Fortune Hunter was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from November 21, 1997 through May 11, 2000, it offered $5,000 cash and four prizes, each worth between $500 and $3,000.

Gameplay

The contestant was shown four prizes, each with a gift box beside it. One of the gift boxes contained $5,000 cash, while the other three were empty.

The host read three clues, one at a time, each instructing the contestant to eliminate one of the prizes (and its associated gift box) based on its price. Examples included: "Eliminate the prize whose first digit is 6;" and "eliminate the prize whose value is between $1,500 and $2,000."

After three boxes were eliminated, the remaining box was placed in front of the contestant to open. If it contained the $5,000 in cash, the contestant won all four prizes and the money. If the box was empty, the contestant won nothing.

Contestants were not required to eliminate the three correct prizes in the order that the clues referring to them were read. A contestant could eliminate any of the empty boxes after being read each clue, so long as they ultimately eliminated the three empty boxes, leaving the box containing the money.

½ Off, another pricing game, recycled the concept of finding a box filled with cash and includes a similarly-staged box-opening reveal.

History & Retirement

On its first playing the three eliminated boxes were placed on the floor. Beginning with the second playing, shelves were added to the backs of the podiums.

Fortune Hunter was retired because of a low win percentage, averaging only 33%. Additionally, it was lost all nine times it was played during Season 28. It was the first game to be retired in the 2000s.

The music cue used for this game debuted in 1994 on The New Price is Right. The cue and several of its variants are still used today as prize cues on the daytime show.