By Elazar Abrahams
Dinner and a show? How about dinner and a battle royale? That’s what’s in store at New York’s new Squid Game: The Experience, an attraction that brings the Netflix show to life. Visitors are thrust into the series’ dystopian world and face off in real-life versions of the games the characters play. The space presents a truly impressive atmosphere that will delight fans and those who someone missed the binge on the global sensation.
Think of the Squid Game Experience as a sort of interactive theater. Your timeslot will run for about 60 minutes, and you’ll be immersed in the gauntlet. The guards and staff are dressed the part, and the eerie Front Man watches over it all. You’re nothing but a number now, your guide will tell you. The main difference from the TV show, of course, is that if you make a mistake in any of the five challenges, you won’t be shot on sight.
First up is a task inspired by the series’ glass bridge, then a marbles competition and lifesize battleship where the cohorts are divided into teams. The highlight however, without a doubt, is Red Light, Green Light. That portion is exhilarating and it’s a joy to see such an iconic part of Squid Game come to life.
The games are very reliant on tech, from simple things like video screens to more complex parts like a personalized wristband tracking each player’s points on the leaderboard. Unfortunately, that also means that there’s the possibility of bugs, and the press preview that TV and City attended was marred with malfunctions on that front. Among other mishaps, the bridge glitched out on folks, and the warships wouldn’t lock in the missile targets. Still, we could see the vision, and being that the technology has been fixed in time for the midtown location to open to the public, this is safely recommended. Even with the issues, it was clear Squid Game was crafted with precise intention and value of the customers in mind.
Speaking of value, tickets to the experience start at $29, which in today’s day and age, is fair and respectable. In a month where Jimmy Fallon is charging substantially more than that for a 10-minute haunted house, Squid Game is providing good bang for your buck.
After you finish the ticketed part of the event, you can explore the neon-drenched Night Market, which hawks Korean food and drinks in collaboration with H Mart. There’s also every kind of Squid Game merch imaginable, if that’s your thing. Funko Pops to fridge magnets, hoodies to bottle openers.
Whether you’re strategizing with a team or simply taking in the elaborate sets and nail-biting games, Squid Game: The Experience offers a deep dive into the twisted world that captivated millions. Just be prepared for the high-stakes tension—and to keep an eye on that Front Man.
There are a lot of these sort of kitschy pop-ups competing for New Yorkers’ attention. Squid Game: The Experience cuts through the noise and delivers a rollicking good time.
Find tickets and more information HERE.
TV and City 