Top 11 Game Shows

By CJ Tiernan

Why do we love game shows? We all do. Whether we have a certain one or two that we try to catch every week or we just throw on Game Show Network and let the fates decide, we've all sat down and watched a game show on TV. In fact, now that we've reached the zenith of on-demand entertainment, we can pick and choose which ones we watch and conjure them at the snap of a finger. I believe that we love them for two main reasons. First, we like to play along. If it is a trivia game, we are shouting out answers from the comfort of our own living room with complete and total disregard for the stakes attached to getting the answer wrong. Second, we like to imagine winning. The prize at the end of the game show-flavored rainbow is sometimes a good chunk of dough. A handsome bit of Simoleons. A sweet stack of cash. We like to imagine playing, and winning, without having to bother with pesky affairs like applying to play or putting on pants. I am in complete agreement. Below, are my Top 11 favorite Game Shows I've ever seen.

1. The Mole

The Mole was awesome. It ran in the early 2000s (the so-called "aughts") and featured contestants working as a team to add as much money as possible to a collective pot by engaging in various games and activities. However, one member of the team was secretly working for the producers to sabotage the success of the mission. This individual was known as "The Mole." At the end of every episode, each contestant had to take a written test on the identity of the "The Mole." The most clueless contestant on each and every test was eliminated until it was down to one person and "The Mole." It was a delightful mix of reality show and game show (generally speaking, I don't believe in reality shows, but this one worked for me). They also had a celebrity version that was the bee's knees.

2. Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Game shows aren't generally appointment television. Obviously, there are people who refuse to miss an episode of Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune (here in America, we call those people "retired") but, for the most part, they are viewed non-linearly. One doesn't need to have seen the previous episode to handle what is going on. Plus, any and all relevant information is usually relayed to the contestants (and thus the audience) at the top of each episode. When "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" burst on the scene, that was not the case. This thing was in Prime Time, baby, and hosted by Regis Philbin. You couldn't take your eyes off of it. You'd play along. When the contestant polled the audience you'd shout the answer at your television and call them names (or turn to the person next to you, shrug, and say "I got nothing"). It was a real treat and crafted the catchphrase "final answer?" which has entered the vernacular. I'll never forget watching the first guy win the million dollars and call his dad and say "I don't really need your help. I just wanted to call and let you know I'm gonna win the million dollars." It was such a baller move. I remember his name was John Carpenter. How many other contestants do you remember a quarter century later?

3. Figure it Out

Nickelodeon actually housed a decent swath of game shows for kids. "Double Dare," "Guts," and "Legends of the Hidden Temple" were all great offerings back in the '90s. My favorite was "Figure it Out." Someone would come on and a small panel of kids would have to ask yes-no questions to determine their skill, talent, or achievement. It was hosted by Olympian Summer Sanders. I firmly remember frequent panel members Lori Beth Denberg and Danny Tamberelli. And again, it was on Nickelodeon, so there would be a secret action that, when a panelist committed the cardinal sin of doing whatever that action was that episode, they got slimed. Aww man. Classic!

4. The Chase

This is a show I never saw in the wild. I've only exclusively encountered this one on the Game Show Network (GSN) in the break room at work. I'm unclear if it even exists outside of break rooms across America. In "The Chase," a group of 4 go head-to-head against a brilliant guy that just sits there and knows everything. He is aptly known as "The Beast" (as he's a bit of a hefty fella). He is British and wisened. Contestants decided how big of a buffer they want from "The Beast," which means how many more questions he will have to answer than them to catch up before reaching a certain threshold. The smaller the gap, the larger the prize money. It is exciting because not only does this guy seem to know everything, but he's really cocky about it. When players play timid he laughs in their collective faces. It's the tops.

5. 1 vs 100

The late, great Bob Saget hosted this one. "Do you want the money or the mob?" was always the dilemma after each correct response. As the name would have you believe, a single contestant would stand on stage and a legion of humans (100, to be exact) would digitally respond to each question from their own stadium-seated perches. The more of "the mob" you'd eliminate, the higher the prize money would grow. But, if you got an answer wrong, you left with nothing. It was a real intimidating atmosphere having to stare at the 100 members of the mob and it seemed like people crumbled pretty quickly. All the questions were multiple choice and only had 3 options. The mob was incentivized because if the contestant lost, the surviving members of the mob split the pot.

6. Cash Cab

"Cash Cab" was such a unique premise. It was a sneak-attack game show. Comedian Ben Bailey would drive around New York City in an unassuming minivan taxi and, when someone or a group of someones got in, he'd flash the lights on the ceiling and welcome them to a game show. They'd have to answer questions on the way to their desired destination. If they got three answers wrong, they'd be thrown (metaphorically) to the curb and wouldn't get any prize money. It was a simple and fun premise. It had fun wrinkles like a "Red Light Challenge" and going double-or-nothing at their destination on a video bonus question. My favorite was they got a couple of "lifelines" and could pull over, shout at a random stranger, and attempt to get a helpful answer. People on the street in NYC were seemingly the least helpful group of souls around. It was entertainment gold, though.

