The Genius: Rules of the Game () is the first season of The Genius debuted on tvN on April 26, 2013.
Cast (in alphabetical order)
Ch'a Min-su Cha Yu-ram Choi Chang-yeop Choi Jung-moon Hong Jin-ho Kim Gura Kim Kyung-ran Kim Min-seo Kim Poong Kim Sung-kyu Lee Jun-seok Lee Sang-min Park Eun-ji
Episodes
Game summary EpisodeWinner(s)AwardedImmunityDeath Match PlayersDeath Match#AirdateChallengedWinnerEliminated126 April 20131,2,3 GameHong Jin-hoKim Sung-GyuKim Min-SeoLee Jun-seokWinning StreakKim Min-SeoLee Jun-seok2 3 May 2013Election GameChoi Chang-YeopPark Eun-jiCha Yu-RamKim Min-SeoWinning StreakCha Yu-RamKim Min-Seo3 10 May 2013Abundance & FamineKim Kyung-RanChoi Chang-yeopKim Sung-GyuCha Min-SooTactical YutnoriKim Sung-GyuCha Min-Soo4 17 May 2013Zombie GameHong Jin-hoCha Yu-RamKim Kyung-RanLee Sang-MinKim PoongChoi Jung-MoonChoi Chang-YeopTactical YutnoriChoi Jung-MoonChoi Chang-Yeop524 May 2013Scamming Horse RaceKim Kyung-RanLee Sang-minCha Yu-RamChoi Jung-MoonWinning StreakCha Yu-RamChoi Jung-Moon631 May 2013Catch the ThiefKim Sung-GyuCha Yu-RamPark Eun-JiHong Jin-ho Kim Gu-RaIndian PokerHong Jin-hoKim Gu-Ra77 June 2013 Open, PassHong Jin-hoKim Sung-kyuKim PoongPark Eun-JiIndian PokerPark Eun-Ji Kim Poong8 14 June 2013Kong's DilemmaKim Sung-GyuHong Jin-hoCha Yu-RamPark Eun-JiImage GamePark Eun-JiCha Yu-Ram921 June 2013Expression AuctionKim Sung-GyuLee Sang-minHong Jin-hoPark Eun-JiIndian PokerHong Jin-hoPark Eun-Ji 10 28 June 2013Confined! Scamming Horse RaceLee Sang-MinKim Kyung-ranHong Jin-ho Kim Sung-Gyu Tactical YutnoriHong Jin-hoKim Sung-Gyu11 5 July 20135:5 GameHong Jin-ho-Lee Sang-Min Kim Kyung-Ran Same Picture HuntKim Kyung-RanLee Sang-Min125 July 2013Final MatchRound 1WinnerRound 2WinnerRound 3WinnerRunner-upGenius ChampionIndian PokerHong Jin-hoGyul!Hap!Hong Jin-hoSame Picture HuntN/AKim Kyung-RanHong Jin-ho
Footnotes For Episode 10, each of the Final Four Players was paired with a Guest Player, who would help them in the episode's challenges. For the main match, should a helper be a winner, the token of immunity would transfer to the Guest's player. Kim Kyung-Heon was Kim Kyung-Ran's helper and awarded her Immunity. All other players were Immune, so these player were Nominated for the Death Match by Default.
Elimination Chart RankingContestantsRoundsMMWINDMIMMDMWIN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 121Hong Jin-HoWINININWININDMWINIMMDMDMWINWinner (2:0)4132Kim Kyung-RanININWINWINWINININININIMMDMRunner-Up (0:2)3113Lee Sang-MinINININWINIMMINININIMMWINELIMKim Kyung-Ran2204Kim Sung-KyuWININDMININWINIMMWINWINELIMKim Kyung-Ran4115Park Eun-JiINIMMINININWINDMDMELIMKim Kyung-Ran1126Cha Yu-RamINDMINWINDMWININELIMKim Kyung-Ran2027Kim PoongINININWINININELIMHong Jin-Ho1008Kim Gu-RaINININININELIMKim Kyung-Ran0009Choi Jung-MoonINININDMELIMHong Jin-Ho00110Choi Chang-YeopINWINIMMELIMHong Jin-Ho11011Cha Min-SooININELIMKim Kyung-Ran00012Kim Min-SeoDMELIMHong Jin-Ho00113Lee Jun-seokELIMHong Jin-Ho000 Garnets153533455668535457525979 (₩79,000,000)
The contestant won the main match.
The contestant was selected by the winner of the main match for immunity.
The contestant won the death match.
The contestant lost the death match and was eliminated.
The finalist which the returning eliminated players chose to give the items.
Main Matches
Episode 1: 1-2-3 Game (13 Contestants) All 13 contestants begin the game with a total of nine cards, three each with values of 1, 2, and 3. Contestants use these cards to challenge other players to single-card duels; the player who shows highest valued card scores a point, at which point the used cards are removed from the game. Contestants have the right to accept or refuse a challenge from any other contestant, and cards can be traded or given away among fellow contestants. The contestant who scores the most points with their cards wins the Main Match, gains 1 garnet, and is given two Tokens of Life. The contestant who scores the fewest points becomes a candidate for the Death Match. The game lasts a total of 90 minutes; contestants must use all nine of their cards during this time or else their score is automatically reduced to zero. Because there are an odd number of cards in play (9 per contestant x 13 contestants = 117 cards) and cards cannot be destroyed, one contestant is bound to finish the game with at least one card left, thus ending with zero points.
