A trilon is a three-faceted prism-shaped object. A trilon can be made to rotate on an axle to show different text or images which may be applied to any of its three facets. Trilons have been used on

game show A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...

s and

billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

s. The game board on the original ''

Concentration In chemistry, concentration is the abundance of a constituent divided by the total volume of a mixture. Several types of mathematical description can be distinguished: '' mass concentration'', '' molar concentration'', '' number concentration'', ...

'' may have been the first use of trilons on a game show. The game combined the

card game A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including famil ...

with a

rebus A rebus ( ) is a puzzle device that combines the use of illustrated pictures with individual letters to depict words or phrases. For example: the word "been" might be depicted by a rebus showing an illustrated bumblebee next to a plus sign (+ ...

puzzle. The original game board consisted of 30 motorized trilons. One facet of each trilon had an identifying number. A description of a prize or other game element was on a second facet, and a portion of a rebus was on the third facet. The rebus was gradually revealed as the game progressed. Puzzle pieces were kept under high security and were attached to the trilons only as needed. Trilons became a common element on many other game (and reality) shows including: *'' Three on a Match'', which used a board with three columns of four trilons each, but unlike ''Concentration'', these trilons rotated vertically rather than horizontally. *Several incarnations of the ''

Pyramid A pyramid () is a structure whose visible surfaces are triangular in broad outline and converge toward the top, making the appearance roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be of any polygon shape, such as trian ...

'' series (exceptions were the main game board in 1990 and all boards in the 2002 and 2012 versions). *The main game in the game show '' Whew!'' *The first season of '' Street Smarts''. *The spaces on the letter board in '' Wheel of Fortune'' were trilons until 1997. *The entire game board on the original ''

Family Feud ''Family Feud'' is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson. Two families compete on each episode to name the most popular answers to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. The show has had three separate runs, the ...

'' was one large trilon through 1994. One side was itself composed of smaller trilons that could display individual answers during a round. *The board used in the Hidden Pictures rounds on the syndicated version of the Nickelodeon game show '' Finders Keepers''. *The "Jailtime Challenge" round of '' Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?'' used a game board with 15 trilons that, like those on ''Three on a Match'', rotated vertically. *The game show ''

Debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money Loan, borrowed or otherwise withheld from another party, the creditor. Debt may be owed by a sovereign state or country, local government, company, or an individual. Co ...

'' had a game board with thirty trilons during its first season. *Several pricing games featured in ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'', such as Bargain Game, Hot Seat and One Away. *The live competitions on the American version of '' Big Brother''. Mechanically speaking, trilons had a penchant for being temperamental, labor-intensive, and very noisy. They were largely replaced by on-set television monitors, as on ''Jeopardy!'' (starting with the 1984 revival, although pull-cards were used instead of trilons to show the categories until 1991). They were replaced by a CGI game board on the 1987 "Classic" revival of ''Concentration'' and ''

'' (starting with the 1999 revival). Trilons have been used in roadside

billboards A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large out-of-home advertising, outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboard ...

and variable-message signs. Particularly in billboards, many long, thin trilons are placed side-by-side in the frame and periodically rotate simultaneously to cycle the billboard through three separate signs, although many have been replaced by dot-matrix signs capable of displaying a much wider range of messages.

References

{{Reflist Geometric shapes