Genius Game
| Genius Game | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Reality competition |
| Based on | The Genius |
| Presented by | David Tennant |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 46–58 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Remarkable Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 30 April 2025 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Genius (TV series) |
| External links | |
| [{{#property:P856}} Website] | |
Search Genius Game on Amazon.
Genius Game is a British reality competition television series based on the South Korean television show The Genius. It premiered in 2025 on ITV and is hosted by David Tennant, who portrays "The Creator". The show features contestants competing in various strategic challenges that test their mental agility and social skills. Participants are eliminated through head-to-head matches until one remains, earning the title of "The Genius" and a cash prize.
Format
Eleven contestants compete in a series of mental challenges. Most episodes feature a Main Match or a Death Match.
- Main Match: All players participate in the Main Match, which varies in format and win conditions. Winners typically receive a Token of Life, granting immunity from the episode's Death Match. A sole winner may receive an additional Token to give to another player. The loser of the Main Match usually[lower-alpha 1] competes in the Death Match. If multiple players lose, the winner(s) select the Death Match candidate from among them.
- Death Match: Typically[lower-alpha 2] a one-on-one game where the Main Match loser nominates a non-immune player to compete. The winner remains and acquires the loser's Garnets.
- Garnets: Functioning as the show's in-game currency, Garnets can be used to purchase advantages or influence other players' decisions. Each player starts with one Garnet, and more can be earned by winning matches. Garnets are worth £1,000 and comprise the winner's prize fund.
Finale: The final two players compete in a best-of-three Final Match. The first to win two challenges is declared the winner. Eliminated players return to support a finalist and provide a randomly selected advantage.
Contestants
The contestants for the first series were revealed on 14 April 2025.[1]
| Name | Age | Occupation | Residence | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Cheng | 35 | Comedian and Poker player | London | Winner |
| Charlotte Yeung | 23 | Student | London | Runner Up |
| Kishan Bodalia | 29 | DJ and Doctor | Birmingham | Eliminated (Episode 7) |
| Benjamin Everly | 36 | Associate professor | Brighton | |
| Bex Kellett | 37 | Managing director | Huddersfield | |
| Alison Bruce | 57 | Author | East of England | Eliminated (Episode 6) |
| India "Indie" Loader | 21 | Student | Salisbury | Eliminated (Episode 5) |
| Amanfi Aggrey | 23 | Business Graduate | London | Eliminated (Episode 4) |
| Bhasha Mukherjee | 28 | Doctor | London | Eliminated (Episode 3) |
| Scott Sweeney | 30 | Forensic Scientist | Tanworth | Eliminated (Episode 2) |
| Paul Linton | 58 | Sales Director | Newcastle | Eliminated (Episode 1) |
Game summary
| Episode | Winner(s) | Awarded Immunity |
Death Match Players | Death Match | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Airdate | Main Match | MM Loser | Challenged | Game | Winner | Eliminated | |||
| 1 | 30 April 2025 | Gold Heist | Charlotte | Scott | Paul | Bhasha | Same or Different | Bhasha | Paul | |
| 2 | 1 May 2025 | Zombie Game | Benjamin, Bex, Bhasha, Indie | - | Scott | Alison | Hidden Noughts & Crosses | Alison | Scott | |
| 3 | 7 May 2025 | Code Breakers | Benjamin | Bodalia | Ken | Bhasha | Poker Face | Ken | Bhasha | |
| 4 | 14 May 2025 | Lights Off | Indie | Bex | Bodalia | Amanfi | Tactical Rock Paper Scissors | Bodalia | Amanfi | |
| 5 | 21 May 2025 | Safari Race | Bodalia | Bex | Indie | Alison | Black and White | Alison | Indie | |
| 6 | 28 May 2025 | Diamond Dilemma | Bex | Bodalia | Benjamin | Alison | Picture Hunt | Benjamin | Alison | |
| 7 | 4 June 2025 | Media Moguls | N/A | Bex | ||||||
| Ken | - | Benjamin, Bodalia, Charlotte | Dice Deception | Charlotte | Benjamin | |||||
| Bodalia | ||||||||||
| 8 | 11 June 2025 | Final Match | Round 1 | Winner | Round 2 | Winner | Round 3 | Winner | Runner-Up | Genius Champion |
| Same or Different | Ken | Golden Triangle | Ken | N/A | N/A | Charlotte | Ken | |||
Note: Episode 8 featured a best-of-three match between the two finalists.
Elimination Chart
| Ranking | Contestants | Episode | MM WIN |
DM IMM |
DM WIN | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ken | IN | IN | DM | IN | IN | IN | WIN | WIN | WINNER | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2 | Charlotte | WIN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | DM | LOSS | RUNNER UP | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 3 | Benjamin | IN | WIN | WIN | IN | IN | DM | ELIM | 2 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 3 | Bodalia | IN | IN | IMM | DM | WIN | IMM | ELIM | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
| 5 | Bex | IN | WIN | IN | IMM | IMM | WIN | ELIM | 2 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 6 | Alison | IN | DM | IN | IN | DM | ELIM | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| 7 | Indie | IN | WIN | IN | WIN | ELIM | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 8 | Amanfi | IN | IN | IN | ELIM | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | Bhasha | DM | WIN | ELIM | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 10 | Scott | IMM | ELIM | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 11 | Paul | ELIM | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Garnets | 15 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 32 | 34 | 39 | 44 | ||||||
Key:
- The contestant won the main match.
