Games
quiznation featured various minigames that were played throughout the program; many are carry-overs from the original PlayMania. The rewards for the games were usually cash prizes ranging from $100 – $1,000 in cash, sometimes reaching up to, and over $2,000. There are a few methods quiznation employed to speed up a game or increase incentives for a game:
- Hints may be given by the host or the graphics operator to viewers
- Multiple guesses may be allowed
- The host could also increase the prize amount as an incentive, or alternatively, a certain number of callers set by the host will be playing for extra incentives.
- A "speed round", a period of time where callers are taken more quickly than usual, may be exercised.
- To provide a sixth answer to the polling games, the host sometimes utilized the "play-along pad" (a whiteboard) to record their personal answer to the game. The person who guesses that answer generally receives $50 – $75 in addition to any prize they may win in the main game.
These games were commonly played in rotation on quiznation.
| Game | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Alphabuck$ | Like the games of Hangman and Wheel of Fortune, this game allows players to attempt to guess a letter that is in the puzzle of a given category. If the player has letters in the puzzle, he/she will earn a small prize per letter. If any of their letters is in the puzzle, he/she has an opportunity to guess the puzzle and a correct guess wins a larger prize. |
| Anagram | A word, name or phrase with the letters mixed up will be given related to a specified category. The contestant must identify what the unscrambled phrase is. |
| Category Game | Three items or names, all on ends of a triangle, are listed. The contestant must identify what all of the items have in common in the most specific manner. |
| Chain Link | Similar to Chain Reaction, a three-word word chain is given with the middle word not given. The contestant must give the appropriate middle word. |
| Crossword | Similar to a crossword puzzle, Crosswords features four horizontal words with one letter in each word replaced with a question mark. Vertically, the letters behind the question marks make an actual word. The contestant must identify (and spell) the hidden word. The portion needed to be filled in may appear to be multiple words; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen word. |
| Faces | A famous couple will have their images mixed, creating an odd picture. The caller must identify one member of the pairing. |
| Missing Link | Three words will be given which have a common word preceding (or succeeding) it to make a common word or phrase. The player must complete the phrases. |
| Movie Quotes/T.V. Quotes/Ad Slogans | Three quotes, each from a famous American film, television program or advertising campaign are listed, each with a cash prize beside it. The contestant must guess which quote they are attempting for and where they think it comes from. |
| Picture Puzzle | A rebus based on a popular, everyday phrase is given. (e.g., MEREPEAT would be "repeat after me", because the word "repeat" comes after the word "me.") The caller must identify what the "decoded" phrase is. |
| Pixel | A pixelated photograph of a celebrity is shown. The contestant must identify who the celebrity is. |
| Song Titles | Three titles of pop music songs are given. The contestant must select one of the songs and identify the band or artist who made it famous. |
| Sound It Out | A mondegreen is given that is either a title of a movie, TV program, book or song. The contestant must figure out the real phrase. |
| Things You Find... | The quiznation crew picks three items one would commonly find in a designated location. The contestant must identify one of the items that would be found. |
| Top 5 | Similar to Family Feud, a category is given that was surveyed to Los Angeles residents and GSN.com users. (e.g., "Top 5 Actors With a Last Name Beginning with 'S'") The top five answers to the survey are hidden, and it is the contestant's job to reveal one of them. Once all of the answers have been revealed, the game ends. A variation on a Top 5 is the quiznation 5. The difference is that the quiznation crew picks the five things on the list. |
| Vanity Plate | In the same vein as Bumper Stumpers, a vanity license plate is shown and a clue is given to whom it would belong. The contestant must identify what the phrase on the plate is. |
| What's Missing? | A common symbol or image is shown, with an obvious part left absent. The contestant must identify what would commonly be found on the image. |
| Word $lam | Nine letters are listed in random order. The object is to take the letters and make a smaller word based on the length requirement given. Each word may appear to have multiple answers; however, the host has an envelope containing the chosen words. The game may be played with three different-sized word requirements, at three, five, and seven letters, or may be played with three words of the same length. |
Read more about this topic: Quiznation (US Game Show)
Famous quotes containing the word games:
“At the age of twelve I was finding the world too small: it appeared to me like a dull, trim back garden, in which only trivial games could be played.”
—Elizabeth Bowen (1899–1973)
“In 1600 the specialization of games and pastimes did not extend beyond infancy; after the age of three or four it decreased and disappeared. From then on the child played the same games as the adult, either with other children or with adults. . . . Conversely, adults used to play games which today only children play.”
—Philippe Ariés (20th century)
“In the past, it seemed to make sense for a sportswriter on sabbatical from the playpen to attend the quadrennial hawgkilling when Presidential candidates are chosen, to observe and report upon politicians at play. After all, national conventions are games of a sort, and sports offers few spectacles richer in low comedy.”
—Walter Wellesley (Red)