Snatch Game
Snatch Game is a challenge held each season of the American reality competition television series RuPaul's Drag Race, as well as its all-star and spin-off series RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, Drag Race Thailand, RuPaul's Drag Race UK, RuPaul's Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and Canada's Drag Race. The challenge is a parody of the game show Match Game, except in season four of All Stars, when the format was changed to parody the game show The Dating Game. The challenge tests the contestants' skills at celebrity impersonation and improvisational comedy. It is normally staged approximately halfway through the season, although the number of contestants still in the race at the time of a Snatch Game challenge may vary from season to season.
Snatch Game is commonly perceived as one of the most important and memorable challenges of the show and, in RuPaul's own words, the challenge separates "the basic bitches from the fierce-ass queens." It is rare, although not unprecedented, for a queen to win the entire season without having placed at least high in the Snatch Game challenge: only three contestants have ever won the season after not receiving any critiques in the Snatch Game episode, and only two contestants have ever won a season after being placed in the bottom for their Snatch Game performance.
Due to the show's format, impersonated celebrities are usually female, although there have been several instances of contestants choosing male celebrities whose public images were sufficiently flamboyant to fit in with a drag aesthetic; two contestants chose to create the character of male public figures' fictional twin sisters, and several contestants have chosen to impersonate other people directly associated with the show, such as other past or present contestants, Michelle Visage or even RuPaul himself. For copyright reasons, queens cannot officially choose film or television characters, although some have selected real-world actresses while actually basing their portrayal on one of the celebrity's film or television performances rather than her real-world personality.
''RuPaul's Drag Race''
Season 2
The second season was the first to include the "Snatch Game" challenge. Alec Mapa and Phoebe Price were the guest celebrity contestants.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Jessica Wild | RuPaul | SAFE |
| Jujubee | Kimora Lee | LOW |
| Morgan McMichaels | Pink | BTM2 |
| Pandora Boxx | Carol Channing | HIGH |
| Raven | Paris Hilton | SAFE |
| Sahara Davenport | Whitney Houston | SAFE |
| Sonique | Lady Gaga | ELIM |
| Tatianna | Britney Spears | |
| Tyra Sanchez | Beyoncé | SAFE |
Season 3
The guest celebrity contestants for the third season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Amber Rose and Aisha Tyler, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Alexis Mateo | Alicia Keys | HIGH |
| Carmen Carrera | Jennifer Lopez | SAFE |
| Delta Work | Cher | BTM2 |
| Manila Luzon | Imelda Marcos | SAFE |
| Mariah | Joan Crawford | ELIM |
| Raja | Tyra Banks | HIGH |
| Shangela | Tina Turner | SAFE |
| Stacy Layne Matthews | Mo'Nique | |
| Yara Sofia | Amy Winehouse | LOW |
Season 4
The guest celebrity contestants for the fourth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Loretta Devine and Ross Matthews, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Chad Michaels | Cher | |
| DiDa Ritz | Wendy Williams | SAFE |
| Jiggly Caliente | Snooki | SAFE |
| Kenya Michaels | Beyoncé | ELIM |
| Latrice Royale | Aretha Franklin | SAFE |
| Milan | Diana Ross | BTM2 |
| Phi Phi O'Hara | Lady Gaga | LOW |
| Sharon Needles | Michelle Visage | HIGH |
| Willam | Jessica Simpson | HIGH |
Season 5
