General Rules
The object of the game is to try to earn enough points to win the game. The winning team gets a chance to win big in the Fast Money round!
The main game consists of several rounds, each round having a question taken from a survey of 100 people. Each round starts with a face-off in which one member per team tries to guess the most popular answer on the board. Whoever can get the most popular answer has control of the board and has the option of playing the question or passing the question off to the opposing team.
Whichever team plays the question can build the bank up by revealing the answers on the board. If the team can successfully reveal all answers on the board, they are awarded with all points in the bank. An incorrect answer results in a strike. On the team’s third strike, the opposing team may steal all the points in the bank by revealing only one of the answers remaining on the board.
Each round is played the same as the first. As the game progresses, point values are doubled and tripled for the later rounds. When a family earns enough points to win the game, the fast money round begins.
Two alternating contestants play fast Money from the winning family. The first contestant has 15 seconds to try and guess the most popular answers for five questions read by the host. The second contestant has 20 seconds to guess the most popular answers for the same five questions but may not duplicate the answers given by the first contestant. The goal of fast money is to earn 200 points collectively.
More about the Face-off
The face-off, as described above, begins each round in the main game. The first contestants on both teams play the first round face-off. For the remaining rounds in the game, the next contestant in line from each team plays. When the last contestants have faced-off, the order returns to the first two contestants.
Once the question is read, both players must buzz in (by keyboard or whatever you rig up) and immediately give their answer. Control of the board is awarded to whoever gives either the number one answer or who of both players can give the most popular answer.
Note: If the point values for two answers are the same, control is awarded to the player who responds first.
More About a Round in the Main Game
The team who ends up playing the question must answer the question one team member at a time. After the face-off, the next team member in line starts out. Teammates may not help each other.
If the team is unable to reveal all the answers on the board, the question is given to the opposing team. They may work collectively to come up with an answer. The head of the team (first player) must choose an answer given by their team or may choose one of their own. If they answer correctly, they “steal” the bank and are awarded the points in the bank. If they answer incorrectly, the other team keeps the bank.
At this point, the host may call out the remaining answer numbers to reveal the unanswered responses. When finished, the host may recap the scores and call for the next players to start the face-off for the next round.
Points Required to Win and Double/Triple Points
During the original run of Family Feud, the rules for points required to win and the order of double and triple point rounds changed. Though 100% customizable with this software, it is recommended you stick with the combinations used in the original show. Some combinations included, from earliest in the run to latest:
Play to 200 Points
Single-Single-Double until end of game
Play to 300 Points
Single-Single-Single-Double-Triple until end of game
Play to 300 Points
Single-Single-Double-Double-Triple until end of game
Play to 300 Points
Single-Single-Double-Triple until end of game
Play to 400 Points
Single-Single-Single-Single-Double-Triple until end of game
Keystrokes