctly earns the player a wedge. The first person to get all of their wedges wins. While the game doesn't have a great online set-up, playing in-person or even alone is a fun enough experience to play a few rounds.
5 Worst: 1 Vs. 100 (Nintendo DS) — 38%
Game shows are at times hard to translate into a different platform. The Nintendo DS version of 1 vs. 100 is the perfect example of a game that doesn't quite match the magic of the original TV show. Similar to other games, players must answer all questions correctly to advance in the game. The goal is to beat 100 different members of "the mob" in these questions as well.
The game fell flat because of the lack of variety in questions, game modes that didn't match well, and atrocious multiplayer action.
4 Best: TV Show King (Wii) — 65%
With a fun presentation, TV Show King mimics a classic game show in solid fashion. The game provides a plethora of trivia questions for players and their friends to try to answer correctly. In the Wii version, players can represent themselves using their Miis, which may add some extra personal touch.
The answers are sometimes obvious and the AI isn't always a challenge, but the replayability of the game allows it to be a fun party option if looking to immerse into a fictional game show universe.
3 Worst: Family Feud (PS2) — 33%
Family Feud is a longtime staple of American television, despite its never-ending list of host changes over the years. There have also been many versions of the show in video game form. The Playstation 2 version sticks to the classic gameplay of the show with 1,000 survey questions, with each family needing to guess the top survey answers. There is also a Fast Money round for the winning family.
This version of the game is panned by critics as having incredibly dumb AI and slow-moving gameplay. Survey says, not worth it.
2 Best: Buzz! Quiz TV (PS3) — 80%
The Buzz! series represents the best of what game show video games can be like. There are a plethora of games in the series that have done better over the years than most licensed games of actual game shows. Buzz! Quiz TV is the best of the bunch.
It was the franchise's leap from wired to wireless buzzer peripherals, as well as its first step to online multiplayer. The game show is filled with quiz questions that can be tailored to the experience and knowledge of other players. Not many trivia games can be so welcoming to all kinds of players.
1 Worst: Deal Or No Deal (DS) — 20%
Deal Or No Deal is a fun game show, but it just doesn't translate well as a game since its purely luck-based. Case-in-point, the Nintendo DS version of the game has the worst Metacritic score of any game show game. The concept of Deal Or No Deal is simple: try to find the case with the biggest price amount while weighing offers from "the dealer."
Despite its multiplayer and minigame modes, critics overall felt like it's an unnecessary game to create and that many free versions of the game show were more worth a player's time.