Episode 2: Election Game (12 Contestants) Contestants have five minutes to declare candidacy in an election held at the end of the game. Those who declare themselves as candidates are given 20 chips to use as campaign favors for those who are not running and thus make up the voting pool. Every 30 minutes, an "opinion poll" is held to show the candidates how they are faring. At any point, a candidate may decide to drop out of the race, forfeiting their ability to win but also protecting them from losing. After 90 minutes of campaigning, the final vote is held. Whichever candidate wins the vote receives two Tokens of Life, and all campaign chips from that candidate are converted into garnets. The candidate who gets the fewest votes is the Death Match candidate.
Episode 3: Abundance and Famine (11 Contestants) This game is played over the course of five rounds. In each round, players must decide whether to travel to the land of Abundance (where 6 pieces of bread are produced each round) or the land of Famine (where 3 pieces are produced each round). At the end of each round, the bread is evenly split among all those who traveled to that particular place, and any remaining bread is discarded. For example, if 6 people travel to Abundance, they each get 1 bread; if 7 people travel there, nobody gets any bread because there is not enough to go around. Players make their decision to travel to either land by purchasing a train ticket in secret, and are given five ticket coupons at the start of the game for these transactions. Contestants are told how many people went to each town at the end of the round, but not who specifically went there. At the end of the game, everyone earns 1 garnet for every 3 pieces of bread they earned. The contestant with the most bread wins two Tokens of Life; the contestant with the least becomes a Death Match candidate. In the event of a tie for last place, the winner decides the Death Match candidate.
Episode 4: Zombie Game (10 Contestants) Two contestants are randomly selected as zombies to begin the game. The zombies know their own status, but not the status of the other players (including the other zombie).
The game is played over three 30-minute rounds. In each round, players must "touch" each other by placing their hand on a light together. If two humans touch, they each score a point. If a zombie touches a human, the human becomes a zombie. (Nothing happens if two zombies touch). Two players cannot touch each other more than once each round, and a player must touch someone else during the round or else they automatically become a zombie at the end of the round. Once each round is over, the number of humans and zombies is shown to the players. Each player is also given an antidote at the start of the game; if taken within 10 minutes of being touched by a zombie, the human is cured. (Antidotes have no effect on the two original zombies.) Antidotes can also be purchased for five garnets. The zombies win the game, a Token of Life, and three garnets each, if they manage to turn everyone else into zombies, and select the Death Match candidate. If any humans survive the game, the one with the most points wins and earns one garnet for each point scored; and the one with the fewest points loses and becomes the Death Match candidate. If all surviving humans have the same number of points, they are declared joint winners and select a Death Match candidate among the zombies.
Episode 5: Scamming Horse Race (9 Contestants) The nine remaining contestants must earn as many chips as possible by predicting the predetermined outcome of a race between 8 horses.
At the start of the game, each player receives a different clue as to the outcome of the race. Three more hints are available to read for three garnets each. Players are also given 20 chips with which to bet during the race.
The race is held over the course of 12 rounds. In each round, each horse will move from 0 to 3 spaces forward on a 20-space track. After the round, players may place bets on any horse that has not gotten within three spaces of the finish line. Betting is also limited to 3 chips per round, either split up among multiple horses or all bet on a single horse. Betting also determines the odds of a winning horse, as the more chips placed on a horse the lower the payout odds will be. The first and second horses to finish pay out for those who bet on them, and any chips that were not wagered are lost. At the end of the race, the player who scored the highest payout wins two Tokens of Life, and the player with the lowest payout is the Death Match candidate. Contestants also earn one garnet for every 10 chips won.
Episode 6: Catch the Burglar (8 Contestants) The eight contestants are divided into two villages: one of 5 people and one of 3 people. One contestant is randomly chosen at the beginning to be the burglar; the other players start the game with 10 gold.
In each round, both villages will select one player to exile from their village. If the burglar is exiled, no gold is stolen; if the burglar remains in town, he steals one gold from all other villagers there. Those who were exiled then travel to the other village to start the next round. A total of 10 rounds are played this way, with the amount of gold held by each player revealed after every other round (but without identifying what letter is associated with each player). After 10 rounds, the town without the burglar wins; each villager receives two garnets, and the villager with the most gold in the winning village earns two Tokens of Life. The town that has the burglar loses, and the villager with the least amount of gold left is the Death Match candidate. Additionally, if the burglar has more gold than any other villager, he wins as well; otherwise, he automatically becomes the second Death Match candidate.
Episode 7: Open, Pass (7 Contestants) Each contestant begins the game with a pack of 20 cards - 10 of which have the numbers 0-9, 10 of which have the four basic mathematic operations (+, -, ×, ÷). Additional packs of cards can be bought for 1, 2, or 3 garnets, with the effectiveness of each pack based on their price. Players must construct a deck of 20 cards using those they began with and those they purchased. Upon their turn, the cards are given to the dealer, who shuffles them up to three times at the player's request, spreading out the cards after each shuffle so the player can see the order of the cards. (The purchased cards have a differently-colored back, indicating where they are in the deck.)
The dealer then starts with the top card in the player's deck and asks the player whether to "open" the card and turn it over, adding to their sequence; or "pass" the card, discarding it and continuing with the next card in the deck. The objective is to produce the largest total from 10 cards. If multiple numbers or operators are placed side by side, only the leftmost number or operator is counted and the others are discarded. Additionally, if the sequence begins with an operator, a 0 card is placed at the start of the operator, and if the sequence ends with an operator, that operator is discarded.
The player who makes the highest total from their cards wins two Tokens of Life and five garnets; the second-highest total earns two garnets. The player with the lowest total is the Death Match candidate.
Episode 8: Kong's Dilemma (6 Contestants) Each contestant begins the match with 10 beans (or kongs), and are split up into two teams of 3.