The guest celebrity contestants for the fifth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Julie Brown and Downtown Julie Brown, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. Jinkx Monsoon went on to win the season becoming the first contestant to win both "Snatch Game" and the show. Alyssa Edwards was criticized by RuPaul for her performance as Katy Perry, but was safe due to immunity she had gained the previous week. RuPaul later made her tweet an apology to Katy Perry.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Alaska | Lady Bunny | HIGH |
| Alyssa Edwards | Katy Perry | SAFE |
| Coco Montrese | Janet Jackson | SAFE |
| Detox | Ke$ha | BTM2 |
| Ivy Winters | Marilyn Monroe | LOW |
| Jade Jolie | Taylor Swift | SAFE |
| Jinkx Monsoon | Little Edie | |
| Lineysha Sparx | Celia Cruz | ELIM |
| Roxxxy Andrews | Tamar Braxton | HIGH |
Season 6
The guest celebrity contestants for the sixth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Gillian Jacobs and Heather McDonald, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Adore Delano | Anna Nicole Smith | HIGH |
| BenDeLaCreme | Maggie Smith | |
| Bianca Del Rio | Judge Judy | HIGH |
| Courtney Act | Fran Drescher | SAFE |
| Darienne Lake | Paula Deen | SAFE |
| Gia Gunn | Kim Kardashian | ELIM |
| Joslyn Fox | Teresa Giudice | SAFE |
| Laganja Estranja | Rachel Zoe | BTM2 |
| Milk | Julia Child | LOW |
| Trinity K. Bonet | Nicki Minaj | SAFE |
Season 7
The guest celebrity contestants for the seventh season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Tamar Braxton and Michael Urie, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This edition of the "Snatch Game" marked the first time that there were two winners of the challenge, Kennedy Davenport and Ginger Minj. It was also the first time that a male character was impersonated when Kennedy portrayed Little Richard.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Ginger Minj | Adele | ' |
| Jaidynn Diore Fierce | Raven-Symoné | BTM2 |
| Katya | Suze Orman | HIGH |
| Kennedy Davenport | Little Richard | ' |
| Max | Sharon Needles | ELIM |
| Miss Fame | Donatella Versace | LOW |
| Pearl | Big Ang | SAFE |
| Violet Chachki | Alyssa Edwards | SAFE |
Season 8: Supermodel Snatch Game
The guest celebrity contestants for the eighth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Gigi Hadid and Chanel Iman, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This episode marked the first time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Bob the Drag Queen played both Uzo Aduba and Carol Channing. Bob went on to win the season and became the second queen to win "Snatch Game" and the show.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Acid Betty | Nancy Grace | ELIM |
| Bob the Drag Queen | Uzo Aduba & Carol Channing | |
| Chi Chi DeVayne | Eartha Kitt | SAFE |
| Derrick Barry | Britney Spears | HIGH |
| Kim Chi | Kimmy Jong-Un | SAFE |
| Naomi Smalls | Tiffany Pollard | BTM2 |
| Robbie Turner | Diana Vreeland | LOW |
| Thorgy Thor | Michael Jackson | HIGH |
Season 9
The guest celebrity contestants for the ninth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Candis Cayne and Denis O'Hare, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Aja | Alyssa Edwards | SAFE |
| Alexis Michelle | Liza Minnelli | |
| Cynthia Lee Fontaine | Sofia Vergara | ELIM |
| Farrah Moan | Gigi Gorgeous | LOW |
| Nina Bo'nina Brown | Jasmine Masters | HIGH |
| Peppermint | NeNe Leakes | BTM2 |
| Sasha Velour | Marlene Dietrich | HIGH |
| Shea Couleé | Naomi Campbell | SAFE |
| Trinity Taylor | Amanda Lepore | SAFE |
| Valentina | Ariadna Gutiérrez | SAFE |
Season 10
The guest celebrity contestants for the tenth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Audra McDonald and Kate Upton, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. Aquaria went on to win the season and became the third contestant to win "Snatch Game" and the show.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Aquaria | Melania Trump | |
| Asia O'Hara | Beyoncé | LOW |
