The winners of the preliminary games stand on a row of trap doors and take turns answering questions.

One incorrect answer results in the candidate being eliminated from the competition and dropped through the trap door, sliding down a chute and into a foam pit hidden beneath the stage.

Contestants earn an escalating amount of money based on the number of faces they correctly identify, as shown in the table below.

Each consecutive correct answer increases the contestant's winnings, but a miss at any time requires them to start over from zero.

All versions use longer formats (90 or 120 minutes), with 5 or 6 preliminary round games leading to two semifinals and final.