Top 8 Online Pokies Based on Game Shows

Game show themed online pokies feels like a match made in heaven. We all love tuning into your favourite game shows, playing along with the contestants, living life vicariously through them. The good news is that a handful of software developers have realised the potential of turning game shows into online pokies.

This means that not only do you get the fun of playing an online slot but you do so with the visual and audio appeal of your favourite TV shows!

Deal Or No Deal Online Pokies

Deal or No Deal first made its way into TV screens into the US. A game based purely on luck and patience, a contestant is required to choose one briefcase out of twenty-six. Each has a different dollar amount underneath. At the same time the player will get offers from an invisible banker to buy his / her briefcase. The contestant has the option of taking the banker up on his offer or playing till the end. Should the contestant choose to play till the end, the winning amount is finally revealed which was hidden underneath the briefcase.

The show is immensely popular and is beamed to over 100 countries with an average of 16 million viewers per episode. Naturally, PlayTech thought these were good enough stats for the show to be made into an online slot. The slot offers 5 reels, 20 paylines and bet size for as little as NZ $0.01 per spin.

Symbols from the show are used in the slot including the black phone on which the banker calls. The neon sign of the show is used as the wild symbol. The theme music of the show is also incorporated in the slot. This was made possible as the production company of the online slot is the same as that of the show.

The online slot is considered to be of low variance and includes multiple bonus features including Reel Banker Bonus and the Banker’s Best Offer Bonus. The popular slot can be enjoyed at a handful of online casinos.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Next up on the list is a show that required little to no introduction. A gigantic hit that every network dreams of drumming up, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was first launched in the UK in 1998. At present it is being shown in over 100 countries and has an average of 14 million viewers per episode.

The premise of the show is fairly simple. A contestant is asked a series of question and with every right answer, he or she climbs up the money ladder. Those that manage to answer every question right earn a cool million for their troubles. Along the way, the contestants are also given hints or tips in the form of lifelines.

Ash Gaming introduced the online slot in 2011 as a 5 reel, 50 payline slot with a minimum bet of NZ $0.01 per spin. The slot features all the iconic symbols from the show including the black chair (hot seat), the three lifelines as well the show’s official logo. The wild is represented by the TV studio’s symbol.

The visuals of the slot are borrowed heavily from show’s neon blue theme. The slot is also accompanied by the dramatic soundtrack that adds authenticity and excitement to the game play. There are a ton of bonus features that can be activated while playing the slot. These include the progressive jackpot feature which is activated when you get three or more Jackpot Ladder symbols.

Upon activation the player is entered into a quiz show and is asked a few questions. A random answer is chosen for each question and if the answer is ‘collect’ then the bonus round gets over and the winnings are added to the player’s account. If you get the right answer then you up the jackpot ladder similar to the show.

You also get a free spins feature on this slot that adds to the fun. All in all, a good slot that can be played on a handful of new slot sites.

The Million Pound Drop

Created in the same vein as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, this TV show has contestants selecting the right answers in an effort to win NZ $1 million. The one million dollars is handed out to the contestants at the very beginning in NZ $50 notes with 40 bundles of NZ $25000 each.

The show has been very well received in the UK as millions tune in every episode. Several celebrities have also made appearances over the years along with charity versions of the show whereby the winnings are donated to charity organisations.

Endemol have created the 5 reel, 20 payline slot based on the hit TV show. You can play this slot at $ NZ 0.01 per spin going up to a maximum of NZ $10. The symbols of the game are based on the TV show and include a big pile of bank notes.

There two main bonus features in the slot which include a ‘Drop Bonus’ which can continue for up to eight rounds. Similar to the show, you are required to distribute a pile of cash 3 out of a total of 4 trap doors, leaving one door empty at all times. A trap door opens at the end of every round and you get to retain the cash that was not placed on the trap door. The bonus round comes to an end if the closed door is the empty one.

Another bonus feature is the ‘Security Passes’ round. You are required to catch as many falling bank notes that appear on the screen. Each note that is successfully captured adds spins and multipliers to the player’s total.

As online pokies go, this appeals to both fans of the show and those just looking to play a nicely made slot game.

Wheel Of Fortune

Based on the game Hangman, Wheel of Fortune burst into television screens in 1975 and became an overnight sensation. The contestants were required to guess the letters in a word puzzle with the puzzles being based on different categories. They are also required to turn the wheel to earn a specific value which they receive if they have correctly guessed the letter.

At the end, the total number of correctly guessed letters times the value derived from the wheel form the total earnings of the contestant. There is also a bonus round that lets contestants fight for the jackpot as well. The show is being show in over 84 countries and was the highest rated TV show in American television history till 2011.

IGT launched a video slot based on the tv show more than two decades ago in 1996 and is considered by many as one of their most successful slots. The slot is a 3 reel, 3 payline game with 700 winning combinations. The bet size can be altered to go as low as NZ $0.01 to as high as NZ $5.

Symbols are lifted straight from the show and include fruits, cars and vacations to name but a few. The themed wheel serves as the multiplier can double the payout. There quite a few bonus features that come with the wheel as well including the triple extreme feature. Once this feature is activated, the player is teleported to what resembles an actual game show with detailed lighting.

Catch Phrase Online Pokies

A TV show with a simple premise – identify and guess a well-known phrase from an image on the screen. The slowly clearing image gives away very little at the beginning but reveals itself further as time goes along. The host is often heard saying the following phrase to the contestants ‘Say What You See’! The prize money is also quite substantial and contestants can walk away with more than NZ$ 200,000 in prizes!