| Eureka | Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson | HIGH |
| Kameron Michaels | Chyna | SAFE |
| Miz Cracker | Dorothy Parker | SAFE |
| Monét X Change | Maya Angelou | HIGH |
| Monique Heart | Maxine Waters | ELIM |
| The Vixen | Blue Ivy Carter | BTM2 |
Season 11: Snatch Game at Sea
For season 11, the challenge was called "Snatch Game at Sea". The title change reflected a branding agreement with advertiser Vacaya, a cruise ship tourism operator, but the format of gameplay remained unchanged. The guest celebrity contestants for the eleventh season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Clea Duvall and Tony Hale, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This marked the second time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Nina West played both Harvey Fierstein and Jo Anne Worley. It also marked the first time no one was eliminated during the Snatch Game episode, and the first regular season where a queen who placed in the bottom went on to win the season.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| A'keria Chanel Davenport | Tiffany Haddish | SAFE |
| Brooke Lynn Hytes | Celine Dion | BTM2 |
| Nina West | Harvey Fierstein & Jo Anne Worley | HIGH |
| Plastique Tiara | SAFE | |
| Shuga Cain | Charo | HIGH |
| Silky Nutmeg Ganache | Ts Madison | |
| Vanessa Vanjie Mateo | Danielle Bregoli | LOW |
| Yvie Oddly | Whoopi Goldberg | BTM2 |
Season 12
The guest celebrity contestants for the tenth season's installment of "Snatch Game" were Daniel Franzese and Jonathan Bennett, both of whom served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode. This marked the third time a contestant portrayed two different celebrities as Widow Von'Du played both Tina and Ike Turner.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Aiden Zhane | Patricia Quinn | ELIM |
| Brita | Jennifer Holliday | BTM2 |
| Crystal Methyd | Poppy | LOW |
| Gigi Goode | Maria the Robot | |
| Heidi N Closet | Leslie Jones | SAFE |
| Jackie Cox | Lisa Rinna | HIGH |
| Jaida Essence Hall | Cardi B | SAFE |
| Jan | Bernadette Peters | SAFE |
| Sherry Pie | Katharine Hepburn | HIGH |
| Widow Von'Du | Tina Turner & Ike Turner | SAFE |
''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars''
Season 2
The guest celebrity contestants for the second season's installment of "Snatch Game" were former RuPaul's Drag Race contestants Jujubee and Raven. Alaska and Katya were named the top two All Stars of the week and after lipsyncing for their legacy Alaska was declared the winner of the episode giving her the power to eliminate a member of the bottom three and she chose Tatianna.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Alaska | Mae West | |
| Alyssa Edwards | Joan Crawford | SAFE |
| Detox | Nancy Grace | BTM3 |
| Ginger Minj | Tammy Faye | SAFE |
| Katya | Björk | WIN |
| Phi Phi O'Hara | Theresa Caputo | HIGH |
| Roxxxy Andrews | Alaska | BTM3 |
| Tatianna | Ariana Grande | ELIM |
Season 3
The guest celebrity contestants for the third season's installment of "Snatch Game" were RuPaul's Drag Race judges Carson Kressley and Michelle Visage. In addition, Kristin Chenoweth joined the drag queens as an additional panelist, portraying herself. BenDeLaCreme and Shangela were named the top two All Stars of the week and after lipsyncing for their legacy they were both declared the winner of the episode, in doing so BenDeLaCreme became the first contestant in the series to win the Snatch Game twice.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Aja | Crystal LaBeija | HIGH |
| BeBe Zahara Benet | Grace Jones | SAFE |
| BenDeLaCreme | Paul Lynde | |
| Chi Chi DeVayne | Maya Angelou | ELIM |
| Kennedy Davenport | Phaedra Parks | BTM3 |
| Shangela | Jenifer Lewis | |
| Trixie Mattel | RuPaul | BTM3 |
Season 4: Snatch Game of Love
