PowerPoint jeopardy how to make numbers disappear

When creating a Jeopardy-style trivia board in PowerPoint, having the selected score box disappear from the screen keeps the game flow organized. This process fundamentally relies on defining an Exit animation for the corresponding text box or shape, linking the animation to the object's own click action with a Trigger, and pairing it with an internal slide hyperlink mechanism. This ensures that when players navigate to the question slide and return to the main board, the previously clicked point box remains hidden so participants do not select the same box again.

In this guide, based on animation, timing, trigger, and hyperlink steps documented in Microsoft support resources, we explain in detail how to make board boxes disappear on click.

The Logic of Hiding Selected Boxes on a Jeopardy Board

In standard presentations, animations follow a linear sequence according to the slide progression. In Jeopardy games, however, players freely choose across categories and point values. In this non-linear flow, an independent exit effect is assigned to the object so that a point box clears from the screen when clicked.

As explained in Microsoft support documentation, the Disappear effect in the Exit group is used to remove objects from the screen. However, for boxes to disappear when clicked in any random order, the animation must not rely on a predetermined click sequence; instead, it must be assigned directly to the object itself as a trigger.

Preliminary Setup: Creating Board Text Boxes

To manage the boxes on the board smoothly, point values must be drawn as independent objects. According to Microsoft support guidelines, follow these steps to create independent boxes on a slide:

1. Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon, select the Text box tool in the Text group, and draw the box on the slide.
2. Type the point value inside the box (for example, 100, 200, 300).
3. To create the other point boxes, you can copy and paste the existing box and update the text.

It is recommended that numbers inside the boxes do not conflict with automatic numbering lists. To inspect or remove list formatting, the Bullets or Numbering buttons on the Home tab can be turned off, as noted in Microsoft support documentation.

Steps to Hide a Box Using an Exit Animation

To ensure the created box disappears from the screen when clicked, apply an exit animation:

1. Select the object on the slide by clicking on the border or text area of the point box to which you want to add an animation.
2. Switch to the Animations tab on the ribbon.
3. Open the Add Animation menu located in the Advanced Animation group.
4. In the menu that opens, scroll down to the Exit section and select the Disappear effect.
5. To monitor and manage the sequence of effects, click the Animation Pane button on the Animations tab to open the pane.

Apply these steps sequentially for each point box on the board.

Configuring Trigger and Timing Settings

To ensure the animation hides the correct box when random selections are made on the board, the Trigger mechanism must be configured. As explained in Microsoft's animation trigger documentation:

1. In the Animation Pane, select the animation line for the box you want to edit.
2. Click the Trigger drop-down menu in the Advanced Animation group on the ribbon.
3. Hover over the On Click of option and select the same text box to which the animation was assigned from the list.
4. In the Animations > Timing group, leave the Delay value at 00.00 so the effect activates without delay.

This ensures that whichever box the contestant selects on the board, only the exit animation of the clicked box runs, and the box disappears.

Mapping Transitions and Hyperlink Flow Between Slides

Boxes on the Jeopardy board should not merely disappear; they must also direct users to the corresponding question slide. To navigate between slides, use the logic from jumping to a specific slide in a PowerPoint presentation and Microsoft hyperlink guidelines:

1. Select the border of the point box, click the Link button on the Insert tab on the ribbon (or right-click the object and select the Link option).
2. In the window that opens, select the Place in This Document tab on the left side.
3. From the Slide Titles list, check the intended question slide and click the OK button.
4. On the question slide, add a text box or shape that returns to the main board and link it to the main board slide using the same method.
5. For different approaches to quiz and trivia presentation structures, you can reference the steps in creating a PowerPoint quiz with answers.

Concrete Example Scenario: 3x2 Hypothetical Board Implementation

Hypothetically, consider a fictional presentation consisting of 2 categories with 100- and 200-point boxes in each category:

• Slide 1 (Main Board): Contains the text boxes Literature_100, Literature_200, History_100, and History_200.
• Slide 2: Literature 100 Question Text (Contains a 'Back to Board' link directing to Slide 1).
• Slide 3: Literature 200 Question Text (Contains a link returning to Slide 1).

Implementation: On Slide 1, the Add Animation > Exit > Disappear effect is assigned to the "Literature_100" text box. Selecting this effect in the Animation Pane, set it to Trigger > On Click of > "Literature_100". Next, define a hyperlink to Slide 2 on the border of the box. When the slide show runs, clicking the "Literature_100" box triggers the animation immediately to hide the box, and the hyperlink advances to the question slide; once the question is answered and you return to the main board, the "Literature_100" box remains hidden.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting Potential Errors

• The Box Disappears but the Question Slide Does Not Open: The link object might have been assigned inside the text characters while the click landed on an empty edge of the box. Assign the hyperlink directly to the outer boundary line of the text box instead of the text characters.
• Click Order Gets Mixed Up: When triggers are not defined, animations run in linear order. Verify that each box's exit effect is tied to its own object name with a trigger under the trigger headers in the Animation Pane.
• The Box Reappears When Returning to the Board: The way you navigate back during the slide show might be resetting the slide. Ensure you are using an internal slide hyperlink directly targeting the main board slide rather than keyboard arrow keys or the previous slide command.
• Numbers in Boxes Misalign or Get Confused: Make sure automatic slide number fields do not get mixed up with board boxes. If necessary, check slide number settings via the Insert > Slide Number menu as explained in Microsoft slide number documentation.

Verification and Testing Checklist

Check the presentation in full-screen mode before using it in a live setting:

• Start the show from the Slide Show tab using the From Current Slide option.
• Observe that clicking any point box on the board immediately hides the corresponding box.
• Confirm that the click transitions directly to the intended question slide.
• Verify that clicking the return link on the question slide navigates back to the main board and that the clicked box is no longer visible on screen.
• Test that unclicked point boxes in other categories remain fully intact and clickable on screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the box fade in color instead of disappearing completely?

Yes. Instead of Exit animations, fill color or font color change effects under the Emphasis group can be used. However, to clear the box entirely from the screen and prevent it from being clicked again, the most reliable method is the Exit > Disappear effect.

Are Trigger features supported in the web-based version of PowerPoint?

Basic animations and hyperlinks can be played in PowerPoint for the web; however, steps for directly editing advanced object triggers can be exclusive to desktop versions (Microsoft 365 for Windows and Mac). It is recommended to complete and test advanced trigger configurations in the desktop application.