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The Instructor controls the flow of the game. After a team verbally chooses a question, the Instructor displays the question by clicking the button for that Category/Point Value combination, or by pressing the arrow keys to highlight the button for that Category/Point Value button and then pressing the Enter key. As the mouse passes over a button or the arrow keys are pressed, the Point Value numbers highlight.

Note: You cannot select a previously selected question.

The Instructor reads the question aloud, and waits for a team to ring in. The Ring-In Timer begins counting down.

When a team rings in, the Instructor (stops reading if not finished and) clicks the Team scoreboard or presses the Team number key (1 key for Team 1, 2 key for Team 2, etc.) to "select" the team ringing in.

Note: This is a most important step to ensure the proper team gets the points when answering correctly or deducted if answering incorrectly. The border around their scoreboard lights up and the Answer Timer (number of seconds configured in Game Setup) begins counting down. The contestant must start to answer before time runs out. If you have implemented an optional Gameshow Pro 4 Wired or Wireless Buzzer System, the first team to ring in is identified automatically, and that team's scoreboard is selected for you.

If the previous team answers incorrectly, another team can ring in to answer the question; the Instructor clicks their Team scoreboard or presses their Team number key. (Optional Gameshow Pro 3 Wired or Wireless Buzzer Systems make it possible for other teams to ring-in as well. Teams who have previously given wrong answers are automatically locked out.)

The Answer Timer resets to the starting length. When the question is answered correctly, the Instructor clicks the Correct button (under a team's score box) to give the point value of the question to that team. A team can only ring in once for a question.

After the first question of the match, the last team to correctly answer a question selects the next question (category and point value). For example, if Team 2 has control of the board and selects a question, but no team answers the question correctly, Team 2 retains control when the board resets. If Team 3 answers correctly, they choose the next question when the board resets. (This assumes that the default settings are used. It is also possible to have teams take turns to select and then answer questions.)

Game play normally proceeds in this manner with the last team to answer correctly choosing the next question. Alternatively, you may click a team's scoreboard before selecting a question to adjust whose turn it is. This enables you to select the team that may choose the next question.

The game is over when all questions are answered, the preset match time runs out, or when you select Jump Within Game to the Final Question in the Game Menu.

Note: To exit the game, move the pointer to the top of the screen to display the Game Setup dialog box, and select Quit Program.

The team with the most points after all questions are answered is the winner! That's how the game is played. The following pages walk you through the steps to start the game. Good Luck!

To play the sample game, click on the sample game either on the Library Games screen or select the game in Tree View and click on the Play Game shortcut.



After clicking the Play Game button, you are given the option of starting the game from various points in the game sequence:



In our example, we'll start with the Pre-Game activities at the very beginning. This displays an opening (mostly blank) screen with a start button in the bottom right hand corner. (If you selected to Show Prompts for Keyboard Navigation, you will see keyboard prompts on the bottom of the screen as well.)



To continue, press the Space Bar or click the Proceed button (a right-pointing triangle):

() in the lower right hand corner of the screen.

Note: If you did not set Keyboard Navigation option to Show Prompts or Display Prompts When Needed, no prompts are displayed and only the start button is displayed. For more information, see "Keyboard Navigation" in Part VI.

To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button in the lower righthand corner of the screen. This will show the Game Instructions.
The Team Names defined in Team Setup are displayed next. To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button at the bottom righthand corner of the screen.


Suggestion: This is an excellent time to introduce all the players to each other before starting the match!

Note: You can edit Team Names on-the-fly and set/reset scores at the beginning of a game by activating the Game Setup dialog box and using the Edit Names and Edit Scores options.

Place the cursor in the field(s) for the team name you wish to change and enter the new name(s). When finished editing team names, click the Enter button next to that field, then click outside the Game Setup screen to return to the game.

Teams' scores can be modified using the same procedure. Place the cursor in the Edit Scores field for the desired team and enter the adjusted score. Click the Enter button next to that field, then click outside the Game Setup screen to return to the game.



The Match 1 screen is displayed. To continue, press the Space Bar, or click the Proceed button.



By default, Gameshow Pro 4 randomly chooses a team to start the match. The starting team is underlined in red. If you want to select the team that goes first, click that team's name in the scoreboard area. That team's name will now be underlined in red.

Use the mouse to click and select a question. The question is displayed and the Instructor reads it aloud.

Note: If a question has a sound file associated with it, and if you have selected Include Sound Play button (when editing the question), you may click the sound icon to (re)play the sound.

If a question has a video associated with it, use the video control buttons below the movie display area to start, stop, advance, or rewind the video clip.

The Ring-In Timer is displayed at the bottom of the screen as a colored bar; it starts automatically and gets shorter as the timer counts down.

After a team rings in, the Instructor "selects" that team by clicking their team scoreboard (Team 1, Team 2, etc.) on the screen, or by pressing their team number key on the keyboard. If you have implemented an optional Gameshow Pro 4 Wired or Wireless Buzzer System, the first team to ring in is identified automatically, and that team's scoreboard is selected for you. Then the Answer Timer begins counting down.



If a team answers the question incorrectly, the Instructor should click the Incorrect (slash) button on the right or press the minus (-) key to deduct the Point Value of the question from that team. Another team can now ring in; the Instructor then clicks their team scoreboard or presses their team number key. Optional Gameshow Pro 4 Wired or Wireless Buzzer Systems make it possible for other teams to ring-in as well. Teams who have previously given wrong answers are automatically locked out.

For correct answers, the Instructor should click the Correct (check mark) button on the left or press the plus (+) key. The answer is displayed, and points are automatically given to that team. The Correct and Incorrect buttons are not available when the answer is displayed.

If no one answers correctly and the Ring-In Timer expires, the Instructor has the option of displaying the answer by clicking the Answer button or allowing another team to ring in.   The Instructor can also click the Info button to provide additional information (if defined) about a question.       The Instructor also has the choice when building questions to include a Hint button which provides teams with a "hint" to help correctly answer the question if needed.   The Proceed button, to the right of the question, returns to the puzzle board.

   
Note: Multiple Choice (multi-answer) questions play slightly differently. The Instructor selects the team that rang in first and listens to that team's answer. The Instructor can either mark the answer as wrong using the Wrong button below the team's scoreboard (as discussed above) OR the Instructor can click the letter next to the answer the team selects. If it is the wrong answer, that team's score is reduced by the Point Value of the question, and the timer bar is activated for other teams to ring in. Right answers display in yellow type.