Rules

DISCLAIMER: This net game is based upon the TV series "Chain Reaction", created by Bob Stewart.  This net game combines elements of the first revival of the series that aired on the USA Network in America and the Global Television Network in Canada - with some elements from the original series and its unaired pilot episode.  As always, no challenge to ownership is implied.


IMPORTANT NOTE TO PLAYERS: As with other net game shows, you are not playing for real money and/or prizes. This is for entertainment purposes only.

OBJECT: Accumulate money by identifying words that fit, and somehow relate to each other, in a seven-link chain.

SAMPLE CHAIN: In the main game of, players race to complete a chain filled with words. A round of play begins with the host spotting the players the first and seventh links in the chain.  For example...










...connect the word "earthquake" to the word "dinner".  The words in the remaining five links might look like this.









An earthquake is a type of disaster.  A famous disaster involved the RMS Titanic.  The Titanic hit an iceberg.  An iceberg is cold.  You could quit smoking or another bad habit by going "cold turkey".  And at Thanksgiving, you could enjoy a turkey dinner.


When the game begins, the challenger makes the first move and is in control of the board.  From that moment forward, the player who correctly identifies a link in the chain maintains control.  (In case there's no returning champion, a determination from random.org will declare a designated challenger and designated champion.)

The controlling player nominates who will guess a link in the change - by giving the letter to his/her opponent or taking the letter for himself/herself.  In the same move, the player must ask for the first or next letter in the link below the uppermost revealed link - or the first or next letter in the link above the lowermost revealed link.

When a letter is revealed, the nominated player has a chance to guess the word or words in the link.  A correct answer pays the value of the link.  An incorrect guess means control passes to the opponent.

In the event an unrevealed link has one letter left in it and a player gives or takes that letter, an asterisk or star will appear instead of that letter, the host will indicate that asterisk "hides" the last letter in the link and the nominated player has a chance to guess.  If each player has been nominated at least once to complete that link and the link has not been identified correctly, the host will reveal the link, no money is awarded and play proceeds from there.

ROUND 1: Every link in the chain is worth $250 with an extra $250 awarded to the player who correctly identifies the one remaining link in the chain - and thus "completes the chain".  (To clarify, completing the chain nets a total of $500.)

ROUND 2: The value of every link is augmented to $500 with an extra $500 awarded to the player who completes the chain.  In addition, the fourth link in the chain is the money link.  The player who correctly identifies the money link is awarded $500 for every letter in the link; this money from the money link does not apply to the score of the game.

ROUND 3:  Same as Round 1 - except that the links are worth $750 each with another $750 awarded for completion of the chain.  The first player to reach $5000, whether or not the Round 3 chain is complete by then, wins the game.

ROUND 4 AND FURTHER ROUNDS:  If no one reaches $5000 by the end of Round 3, the values increase by $250 per round.  In Round 4, each link is worth $1000 with an additional $1000 awarded for completion of the chain. In Round 5, the values increase to $1250 per link and completion and so forth.


BONUS ROUND: The winner of the game becomes champion and plays a three-link chain to determine the potential payoff of the bonus round.  For this three-link chain, the host will reveal the top and bottom links as well as the initial letter of the center, or missing, link.  A correct guess with just the first letter in the missing link exposed deposits four pennies in the bank.  For each additional letter needed, one penny is taken away with the guarantee one penny will be placed in the bank.

After at least one penny is placed in the bank, a new seven-link chain is placed on the board.  This time, the host will reveal only the top link and the initial letter of the remaining six links.  The host will also give the champion seven free letters to use as necessary.

Starting at the top and working his/her way down the chain, each time the player correct identifies a link in the chain, the money in the bank is multiplied by ten.  In the event of a wrong guess, it will cost the champion a free letter - as the next letter in the link is exposed.

In the event the champion earned four cents in the opening three-link chain to the bonus round, the winnings can be multiplied based on this money chain.










It's important to note a correct answer is required to multiply winnings.  In the event the champion spends a free letter in the link and the free letter happens to be the last letter in the link, the host will indicate same, the link is revealed in full and money is not multiplied.

The bonus round ends when the champion correctly identifies the seventh and final link in the chain, the champion runs out of free letters and later makes an incorrect guess -- or the champion spend a free letter that completes the seventh link.  At the end of the bonus round, the player collects all the money in the bank and defends his/her championship in the next game.


MISC RULES: It is possible that more than one word will be in a link in the chain.  If more than one word is in the link, the words will be separated by a blank space.

If a player asks for a letter below or above a certain link without including an indication of giving that letter away or taking it for himself/herself, the host will have to assume it's a take.

A guess from a player must be spelled correctly in order to count as a correct solution.

In the event the player guesses a singular word and the link in the chain is in plural form, the player will be credited with a correct answer.  The same can be said vice versa.  (For example, if the link in the chain is "children" and the player guesses "child", the player will be correct. If the link is "toy" and the player guesses "toys", the player will be correct.)

If a player guesses a longer form of the word and the link in the chain is shorter, the player will be credited with a correct answer.  (For example, if the link in the chain is "operate" and the player guesses "operation", the player will be correct.)

If the player guesses any other form of the word or words in the chain and the guess is considered close but close enough, a cuckoo bird will sound and the player will be given one more chance to guess the link correctly.  (Reversing the previous example, if the link in the chain is "operation" and the player guesses "operate", the cuckoo bird sounds and the player will be given one more chance to come up with "operation".  In addition, if the link in the chain is "Mother's Day" and the player simply guesses "mother", the cuckoo bird sounds and the player will be given one more chance to come up with "Mother's Day".)

If the word "photograph" is guessed and the link is actually "picture", the player will be ruled incorrect -- even though the words could be synonymous.

Should a player miss a deadline to guess a link in the chain, it counts as a wrong guess; as a result, a buzzer will sound and control passes to his/her opponent.  Should a player miss a deadline to nominate a player and give/take a letter above or below a particular link, the host will then reveal the first/next letters in the uppermost and lowermost unrevealed links, while indicating an asterisk when necessary, and then offers the opposing player a chance to guess either the uppermost or lowermost unrevealed link.  In the event of multiple missed deadlines, the host reserves the right to replace that player with a new one.

In seven- and three-link chains, the top and/or bottom links may include characters that are not letters of the alphabet (such as numbers, apostrophes, periods, ampersands, question marks, exclamation points, etc.).  Further, wording in the top and/or bottom links may have to be abbreviated; when that happens, the host will clarify what that link should read.  (For example, if "Arnold S." appeared on the board, the host will clarify that link is supposed to read "Arnold Schwarzenegger".)  The same could happen for the top link in the bonus round's chain.  The "playable links" (second through sixth links in the main game, second through seventh links in the bonus round, missing link of a three-link chain) will only have letters and, as noted earlier, blank spaces in case a link has two or more words in said link.

Should a player win three consecutive games, (s)he wins a bonus prize of a vacation.  The next victory, for a total of four straight game wins, awards an extra $40,000.  The fifth and final victory means the champ retires undefeated and wins a new car.

Should a runner-up finish with less than $2500 in total winnings, including bonus money from Round 2, we'll augment the total to $2500.

I know this was long -- but once we play, it'll all make sense. For further details, please message the host at dougmorrisontheair at Net Game Central.