Two new teams, consisting of one boy and girl apiece, competed on each episode. One team wore gold uniforms and was cheered by Jackie, while the other wore red and was supported by Sammi.
Stunt rounds Three stunts/games were played on each episode. Contestants had to undertake challenges such as answering questions, finding requested items, and assembling devices, and frequently ended up covered in disgusting materials such as slime or garbage. Some stunts were races against time or to be the first to complete an objective, while in others each team took turns; in those instances, Roth tossed a giant coin to determine which team would start. Each stunt awarded 25 points to the winner; if a stunt ended in a tie, both teams scored. One stunt was played with the boys, one with the girls, and the last with both teammates working together. After each stunt, play moved back to the podium where Roth would ask a multiple-choice trivia question to the teammates who had not participated or, in the case of the team stunt, to one designated member from each team. The first contestant to buzz in and answer correctly scored 25 points; during the third season, that team also earned the right to
hit their opponents in the face with a pie.
Grand Prix race The Grand Prix race was played as the fourth and final round and involved both teams racing two laps around a track that circled the studio, trading lanes after the first lap. Two different formats were commonly used. One involved both teammates performing tasks based on the theme of the day's race, such as riding in a comically oversized vehicle while being pushed by the other teammate, and requiring the teammates to switch roles after the first lap. The other was a foot race, with each teammate taking one lap. Small challenges were usually set up around the track that each team had to complete during the run, such as gathering and carrying items, running through tires, or squirting targets with a
seltzer bottle. Roth signaled the start and finish of the race with the
green and
checkered flags used in
motor racing, respectively. In addition to completing the objectives during the race, the teams had a chance to increase their score by collecting tokens from stations alongside the track. One white token and one blue token were available at each station, worth 10 and 25 points respectively. During season two, a station called the Token Bank was added to each lane for the second lap, containing pre-packaged bundles of tokens worth up to 200 points; a team could take one bundle during this lap. Each team was given a bag to hold collected tokens, which had to be worn around the neck of the running/riding member and passed off after the first lap. Any tokens that fell on the floor became invalid and could not be picked up. In order for tokens to count toward a team's score, they had to be either in the bag or aboard the vehicle (when applicable) before the end of the race. The team that won the race received 25 points, with a tie meaning both teams got the points. The tokens were then counted, starting with the trailing team. The team with the most points after the count stopped won the game and the right to enter the Fun House, with the other team receiving consolation gifts.
The Fun House The Fun House was a large playing area that contained several rooms and obstacles for the team members to traverse, in the same manner as in the amusement park attraction of the same name. A total of 16 oversized price tags were scattered throughout the rooms. Six were red, representing different prizes, and could be hidden or visible; the other 10 were green, awarding cash amounts from $50 to $300, and were always visible. Any room containing a prize tag was marked with a placard indicating the prize. The team had two minutes to collect as many tags as possible, but only one member could be in the Fun House at any given time. After collecting three tags, he/she returned to the entrance and his/her teammate started into the Fun House. The round continued until time ran out or all 16 tags had been collected, whichever occurred first. If an obstacle malfunctioned and made progress difficult or impossible, the team was granted extra time (usually 20–30 seconds) at the end of the run. When the show moved to Fox for season three, a large
alarm clock called the Glop Clock was hidden in the Fun House. Finding it awarded a 15-second bonus, to be used once the original two minutes were up. Both teammates won all cash and prizes collected by either of them, including any that a runner was holding if time ran out while he/she was inside the Fun House. In addition, one tag was designated as the day's "Power Prize" and secretly revealed as such to the audience and home viewers before the round began. If either teammate picked up this tag, both of them won a bonus vacation trip. Prize totals on the show were usually much higher than were available on other children's game shows of the time such as
Double Dare or
Finders Keepers, the latter of which was also produced by Nickelodeon, also launched in syndication in 1988, and taped in the same studio complex as
Fun House. A team on either of those two shows could usually walk away with approximately $2,000–$3,000 in cash and prizes.
Fun House, on the other hand, offered significantly higher stakes; the prizes in the Fun House had a combined value that approached and usually exceeded $10,000, and it was not entirely uncommon to see a team walk away with over $3,000, $4,000, or even higher winnings. ==
College Mad House==