Yet Another Pricing Game Idea: Price Pyramid

[tpir7215]

Based on Egyptian pyramids, this game would be played for $20,000 in cash.
Here's how it works:
A large pyramid prop with four levels ($1,000, $2,000, $5,000, and $20,000) is presented, and next to each of them is a row of buttons with hieroglyphics corresponding to small prizes/SPs.  Each SP is described, and then the contestant must "climb" the pyramid by guessing which SP corresponds to a certain clue (a la Fortune Hunter) on each level.  The clues start out relatively easy (i.e., which one is the least/most expensive item) but get harder on higher levels (i.e., for the top level, which one has a price ending in .  SPs are not eliminated as possibilities upon being correct, nor are their prices revealed.
Upon the first mistake, the prize money for each level is cut in half (becoming $500, $1,000, $2,500, and $10,000) but the contestant still has the choice to go on or quit with their now-halved money.  A second mistake ends the game in a complete loss, and the contestant wins nothing.  A bailout is self-explanatory.  Winning the game on the top level wins either $10,000 or $20,000 depending on whether a mistake was made along the way.

I'll eventually put up visual/graphic examples of gameplay and the set.

So what do you think?

[Grand_game2004]

Sounds reasonable to me.

[tpir7215]

Sounds reasonable to me.

Is there anything wrong with it that you find though?  Like how can this game be improved in your opinion?

[gamesurf]

The pyramid motif is cute—it’s unlike any other theme seen on the show.

Actually, I really like this. It’s original, it’s interesting, it’s pretty easy to understand, it’s got a fun theme. Fortune Hunter was a neat game that was gone too soon IMO and I’d be happy to see the clues brought back in another pricing game. And as you've described it, I really want to see the visuals—I’d love to see the show design a hieroglyphic "coffee maker" or "hair trimmer". The theme brings back memories of the old showcase sketches. You've even made the reveals and buttons fit the theme. Well done.

Since you asked for us to pick nits:

I’m not a big fan of cutting the prizes in half—a good chunk of the excitement is gone if the “big prize” is out of play as soon as you make a mistake. I’d suggest offering a free mistake, and picking one top prize and settling on it.

Make sure you have a good variety of clues. “Most expensive” and “least expensive” are obvious choices. “Starts with 9” is probably fair game. At the same time don’t make them too obscure; I know you mean the last one to be difficult, but “ends with an 8” is pretty much a blind guess.

Maybe for the final one you could ask the price straight up. “Which one is $28?” It could help add some closure since we’ve been guessing at the prices the whole time without knowing the complete answers.

Mind you, I’m being nitpicky on a concept I actually really like. Of the PG ideas you’ve submitted so far, gotta say this one’s my favorite. Nicely done.

[tpir7215]

The pyramid motif is cute—it’s unlike any other theme seen on the show.

Actually, I really like this. It’s original, it’s interesting, it’s pretty easy to understand, it’s got a fun theme. Fortune Hunter was a neat game that was gone too soon IMO and I’d be happy to see the clues brought back in another pricing game. And as you've described it, I really want to see the visuals—I’d love to see the show design a hieroglyphic "coffee maker" or "hair trimmer". The theme brings back memories of the old showcase sketches. You've even made the reveals and buttons fit the theme. Well done.

Since you asked for us to pick nits:

I’m not a big fan of cutting the prizes in half—a good chunk of the excitement is gone if the “big prize” is out of play as soon as you make a mistake. I’d suggest offering a free mistake, and picking one top prize and settling on it.

Make sure you have a good variety of clues. “Most expensive” and “least expensive” are obvious choices. “Starts with 9” is probably fair game. At the same time don’t make them too obscure; I know you mean the last one to be difficult, but “ends with an 8” is pretty much a blind guess.

Maybe for the final one you could ask the price straight up. “Which one is $28?” It could help add some closure since we’ve been guessing at the prices the whole time without knowing the complete answers.

Mind you, I’m being nitpicky on a concept I actually really like. Of the PG ideas you’ve submitted so far, gotta say this one’s my favorite. Nicely done.

With the clues, I do plan on having ones besides least/most expensive for the higher levels.  I'm thinking of putting these as the clues for each level (it's not final though):
$1,000:
-Least/most expensive
$2,000:
-Between two amounts ($20 margin and both inclusive, i.e., the prize that is $50 would be correct for between $30 and $50)
$5,000:
-Starts with X
-Between two amounts ($10 margin and both inclusive again)
$20,000:
-Ends with X
-Does NOT contain X as digit (will not ask for a digit)
-Priced at exactly X% of most expensive prize (only used if least expensive prize is asked for at beginning)
-Priced at exactly X dollars (like you suggested)

And as for the top prize being gone as soon as you make a mistake, Plinko, Pay the Rent, Hot Seat, and Time is Money also follow that, yet we're all fine with that.

And I'm currently working on the visuals, including the intro and winning graphics.  I'll post the visuals/graphics when they're done.

In the meantime, thank you for evaluating my latest pricing game idea.  If you want, you can actually use it in a Host Your Own show should HYO come back.

[gamesurf]

And as for the top prize being gone as soon as you make a mistake, Plinko, Pay the Rent, Hot Seat, and Time is Money also follow that, yet we're all fine with that.

Different animals--in Pay The Rent and Hot Seat the top prize is always presented as "in play", until the contestant either bails out or loses.

I'd argue that Plinko and Time is Money are special exceptions that get away with it specifically because they include other elements that make the game suspenseful--Time is Money is fast-paced enough to keep the excitement level up, and the emphasis is on stopping a clock that's ticking down, not building your prize value up. And Plinko has an exciting chip drop.

And I'm currently working on the visuals, including the intro and winning graphics.  I'll post the visuals/graphics when they're done.

In the meantime, thank you for evaluating my latest pricing game idea.  If you want, you can actually use it in a Host Your Own show should HYO come back.

Sounds like a fun project. I’d be happy to see it.

I’m sorry to see the HYO section go—it inspired some really creative riffs on the show, plus a ton of fun art.