Netflix is kicking off a high-energy push for its new Best Guess Live mobile game by giving away a total of $1 million over the coming week. The daily jackpot, which is normally $15,000, will rise to $50,000 on Monday and then steadily grow each day, culminating in a $500,000 prize on Friday, December 26.
Best Guess Live, which premiered on December 8, airs weeknights at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on a dedicated Netflix app for the competition. Howie Mandel (America’s Got Talent) and Hunter March (Sugar Rush) share the hosting duties.
Each weekday features two puzzles, and the pot is split between the two. Contestants must guess the evening’s hidden item—a person, place, or thing—by solving a sequence of five clues presented as riddles. The earliest correct guess splits the pot, and each player gets only one guess per puzzle.
Live broadcasts shoot from Apploff Entertainment’s offices in Los Angeles, with executive producer Jeff Apploff (Beat Shazam, Don’t Forget the Lyrics) and Noah Bonnett behind the project.
During the holiday week from Monday, December 22 through Friday, December 26, the prize pool totals $1 million. Holiday payouts are scheduled as follows:
- Mon, Dec. 22 — $50,000
- Tue, Dec. 23 — $100,000
- Wed, Dec. 24 — $150,000
- Thu, Dec. 25 — $200,000
- Fri, Dec. 26 — $500,000
But here’s where it gets controversial: some viewers win with surprising speed, while others question whether the format truly tests the right kind of skill or simply rewards rapid inference. And this is the part most people miss—whether the five-clue riddles are fair to casual players who don’t live in the “aha” moment as quickly as others. Do these jackpots genuinely reflect puzzle-solving ability, or are there strategic elements that tilt the odds toward a subset of contestants? Share your take in the comments: do you think this kind of live game show adds real value to Netflix’s lineup, or is it more spectacle than substance?
