We Bought a Game Show Home Game. Then Another. Then Another.
A Copy of Our Home Game is a vlog about the TV game show board games that let you bring the studio home (some better than others)— and the two people obsessed enough to play every single one.
How It All Started
It started with a thrift store find — a battered copy of TV Scrabble from 1987, still in its original box. Yes, we said TV Scrabble - a board game based on a TV show based on a board game. We paid six dollars for it.
We brought it home, set it up on the coffee table, and played it exactly the way the show intended — but without the graphics, without the music, the novelty soon lost its luster.
That video became Episode 1, some 11 years or more after we bought the game. Since then our collection has exploded, and we decided to share our love for these games with others - but with the added bonus of trying to recreate the feeling of these game shows - music, sound effects, on-screen graphics, and more.
Meet the Players
The Strategist
Chase
Chase approaches every game with the intensity of a returning champion. Former trivia night regular, lifelong game show devotee, and the one who actually reads the rules before we start playing. Usually.
Won an Xbox 360 from a giveaway on "Merv Griffin's Crosswords" - the closest he's ever been to actually being on a game show.
The Wildcard
Tyler
Tyler has enjoyed board games and game shows since a young age. His love of board games and video gaming grew into a passion for TTRPGs as well, and he's always excited to check out a new game system.
His mother made him a "Wall of Stuff" out of cardboard because growing up, his favorite game show was "What Would You Do?
Why We Do This
TV game show board games are a specific, wonderful, deeply underappreciated corner of board game history. They were designed to let regular people feel like contestants — to sit in your living room and pretend, just for an hour or so, that you were on television. We think that's worth celebrating. So we open the boxes, fire up the original music and graphics, and play them the way they were meant to be played. Every episode is a love letter to the golden age of the game show.
Play it right
We use the original rules, the original music, and the original graphics. In some cases when a game requires more players, we institute House Rules — in order to play the game as it was originally intended on television.
Preserve the history
These games are pieces of television history. We document every one we find — condition, completeness, edition — so the record exists.
Build the community
We're not the only ones who love this stuff. Every week we hear from collectors, fans, and fellow enthusiasts. That community is the best part.
Play with a Purpose
Playing games can do wonders for your mental health. We know — we have each battled with mental health struggles. Tyler is also a Stage III testicular cancer survivor, and we have both lost family and friends to various cancers.
That's why we'd like to ask you to consider donating to Stand Up To Cancer, a leader in innovative cancer research, and TakeThis, a mental health charity created especially for those in the gaming community.
Remember: It's dangerous to go alone.
Get in Touch
Have a game we should play? Found a rare copy of something on our wish list? Just want to talk game shows? We'd love to hear from you.