Game Show Inspired Slots

If you’ve ever found yourself perusing the slots at an online casino like Pink Casino, you may have noticed that there is an almost overwhelming range of themes and styles to choose from. Over the years, developers have taken the concept of the humble slot machine and added to it with enhanced graphics, sounds, and gameplay. You can find music-and-film-inspired slots, as well as those based around popular TV shows. That can be dramatic fantasy titles like Game of Thrones but also often includes shows that you might not have considered.

In particular, you will find game show slots that take elements of the television staples that have become a dominant part of popular culture around the world in slot catalogues. Here at Pink Casino, we’ve taken a deep dive into the world of game-show-inspired slots for you.

What Are Game Show Slots?

Put simply, these are online slot machines that are based on the popular game shows that we have enjoyed for decades. These shows will often involve contestants being pitted against each other, either having to answer questions or try their luck in games of chance. Think of some of the most iconic TV shows like this throughout the ages. In the UK, we’ve been enthralled by shows like Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Catchphrase, and The Chase. These all follow similar approaches, with contestants playing against each other or the house in an effort to win a sum of money. Because of the association with competing to win, the format lends itself to casino gaming and, in particular, slots.

Types of Game Show Slots

As you might imagine, given the variety of shows that you will find in this genre, the game show casino games on offer are just as varied. Slots have taken elements of a lot of different shows to add to the existing gameplay that has been long well-established. That is to say, there are lots of different licensed games that you can find that will incorporate popular game modes as minigames or as part of the base game. We’ve taken a look at some of the current most popular game show slots that you would expect to see at a casino.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

Here in the UK, this is probably as iconic as any game show can get. From the Coughing Major scandal of the early 2000s to the show’s famous inclusion in the hit Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire, it has permeated pop culture for well over two decades now. That popularity is exactly what has led to Who Wants to Be A Millionaire becoming a slot favourite.

In the definitive adaptation, the slot uses the Megaways mechanic to offer players more than 100,000 ways to win. Tying it into its game show origins is the Hot Seats Spin Gamble feature, which provides players with up to 50 free spins all built around the theme of being chosen to sit in the famous hot seat where contestants would face the host - formerly Chris Tarrant - and answer the increasingly-difficult questions. What’s more, the show has gone on to spawn Slingo varieties and even live casino titles.

Deal Or No Deal

This game show originated in the Netherlands and would prove to be wildly successful. Instead of having to answer questions, players would be presented with boxes that included different amounts of money. They would be required to make decisions on which boxes to keep and which to remove, aiming to end the show with a box with as high a value as possible. Along the way, the dealer would test the players’ resolve and offer them sums of money based on the boxes that were left in play.

This revolutionary gameplay was adopted for a hit slot, in which players would set their wagers and choose their boxes instead of the standard approach of spinning the reels. Again, a dealer feature will trigger and players can choose to take the sums offered or keep playing the boxes that remain on the grid. This laughs in the face of what you would expect from a typical slot machine. Again, this is another show which has spawned more than one slot, with slingo varieties and Deal or No Deal Live

Wheel Of Fortune

Ask anyone in the world to name a game show and Wheel Of Fortune will likely come up. It has been adapted for almost all markets and has been a regular fixture on TV screens for decades. Players of this show will take turns spinning the titular wheel after correctly calling out a letter from a board that displays an incomplete phrase. From this wheel, they will be randomly given a prize amount - or nothing, depending on where it lands.

This gameplay is perfect for a casino game. It’s no surprise that it has been used as the backbone for slots, then. The games that are based on Wheel Of Fortune incorporate a bonus wheel, which when triggered, will give players a chance to win extra prizes and add to any winnings they have accrued in the base slot game. Because of the ubiquity of this game show, there is a full range of slot titles based on it.

Live Casino Game Show Games

The impact of the live casino cannot be overstated. The introduction of live dealers connected to the players has revolutionised how people interact with the online casino. Game show slots are no different. They have also been given a new lease of life.

Games like Wheel Of Fortune, Deal Or No Deal, and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire have held onto their past inspiration by introducing hosted games that reflect their origins. These live games are much like the original shows as they incorporate host-led gameplay and intertwine them with the casino games that you would expect to find.