Merchandise
Several boardgames, books and video games have been released under the franchise. Many boardgames have been developed to replicate the rules and game play of the television show. The boardgame will often consist of a board to place letters and number on, several scorecards, a selection of numbers and letters, a number generator and a timing device (older models use an hourglass whilst newer models contain a battery powered timer).
In the late 80s/early 90s, LexiBook released digital handheld version of Countdown. These contained LCD black and white displays and a variety of physical controls. Many of these often bore the official Countdown logo.
In 2006, University Games released the Countdown DVD game, which contained recorded clips specifically for the game. Gameplay is achieved via a DVD player and the remote control. The DVD was sold disk only, or as a bundle containing notepads and pencils.
In 2009, Mindscape games released Countdown games for the Nintendo DS and the Wii. Gameplay is replicated as it is on the show. On the Nintendo DS version, players can compete against each other via Download Play, using a single game card.
Read more about this topic: Countdown (game show)