For the fourth season's installment, the format of the challenge was changed and was titled "Snatch Game of Love". Instead of parodying the television show Match Game as in previous seasons, this installment parodied the television show The Dating Game. Gus Kenworthy and Keiynan Lonsdale played as bachelors looking for love, and each interviewed four celebrity contestants. The bachelors could not see the celebrities as they were separated by a wall. After reading a series of questions and hearing their responses, each bachelor selected the celebrity of his choice. Kenworthy chose Jenner and Lonsdale chose Streisand. Kenworthy and Lonsdale served as guest judges during the main stage competition later in the episode, where Trinity and Manila were named the top two All Stars of the week. After lipsyncing for their legacy Manila was declared the winner of the episode, and she eliminated Gia Gunn, making her the first contestant to be twice eliminated due to a Snatch Game performance.Celebrities interviewed by Kenworthy:
| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Monét X Change | Whitney Houston | SAFE |
| Naomi Smalls | Wendy Williams | HIGH |
| Trinity the Tuck | Caitlyn Jenner | WIN |
| Valentina | Eartha Kitt | BTM2 |
Celebrities interviewed by Lonsdale:
| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Gia Gunn | Jenny Bui | ELIM |
| Latrice Royale | Della Reese | LOW |
| Manila Luzon | Barbra Streisand | |
| Monique Heart | Tiffany Haddish | SAFE |
Season 5: Snatch Game of Love
The fifth season of All Stars continued the Snatch Game of Love format from season 4, with celebrity guest judges Tommy Dorfman and Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman portraying this year's bachelors. Dorfman chose Walter Mercado and Bowyer-Chapman chose Flavor Flav. On the main stage, Couleé was named the winner of the challenge and owing to a twist in the judging format, all 5 of the other contestants were up for elimination, in spite of Jujubee and Alexis receiving high critiques. India Ferrah was eliminated for her portrayal of Jeffree Star.Celebrities interviewed by Dorfman:
| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Alexis Mateo | Walter Mercado | BTM5 |
| India Ferrah | Jeffree Star | ELIM |
| Miz Cracker | Lady Gaga | BTM5 |
Celebrities interviewed by Bowyer-Chapman:
| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Blair St. Clair | Ellen DeGeneres | BTM5 |
| Jujubee | Eartha Kitt | BTM5 |
| Shea Couleé | Flavor Flav |
''Drag Race Thailand''
Season 1
Natalia Pliacam won "Snatch Game" and the runway challenge, while Année Maywong, JAJA, and Petchra lost the challenge with Petchra being eliminated.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Amadiva | Cherprang Areekul | SAFE |
| Année Maywong | Lukkade Metinee | BTM3 |
| B Ella | HIGH | |
| Dearis Doll | Jintara Poonlarp | SAFE |
| JAJA | Nicki Minaj | BTM3 |
| Natalia Pliacam | Sumanee Gunakasem | WIN |
| Petchra | Amy Winehouse | ELIM |
Season 2
Tormai won the snatch game. Srimala lost the "Snatch Game". The bottom two, however, were Srimala and Tormai. Angele won the runway challenge. The winner of the "Snatch Game", Tormai, was eliminated.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Angele Anang | WIN | |
| Bandit | HIGH | |
| Srimala | Sophia La | BTM2 |
| Tormai | ELIM | |
| Vanda Miss Joaquim | Cardi B | LOW |
''RuPaul's Drag Race UK''
Series 1
The guest celebrity contestants for the first series' installment of "Snatch Game" were Lorraine Kelly and Stacey Dooley.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| Baga Chipz | Margaret Thatcher | |
| Blu Hydrangea | Mary Berry | SAFE |
| Cheryl Hole | Gemma Collins | SAFE |
| Crystal | Rue McClanahan | BTM2 |
| Divina de Campo | Julia Child | LOW |
| Sum Ting Wong | David Attenborough | ELIM |
| The Vivienne | Donald Trump |
''Canada's Drag Race''
Season 1
The guest celebrity contestants for the first series' installment of "Snatch Game" were Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan.| Queen | Impersonation | Result |
