"El gran juego de la oca": best tickling scenes

El gran juego de la oca was a popular and controversial television game show that aired in the 1990s, famous for its physical and often provocative challenges. Originating in Italy as Il grande gioco dell’oca, the format was adapted in Spain and became a cultural phenomenon for its blend of board-game mechanics with endurance stunts performed by contestants.

The show was based on the classic board game Game of the Goose, where players advance along a 63-square track by rolling dice. In the television version, contestants progressed along a giant physical board while completing challenges tied to specific squares. The Spanish production ran from 1993 to 1995 on Antena 3, and returned in 1998 as El nuevo juego de la oca on Telecinco. The original Italian version aired on Rai 2 between 1993 and 1994.apple+4

One of the most notorious trials was the “goat test.” In this challenge, a contestant was seated in a chair or stocks with their hands and feet restrained and their bare feet coated in honey. A goat was then brought in to lick the contestant’s feet for about 90 seconds. The objective was to remain completely impassive, without moving a single facial muscle, despite the intense tickling sensation caused by the goat’s tongue. Success depended on self-control and the ability to suppress laughter or flinching.

Another memorable trial involved a group of young women lying on beds or stretchers. A contestant was asked to tickle the women’s feet to make them laugh, listening carefully to the sound of their laughter. After this initial phase, the women were repositioned so that their faces were hidden and their order was shuffled. The contestant then had to tickle their feet again and identify each woman solely by recognizing her laugh. This challenge tested memory, auditory discrimination, and attention to subtle differences in vocal reactions.

Il Gioco dell’Oca

The format originated in Italy as Il grande gioco dell’oca, created by Jocelyn Hattab and broadcast on Rai 2 from June 1993 to September 1994. Several challenges from the Spanish version, including those involving animals and physical endurance, were inherited from the Italian original.

In Il Gioco dell’Oca, the contestant (Alessia Marcuzzi) has to cross a runway by pulling herself along with her hands, while a series of people positioned underneath touch her body, tickling her. Marcuzzi states that she is ticklish, and struggles throughout the challenge as the hands continue to interfere with her progress.

Il gioco dell'oca - Alessia Marcuzzi tickling

Sette per Uno

Another Italian show that reused similar challenges was Sette per uno, which aired on Rai 1 from 1999 to 2001 and was also created by Jocelyn. This program explicitly borrowed several trials from Il grande gioco dell’oca, adapting them for a new summer-time entertainment format filmed at Mirabilandia amusement park. While Sette per uno focused on seven contestants competing for a chance at success in the entertainment industry, it preserved the spirit of quirky, physical tests that had made the earlier goose-themed shows famous.