The Price Is Right (1972)/Pricing Games

This is a complete list of the various pricing games played on The Price Is Right. These games form the main bulk of the program, with six games played in each episode. Contestants qualify to play a pricing game by winning a bid on Contestant's Row. All contestants who play a pricing game get to participate in the Showcase Showdown. Games are rotated regularly and may not repeat for weeks or even months.

Active games

• Any Number - select numbers 0-9 to fill out the price of one of three items
• Back to '74 (formerly Back to '72 / '73) - Three prizes from 50 years earlier (originally 1972, then 1973 and now 1974) are displayed; set a TV dial to each item's price from that year and come within $50 total. This game was originally intended to be played only during the show's 50th season, but was resurrected with the new name on the show's January 2, 2023 episode and has its name changed with the start of each new calendar year
• Balance Game - place three of four weights with money values on them on a scale platform that will balance out as price of item, displayed on weight on opposite side of scale
• Bargain Game (aka and formerly Barker's Bargain Bar) - Pick one of two prizes with displayed bargain prices that is priced lower than the other
• Bonkers - In 30 seconds, place paddles above or below digits to get price of prize
• Bonus Game - Correctly predict whether prices of four small items are higher or lower than price shown; bonus is connected to one item
• Bullseye II - Three chances to pick grocery items in multiples whose price value must be within a specified range
• Card Game - Use standard playing cards to bid on car (similar to Bill Cullen version) and come within a predetermined range of ARP and not go over
• Check Game (formerly Blank Check until 1986) - Write check for amount which when added to prize value is between $8000 and $9000 total (originally between $3000 and $3500 when the game was introduced, then changed to between $5000 and $6000 in 1989, then between $7000 and $8000 in 2008 before changing to the current range in 2019)
• Check-Out - Predict prices of five grocery items and come within $2 either way of actual total
• Cliff Hangers - Predict values of three small items; mountain climber goes up a scale of 25 spaces and goes up 1 space for each dollar away from actual prices
• Clock Game - Zero in on two items' prices in 30 seconds
• Coming Or Going - Correctly manipulate sliding digits one way or the other for price of item
• Cover Up - Place correct numbers over shown numbers to get price of car (game continues as long as one number is right each turn)
• Danger Price - Select three of four prizes without selecting prize that has the "danger price"
• Dice Game - Roll dice to pick out digits in price of car
• Do The Math - Determine if a prize's value should be added to or subtracted from a designated price to equal the value of a second prize.
• Double Cross - Maneuver lighted lines on a board of intersecting numbers to highlight prices of two items
• Double Prices - Two prices shown; pick out which of the two prices is right
• Easy as 1-2-3 - Place three numbered blocks against prices in descending order of value
• Five Price Tags - Correct predictions of true-or-false on small items nets up to four selections of five price tags for a car
• Flip Flop - Two pairs of numbers make up a price but which way do each pair of numbers go?
• Freeze Frame - Capture two pair of numbers in a frame that make up price of item
• Gas Money - Five prices; four are money values and one is pink slip for car. Pick out money values before pink slip
• Golden Road - Pick out missing digit from price of items using price digits of previous item
• Grand Game - Pick out four of six grocery items each of which are less than target value to win up to $10,000
• Gridlock - Seven cars with numbers on them; choose three to make price of car; can win with one mistake at most
• Grocery Game - Select grocery items in any multiples without going under $20 or over $22 total
• Half Off - One of sixteen boxes holds $10,000; two can be left to be chosen by correctly guessing which item in three pairs of items are half off actual price
• Hi Lo - Pick out the three most expensive of six grocery items
• Hole in One...or Two- Place price flags in correct ascending order on putting green and putt golf ball in hole to win a car
• Hot Seat - Hit red button if an item's displayed price is higher or blue button if lower for cash prizes of up to $20,000
• It's In the Bag - Correctly place grocery items with right prices to win up to $16,000
• Let 'em Roll - Guess prices of items for chance to roll dice with money values and cars
• Line 'em Up - Place digits of three items' prices in correct order using sliding frames to create the middle three numbers of car's price
