Password/Merchandise

Welcome to the Password/Merchandise page.

These are the many products/merchandise/goods that were brought to us due to the success of Password.

Home Versions

Milton Bradley Era (1962-1986)

Regular Password

All of the games contained the same basic components; a set of double-sided game cards (12 in the First Edition, 18 in each other edition), "leatherette" plastic card wallets, a point "wheel" to track the point value on each word and a score pad. Unlike the show (played to 25 points), five words were played in each game, with the fifth word played for double points and the overall high score winning the game. Each card had four "full" five-word games (two games on each side).

This first edition came with either this more generic "As seen on TV" logo...

...or the more specific "As seen on CBS Television" logo on the box top. Both had the same contents and little information is available as to which (if either) might have been more commonly available.

2nd Edition, aka "Volume Two", the first with the larger cartoon group playing the game on the top. MB would use "Volume" Numbers instead of Numbered "Editions" up to the tenth home game.

3rd Edition, aka "Volume Three".

4th Edition, aka "Volume Four".

5th Edition, aka "Volume Five".

6th Edition, aka "Volume Six", the first with the "filigree arrow & starburst" design used for the next four home games.

7th Edition, aka "Volume Seven".

8th Edition, aka "Volume Eight".

9th Edition, aka "Volume Nine". The word "NEW" moved from being used next to the game title to inside of the starburst.

10th Edition, aka "Volume Ten", using a unique three-toned box top design.

11th Edition, using a modified version of the 10th Edition box top design.

12th Edition.

14th Edition, using a totally unique box top design and the first to use the numbered ordinal instead of having it spelled out. As explained below, there was no 13th Edition.

15th Edition, going back to the box top layout used for the 10th-12th Editions and the spelled-out ordinal.

16th Edition.

17th Edition, again modifying the tri-color design and going back to the numeric ordinal. This latter alteration would hold through the remaining home editions.

18th Edition, using a totally new box top design and title logo, both of which would continue to the end of the run of home games.

19th Edition.

20th Edition.

21st Edition.

Starting with this 22nd Edition, a deck of "Lightning Round" cards was included, similarly to the "Fine/Collector's Edition" games. The overall box was made larger to accommodate the extra cards.

23rd Edition.

24th Edition.

The 25th and final "Silver Anniversary" MB edition, featuring "(a) collection of the best Passwords" from the previous 24 (in fact, 23) editions. Although the box doesn't specify it, like the 22nd-24th Editions, this also came with a deck of "Lightning Round" cards.

All 25...well, actually 24...standard MB Editions of Password. This was due to MB's supposed phobia of releasing 13th editions of their home games (they did the same with the multiple releases of their JEOPARDY! and CONCENTRATION home games).

Fine/Collectors Editions (1963)

This was the "Fine Edition" of PASSWORD. It came in a larger cardboard box than the regular games.

It included more game cards than a standard game, a "leatherette" point wheel and either white (seen here) or woodgrain-style (also used in the "Collectors Edition") card wallets. It also included a deck of "Lightning Round" Bonus Game cards and a 60-second sand timer with which to play the bonus.

A similar "Collectors Edition" was released about the same time as the "Fine Edition". It featured a fancier snap-close leatherette box.

It featured much the same components as the "Fine Edition", although the game cards and "Lightning Round" cards had different words (presumably so MB could sell BOTH versions to consumers and not get complaints that they had bought the same game twice).

Password Plus (1979-1981)

All three editions had much the same components: The main game board (which matched the colors of that edition's game box), one card wallet (shared by each round's clue givers), a deck of small game cards (containing the puzzles and the list of ALPHABETICS words for each game), a deck of game board cards (a matching card for each small game card), a 60-second sand timer (used for ALPHABETICS) and the standard pack of MB play money. The game rules were altered in that only three puzzles were played per game at $100 each (the show could have 4 or more puzzles per round, depending on the rule changes) with the team who won the most money playing ALPHABETICS.

1st Edition Game Box

2nd Edition Game Box

3rd Edition Game Box

Educational Password (1962-1963, 1978)

This game was marketed mostly to schools, and featured similar gameplay to the standard home game. A classroom was split into two teams, and the "Teacher" was clue giver for both teams. In addition, each Password also had three pre-selected Clue Words that the Teacher could use in addition to making up their own Clue Words. Otherwise, gameplay was much like that of the standard home games, and rules were included for two- or three-player games as well. The rules suggest using the Clue Words as Passwords in future games to extend its usefulness due to the limited number of total games included.

The components of the game, similar in all three editions (in fact, the words were the same in all three editions); a large "decoder wheel", "game wheel" cards and a score pad. Each game wheel contained six full games (three per side) of five words each. Only five such game wheels were included in each set, for a maximum of 150 passwords and 30 total games.

Original 1962 release.

2nd Release Box from 1963.

3rd Release Box from 1978.

NOTE: A copy of the Password game can be seen in a scene from the 1995 film Jumanji. Other vintage board games are shown in that scene.

Endless Games/Goliath Era (1997-2013; 2019; 2022-23)

The Endless Games versions of Password preserve the contents of the Milton Bradley Editions (except the first 2 editions, which use a "point scale" printed on the game box and a clip to attach to said scale to track the reducing point value; by the 3rd edition, the "point dial" spinner was restored to the games). A total of eleven editions were made by Endless Games between 1997 and 2012 including Password Junior, two editions of Million Dollar Password (featuring host Regis Philbin on the cover, with one "exclusive" Target variant of the first edition being released with 60% more game cards) and Password 50th Anniversary Edition (featuring photos of Allen Ludden and Betty White). In 2019, Endless Games revived Password and used the classic 60's logo design. A Deluxe Edition was also released at the same time as a Barnes and Noble exclusive which features 2,000 words (twice as many as the regular edition). Goliath re-released the 2019 game in 2022-23 after they bought out Endless Games.

