The Best Game Show of 2025
TO FIND OUT THE DELIBERATION PROCESS AND WHAT HAPPENED. CHECK IT OUT ON PATREON
This year was such a milquetoast year for game shows. Literally, I ended the podcast on such a downer ending and I really don't know when the next episode drops, but I made a promise to do this EVERY YEAR and I mean it.
The best way to describe the year of game shows was “$1,000 with the chance at $10,000” or a network game show with a “life changing” cash prize that still isn't really enough to change lives, but I'm sure all the reality TV people got paid an appearance fee regardless.
I really had maybe 7 or 8 shows this year and many favorites fell this year, sometimes because of the network (like Press Your Luck) sometimes because one small caviat in the final rounds (pop culture jeopardy in a team format) and dismissing anything that feels like it's “straight to FAST CHANNEL” (sorry to the people at 25 words or less)
So HERE is the episode and if you want a quick version TL;DR read here it goes
1) Taskmaster
It's still the best game show because it's essentially a celebrity challenge show, but in isolation with the challenges being very open ended and comedic in nature, the stakes are very low if it's five items that fit a criteria of “best thing to put in a pocket that's not money”
2) Deal or No Deal
I can not choose which version. Deal or No Deal Australia is very bingable and great for a lower stakes version of Deal. ITV deal finally found it's footing with the gameplay even if it's no longer life-changing money to buy a house, but rather “a trip to Disney with the family”, and Deal or No Deal Island has somehow become this great social game show that uses Deal or No Deal properly, unlike season 1 which was more archetype of a Deal or No Deal contestant, this went for more Social Gamers and uses the luck element as the ultimate crutch. Boston Rob has compared it to Poker and I could easily see it with Season 2.
3) Game Changer
I keep forgetting to put this on the list, and mostly because it's that hindsight because “well, is it a game show?” debate, however. This last season with such clever games as Bingo and “Second Place” has made this such a great game show for not just comedy nerds, but game show nerds as Sam Reich gives plenty of homages to game shows of the past. Sorry, I can't put Dropout as a whole in general, so please check out Um Actually and Make Some Noise and Dirty Laundry as well.
4) The Price is Right
I still believe this is the best of the “classic game show” that we have. Drew Carey is the best game show host. The show still relies on an audience to help each other out to win all sorts of prizes that always are updated to the modern day, Electric Cars, Apple Vision Headsets, Trips to Anime Festivals, Super Bowl Tickets, and so much more surprises even in the daily daytime version. The Price is Right at Night with their specials and budget and celebrations like the 10,000th Episode are remarkable productions, and it gives me hope this show will continue for decades to come.
5) Beast Games
I know, it's a controversial pick, but the case still stands, it's a show that “is every game show rolled into one”, does it understand the anti-capitalist message of Squid Game? Not really, but certain challenges do try and highlight that greed.
It's more on here because while every game show relies on that confessional cam doing the story, this show relies on Jimmy and his dweeb friends to talk to the contestants in real time to get the story “in the now”, the pacing is all over the place and the contestants barely get their story until episode 8. However, this is a game show for those that have a producer mindset and Jimmy and his Production team had this amazing sandbox of what to deal with, even if it's self sacrifice challenges or using a dodgeball for most of the games.
It really made me go “wait, you could really do anything?” and it did something I haven't really done in years - turned on that game show producer brain and instead of using it for how I review a game show, went “wait, this could've been better if this was a thing” or “could this have been a challenge instead?” like a series of 100 person battle Royales to lead to the ultimate tournament for instance.
There was a spelling challenge, a social trolley problem, and even a ball in a cup. And yes, luck elements.
I don't know if it'll be back for a season two, but it did make me bullet point where I've seen things before.