The Floor is a German version of the Dutch game show with the same name. The series is hosted by Matthias Opdenhövel and premiered on February 29, 2024 on Sat.1. The game is based around a floor grid of 100 squares. Each square is occupied by a contestant with expertise in a different trivia category. Pairs of contestants face each other in head-to-head trivia duels, with the winner taking over all territory controlled by the loser.
The game progresses over the course of a season with the grand prize of €100,000 awarded to the player who ultimately controls the entire floor. Secondary prizes of €5,000 are awarded to the winner of each episode. In season 1, the winner was determined as the player who had the most territory at the end of the episode. In season 2, the two players with the most territory at the end of an episode played a final duel to determine the winner.
Contents
Format
The season begins with 100 contestants standing in separate spaces of a ten-by-ten grid on the studio floor. Each contestant has a category in which they feel particularly knowledgeable.
One contestant is chosen at random and shown the categories of all opponents whose territories share at least one edge with their own, then the player chooses one of them to face in a head-to-head duel. The two contestants take turns identifying a series of images, sounds, clues or multiple choice questions associated with the challenged opponent's category. They are given separate 45-second clocks, only one of which runs at any given time, starting with the challenger. The contestant in control must give a correct answer in order to stop their clock and turn control over to the opponent. Multiple guesses are allowed without penalty, and a contestant may pass whenever desired - apart from multiple choice questions, where an answer must be given and a wrong one results in a penalty. They must wait three seconds for a new image, sound, clues or question to be shown.
The first contestant to run out of time is eliminated from the game and gives up all of their territory to the winner, who takes/retains the challenger's category. The winner may then either challenge another opponent or return to the grid; in the latter case, a new contestant is selected at random from those who have not yet played a duel. When only two contestants remain, the one controlling more territory decides whose category will be used for the final duel.
At the end of each episode, except the last one, an episode winner will be determined. In season 1, the winner was determined as the player who had the most territory at the end of the episode. In season 2, the two players with the most territory at the end of an episode played a final duel to determine the winner. The winner will receive €5,000. The last contestant standing at the end of the sixth and final episode of the season wins the grand prize of €100,000. The overall prize money pot for the season therefore is €125,000.
Season 1
Contestants
The categories in bold represent the original theme of expertise of each contestant.