Welp, I'll be the first to step into the "Get off my lawn" position and say I'm not a huge fan of Hot Seat. As others have said, it's too overdone (as is the trend these days), so much so that it feels like someone said "Hey, we should make a game where the contestant slides around in a chair" and the game mechanic was tacked on later.
The intro music is either A: too quiet, or B: too generic, or perhaps both. The fact that they played it again for a win ala Phone Home Game was a nice touch, but get a better cue or amp up the volume. I do love the $20,000 graphic, however.
The set itself, gaudy as it may be, looks pretty slick with the exception of the "thermometer" prop. It looks awfully diminutive hanging from the ceiling and the text is puny. I think it would look better if the whole thing was larger and positioned to the right of the set, on the floor. Did we blow all the money on the sliding chair? Also the designer in me is crying, "why is the $20,000 window the same size as the $500 one?"
On the subject of the thermometer, there's the money ladder itself. I hate threads that devolve into "Here's my money distribution", but I'll be a hypocrite and say I'd rather see something like $500-$1,000-$2,500-$5,000-$20,000 before the layout they currently have. If I was sitting in that chair, I'd be really reluctant to bet $10,000.
The chair itself is very well done and representative of the term "Hot Seat". My biggest gripe is it moves too slowly. I get that we can't be launching Grandma Agatha onto the set of Y&R, but if we could shorten that 35 second clock to perhaps 30 and really zip that dude along, I'd feel a much stronger sense of urgency. The clock almost seemed unnecessary today. What makes Race Game and Bonkers exciting is the contestant running around the stage like crazy. Seeing the contestant gliding along in an Acorn Stairlift isn't as electrifying.
The sound effects could be better executed. Four bells is what you play for a $4,000 win on Bag or for pricing the first prize correctly in Golden Road, not for a $10,000 level. The dramatic stings for the money levels don't make the mood any more tense for me. And no clangers for a win? Come now.
One thing that was pleasantly refreshing: Trilons! Real, electric, functional trilons instead of monitors to show the prices. That's a nice touch.
Overall, with the music, the added sound effects, and general garishness of the proceedings, it feels like a game better suited for Let's Make a Deal than Price. I give it a C+.