THE GAME SHOW HOME GAME HOME PAGE

                  Because everybody ought to be an expert about something.
 
 
Welcome to a sort of electronic museum dedicated to the home versions of TV and radio game shows.  The focus is on box games, but we also list a large number of other game show collectables.  If you're here to look for information about collectables associated with a particular show, or if you just want to browse around our pages for a while and see what you find, we hope you find your visit fun, interesting, maybe even informative.
 
The GSHGHP is maintained by Matt Ottinger. Feel free to drop me a line with questions or comments.  Please do NOT write to tell me that your favorite game show isn't included on the long list of shows running down the left frame.  That is NOT a list of every game show ever.  Not even close.  It's only a list of game shows that had some sort of commercially released item (like a board game) associated with them.  If your favorite show isn't listed, it's because there wasn't a home version.

On this page, you will find updates on what's been changed since the last time we got together and some background information about the site.  Everything else can be found by clicking on a link in the frame on the left.  Dig in, and enjoy!

          
WHAT'S NEW  (March 2009)
First update in a while, mostly in an increasingly futile effort to keep up with the glut of newer games that have entered the market in the last year or so.  As the "reality" craze of the past decade continues, more and more prime-time, syndicated and cable game shows are being produced, and sometimes a show which only aired for a brief time will nevertheless inspire a home version.  In some ways, this is a throwback to the early 1960s, when just about every game show inspired a home edition.  For some of those quickly-cancelled shows (such as Window Shopping or Make a Face), the home version is pretty much all that's left to remember the show by.  Whether that will be true of some of the current flashes-in-the-pan will remain to be seen.

UPDATES (and new pictures) on the following pages:

...and that's not nearly everything that's new.  Check back soon for more new releases and pictures, and maybe even some new expanded listings for some of the older games (which are our favorites anyway).

And here's something extremely unusual -- the possibility of a game show tie-in from the fifties that we'd never known about until now.  The same year that Lowell released Beat the Clock (as well as a Beat the Clock Jr), their dealer catalog also included information about a Beat the Clock Target Game.  Check out the Beat the Clock page for more information about what would be an extremely rare find!

In addition, we're going to start work on a second way to catalog the home games.  Soon, we'll have pages for various types of home game releases.  Want to know which ones have been released on the Wii?  Or which ones have been released in collectible tins?  We'll have the answer.  Watch for that soon.
 

BACKGROUND
This began as a simple list of board games I compiled for my own purposes when I began collecting about twenty-five years ago.  Since then, as interest and the size of my collection has grown, it is becoming more of a general reference site for commercially released American game show memorabilia and collectibles.

An important key is "commercially released".  This site is designed to be a place to find information about items that were originally made available directly to the public. Other items, such as tickets, publicity photos and actual props and set pieces, while highly prized and collectable, fall outside the scope of this page.  So do international collectibles, such as board games from countries outside the United States.  They're out there, and they're easier to find than ever thanks to the internet, but since we cannot offer anything close to a definitive list of them, they're not included here.
 
Also, no effort has been made here to list videotapes that exist of various game shows, even those few that have been released commercially.  There are a few listings for noteworthy, commercially released tapes and DVDs related to specific shows, such as documentaries and compilations.  Many other fan sites offer opportunities to trade videos, and some of their collections are probably bigger than mine anyway.
 
These collectibles lists are the result of years of research and acquisitions.  While I stop short of calling them complete, they are certainly the MOST complete lists for this subject you're likely to find, and definitely comprehensive enough to use as a checklist or reference guide.  I still occasionally discover new items (especially for radio shows and for assorted personalities) and I appreciate questions, comments, additions or corrections for periodic updates.
 
All versions of a home game are listed under the original title of the series (cross-referenced when necessary), so you won't find anything under "New" or "All-New".  Each listing gives the publisher and original copyright date for each unique version, the number of editions and the actual title of the game when different from the name of the TV show.  The listings also tell you when the host appears on the box and, in many cases, offer other interesting information, particularly with regard to the rarity and popularity of certain games.

No attempt has been made to assign a dollar value to any items because that value can vary so greatly, even among professional dealers.  Obscure games from the early sixties have "book" values of only a few dollars, but because game show fans know them to be the rarest and most difficult to find, many are willing to pay far more than the listed price for them.  Likewise, collectors can often find games at prices far less than professional dealers might charge.

That reminds me, these lists are for reference and research purposes only.  While I have virtually all of the listed items in my private collection, they are not for sale.  Thanks for your interest, but please stop asking.  You can find some suggestions for places to shop for games in the FAQ section.
 
I am indebted to Robert Zager, a good friend whose attention to detail and interest in this subject are equal to my own.  Without his input, this list would not be the definitive reference that it is.  I am equally beholden to Mike Burger, who patiently used small words to help me learn the coding necessary for the November, 2006 revamp of the site.