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troperville

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tools

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toys

• All Or Nothing
  • One wrong move and you walk away with bupkis.
• Audience Participation
  • Come On Down! You're the next contestant on The Trope Is Hung!
• Big Win Sirens
  • Clang-clang-clang (whoop, WHOOP, WHOOOOOOP!!!).
• Bonus Round
  • You've won the game, now here's your chance to make some more money!
• Bonus Space
  • Stop at Get $5,000 Regardless Of Outcome!
• Carried by the Host
  • There really isn't much of a game here, so let's get a really solid host who can make drying paint entertaining.
• Celebrity Edition
  • Hey, it's that guy! And he's playing for charity! (Producers who value their handiwork should not use this full-time on a game usually played by civilians. It's been tried several times, and on every occasion the show in question was canned within a year.)
• Confetti Drop
  • Let's dump a bunch of stuff on the winner!
• Consolation Prize
  • Well, you just had bad luck today, but you're not leaving empty-handed — you'll receive a supply of Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat! (ding-ding!)
• Covered in Gunge
  • If you can find the flag in this giant snot-filled nose, you win a car! (Not limited to game shows, but was a staple of children's game shows and their spinoffs in the late 1980s-mid 1990s.)
• Deadly Game
  • This one's a real killer.
• Double The Dollars
  • It's time for Round 2, where all the prizes and penalties are doubled.
• Extra Turn
  • Stop at $5,000 + One Spin! (Not explicitly a game show trope, but still very common on them.)
• Game Show Appearance
  • When game shows collide with fiction. Usually makes no difference in the characters and keeps the Status Quo intact, but occasionally will set up a plot thread or change a character for the better (or worse).
• Game Show Winnings Cap
  • You can only win so much, or stay for so long. Be wary of shows that could very well make you a one-and-done champion with -$250.
• Golden Snitch
  • What, you think you have an advantage just because you won the first nine rounds out of ten? (Shows up outside of game shows as well.)
• Home Game
  • All the fun of the game (hopefully), without the fear of cameras or a large audience. Or the pleasure of actually boosting your bank account.
• Home Participation Sweepstakes
  • Call, send in postcards, or go to our website for your chance to win!
• Let's Just See What WOULD Have Happened
  • This has absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game, but we're gonna do it anyway because we have to fill a half-hour. Or an hour, sometimes. Or two hours.
• Lifelines
  • Don't know the answer? Call someone who does!
• Losing Horns
  • BZZZZZZZZZZ! Ba-bum-da-bummmm...AWWWWWWWWWWWW.
• Mystery Box
  • Could be something good, could be a Klunk, could be $25,000 in cash... (Most commonly recognized from its use in Deal Or No Deal, although it certainly wasn't the first game to use the idea.)
• Personnel:
  • The Announcer
    • Introduces the host (and sometimes contestants), describes everything you could win, and describes everything you've won. Typically the first to be heard and the last to speak.
  • Game Show Host
    • Asks questions, hands out money, and (if you're lucky) makes fun of bad contestants.
  • Lovely Assistant
    • Shows off the toasters, cars, and swimsuits. Or maybe just stands around as something to make sitting through the horrible format/emcee/contestants worthwhile.
  • Studio Audience
    • Smile! Laugh! Applaud!
• Product Placement
  • You've landed on the Hot Pockets JACKPOT space, brought to you by Hot Pockets!
• Progressive Jackpot
  • You lost today, but if you win tomorrow it'll be worth even more!
• Promotional Consideration
  • HeadOn, apply directly to the forehead!
• Retired Game Show Element
  • Professor Price is gonna help you all he can, and that's good because he has all the answers.
• Rules Spiel
  • Here's how we play the game...
• Show The Folks At Home
  • Let's reveal who today's Secret Square is...
• Sound Proof Booth
  • Your partner is offstage, where they can't see or hear your answers.
• Speed Round
  • This will decide the game. Put 60 seconds on the clock, please. (ding) Time starts...now.
• Thing-O-Meter
  • How much did the audience like your handiwork? Most notably seen on Queen For A Day (Applause Meter), although a few other games used similar ideas.
• Think Music
  • While you ponder on an answer to the question we just asked, here's your musical timer. (Most notably used on Jeopardy!, although it's hardly unique.)
• Undesirable Prize
  • What the hell is that thing, anyway? Did they really think someone would want this?
• Unexpectedly Obscure Answer
  • What the hell is Liederkranz?!
• Whammy
  • I cannot tell a lie — you lose!
• Who Wants To Be Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
  • How many different ways can you say "Is that your final answer?"
• Zonk
  • And let's show you what's behind Curtain #3, it's a live raccoon!