Wheel of Fortune (1975)

About this game

Editions vary, but a familiar phrase or name is hidden on the gameboard. Either the letters represented by cards are face down or the letters are covered by slides. Before guessing letter, a player must spin the eponymous Wheel of Fortune to determine how much each letter, if revealed, is worth to one’s account. Every spin is risk, however, because one could lose a turn or spin "Bankrupt" which means lose a turn and forfeit one’s earnings! Consonants only can be guessed after spinning the wheel; vowels can be guessed at a cost. A player can continue taking one’s turn until a wrong guess is made and then the turn passes to the next player. Only the player who solves the word puzzle can keep the earnings made for that round. The player who has made the most money after a predetermined number of puzzles is the winner. The game is a faithful adaptation to the wildly popular television series.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 2 to 4.
• Rules load. At 1.2/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.