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Countdown board game

From Countdown
NewerBoardGame.jpg
1986 version
1997 version

The Countdown board game is a board game that used to be included in the goody bag for Countdown contestants. It can be purchased on the net or in some shops.

Countdown board games are often used for Countdown tournaments such as COLIN.

The game consists of the following features, which depend on the edition:

  • Letters game: Lettered cards divided into vowels and consonants.
  • Numbers game: 24 numbered cards for the available numbers. For the target, variously a three-wheel spinner, a ten-sided die or a set of digit cards. These mechanisms allow the first digit of the target to be zero, so 10% of the time the target is less than 100, meaning it should be rechosen. The digit cards have the additional caveat that not all targets are equally likely to be chosen.
  • Conundrum: Either a list of over 100 conundrums on the rules sheet from which one is randomly (at least in theory) picked, or a set of cards. At tournaments, however, people tend to make their own.
  • Timer: Either an egg timer or an electronic timer that plays the Countdown clock music.
2005 version