Safe Crackers

Safe Crackers is a game where the contestant has to find the right combination of a giant safe to win. The game is played for two prizes - one worth between $120 and $980, the other worth more than $2,000. Occasionally a car is offered as the larger prize (usually when this happens, it's one of three pricing games played for a car on the show), or, on one occasion during Season 44's Big Money Week on October 13, 2015 (#7242K, aired out of order on October 16, originally rescheduled to air on October 14), a cash prize of $10,000.

Gameplay[]

The contestant is shown two prizes, both of which are locked inside a giant safe. The three-digit price of the smaller item represents the combination of the safe. The digits in the price of the smaller prize are shown on each of three dials; each digit appears only once in the price. The contestant must set the dials to the price of the three-digit prize to open the safe and win both prizes.

History[]

Early in the game's history, the game often had a full six possible combinations for the three-digit item's price. Since the mid-1980s, however, the three-digit price has virtually always ended in zero, making the game an either-or proposition of choosing the first two numbers if the contestant is aware of this fact. At the very least, if the combination contains a zero, there are only four possible combinations, since zero cannot be the first digit in a price.
While she was on the show, Dian Parkinson was always the model who would open the safe to show the prize and close the safe after its prize package was presented. According to Bob on one episode, this is because he thought she was the strongest of the three.
On December 8, 1981 (#4302D), the Open sign lit up instead of the Lock sign but quickly changed, as the price of the barbecue was $584 and contestant Janice guessed $548.
From the game's introduction, the game's signature tune was "The Pink Panther Theme", composed by Henry Mancini. Due to the licensing costs, it has since been replaced by two different sets of stock music, in both cases being carried over from syndicated nighttime versions. The first of these stock cues was first used on the 1985-86 nighttime version with Tom Kennedy before carrying over to the daytime show by January 31, 1992 (#8285D). The game's current think cue was originally used on the version with Doug Davidson before its daytime debut on April 27, 1995 (#9564D). (The Australian and German versions were still using "The Pink Panther Theme" by this time, though.)
In addition to the initial use of the daytime show's current think cue, the Doug Davidson version also staged the game differently. The safe only contained the main prize while the smaller prize whose price was used for the combination of the safe was placed outside the safe and talked about after the safe was locked.
On October 18, 1985 (#5845D), the set was altered to its current appearance, with the addition of grey edges and a flashing green logo. The “OPEN” sign also has two flashing green squares instead of chase lights.
While Bob Barker only revealed the marker if the contestant lost, Drew Carey will remove the correct price marker from the envelope regardless if the contestant won or lost As a running gag, Drew will also thrust the price marker into the camera. Originally, if the game was lost, one of the models dialed the correct digits and opened the safe.
On December 18, 2007 (#4162K), February 17, 2017 (#7815K), January 20, 2022 (#9684K), November 7, 2023 (#0362L), and February 8, 2024 (#0484L), the losing horns were played.
On the The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular on February 29, 2008 (#025SP, aired out of order on April 11), Safe Crackers was featured as the Million Dollar Game. After the main prize (a car) was won in addition to the 3-digit prize, the contestant could risk the prizes won to play for $1 million. The setup had 5 dials at the price of the car, with the possibility of repeating numbers (which there were). Contestant Domus Go opted not to play for the million and kept the prizes he already won.
On October 13, 2015 (#7242K, aired out of order on October 16, originally rescheduled to air on October 14), during Price's Big Money Week, a cash prize of $10,000 was offered as the larger prize and it was won.
This game has been on hiatus since December 12, 2024 (#0804L) after the show stopped taping in June 2024 and resumed in October 2024, because the prop is cumbersome to transport from the warehouse to Haven Studios. It is unclear how frequently it will be played in the future.

Trivia[]

The one prize that is less than $1,000 cannot have any repeating numbers, but the grand prize can have some repeating numbers.
The most number of times this game was played in any season was 49 (season 7), while the least number of times this game was played in any season was 7 (season 48 and 49).
The safe's locking mechanism is a rod inserted into a clip on the door. A backstage stagehand removes the rod if the safe is cracked. The only purpose of spinning the safe's wheel is to give the stagehand additional time to remove the rod and duck away. Occasionally, Bob would have the contestant spin the wheel back and forth several times before opening the safe; this could likely have been done just to buy extra time for the stagehands.
Mathematically, there are 6 possible combinations for the three digits. However, one of the numbers is always a 0, and so since the first number cannot be a 0, and the 0 is always used for the last number, there are only 2 of those combinations that are likely to be used.
During the 1970s and 1980s, a foghorn sounded if the safe remained locked. It was changed to a buzzer in the 1990s.
There was an unsold game show pilot in 1975 also called Safecrackers hosted by Geoff Edwards.
Safe Crackers is one of two games that isn't a grocery or small prize game where the announcer mentions the price of its prize package, except when it is played for a cash prize, in which case the total is not given. The other is 2 for the Price of 1.
The creaking sound effect accompanying the door opening and closing at the start of the game is also used for the numbers being squeezed together in Squeeze Play. When the door is locked shut, the creaking is followed by a loud slam.
Safe Crackers is the only game where contestants have a limited window of time to observe the prize they are being asked to price, as the prize is locked away from view during gameplay.

International versions[]

On the UK Joe Pasquale version, Safe Crackers used a real safe and only offered the three-digit prize.
On Hãy Chọn Giá Đúng, the game was titled "Két Sắt" (Safe). The game was the same as the one used in the US, except that each of the dials had a different set of digits, making it more difficult.

Gallery[]

To view the gallery, click here.

YouTube Videos[]

Safe Crackers played for a Car (Season 15 Premiere, September 8, 1986) (#6171D)
Safe Crackers played for a Car and a WILD contestant
A Safe Crackers Primetime Playing

1970s Pricing Games

Active Pricing Games