• Lucky Seven - Guess the next four digits in price of car; $1 (out of $7) forfeited for each number away from actual number
• Magic Number - Use device to create a numerical figure that is at least the first item's price and at most the second item's price
• Make Your Move - Nine numbers shown; place prize slides over correct prices
• Master Key - Win two keys by correctly predicting the prices of the two small prizes; there are three that will open one prize lock corresponding to each of the prizes, one will open all three (including a car), and one will open none of them
• Money Game - Pick out car's first two digits and last two
• More or Less - Correctly call whether prices of items shown are more or less than ARP
• Most Expensive - Three items; pick out most expensive
• Now or Then - Six grocery items; select three connecting items and predict whether price shown is current or a shown past date
• One Away - Correctly place numbers shown one up or one down to create price of car
• One Right Price - Correctly place price shown on one of two items
• One Wrong Price - Three items with prices shown; one price is wrong. Pick that item to win
• Pass the Buck - Correctly predict which of two items' prices should be $1 more for chances to win money and a car from board of six windows
• Pay The Rent (also titled Pay The Tuition for college themed shows) - Select grocery item, then two pairs of items totaling more progressively, to win cash prizes of up to $100,000
• Pathfinders - On a grid of numbers, step on correct connecting digits to create price of car; if an incorrect choice is made, a second chance can be earned by guessing which of two prices on one of three small prizes is the correct price
• Pick a Number - Select number that belongs in missing spot in item's price
• Pick a Pair - Six grocery items; select two with matching prices
• Plinko - Correctly call proper digit spot of small items to win plinko chips and drop them on a board for cash prizes of up to $50,000 (originally $25,000)
• Pocket Change - Correctly place digits in price of car to acquire money (a card can contain up to $2.00) and "buy" car for as little as 25 cents; price goes up 25 cents with each incorrect guess
• Punch a Bunch - Win chances for money on board of punch-out circles, ranging between $100 and $25,000
• Push Over - Push blocks into chute until price of items shows in blue window
• Race Game - Place four price tags with correct items in 45 seconds
• Range Game- Stop red window of a $150 range on a scale to get price of item
• Rat Race - Win three of five toy rats that will race down a track to determine prizes, including a car
• Safe Crackers - Create price of item on three safe combination dials
• Secret X - Predict prices to win X's and create a tic-tac-toe on a board
• Shell Game - Win chips to place against four nut shells, one of which has a ball
  • If all four chips are won, there is a bonus (originally $500, currently the cash equivalent of the prize being offered) by guessing which shell has a ball.
• Shopping Spree - Four prizes: pick three most expensive
• Side by Side - Manipulate two digits shown to place before or after two other digits to make price of item
• Spelling Bee - Win choices of 30 numbers on a board and spell out "CAR" to win a car
• Squeeze Play - Eliminate one number of figure shown to make price of prize
• Stack The Deck - Win spots to create price of a car using numerical playing cards
• Swap Meet - Take price of item and match it with correct prize of three shown
• Switch? - Determine whether two prices of prizes shown are right or to be switched around
• Switcheroo - Place five numbered blocks and place them in the right spot of items (including the top prize of a car) whose prices are missing a spot
• Take Two - Four prizes; choose two that add up to the total value given
• Temptation - Create price of car using numbers from four items; hope the price of car is right or take prizes and run
• Ten Chances - Write down prices of three items (including a car) using numbers shown
• That's Too Much - Prices shown for car in ascending order; stop when next price shown is just over ARP
• Three Strikes - Draw numbered chips from hopper and correctly place them in car's price before drawing three X's
• Time Is Money (2014) - Same as before except if the contestant is wrong, he/she has a second chance to place items in correct order with the prize money ($20,000) reduced as time ticks down
• To the Penny - Items shown, each with multiple prices. Use pennies (five) to buy and eliminate incorrect prices and select correct price.
• Triple Play - Correctly predict prices of three cars with multiple choices
• Two for the Price of One - Correctly use numbers shown to create price of one of two prizes to win both
• Vend-O-Price - Three items in an oversized vending machine; select item with the highest value in its quantity times its price

