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Clock Game

A far more successful variant of Bullseye (1972) pitting the contestant against the clock.

Two prizes from $100 to $999 are shown. The contestant has 30 seconds to guess both of their exact prices.

The contestant bids on the first prize as fast and precisely as they can, with Bob/Drew responding “higher” or “lower” after each bid, until the contestant zeroes in on the exact price and stops the clock. Any time remaining on the clock after the first prize is won is used to bid on the second prize.

Later on in the game’s life, a contestant that wins both prizes also wins a larger prize or cash bonus.

Pictures do not do this game justice. It’s a pleasure to watch a skillful contestant zero in on the price with precision–and it can also be hilarious to see a nervous contestant break down as they misunderstand the host’s instructions. Clock Game remains a perennial favorite.

A contestant and Drew Carey engage in the Clock Game, featuring a large timer and a vibrant game show backdrop.
6th pricing game to debut
S1, September 11 1972 – Present
Likely created by Frank Wayne
Strategy
Stats
FAQ
S1, Sep 15 1972
A woman in a white suit stands next to Bob Barker in a blue jacket and striped pants, presenting a colorful clock display on a game show set.

It’s TPIR’s second week on the air, and Marcella will be playing the Clock Game! And what’s she playing for?

A woman in an orange dress stands next to a wooden breakfront cabinet and a keyboard instrument, smiling against a patterned wall.

A breakfront cabinet and an organ! She’ll have to win the breakfront first, and will play for the organ with any time remaining.

A contestant named Marcella stands next to the host, Bob, during the Clock Game segment. Bob holds a small red object while explaining the game.

Bob cautions the audience not to shout out the price of the breakfront as he peers into the price holder in his hand…

Contestant Marcella with a surprised expression, beside a large countdown clock displaying 30 seconds and the price tag reading 4.

Binary search is good, but it helps to have an idea of the price. Marcella’s opening bid is $2,500. “LOWER!” Bob responds.

Contestant in the Clock Game shows a bid of 4 as the timer approaches zero.

She quickly narrowed it to the high 300 range with about 15 seconds remaining, but is having trouble closing the deal… “$376?” “Higher.” “$377?” “Higher.” “$379?”

A contestant smiles excitedly while standing next to the host, who is holding a microphone. The backdrop features shimmering gold decorations.

She hits $384 just as the buzzer sounds, but it’s close enough that Bob awards her the breakfront cabinet anyways. “Oh, that’s okay!” Macrella responds after being told she has no time left to bid on the organ.

S1, Sep 15 1972 and S1, Sep 18 1972

Bullseye ’72 may have brought the concept to The New Price is Right, but Clock Game built upon and perfected it. In fact, Clock Game’s early playings may have literally been built upon Bullseye’s board before getting a permanent prop.

S1, Sep 18 1972
Contestant focused on the pricing game with an analog clock showing 25 seconds remaining and a price tag of 0.

Early on, the audience chanted “Higher!” and “Lower!” along with Bob after every guess. These days a page holds up a cue card saying “SHHHH!” so host and contestant can focus.

S1, Jan 25 1973
A contestant smiles excitedly while standing next to a game host in a brightly colored studio, with a large game board featuring a clock design behind them.

Rumor has it that Mark Goodson nearly had the game scrapped before its first appearance when the clock didn’t work correctly! Here the clock keeps on ticking after hitting “0”.

Dennis James S1, Oct 16 1972 (primetime syndicated)
A close-up of an orange clock face with black markings, showing the second hand pointing just past the 10-second mark.

Dennis James’ primetime Price is Right experimented with a special bonus–an extra $1,000 if the contestant could win both prizes with at least two seconds remaining.

S5, Dec 27 1976
Contestant and host in front of the Clock Game display on a game show set.

When TPIR expanded to an hour, the set got a new coat of paint, and Clock Game with it!

S12, Feb 9 1984
A blue car is displayed alongside a timer indicating 15 seconds, with the price tag reading 64.

By the mid 80’s, Clock Game’s three-digit prizes were looking a little cheap relative to the rest of the show. The reaction? Play it for four-digit prizes and give a $1,000 range, without requiring contestants to say the first digit. This practice only lasted a few years before reverting to three-digit prizes exclusively.

S15, Aug 14 1986 (Primetime)
A female contestant nervously stands with her hands clasped in front of her, while the host holds a price card, set against a colorful game show backdrop.

The 1986 primetime specials offered another bonus: a contestant who won both prizes also won some cash. Bob fans out four envelopes; Dawn can win as much as $5,000…

Contestant celebrating with arms raised next to host, holding a sign with the prize amount of 00.

Dawn has $2,000 to go with her $999 sofa and $895 color TV!

Doug Davidson S1, Oct 17 1994 (primetime syndicated)
A blonde female contestant holds a microphone and looks anxious as she participates in the Clock Game, with 12 seconds remaining on the timer and a prize valued at 4 displayed beside her.

Doug Davidson’s syndicated version attempted Clock Game without the physical game board, but it’s not the same… the game lacks a certain panache without a prop.

