People Puzzler

''People Puzzler'' is an American television game show hosted by Leah Remini and broadcast by Game Show Network. It premiered on January 18, 2021.

The show is inspired by the celebrity and pop-culture themed crosswords in ''People'' magazine.

On June 2, 2021, Game Show Network renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on September 27, 2021. On July 18, 2022, Game Show Network renewed the show for a third season, which premiered on August 1, 2022.

Gameplay

The game is played among three contestants. On a player's turn, they choose one of 10 words on the board, identifying it in the same way as a regular crossword puzzle (i.e., 1-across, etc.). The contestant is shown the first unrevealed letter in the word, and a clue is given. Correct answers score points based on the length of the word (similar to both ''The Cross-Wits'' and the 1980 NBC version of ''Chain Reaction''); a contestant who correctly solves three words in a single turn is awarded bonus points. The contestant keeps control until they either make a mistake or score a bonus. If the contestant does make a mistake, the correct answer is ''not'' revealed, allowing the next contestant in line an opportunity to choose it again to obtain further letters and making it easier to solve (although they may choose another word). The last remaining letter in a word is never given.

Some puzzles have a "Double Word", a clue that covers two words in the puzzle, forming a two-word phrase. Both halves of a Double Word must be solved together, and correctly solving a Double Word earns the combined value of both words.

Round 1

A contestant chosen by a random draw before the show selects one of four categories, and takes the first turn. In all cases, play passes to the right (as viewed on camera), going back to the left-most position if needed. Correctly solving a word scores 10 points per letter, the bonus for three straight correct answers is 100 points. The round lasts until the puzzle is completed or until a buzzer sounds.

Round 2

The contestant in last place after round one, or in case of a tie, the leftmost player tied, chooses one of the remaining three categories and takes the first turn. Words are worth 20 points per letter, with a 200-point bonus for three in a row. One word is designated a "Wager Word". The first contestant to find the Wager Word is given the chance to bet any or all of their score on their ability to solve that word. A correct answer earns the amount of the wager (the 200-point bonus is also awarded if it is the contestant's third word in a row), while a wrong answer deducts the amount. If the Wager Word is not solved correctly, subsequent attempts at that word are for its natural value. In addition, if the first contestant to find the Wager Word has no points at the time, the word is also played for its natural value.

Tiebreaker

When two contestants after round 2 both have the lowest score or if all three have the highest score, a tiebreaker word is played on the buzzers. One word and one clue are displayed on the board and letters are randomly filled in one at a time. The contestants may buzz in at any time after the clue is read. If the contestant guesses the word correctly, he or she will move on to the third round with the other contestant who had the highest score, but if a contestant guesses the word incorrectly, the other contestant will advance into the head-to-head round with the highest scoring contestant. The procedure repeats once more if all three are tied.

When the round ends, the contestant in last place is eliminated from further play. All losing contestants are awarded a one-year subscription to ''People'' magazine as a consolation prize.

Round 3 (Head-to-Head Showdown)

The contestant in the lead, or in some shows with the lowest score after round 2, is shown two new puzzles and selects one to play. The gameplay in this round is similar to that of the "Crossfire" round on ''The Cross-Wits''. The contestant is given 60 seconds to solve all 10 words (time starts when host Remini finishes reading the first clue). The contestant may attempt the words in any order, may take as many guesses as desired, and may pass and return to a word as often as needed until time runs out. As in previous rounds, a letter is given the first time the contestant chooses a given word; the contestant is given additional letters upon returning to the word after passing. Each word solved is worth 50 points per letter, and solving all 10 words is worth a 1,000-point bonus. The two puzzles do not necessarily have the same number of points available. The other contestant is then given the other puzzle to solve under the same rules. The contestant in the lead at the end of this round wins $1,000, the championship, and advances to the "Fast Puzzle" round to try to increase it to $10,000. If the trailing player is unable to catch up, the game ends immediately. If, however, a tie remains, a sudden-death word will determine the champion.

Bonus Round (Fast Puzzle Round)

The champion is shown four categories, each corresponding to a three-word puzzle; they then choose which three puzzles they would like to play. They have a minute to solve all 9 words, and may switch between words ''or'' between puzzles as often as needed. If the champion solves all 9 words within a minute, their winnings are increased to $10,000.

References

External links

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{{Game Show Network, state=collapsed

2020s American game shows
2021 American television series debuts
Crossword television shows
English-language television shows
Game Show Network original programming
People (magazine)