Writer of Pop Culture

Disclosure: My group attended a session at Great Big Game Show at no cost. All opinions are my own.

As much as we’d like to participate in a real TV game show, the chances that we’ll actually do so in our lifetimes is rare. Not all of us are brave enough to go on Wheel of Fortune, smart enough to appear on Jeopardy! or even willing to “Come on down!” on The Price is Right. But many of us can get an idea of what it would be like to compete in one of those shows by booking a game night at the Great Big Game Show.

Found in over 25 locations in 15 states, the Great Big Game Show gives guests access to “appear” on their own game show. Complete with its own soundstage, music, lights and live host, the experience feels like the real thing – or at least, what we’d imagine it would be.

With “shows” open to groups of two players up to 14 players (and even more in some cases), Great Big Game Show is ideal for birthday parties, family reunions, bachelor and bachelorette parties and team-building events. Just spit-balling here, but maybe if you’re creative enough, you might even be able to talk the staff into helping you create an intimate game show for two that ends with a grand prize of a wedding proposal!

Each game show is matched to the group that’s playing. For instance, games played for a family birthday party would be different than the ones played for a bachelor party. That’s not to say that some games are more inappropriate than others. Everything here appears to be squeaky clean.

As Seen on TV…Sort of

Recently, I was invited to bring a group of friends and family to one “soundstage” in Downtown Seattle. From the minute we walked through the doors to when we left those same doors an hour and a half later, we were treated well by the pretend stage crew members.

After signing waivers and deciding on which team all of us would be on (Red Team or Blue Team), we were whisked down to “Soundstage B”. (I don’t really think there is a “Soundstage A”.) Sadly, there was no live audience.

The room was smaller than I imagined it would be. A lot smaller.  As it turns out, a lot of room isn’t necessary to play. Everything we needed was only a few steps away: Podiums for two teams over here, giant spinning wheel over there, big screen in the front the room… you get the idea.

The room was well ventilated and even though there are no windows, it didn’t feel claustrophobic. (The lack of windows helps with the illusion that you are on a real game show set in Hollywood.)

Upon entering the space, we were encouraged to write our names on magnetic plaques that were then posted on the front of the barrier that stood in front of each team. Behind the wall and in front us were glowing buzzers) – one for each player. A moment or two later, it was showtime!

On with the Show

You need to have the right mindset to make the most of your time at Great Big Game Show. For our make-believe experience, my crew had no problem getting into the whole charade. A countdown was played and our host appeared to the enthusiastic crowd that was us.

Tate was full of enthusiasm, but not overly so. Her approach was natural and matched the vibe of our group. It’s clear that she enjoys her job too. She has a great sense of humor.

Our one-hour “show” consisted of seven mini games, and each one was easy to learn. Tate introduced each game, a short video explaining the game was played, and then Tate explained the nitty-gritty rules of the game. Rinse and repeat.

A typical game show is made up of rounds, each featuring a different mini game. The line-up included games of strategy, trivia, speed tests, and I don’t know – dexterity?

The Games We Played

During our visit, our group had time to play seven mini games:

Blockchain

This was the first game we played and honestly, I think we would have been happy to have just played it the whole time because it was everyone’s favorite. The trivia game involves more than just right answers. There is some strategy involved too.

Gameplay begins with a question and a letter appearing in the center of the board. The answer must start with that letter. We all got a chance to buzz in, but only the first person who buzzed in first got to answer.

Build It Up

This one was simple. Both teams were given large “Jenga”-like pieces to build a tower in sixty seconds. The team with the tallest tower without falling over won. Easy Peasy.

Chip Shot

Like the Plinko game featured on The Price is Right, each team was given a set of chips to drop down a peg board. But each chip had a different purpose. Sometimes you aimed for points, other times you tried to sabotage the other team by blocking them. You could go “all in” too if you were brave enough. But since we weren’t playing for real money, it wasn’t too scary.

Range Finders

Working together as a team, we were given a trivia question that was previously answered with a poll. The idea was for each team to agree on the correct percentage range— from 0 to 100% — where we thought the correct answer fell. The team with the closest guess won the round.

Spin Out

This is the big wheel! Just like on Wheel of Fortune, each of us spun the wheel hoping to earn points without landing on the dreaded “Lose It All” spaces. (It would be really cool if they had an epic song that played just before you played the game, but I digress.)

Trivia Temple

Here we entered five “rooms” within a “temple”, and we were tasked with answering questions correctly to advance to the next rooms. If we answered a question wrongly, we left the temple with nothing.

Wait For Me

This one is hard to explain completely, but it was another game that we all enjoined playing. We simply counted in your head until we reached the correct targeted time displayed on the screen. It could be five seconds or 35. Then we slammed down on our buzzers to lock in our guesses.

If you go, you will find that there are more games available than what you will have time for during your session. The games are also randomized so if you return for a rematch, you are guaranteed a whole new experience. With that said, I suspect that some games are played for every group who comes for their first visit. I mean, wouldn’t you get upset if you didn’t get a chance to spin that giant wheel?

Games We Didn’t Play

Great Big Game Show continues to update their games and add even more mini games to the mix to keep things fresh. Some of the games that we didn’t get a chance to play include the following:

• Blaster Blitz: Using Nerf guns, teams fire shots at the enemies’ targets.
• Common Bonds: Naming the shared theme of three items
• Drawing in the Dark: It’s not what you think. It’s like Pictionary, but you’re blindfolded
• 4 for Four: You get the answers – now just pair them up with the right questions
• It’s elementary: A trivia game that uses facts that you should have learned while you were in elementary school
• Letter Roll: Much like Wheel of Fortune but using a pair of huge dice instead of a roulette wheel
• Major Miners: Like Rang Finders only here teams guess the least popular answers to survey questions
• Ready, Bet, Go!: Teams place bets on what they think are the correct answers to various trivia questions
• Remember Me: Teams view an image for 20 seconds, than answer three questions about what they saw
• Split Decision: When a question appears, team members move to the corner of the room that is lit with what they think in the correct answer’s color
• The Grid: This is a high-tech version of Jeopardy!

And the Winner was…

My team won the night. We were met with colorful confetti that fell from the ceiling we all won new cars! Okay kidding. We didn’t even win Hot Wheels. The biggest prizes are bragging rights, which are still cool.

However, each of us were sent a highlight reel of our game time. It’s a fun souvenir that nobody will appreciate more than yourself. Tate took a few group photos of us too.

Is it Worth it?

We had a great time playing! Tate was an excellent host. She was very accommodating and she made our experience really fun. Tate explained everything quickly and succinctly. That woman kept us all in line too, which we all appreciated. In fact, we found that all the employees there were easy to work with. Now it’s your turn.

Now it’s Your Turn: Who Can Play and Other Stuff

Practically, anyone can take part in the Great Big Game Show experience as long as they are six years old or older. However, a paying guardian (18+) must participate with anyone who is 14 years old or younger (and since you drove them there in the first place, you might as well play). All those under 18 need an adult to sign their waiver too.

Now, if you have children with you who are under the age of four, they are welcome to attend and they get in for free. Just give the venue a call before booking so they can save their spot as each session has a maximum player capacity.

Each location Great Big Game Show location is ADA compliant. They also offer an accessibility mode for contestants with photosensitivity issues.

If your plans change, your reservations can be canceled up to 48 hours before the start of your game for a full refund. Great Big Game Show can even reschedule your outing up to four hours before your reservation time. However, if you fail to alert them before four hours is up, the game is not transferable and non-refundable.