When Squid Game: The Trials premieres in Los Angeles this December, the immersive experience will have two lofty goals. One, to reflect the tense themes of the hit Korean series in what is essentially designed to be a fun day or night. And two, ensure that at least one of the program's themes is not present: exploitation.
Crippling debt, financial desperation, and general lack of prospects in all aspects of life were at the core of Netflix's global sensation, “Squid Game.” A mix of hopelessness, vulnerability, and class struggle led the program's participants to engage in a series of life-and-death challenges. Of course, the stakes won't be as high in Squid Game: The Trials, where guests will be able to opt for a series of games that are easy to learn and excruciating to win. Everyone makes it out alive, but scores will stand, no money will be won, and if all goes as planned, everyone will probably be a little poorer.
The designers of the immersive experience promise that the series' tense themes will be present and handled in such a way that those who purchase won't end up feeling like they've been cheated. Netflix has been working in the immersive space for a long time: experiences based on “Stranger Things” and “Bridgerton” They previously headed to Southland, and the company says lessons from both will be showcased in Squid Game: The Trials, which promises a blend of theatrics, technology and food, the latter courtesy of the city centre's acclaimed Yangban culinary team. .
Concept art for Squid Game: The Trials shows guests running towards a replica of the killer doll Young-hee.
(Netflix)
The experience, created in conjunction with experiential entertainment firm Superfly, will launch on December 6, shortly after the premiere of the reality competition series “Squid Game: The Challenge.” Don't expect the equivalent of hitting the gym, Netflix says, as designers don't want, say, “Squid Game” meets “American Gladiators.” The objective is to bring visitors closer to the harsh world of “The Squid Game.” To that end, Netflix hopes gamers will purchase “Squid Game”-inspired tracksuits to wear, allowing the look of the show to be replicated. And some games will be purely intellectual. Squid Game: The Trials will take place at the Television City complex, near the intersection of Fairfax Avenue and Beverly Boulevard.
“We don't want it to be based solely on a series of physical challenges,” says Josh Simon, Netflix's vice president of consumer products. “When you think about the gameplay, some of them are a little more psychological. Some of them end up being individual. Some of them end up being more of a team. They could be with a team of people you showed up with, or you could be forced to work with a team of people you're not familiar with. “We’re trying to introduce more epic moral dilemmas into the equation.”
Although Netflix keeps the full list of games close to its vest, expect some “Squid Game” staples to appear, like the series' spin on the children's game Red Light, Green Light. Concept art shared with The Times shows a recreation of that game's Young-hee doll, in the show a motion-sensing killer animatronic. The event will combine challenges from the first season of “Squid Game” as well as the upcoming unscripted series. There will also be some games and challenges created exclusively for the experience.
Still, Simon says the goal is to have no physical fitness requirements. However, the experience is designed for ages 13 and up. Children under 13 years of age will not be admitted. “We want to make it as accessible as possible,” he says.
For most days, tickets will be sold throughout the day in 30-minute increments, with entry points at some from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Each player will be equipped with a wristband with radio frequency identification technology, a novelty in Netflix's immersive experiences. The band will keep score and a winner will be announced for each group. “We've developed a points system,” says Simon. “People will accumulate points as we go. One winner will be crowned at the top of a leaderboard. “We want to play with some of that great iconography of the series.”
Simon was asked how the experience will address some of the darker elements of the series. “There is so much tension and stakes in the show that we personally would like guests to experience,” Simon says. “But the stakes psychologically, especially when you're in these environments, really start to feel high. We've developed a lot of fun concepts that I think will keep people a little off guard throughout the entire experience. There is a mystery and a psychological intrigue that we are going to present.”
Netflix says the games should last about 70 minutes and said they will be designed as a “series of escalating challenges.” There will be a total of six games. In addition to Young-hee, the masked antagonist of “Squid Game,” the leader will have a big hand at the event, and “obviously, the guards, dressed in a variety of pink jumpsuits, will be present throughout the event,” he says. Simon.
Squid Game: The Trials Night Market will feature a menu led by Yangban chef Katianna Hong.
(Netflix)
A key component of Squid Game: The Trials will be a neon-drenched night market with Korean-inspired food led by Yangban chef Katianna Hong. The event website says to expect “instant ramyun, bibimbap, soju-infused cocktails and more.” The Night Market, Simon says, was a lesson from past immersive events. He says about 90% of guests at a Bridgerton-inspired ball arrived in costume and wanted to hang out long after the scheduled portion of the night was over. Some previous Netflix events did not always have a meeting location ready to take place after the event.
“The experience ends and people just want to stay and dance,” Simon says. “We had to start bringing people out because we had several shows a night. That is one of the learnings we have evolved towards. If you're a fan of the world and you had a great time, we want fans to be able to really immerse themselves in it. That aspect of the Night Market is one way we think we can deliver.”
“The squid game,” of course, had a food component to one of its games, one that inspired a viral challenge on social media. On the show, contestants must punch out certain shapes of a dalgona cookie, a honeycomb-shaped candy-like sweet made from caramelized sugar and baking soda. Participants are given a needle to try to carve the assigned shape without breaking the thin cookie in a limited time.
While Simon didn't say if the dalgona challenge would be replicated in one of the event games, it's safe to assume they'll feature heavily in Squid Game: The Trials. “It will definitely feel like a self-contained universe,” Simon says of the event. “There's a very specific sense of world and place in 'The Squid Game.' “We want you to feel that way.” He adds, “There are certain things, like the dalgona cookies that are featured prominently in the series, that we think fans will love.”
Tickets for The Squid Game: The Trials are now on sale. Tickets, opening on December 6, are currently available until January 31. They start at $39 on weekdays and increase to $54 on weekends. A VIP experience is also available for $99.
