Feature: Inside 'Squid Game: The Experience'

Written by Daz Gale

One of the biggest TV series of the last few years has been the unstoppable Squid Game, which has been, erm, killing it when it comes to the most talked about shows. If you watched it and thought to yourself, “I’d like to give that a go”, you’re in luck - and in even better news, it’s all for fun so you don’t even need to be worried about being brutally murdered doing it - that’s always a plus for me.

After successful runs in New York, Sydney, Seoul, and Madrid, Squid Game: The Experience is now open in London at Immerse LDN at Excel’s Waterfront. I went along to check it out last week, and here’s what you can expect from your visit. (Slight spoilers to follow but I won’t spoil the surprises for you)

The sets for Squid Game have been recreated, admittedly in smaller versions in this 60-minute experience consisting of five challenges from the TV show. Up to 48 players can be in one group at any one time though you may find yourselves separated from the others in your own group as this 48 is immediately halved - don't worry, you’ll reunite eventually, though how and when, I couldn’t possibly say.

The five games are all recognisable from the series, though with their own twist on it. There are the memorable ‘Memory Steps’, though thankfully without a huge fall if you step on the wrong one, a simple game of ‘Marbles’ which proved to be the most difficult for me personally (though my friend won so that speaks more of my own idiocy than anything else) and ‘Tug Of War’ with a twist.

Of course, the one game everybody thinks about when it comes to Squid Game is ‘Red Light, Green Light’ and you do get a chance to play it under the watchful eye of Young-hee. It is a much smaller room so the game isn’t played exactly how you’d expect, though the majority of people in my group did manage to cross the line in time. Only a handful of people didn’t, including yours truly - what I discovered from my time in this experience is I should never enter the real Squid Game as I would be eliminated in seconds. The last of the five games is ‘Round & Round’, another twist on a game from the show but one that will feel very similar.

There can only be one winner, but I’ll leave it to the Front Man to tell you how that will be decided. What I can say about the games is that they are very fun, but God, are they stressful. Even though your life isn’t actually in the balance, the moment I set foot on those memory steps, I could feel my heart pounding. As a fan of the TV show, it was great to step into this world and even better to come out of it alive, though the same can’t be said about my pride.

The immersive experience extends beyond the game itself, with guests able to enjoy a Lorean-inspired Night Market full of food, drink and, of course, the obligatory merchandise shop. The design of the experience allows for plenty of photo opportunities too with soldiers walking around (just don’t touch their gun) and some iconic characters and set pieces to pose with.

It’s a lot of fun and one I would recommend to anyone who loves the TV show. If you have never watched an episode, you are still likely to enjoy the experience as the games are immediately familiar and simple enough for most people to navigate… unless you’re me, of course. My one piece of advice would be to think tactically when playing these games rather than go in to each one without a plan. The one time I had a plan, I did well. The others, well it’s fair to say I was not in competition to be the winner of Squid Game. Though, in fairness, this is one game where even the losers can win.

Squid Game: The Experience is booking until 4th January 2026. Tickets from www.squidgameexperienceUK.com