While the show may not be as big of a hit as the previous entries on this list, it nonetheless has a decent following in countries such as UK. It is currently enjoying its 17th season with more than 350 episodes under its belt.

The show was finally converted into an online slot and is now one of the more popular online pokies that you can play. The task of adapting it into a slot game was undertaken by Endemol who released the 5 reel, 20 payline slot in 2014. From a visual perspective, the reels spin inside a TV studio mimicking the game show. The design of the studio harks back to the 1980’s which is when the show was originally conceived.

The symbols are inspired by the show and include the game’s host, blue/red question marks and a few Catch Phrase cards. The wild symbol is depicted by the Catchphrase logo.

There are three main bonus features available at the slot. These include the ‘Super Catchphrase’, ‘Catch Phrase’ and ‘Ready Money bonus’ feature. Endemol have done a good job of adapting this quirky game show into an online slot. The show throws enough features and bonuses at you to keep you entertained for a while. The sight of Mr Chips dancing on the screen is well worth at least a spin!

The Price Is Right Online Pokies

Have you ever played that game with your family members where you try to guess the price of cars, houses or even the most mundane of household items (toaster?) This game show takes that concept onto the big screen whereby contestants are required to guess the retail price of the items on the screen. Those that provide the accurate answer or the answer closest to the actual price end up keeping the item.

A few rounds of this is followed by what is deemed as the showcase round whereby contestants fight for some huge prizes worth NZ $1 million. The Price is Right is a very popular game show and has been adopted by over 70 countries in several regional languages. The US TV guide ranked it as the greatest game show ever made. Already in its 48th season, the show is enjoyed by nearly 10 million viewers per episode.

I am sure you can guess by now what follows next?

The popular show has been created into an equally popular online slot game by WMS. The slot has 5 reels, 25 paylines and lifts the graphics and sound effects directly from the show. The symbols are also taken straight from the game. The official logo forms the scatter symbol while a white haired host serves the function of the wild. The slot comes with three different bonus features that include the ‘Grand Game’, ‘Change to Wild’ and ‘Cliff Hangers’.

There is also a further bonus round that mirrors the last round of the show. Known as the Showcase Showdown Progressive bonus, this is randomly triggered for all players. Once activated the player is shown five progressive meters. The player is required to spin a wheel on the screen for a chance to win one of the five progressives linked to the slot.

Another fantastic edition to online pokies library of any casino, Catchphrase with its quirky sense of humour is a great online slot!

American Idol

Considered as the granddaddy of singing based reality shows, American Idol went on air in 2002 and was a smash shit. The premise of the show is to find the next big singing sensation via public voting. Millions of people would take part in the voting and the show is responsible for launching the careers of Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen and Carrie Underwood to name but a few.

The show has consistently appeared in top 5 ratings list of shows in the US and is watched by more than 30 million viewers per episode. For many the auditions themselves have become the highlight of the show and millions would tune in to see what sort of talent pool was available in each state. Some contestants have become household names due to their outlandish auditions and apparent lack of singing ability.

It took a software developer nearly ten years after the show had launched to turn it into an online slot. Thankfully IGT have done a great job with the slot which was launched in 2012 via Facebook. The 5-reel video slot has betting sizes that go from NZ $0.01 to NZ $5 per line.

The slot has 3 games with each having its own judge in the form of Steven Tyler, Randy Jackson and Jennifer Lopez, mirroring the TV show’s panel of judges from 2011. The game also contains video clips from the latest American Idol seasons, to engage and entertain the players and American Idol fans.

The game also has three bonuses including the ‘Superstar’. ‘Judges Pick’em’ and ‘Steven’s’ bonus, each providing their own rewards to the player, usually in the form of credits. The most interesting feature of this slot is that it is updated in on a regular basis. This allows the players to see the latest season’s contestants on the reels.

While this slot is not as widely available as the other online pokies on the list, you can still play it on either facebook or online casinos such as Voodoo Dreams.

The X Factor

Last on the list of online pokies based on game shows is the X Factor. Founded by Simon Cowell, the show sky rocketed to the top of the ratings as it allowed people of all age limits to participate. Unlike the American Idol which placed the emphasis on solo acts, X Factor allowed groups as well as solo artists to perform on stage.

Given its deviation from the norm, X Factor has overtaken American Idol has the most popular singing show in the US. Nearly a quarter of million contestants line up each season to take a shot at being crowned the winner.

Freemantle Media were quick to realise the enormous potential of the X Factor brand and churned out a slot in 2015. The 5 reel, 20 payline slot allows you to place bets between NZ $0.1 to NZ $400 per spin. From a visual standpoint, the slot aims to recreate the sensation of the show with a floodlit stage and the hands of the cheering audience.

The online slot uses iconic imagery from the show and the symbols are made up of CDs, audience tickets, a speaker, male and female contestants. The wild symbol is reflected by the X Factor logo while the two bonus features are represented the ‘Boot Camp’ and ‘Judges’ Bonus.
Overall, Freemantle Media have done a good job of recreating the atmosphere of the hit TV show. The gameplay is smooth and the interface is super slick allowing fans and non-fans alike to take part in this fantastic slot.

From wanting to be a millionaire to the next big singing sensation, we have covered the top online pokies that are based on popular TV shows. If you feel that we have left out your slot based on game show then do let us know.

In the meantime, you can check our review section to see which operator is most suitable for you to play these games.