History Main / GameBetweenHeirs

* Creator/{{Rejet}}'s ''VANQUISH BROTHERS'' centers around a family of six wealthy but horrid brothers, who are set to claim their late father's inheritance. The problem is that the father has set up only one inheritance--the ''heroine'', who is also to become the wife of one of them provided that they take her virginity. Most of the boys decide to take her forcibly.

* ''Series/{{Slasher}}'': In the ''Flesh and Blood'' season, family patriarch Spencer Galloway gathers his extended family to tell them that A) he's dying from cancer and so has arranged to have himself euthanized, and B) he considers every single one of them an InadequateInheritor, so he's arranged a series of games for them to participate in, with the ultimate winner becoming the sole recipient of his fortune. Things are complicated from the start due to the fact that [[BigScrewedUpFamily the Galloways are all terrible people with a boatload of issues between them]], not to mention that the sociopathic Spencer designed the contest to be all DeadlyGames, only for things to get worse when a masked figure called the Gentleman starts killing off the games' losers as they're eliminated. [[spoiler: The Gentleman turns out to be Spencer's end-of-life specialist, whom he hired to weed out "weakness" among his descendants to ensure that only the strongest ends up with his money.]]

* The short-lived 2013 series ''The Goodwin Games'' featured three siblings that were named heirs in their father's will so long as they partake in the titular games, which are given to them by the VideoWill of their father and presided over by his attorney April. In a twist from the usual trope, the siblings aren't competing against each other, but ''with'' each other, as the father wanted the games to bring them together as a family again. However, they are competing against Elijah, a seemingly random guy who their father declared would recieve a portion of the inheritance every time the Goodwins fail a game.

* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': The successor to the Ushiromiya family's headship and fortune (which includes 10 tons of solid gold) seemed to be locked and set--and then a letter from the [[MagnificentBastard resident witch]] arrived, announcing that the spoils have been made fair game to anyone who can solve the Witch's Epitaph, a long riddle which incidentally, details a ritual requiring human sacrifice. Mind games (and [[AnyoneCanDie lots and]] [[KillEmAll lots of murder]]) ensue.

[[folder:Film]]

* In "Some Heir Over the Rainbow", Scrooge decides to give all of his remaining relatives/potential heirs (nephew Donald, grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie and sister's nephew-by-marriage Gladstone Gander) a SecretTestOfCharacter similar to the [[Literature/TheBible Parable of the Talents]] -- by causing each of them to "find" a pot of gold and seeing what they do with it, he can judge who would take the best care of his wealth. [[spoiler:Donald just gets himself in debt, Gladstone buries it and forgets about it, and it at first looks like the boys lost their entire fortune by giving it to someone to find a lost treasure, but their investment turns out to pay off when the guy shows up with their share, so Scrooge decides the triplets win, and many "canon" comics thereafter continue to reference them as the sole heirs to Scrooge's fortune.]]

* ''ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse'' story "Family of Fore" features Scrooge [=McDuck=] and Flintheart Glomgold learning they're distantly related and must play a golf match against each other for a treasure left behind by a relative named Bogey [=McDivot=]. [[spoiler:After Scrooge wins]], both competitors are dismayed to learn the "treasure" is the golf course.

* [[ComicBook/{{SpirouAndFantasio}} Spirou and the Heirs]] has one between Fantasio and Zantafio courtesy of their recently deceased and very rich uncle. The challenges are: Invent something that will benefit humanity[[labelnote:spoiler]]Fantasio with his Fanta-Copter backpack[[/labelnote]], come at least third in a formula 1 race[[labelnote:spoiler]]Zantafio wins with heavy implication towards that he cheated[[/labelnote]] and capture a Franchise/{{Marsupilami}}.[[labelnote:spoiler]]Fantasio wins after Zantafio gives up[[/labelnote]] [[spoiler: Turns out that said uncle had actually managed to squabble away all his money and the inheritance was simply [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts the experience from their adventures]]]]

* Diana Dors (1931-1984), English actress and sex symbol, was said to have put away 2 million British pounds in banks across Europe for safekeeping. Her son and heir Mark Dawson was then given a code that would lead him to the inheritance. Her widower Alan Lake had the key that would solve the code, but ended up killing himself five months after Dors died. Unlike the above examples, the money has yet to be found in spite of the heir's best efforts, use of professional cryptographers, and even a TV documentary.

* ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheCuriousVillage'' uses this trope as its main plotline. Layton and Luke have to find the [[MacGuffin Golden Apple]] in order to inherit the late Baron Reinhold's wealth.

* In Creator/LMMontgomery's ''Literature/ATangledWeb'', eccentric Aunt Becky willed that the name of the heir of a priceless heirloom will only be disclosed a year after her death. Because the will dropped a few hints that a unknown judge would be selecting the heir, the family members spent the rest of the year trying their best to live up to what Aunt Becky would have wanted in an attempt to win the heirloom.