Three ways you can play Deal Or No Deal now
Deal Or No Deal is a TV show that was aired for over a decade in the UK, between 2005 and 2016. There is also a US version of the show, which started airing at a similar time. Both have a very similar format. The UK version was hosted by Noel Edmonds, while the US is hosted by comedian Howie Mandel.
Given that the game show lends itself so well to playing along at home and shouting at the TV screens to tell contestants to “Take the deal!”, it wasn’t going to be long until we were treated to versions of the game that we could play at home.
Now you can enjoy Deal or No Deal in your living room, in three different ways…
The Video Game
The Deal Or No Deal video game was first released in 2006. It is available on Windows, Game Boy Advance, Wii and DS. There is also a mobile version on both iOS and Android. There are both US and UK versions of the game available.
The game very much follows the same premise as the TV show. As the player, you choose one box at the start. This box contains a prize value. You then proceed to eliminate the other boxes and the banker makes you an offer after every round.
In between, you are treated to an overabundance of one-liners from Howie Mandel, or a few obnoxious comments on repeat from Noel Edmonds, depending on whether you are in the UK or US. Aside from that, it’s difficult to add much depth to the game and, we’re not going to lie, the game has generally received unfavourable reviews.
Still, for fans of the TV show, the video game is worth getting hold of at a reduced price. It offers a few hours of fun for the keen gameshow lover.
Online Casino Game
Let’s face it, one of the main excitement factors of the TV show was that the participants were playing for real money. This is an element that the video game cannot offer, but which the casino game can bring back.
The Deal Or No Deal online casino game allows players to take the banker’s offer, or decline it and carry on playing. Players have to gradually remove more boxes from the game, with the banker making an offer after each round. The longer they keep the big money on the table, the higher the offers from the banker will become.
After the sixth round, the banker will make their final offer, at which point the player must decide whether to take the offer or look inside their box.
The game is available at several different stakes, with potential payouts shown to the player. It’s game over once the player accepts the offer or rejects the final offer, and then the amount won is returned to the account. The game has a theoretical return-to-player of 95.46%.
Board Game
The final way to play Deal Or No Deal is to check out the board game. This way, you can play with between 2-6 players, making it an awesome option for socialising and having fun. It’s even a suitable option as an alternative to the usual party games like Charades and Musical Chairs. The board game is available in both US and UK versions.
In the Deal Or No Deal board game, players place value cards inside pre-made little boxes. These boxes can then be shuffled around and placed on the board. One player chooses the “prize” box, which is then placed in the middle. Then, players take turns picking a box to open, with the player on their left opening it as dramatically as they can.
Here’s the most fun part. The values of the opened boxes are typed into the electronic phone prop provided with the board game. After each round of five boxes (three in later rounds), the phone rings. You pick it up, and the banker will say the offer. Players must then decide whether to accept or decline the offer.
If you accept the offer, then you write this down as your final score for the game. The game continues until everyone has either accepted the offer, or the final box has been opened. Players can also play their ‘swap’ card at the end to swap boxes. The player with the highest value, be it from the dealer’s offer or from opening the box, wins the game.
There you have it. Three very different ways that you can play Deal Or No Deal right now.