| BOA | Gypsy Rose Blanchard | LOW |
| Ilona Verley | Rebecca More | SAFE |
| Jimbo | Joan Rivers | |
| Kiara | Mariah Carey | ELIM |
| Lemon | JoJo Siwa | HIGH |
| Priyanka | Miss Cleo | BTM2 |
| Rita Baga | Edith Piaf | HIGH |
| Scarlett BoBo | Liza Minnelli | SAFE |
Most frequent impersonations
| Impersonations | Celebrity | Queen | Season | Result |
| 3 | Beyoncé | Tyra Sanchez | Season 2 | SAFE |
| 3 | Beyoncé | Kenya Michaels | Season 4 | ELIM |
| 3 | Beyoncé | Asia O'Hara | Season 10 | LOW |
| 3 | Eartha Kitt | Chi Chi DeVayne | Season 8 | SAFE |
| 3 | Eartha Kitt | Valentina | All Stars 4 | BTM2 |
| 3 | Eartha Kitt | Jujubee | All Stars 5 | BTM5 |
| 3 | Lady Gaga | Sonique | Season 2 | ELIM |
| 3 | Lady Gaga | Phi Phi O'Hara | Season 4 | LOW |
| 3 | Lady Gaga | Miz Cracker | All Stars 5 | BTM5 |
| 2 | Alyssa Edwards | Aja | Season 9 | SAFE |
| 2 | Alyssa Edwards | Violet Chachki | Season 7 | SAFE |
| 2 | Amy Winehouse | Yara Sofia | Season 3 | LOW |
| 2 | Amy Winehouse | Petchra | Thailand 1 | ELIM |
| 2 | Britney Spears | Tatianna | Season 2 | ' |
| 2 | Britney Spears | Derrick Barry | Season 8 | HIGH |
| 2 | Cardi B | Vanda Miss Joaquim | Thailand 2 | LOW |
| 2 | Cardi B | Jaida Essence Hall | Season 12 | SAFE |
| 2 | Carol Channing | Pandora Boxx | Season 2 | HIGH |
| 2 | Carol Channing | Bob the Drag Queen | Season 8 | ' |
| 2 | Cher | Delta Work | Season 3 | BTM2 |
| 2 | Cher | Chad Michaels | Season 4 | ' |
| 2 | Joan Crawford | Mariah | Season 3 | ELIM |
| 2 | Joan Crawford | Alyssa Edwards | All Stars 2 | SAFE |
| 2 | Julia Child | Milk | Season 6 | LOW |
| 2 | Julia Child | Divina de Campo | UK 1 | LOW |
| 2 | Liza Minnelli | Alexis Michelle | Season 9 | ' |
| 2 | Liza Minnelli | Scarlett BoBo | Canada 1 | SAFE |
| 2 | Maya Angelou | Chi Chi DeVayne | All Stars 3 | ELIM |
| 2 | Maya Angelou | Monét X Change | Season 10 | HIGH |
| 2 | Nancy Grace | Acid Betty | Season 8 | ELIM |
| 2 | Nancy Grace | Detox | All Stars 2 | BTM3 |
| 2 | Nicki Minaj | Trinity K. Bonet | Season 6 | SAFE |
| 2 | Nicki Minaj | JAJA | Thailand 1 | BTM3 |
| 2 | RuPaul | Jessica Wild | Season 2 | SAFE |
| 2 | RuPaul | Trixie Mattel | All Stars 3 | BTM3 |
| 2 | Tina Turner | Shangela | Season 3 | SAFE |
| 2 | Tina Turner | Widow Von'Du | Season 12 | SAFE |
| 2 | Tiffany Haddish | Monique Heart | All Stars 4 | SAFE |
| 2 | Tiffany Haddish | A'keria C. Davenport | Season 11 | SAFE |
| 2 | Wendy Williams | DiDa Ritz | Season 4 | SAFE |
| 2 | Wendy Williams | Naomi Smalls | All Stars 4 | HIGH |
| 2 | Whitney Houston | Sahara Davenport | Season 2 | SAFE |
| 2 | Whitney Houston | Monét X Change | All Stars 4 | SAFE |
Reception
The "Snatch Game" challenge has been called the most signature challenge on the show. Kevin O'Keeffe from Into discusses that the challenge isn't only about the celebrity impersonation and RuPaul looks for accuracy, humor and the idea of the character. He also states that the challenge tests a lot of different skills, such as the queens' ability to put on a different look from their signature one, and also their ability to be "funny on a dime". RuPaul states each year, as the challenge is introduced, that the cardinal rule of the challenge is to make him laugh.Writing for Vulture, Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers state that "Snatch Game" is "the mother of all comedy challenges on a reality show" despite the varied results over the years. On a more critical reception of the challenge, Josh Lee, for PopBuzz, argues that while the annual challenge has given viewers some of the best moments from RuPaul's Drag Race, it is starting to feel stale overall. He comments that recent celebrity impersonations in the challenge have been lackluster and the show should adapt and retire "Snatch Game" in future seasons of the series.