“When I grow up, can I be on a game show?”
It’s a question that’s come from the mouth of my babe more times than I can count. She’s a seven-year-old with the same competitive gene that compelled me to compete on a game show nearly 20 years ago. (Her love of game shows – and, specifically, “Wheel of Fortune” – has been well-documented on this platform.) Which is why, when the algorithm began recommending a family-friendly, contest-centric experience called Great Big Game Show, I knew that I had to get my competition-loving family over there like Vanna White depended on it.
Making its Pacific Northwest debut at Westfield Southcenter in October, Great Big Game Show opened its newest location just last month in South Lake Union, a block away from the Amazon Spheres. It operates alongside The Escape Game and features two studios that can host up to 14 guests. Parties are split into two teams and provided a game-show-style host whose energy and charisma made the bells, whistles, strobing lights and colorful props inside the studio feel like we were actually starring in a televised game show.
Our host Justin ushered our meager party of four through a personalized experience that featured a mess of mini-games, none lasting more than 10 minutes. Every reservation is allotted one hour to compete in these live-action contests, and there are over 17 different mini-games in the rotation. This means that every visit is unique, encouraging return visits. Aiding the human host, the large screen at the front of the studio really helped my kids understand the assignment and the instructions from game to game.
Some of the contests are physical: “Build It Up” requires participants to build the highest tower using foam blocks. “Count in Your Head” is possibly the simplest, yet most challenging game that has participants count in their head to a certain time, awarding game points to the contestant who buzzes in closest. “Drawing in the Dark” is blindfolded Pictionary.
Then, of course, “Chip Shot” and “Spin It Out” were the big draws for our young competitors: dropping chips down a Plinko-style board into slots with various point allotments and spinning the massive wheel that teased them from the moment we entered the studio.
While most of the games were age-appropriate for them, it was helpful to have an adult on the team for the trivia- and strategy-based games. “Remember Me” tests your memory and attention to detail, as well as necessitating quick thinking and responsiveness. “Split Decision” had us running around the room to place our best guesses to the trivia questions offered. “It’s Elementary” also required some basic knowledge. “Ready, Bet, Go!” was trivia with a betting component. “Letter Roll” hit particularly close to home; using oversized foam dice, rolling the highest number grants the winner a shot at choosing a letter and solving the phrase on the board. (My “Wheel of Fortune” prowess undoubtedly aided our victory for that competition.)
As the mini-games progressed, the stakes grew higher and higher along with our scores on the board. My team, which included my youngest daughter, led for a time, only to then pass the lead after a few particularly devastating mini-game losses. The scores oscillated as such, making it an even and exciting match. It came down to the fall of the final chip, and, unfortunately, we had to concede to my husband and older daughter, who were celebrated with music and flying confetti.
After our visit, Justin compiled the videos he captured into a fun digital collage, a memento that is a sweet, personal touch to an experience that is already regularly brought up in discussion at our house…