7th edition with Lightning Round card game .

Cardinal Era (2017)

NOTE: This was exclusively at Target stores.

Electronic Versions

Milton Bradley (1981)

Based on the 1979 version called Password Plus, it was used for its short-lived Omni Entertainment System.

Taken from the instruction booklet, gameplay was significantly different from the TV game show. Each game consists of three Password Puzzles. At the start of each round, Omni gives you the puzzle category which consists of 3 Passwords. Up to 3 clues will be given one at a time for each Password. Whoever knows the Password can type it in and is recorded by Omni and the player who guesses the Password correctly scores either 3 points on the first clue, 2 points on the second clue or 1 point on the third clue and gets a shot at the puzzle. The player solving the Password Puzzle scores either 15 point with the first Password, 10 points on the second Password or 5 points either with the third Password or the Last Chance to Solve. If the Puzzle has not been solved after the third Password, Omni then gives all the players one last chance at solving the Puzzle. Once the first Puzzle has been revealed, then a new Password Puzzle is played. The player with the most points at the end of the third Puzzle wins the game.

Tiger Electronics (2000)

A handheld game based on the 1984 version was released by Tiger in 2000.

Irwin Toys/iToys (2008)

Two handheld games, one based on the 1971-74 version and the other based on the "short-lived" 2008 version were released. (some internet sites had a picture of the prototype version with a picture of host Allen Ludden on the cover that did not get released.)

"Classic" Password handheld

"Million Dollar" Password handheld

Computer Versions

GameTek (1988)

A computer game, based on the 1984 version, was released for the Apple II, Commodore 64/128 and IBM-PC computer systems by GameTek in 1988. Play was similar to the show, with the Ca$hword jackpot starting at $1,000, but the Super Password/End Game jackpot just being a flat $10,000 everytime.

Encore (2009)

A PC CD-ROM game based on the short-lived 2008 version was released by Encore in 2009.

Slot Machine Version

WMS Gaming (2003)

A video slot machine based on the 1971 version was released by WMS Gamingin 2003, featuring simulated caricatures of Rose Marie, Dawn Wells, Adam West, and Marty Allen with a simulated caricature of Allen Ludden as your host.

Mobile Versions

RealArcade (2008)

A published iPhoneOS game based on the short-lived 2008 version, it was also released on some other mobile devices as well.

Interactive Online versions

GSN once had their own interactive games based on Password Plus and Super Password where you can play along with the show.

Uproar.com once had a single-player online version where instead of just one partner every time, you were allowed to play along with lots of other people in a party atmosphere. However, as of September 30, 2006, the website was shut down offering no game show-based online games of any kind.

DVD Versions

Endless Games (2006)

A DVD game based on the 1971 version was released by Endless Gamesin 2006.

BCI (2008)

A box set of 30 episodes on three discs and a box set of 32 episodes on four discs covering the original 1961 version were released by BCI in 2008.

Book

An autobiography titled The Life and (Wife) of Allen Ludden, authored by Adam Nedeff, was released in hardcover and paperback in September 2017 by BearManor Media.

Novelty Item

Andrews McMeel (2010)

Andrews McMeel published a day-to-day calendar with Regis Philbin on its box cover in 2010.

Cancelled Versions

The Great Game Company (1983)

Video games based on the 1979 version (Password Plus) were going to be released for the Atari 2600, ColecoVision and Mattel's Intellivision by The Great Game Company in 1983; However, due to the video game crash of 1983, the idea was scrapped and no home ports were made.

Coleco (1984)

A computer game based on the 1979 version (Password Plus) was going to be released for the Coleco ADAM by Coleco in 1984, but it ended up getting cancelled.

Milton Bradley (1986)

A board game based on the 1984 version (Super Password) was going to be released by Milton Bradley in 1986, but the game ended up getting cancelled.

GameTek (1988-89)

Video games based on the 1984 version in "Regular" and "Talking" editions were going to be released for the NES by GameTek between 1988 and 1989 but were later scrapped in development. The photo on the regular edition box shows a game in progress (in particular, from the Super Password All-Star Special, featuring celebrities playing for charity), while the "Talking" edition, like the releases, shows an empty set.

Sierra (2001)

A CD-Rom version of Password for the PC was going to be released by Sierra Software in 2001, but the game was never made or released.

Telescope, Inc. (2005)

A mobile gamewas going to be released at the time; they even had a logo based on the 1971-74 era on their website. However, the game was neither made nor released.

Endless Games (2008, 2009)

After the release of the 2006 DVD game, there was going to be a DVD game based on Million Dollar Password, that was supposed to be released in 2009 (but never was), if you can see it in the background.

A 2008 Quick Picks travel edition of Password & Password Junior was promoted in their 2008 catalogue but was never released.

UbiSoft (2012)

Video game versions of Password, using the formats of the 1961, 1971, 1975, 1979, 1984 and 2008 versions, were planned for the Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3 and XBox 360 by UbiSoft in 2012, but the project was cancelled and never got off the ground.

Links

Blog about the Password board game (Milton Bradley version)
Under page 6
Description about the Password slot machine @ WMS Gaming
VirtualApple.org: Super Password for the Apple II
Android Password Game (Password-Up)
Android Password Game (Password-Up Lite)