7. Family Feud

"Good answer! Good answer!" People on the show shouted that a lot to their teammates. [Grits teeth] They weren't all good answers. Thankfully, the highly emotive Steve Harvey (or Richard Karn or Louie Anderson or John O'Hurley or whoever your favorite host was) would let you know with a Jim Halpert-esque glance what he thought of the answer. The game show has a very simple premise. "We surveyed 100..." whatever group of people and the top however many answers are on the board. You just have to get them all before getting 3 strikes (man, 3 strikes again. Is baseball the foundation of game shows?). If you didn't, the other group, usually a family (hence the name) would get a chance to steal if they got any of the remaining answers on their only guess. My favorite part was the time-crunched final portion (aptly titled "Fast Money"), wherein they'd have to respond to 5 rapid-fire queries and try to get as many points as possible between two members of the family. Sometimes they, uh, didn't hold up well to the pressure. Also, former *NSYNC member Joey Fatone was the announcer of the show for years. Weird.

8. Beast Games

This is the newest game show on my list. Season 1 just came out about a year ago and season 2 gets released at the beginning of 2026 on Amazon Prime. It is highly worth your time. Hosted by Mr. Beast, (whom I'm aware is internet famous but I've never seen any of his YouTube videos) this show starts with 1000 people and, over the course of 10 episodes, whittles it down to 1 winner. A winner, who gets to win 5 million dollars. That's a hefty sum. It is an insane series of games and activities where people have to sabotage and betray alliances and friendships. It definitely has elements of reality TV, which I don't need in my life, but the games are so insane it is completely worth your time. There are also side quests that can earn people prizes.

9. Whose Line is it Anyway?

"Whose Line is it Anyway?" "The show where the game's made up and the points don't matter." This is a departure from the standard game show. This one doesn't have contestants in a standard way. Instead, they have 4 comedians and improv comics competing against each other and working together. The whole point is to the make the audience laugh. It was hosted by Drew Carey and later Aisha Tyler and 3 of the 4 contestants are usually Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, and Wayne Brady. They play with props, serve as each other's motor functions, and serenade audience members, among a bunch of other games. It is silly and extremely not self-serious. I appreciate that.

10. Jeopardy!

SPC Richard F. Cancellieri, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This is a game show staple. When you hear the words "game show," this may very well be your first thought. I quite like this game. The conceit is that the questions are phrased as answers to questions, thus forcing you to answer in the form of a question. While I consider that to be a fun wrinkle, they can be a little precious about it. It's a little uppity. I'd say the main reason that I don't this one higher is because it is too hard. So many questions have to do with history and literature and boring stuff of that ilk that I forgot to absorb in 10th Grade AP World History (Sorry. Speaking of "uppity," the inclusion of "AP" there feels gratuitous. Don't worry, if I also included my grade you'd be thoroughly unimpressed... like my parents were). There is, however, a lot of fun strategy that accompanies the quest for right answers (nay, questions) like hunting for "Daily Doubles" and wagering in "Final Jeopardy." The game show was also included (complete with the late, mustachioed Alex Trebek) as a pre-ride element in the now-extinct EPCOT ride "Universe of Energy" so it will always hold a spot in my heart much larger than my love for "18th Century British Literature."

"It's in the past. It doesn't matter."

- Rafiki

- CJ Tiernan

11. Win Ben Stein's Money

"You just might win Ben Stein's Money" echos the booming disembodied voice encouraging the audience to join the challenge for a future episode. In the show, the titular Ben Stein attempts to defend his money by playing as a contestant on his own show. Mr. Stein, famous for being the blandest soul alive, made buttered noodles look like rainbow sherbet. He was the one in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" that said, and I'm quoting here "Bueller... Bueller." Anyway, he was a bright fella and would strive to keeps others' hands off his moolah by playing in this trivia game show. He was kinda like a final boss for the other contestants. He started each episode as the host, and then when he shifted to contestant-mode, Jimmy Kimmel would take over and be the host of the show. It was a fun wrinkle. At the end, he goes head-to-head with the last remaining contestant (they start with 3 non-Ben Steins) by each sitting in an "isolation booth" and answering the same 10 questions. If the contestant bests Ben Stein, he wins, well, you know, Ben Stein's money (like, some of it. He didn't just wire over his entire bank account via Western Union or something).

Final Thoughts

There are so many game shows. Like a crazy large number. Very few give away large sums of money like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "Beast Games." Most are rather modest sums, making them a profitable venture for networks and producers. I really quite enjoy playing along from home. I don't harbor a particularly deep knowledge set on many subjects so general knowledge and trivia is my sweet spot. There are so many different formats that enable shows to ply you with questions, I reckon they'll never end. I'm sure I missed some of your favorites. Please let me know in the comments which game show it is completely unacceptable that I left off my list. Thanks!