- The contestant was selected by the winner of the main match for immunity.
- The contestant won the death match.
- The contestant lost the death match and was eliminated.
- The finalist lost a death match in the final.
Gameplay
Main Matches
Episode 1: Gold Heist (11 contestants)
Three vaults contain items: one with five bags worth one million pounds each, one with three gold bars worth three million pounds each, and one with a crown worth 10 million pounds. Over four rounds, contestants may take one item from any vault or abstain. Each contestant has one tip-off to name another contestant and their intended vault. A successful tip-off sends the named contestant to jail for one round. If multiple contestants attempt to take the same item, all involved go to jail. The contestant with the most money after four rounds wins; the one with the least becomes the Death Match candidate.
Episode 2: Zombie Game (10 contestants)
Two randomly selected contestants begin as zombies, aware of their own status but not others'. Over three 20-minute rounds, players must "touch" each other by placing hands on a light together. Human-human touches score points; zombie-human touches turn the human into a zombie. Players cannot touch the same person more than once per round and must touch someone or become a zombie. After each round, the number of humans and zombies is revealed. Each player starts with an antidote to cure zombie touch within 10 minutes; additional antidotes cost 1 garnet. Zombies win if they convert all humans, earning a Token of Life and three garnets each, and select the Death Match candidate. Surviving humans win based on points; the lowest-scoring human becomes the Death Match candidate.
Episode 3: Codebreakers (9 contestants)
Players attempt to reveal a ten-letter word over four rounds. One player is an undercover agent aiming to prevent the code from being solved. Codebreakers guess letters and positions, earning points for correct letters. The undercover agent knows all clues initially. Additional clues can be purchased with garnets. If the code is unsolved, the undercover agent wins; otherwise, the lowest-scoring codebreaker becomes the Death Match candidate.
Episode 4: Lights Off (8 contestants)
Players have briefcases with six cubes. To win, they must collect six cubes of the same color and lock in. Colors include red, green, blue, purple, yellow (worth three garnets), white (worth five garnets), and one black cube. The holder of the black cube at the end becomes the Death Match candidate. Players can swap cubes but not with the same player more than once per round. Each player has one padlock to use once, preventing a player from swapping for one round.
Episode 5: Safari Race (7 contestants)
Play occurs on a 6-lane, 13-space track with each lane featuring an animal. Players receive animal tokens and support some by placing others in a box. Each turn, players draw four tokens and place them in boxes labeled 1–3. The animal with the highest unique count in a box moves corresponding spaces. When an animal finishes, the top three animals award points (3, 2, 1) to players supporting them. The highest score wins; the lowest becomes the Death Match candidate.
Episode 6: Diamond Race (6 contestants)
Players are split into two teams with ten diamonds each. Teams score points by using more diamonds than the opponent in a round. Only the losing team's diamond use is revealed. The first team to three wins. The player with the most diamonds wins; the losing team's player with the fewest diamonds becomes the Death Match candidate. Diamonds convert to garnets 1:1 for winners only.
Episode 7: Media Moguls (5 contestants)
Players invest £100,000 across four companies over four rounds. Allocating the most money to a company earns one point, with bonus points for multiple leads. The lowest allocator per company is barred from future investments. Players must maintain at least £1. The highest points win, with tie-breakers including remaining money and garnets. Last place is eliminated; others enter the Death Match.
Death Match
Episode 1 (Final): Same or Different
Players identify sets of three cards where features (shape, shape color, background color) are all identical or all different. Correct "Set!" calls score a point; errors lose a point. "Complete!" ends the round if no sets remain, scoring 3 points; incorrect calls lose a point. The most points after 5 rounds wins. Based on Gyul! Hap! from the Korean version.
Episode 2 (Final): Hidden Noughts and Crosses
Players memorize a 6x6 grid of noughts and crosses discs in white or gold. The Death Match candidate chooses noughts or crosses. Players take turns revealing or swapping discs to form a line of three in their symbol and color. Correct lines score 3 points and lock discs; errors lose 1 point. First to 10 points wins.
Episode 3 (Final): Poker Face
Players use cards numbered 1–10, placing them on their foreheads. They bet tokens based on the opponent's card. The higher card wins the bet. Folding forfeits tokens, with a penalty for folding with a 10. Losing all tokens results in elimination.
Episode 4 (Final): Tactical Rock Paper Scissors
Players have ten cards: default rock, paper, scissors, and seven from other contestants. During 30 minutes, candidates lobby others for favorable cards. Each round, players select a card; the winning symbol scores a point. First to 5 points wins.
Notes
References
- ↑ "Genius Game: Meet the Players Taking on ITV's New Reality Competition With David Tennant". TV Zone. April 14, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
External links
Template:The Genius (TV series)
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