S27, Dec 14 1998
Contestant smiling in a white uniform stands next to the host, holding a microphone, with the prize amount of ,000 displayed prominently.

By 1998, a $1,000 bonus was permanently added. Any contestant who could win both prizes also won the loot.

S27, Feb 11 1999
A contestant in the Clock Game with a large wall clock showing around 10 seconds remaining, waving next to a display of dinnerware priced at 3.

Brian became one of the most infamous Clock Game players of all time. He has 11 seconds left to win his second prize, a set of dinnerware…

Contestant making a price guess in the Clock Game on The Price is Right, with a timer indicating time left.

His opening bid? “$89!”

Contestant smiling next to Bob Barker with a stopwatch displaying time, competing in the Clock Game, showcasing a prize tag of 3.

Bob, aghast, orders the clock stopped. “Brian, what kind of a show do you think this is? You couldn’t buy those saucers for $89!”

A contestant smiling in a gray sweatshirt stands next to a flabbergasted game show host, who gestures while speaking, in front of a colorful game show backdrop.

Brian’s final bid before time ran out? “Eighter nine hundred!”

S31, Feb 4 2003
Contestant focused on the price with a timer showing approximately 20 seconds left during the Clock Game.

On the opposite end of the curve, Golden-Road.net cofounder John Sly played the Clock Game in his appearance and won handily!

A contestant named John stands next to the host Bob Barker, both smiling and engaged in the Clock Game segment, with a colorful backdrop featuring palm trees and mountains.

“If you want to prepare yourself to play the Clock Game, play it exactly as this young man played it!”, Bob announced. John would adopt the online moniker “ClockGameJohn”.

S31, April 23 2003
A contestant and host engaged in the Clock Game segment, with a colorful game board featuring a clock design in the background.

The blue section used for chromakey shots was a little too close to the new blue turntable color, so a large yellow circle was temporarily added. Clock Game would soon be repainted to use greenscreen instead of bluescreen.

How I Met Your Mother episode “Showdown”, Apr 30 2007
Two game show hosts stand beside a large clock with 25 seconds remaining, featuring a prize value of 9.

Rather than bidding, Neil Patrick Harris’ character used his 30 seconds to show Bob his baby photos!

S36, April 4 2008 (Primetime MDS)
Cynthia and Drew Carey stand in front of the 'Clock Game' display, which features a large clock and colorful panels.

Clock Game was used as a primetime “Million Dollar Game”. If Cynthia can win both the sofa and elliptical in 10 seconds, she’ll win a bonus of $1,000,000!

A host is holding a red object near a large yellow clock displaying the time at 30 seconds, set against a colorful background.

Her first bid? “$899″… which was the sofa’s EXACT PRICE! Cynthia has 29 seconds remaining to win the elliptical, and nine seconds to become a millionaire!

A contestant participates in the Clock Game, smiling as they prepare to guess the price of a prize. A timer shows 25 seconds remaining.

“Eleven hundred… uh, ten hundred…” LOWER! “Eight… ninety nine…” HIGHER! “Nine ninety nine…”

Cynthia celebrating with Drew Carey after winning ,000,000 on a game show, surrounded by confetti.

CYNTHIA WINS A MILLION DOLLARS! What a player!

S37, Jan 6 2009
A contestant on The Price is Right playing the Clock Game, with a visible price tag of 99 and a countdown clock showing no time remaining.

Clock Game went on a six-month losing streak in Drew’s second season when it reattempted four-digit prices, which proved to be far too wordy for most players to spit out in time.

S39, Nov 9 2010
A contestant in the Clock Game holds a bidding paddle while speaking into a microphone, with a large countdown clock showing approximately 25 seconds remaining and a price tag reading 9.

The fastest known Clock Game time was set by Shannon, who hit both prizes in just four seconds!

A contestant celebrating enthusiastically during the Clock Game segment on a game show, with a bed set displayed in the background.

In exchange for phasing out four-digit prices, Clock Game began offering a larger bonus prize for winning the two smaller prizes. In addition to her $599 dining set and $999 sofa, Shannon also won a bed.

S43, Sep 26 2014
A close-up of the Clock Game display featuring a large circular timer showing 30 seconds, set against a colorful background.

After 43 years of use, Clock Game was given a new stopwatch look. No more chromakey, but the analog clock is still there. The $1,000 bonus was permanently retired in favor of a larger bonus prize.

S45, Jun 16 2017
A smiling model stands beside two backpacks, a display of water bottles, and a stand of sunglasses, promoting outdoor prizes on a game show set.

These days, the prizes in Clock Game usually follow a loose theme. For example, winning both $594 hiking equipment and $810 sunglasses awards a trip to Jackson Hole as a bonus.

Contestant focused intently on the clock during the Clock Game, with a timer showing 15 seconds left and a prize of 0 displayed.

Each slice of the 30 second pie starts lit and disappears as the second hand ticks past. Erica hit the price of the sunglasses JUST as time ran out!