How Do Deal or No Deal Island's Challenges and Classic Briefcases Work?

Deal or No Deal had a deceptively simple premise. Contestants would pick a case, at random, that had some amount of money inside, and they would then need to decide if they should keep picking cases, playing their odds that they’d end up with a higher value one rather than a paltry sum, or if they should take the deal offered by the enigmatic Banker and potentially leave money on the table. It was a high-stakes, high-stress hit, but the upcoming Deal or No Deal Island takes all of that and ups the stakes by throwing the cases — and the contestants — onto a wild tropical island. 

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Deal or No Deal Island, which is hosted by Joe Manganiello and executive produced by Howie Mandel, will premiere on February 26. Rather than take place in a studio, contestants will play on the Banker’s private island. And, rather than compete one at a time, like on the original show, all 13 players will be going after the same prize, which is worth significantly more than it was on the original show. And, finally, rather than simply pick a briefcase, these contestants will have to brave the wilderness and retrieve the cases before they can open them, adding a whole new level of physical challenge in addition to strategy. 

How Does Deal or No Deal Island Work?

Joe Manganiello oon Deal or No Deal Island Season 1 Episode 1. Photo: Monty Brinton/NBC

Here’s the official description of Deal or No Deal Island’s gameplay, according to a press release:

“In Deal or No Deal Island, the iconic briefcases are hidden around the island and worth over $200 million in prize money split between them. In each episode, players compete in daring challenges to secure the briefcases that will be used in that night’s game of Deal or No Deal. The player who snags the highest-value case gains immunity and gets to choose a fellow player to enter ‘The Temple.’

“The chosen competitor must then play a high-stakes game of Deal or No Deal. If the player makes a ‘bad deal’ and accepts an offer that is a lesser value than what is in their chosen case, they are immediately eliminated. If the player makes a “good deal” and accepts an offer that is a higher value than what is in their case, the power is in their hands and they get to select who to eliminate.

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The winnings from each game of Deal or No Deal will be added to a group pot that will grow to an exponential value throughout the season. At the end of the season, the last player standing will face the Banker to potentially win the biggest prize in Deal or No Deal history. 

However, the devious Banker is always watching and raising the stakes with tests of strategy and greed. Manganiello will serve as the gaming liaison – an intermediary between the Banker and contestants – overseeing gameplay and helping to navigate them through tough, life-changing decisions.”

New episodes of Deal or No Deal Island premiere on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT. All episodes will be available next-day on Peacock.