Our Favorite The Price is Right Pricing Games – There are more than 75 pricing games featured on The Price is Right… but these are the best of the best. Our Top 10 games featured on TPIR.
TPIR is the ultimate “sick day” TV program. Where did our generation turn during days off of school in the 70s, 80s, and 90s? We would nurse mom’s homemade chicken soup (and maybe a Pop Tart) and watch The Price is Right (with a box of Kleenex at our side).
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A PRICE IS RIGHT TAPING
I was surprised to learn there are more than 75 The Price is Right pricing games and another 30+ that have been retired. Before I checked out the games, I would have only said there were about 25 or 30. Many of the 75+ games are quick-hitting, “this or that” coin-flip type of guessing games which are fun, but not necessarily compelling. Since I’ve been watching a lot lately, I’ve been able to zero in on my favorites – a healthy mix of classic Bob Barker standards and fun “new” games. Here are the ones we pause the DVR and call the kids around the TV for.
Our Favorite Price is Right Pricing Games
Race Game – Like many games on this list, I enjoy a good old-school price ranking game mixed in with a physical challenge – in this case… a madcap sprint.
Time Is Money – The very best of the new-school, beat the clock, mad scramble games. $20,000 ticks down to zero QUICKLY if contestants can’t figure out with of the 3 price ranges the 5 grocery items fall in.
Rat Race – A “new” game that I believe Drew Carey came up with the concept for. “Earn” up to 3 rats in a pricing 
game and those rats compete in a 5 rat race for 3 prizes. Watching zhu zhu pet rats race around a track for a Free Pizza For A Year prize is wildly entertaining.
Hot Seat – A “new” game. Contestants guess high or low on 5 items in a short amount of time and gamble on their guess. It’s a pressure cooker combination of confidence & beat the clock.
Pay The Rent – High-drama and the largest prize of all the Price is Right pricing games that can be awarded (Daytime TPIR). It’s an extremely difficult game of combining the prices of items for a $100,000 grand prize. Contestants can bow out early for lesser money during the game… usually when they realize that they botched their chances at winning by starting off with the lowest price item to choose from. Contestants RARELY win, I play along at home and RARELY win but I love the challenge.
Cliffhangers – You’re humming the yodely guy theme now, aren’t you? Amazingly easy game if you know the formula – guess the first item at $25, 2nd item at $35, and last item at $45 and you’ll never go over the cliff. It’s amazing how some people haven’t figured out the system.
Hole In One – Can you make a simple but pressure-filled putt putt golf course putt for a valuable prize? The suspense is tremendous. Bonus if you remember Bob Barker “demonstrating” “how easy” this game using a plumbing pipe as his putter and often draining it.
Plinko – I love Plinko, you love Plinko, everyone loves Plinko. I might say it’s overrated, but I’m never disappointed when they wheel that big board out. I’m told the trick to win big $ is 
to release the Plinko Chip near the dotted “I” in the word Plinko.
Punch A Bunch – Earn up to 4 “punches” to take a swipe at a 50 punch hole board. You could win a 1-50 chance at $25,000 but those long odds. You’re FAR more likely to punch a cash value of $1,000 or even less. The long odds make it a fun watch.
Golden Road – Fun because of all the Price is Right pricing games, it uses up virtually the entire TPIR stage during game play. Plus, this game is rare! Contestants take a price guessing journey from prize station to prize station and ultimately (hopefully) get a final guess which is usually an extremely valuable prize (dream car etc…). The game itself isn’t unique – just guesses, but the prize value and the game’s infrequency make it a “hold everything” moment on the show.
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You can check out our favorite Price is Right pricing games (and yours) Mondays through Fridays at 11p est on CBS.