Retired games

• Add 'em Up - Fill in price of a car using digits which add up to a predetermined sum
• Barker's Markers (Make Your Mark on Doug Davidson's edition; since renamed as such on current show) - Place markers on three of four prices belonging to three prizes
• Bullseye I - Seven chances to zero in on price of big-ticket item, usually car
• Bump - Have models "bump" incorrect price of items
• Buy or Sell - Three items: if price shown is too high, sell. If too low, buy. Win if final difference is positive
  • Retired due to confusion by contestants
• Clearance Sale - Place price tags under prizes and win if they are all below their actual prices
• Credit Card Game - Pick three of four prizes whose total value does not exceed credit limit determined beforehand
• Double Bullseye - Two contestants at Showcase podiums zero in on price of car through bidding
• Double Digits - Create price of a car using prices from four small items
• Finish Line - From three pairs of small items, pick most expensive of each pair; rejected items represent hurdles a race horse and jockey must clear to win
• Fortune Hunters - Eliminate three of four boxes and win cash prize in remaining box
• Gallery Game - Using paint brush, complete the unfinished digit in price of prize
• Give Or Keep - Three pairs of small items; pick one of each and keep more in value than give
• Hit Me - Prices shown of items represent playing card values in blackjack game
• Home Telephone Game - Home viewer calls out prices; on-stage contestant matches it with correct grocery item. Both players split cash awards
• Hurdles - Three pairs of grocery items; pick lowest priced of each pair representing hurdles for runner to clear
• It's Optional - Two identical cars; price second car is determined by adding options
• Joker - Five playing cards; eliminate four and leave Joker standing by correctly predicting four prices of items
• Mystery Price - Bid on four items without going over their price; if total is greater than mystery price, contestant wins
• On The Nose - Compete in sporting events to win car
• On the Spot - Step on spots with prices and match them to small items
• Penny Ante - Three chances to select correct price out of six from two grocery items
• Poker Game - Create poker hands using prices of items
  • Retired due to value limit for a prize ($999)
• Professor Price - Answer numerical question and determine if the answer is within the price of a car
• Shower Game - Enter shower stall with correct price of car and pull the shower chain
• Split Decision - Create price of smaller prize to create the price of car
• Step Up - Choose four prizes in ascending order of prices; cash prizes for correct choices
  • Retired due to low win ratio despite bailout mechanic
• Superball - Predict small item prices and win skeeball rolls for prizes
• Super Saver - Pick four of six bargain-priced grocery items and save at least $1 total
• Telephone Game - Buy grocery items with $1 and have at least a dime left to dial price of car on a pay phone
• Time Is Money (original) - Place five grocery items in value increments
• Trader Bob - Swap successive prizes for one in a series of prize pairs that are more expensive
• Walk Of Fame - Guess prices of items within specified range; if wrong, contestant gets a second chance by selecting right autograph book

Trivia

• Plinko is The Price Is Right's most popular game, and as such is also the only game in the show's history to have an entire episode devoted to it. On the September 27, 2013 episode (dubbed "Plinko Day", marking the 30th anniversary of the debut of Plinko on the January 3, 1983 episode), all six games played in that episode were Plinko. The first game of Plinko in that episode was played as normal for the top prize of $50,000, while subsequent playings included additional prizes; two games each included a car and $40,000 as the top prize, one included a trip to London, England and $40,000 as the top prize, and two each placed regular prizes in the slots normally reserved for the $1,000 space in addition to the $50,000 top prize (the first such game featured an all-terrain vehicle and an air hockey table, while the second featured an elliptical trainer and a desktop computer; with each regular prize won in those two Plinko games, the prize slot would revert to its regular $1,000). Also, in special episodes of The Price Is Right (such as Big Money Week, the prime time Million Dollar Spectacular/Price Is Right at Night episodes and the 35th anniversary of Plinko on the January 3, 2018 episode) where Plinko was played, higher top prizes are offered, while in Dream Car Week episodes where Plinko is played, a car and $40,000 are offered as the top prize.
• One of The Price Is Right's most memorable bloopers occurred in a playing of Five Price Tags on the April 2, 2015 episode of the show. After the contestant playing that game got her first price guess wrong with two guesses still left, model Manuela Arbeláez, thinking the game was already over, mistakenly began taking the other price tags down from the game board and accidentally revealed the winning car price of $21,960, which show host Drew Carey immediately spotted. Under the show's rules, mistakes or technical errors that benefit a contestant during game play result in an automatic win for the contestant, resulting in the contestant receiving the car due to the blooper.