NYC's 'Squid Game: The Experience' vows to test your nerves, so I tried it

Getting harassed by an actor in costume isn't unheard of in Midtown, but paying to be screamed at by New York City’s theatrical talents is less common.

Yet that’s where I found myself last Thursday night: willingly stripped of my name, reduced to a number on my wrist, and obedient as a cast member named Jonathan barked orders.

This was in a test drive of Squid Game: The Experience, a huge new amusement in Manhattan Mall at 32nd Street and Sixth Avenue, where for $29 you can test your memory, agility, and other skills through a five-game course over about an hour.

What it was like to try Squid Game: The Experience

This new Herald Square attraction is based on Netflix’s 2023 reality game show "Squid Game: The Challenge," in which 456 participants vied for a $4.56 million prize through childhood favorites like "Red Light, Green Light" and, of course, through alliances and backstabbing.

And that was an offshoot of the (fictional) South Korean dystopian survival thriller series "Squid Game," which puts a brutal, murderous twist on traditional children’s games — think hopscotch, but with life-or-death stakes.

I loved the South Korean show’s shock value, black comedy, and scathing commentary on the crumbling of community in late-stage capitalism.

But can we stop for a moment to appreciate the irony of taking over 100 West 33rd St. — an address that used to house a humble JCPenney — for yet another promotional excess no one really needs?

Considering this, and my general feeling of scrutiny around so-called immersive experiences, I was skeptical.

As I waited for my friend Raegan to arrive, an imposing image of sinister, masked, faceless creeps clad in pink jumpsuits — Squid Game’s “Guards” — loomed on the huge window above.

“Should I be scared?” I asked a greeter minding the door.

“No,” she assured me. “Unless you don’t like extremely loud noises and flashing lights.” Is that a thing people like?

Raegan and I proceeded inside, where we grabbed drinks at the bar (rosé for her, a “Gganbu-rita” for me) and took our place in line for the experience. Quickly, a coordinator with a stern voice, a headset, and a clipboard informed us we had four minutes to down our beverages.

We and 12 other participants were then escorted into a processing cell, where we strapped on numbered wristbands, scanned them, and held still for a photo. One lady, it seemed, accidentally captured an image of her hand instead of her face.

“NUMBER 400, WHERE IS YOUR PHOTO!?” boomed Jonathan, the “host” for our group’s experience. In keeping with the Squid Game brand, Jonathan exuded militancy, furrowing his brow and clenching his jaw. As we waited in a holding room, he stayed in character, roasting us.

“WHAT IS YOUR NAME?” Jonathan asked one woman, who hesitantly murmured an inaudible response.

“INCORRECT! THERE ARE NO NAMES!” Jonathan shouted. “YOU ARE 011 NOW!”

As we made our way through the installation’s five games, Jonathan’s intense instructions piled on: Stand on this pink dot, don’t move your feet, listen to the following rules, take a place in front of this table, look at the tin of marbles, don’t touch the tin, now you can touch the tin, actually don’t.

I oscillated between joy and stress. You know the stakes are low — this is entertainment — but the pressure still frays the psyche.

Our group of 14 quickly began playing along: acting serious, acting confused, acting invested. For our first challenge, we had less than 10 seconds to memorize a specific pattern of illuminated floor tiles before they disappeared, then step only on the “safe” tiles to get to the other side of the room. About half of us made it through without elimination. I was prouder than I’d like to admit for placing second.

During another game, “Warship” (a version of Hasbro’s “Battleship”), we arranged ourselves into two teams and consulted a giant screen for 14 seconds to determine which of our opponents’ coordinates to drop “bombs” on.

Thank god for Raegan, our trusted ship captain. While I thrived in some of the contests, by now I was overstimulated, and Warship made my mind go blank. I panicked to name any letter and number, let alone a winning one. Raegan is clearly the whiz, because she later called this game “exhilarating.”

In the final game, a mix of overall ranking and chance determined our group’s winner (alas, not Raegan or me), who received a crown, a standing ovation and bragging rights.

As we exited our cab on the way to dinner later, Jonathan’s voice was like a phantom in my head: You have five seconds to exit the taxi; you have three seconds to close the sliding door; etc. If nothing else, the Squid Game experience was salient.

What to know before you go

Consider your footwear.

The organizers recommended that I dress “comfortably for physical movement,” but I did fine in my knit skirt and blouse. However, a couple of the games require taking calculated steps or moving fast, so high heels might put you at risk of a turned ankle or suboptimal performance.

A lot hinges on your host.

“Jonathan was incredible,” Raegan said after our wild night at Squid Game, and I agreed. “Great acting, and he did a lot to make it fun.” While the games, the tech behind them, and the overall environment are impressive and truly immersive, it’s the actors who set and maintain the tone.

Make it a big group outing.

For me, what was missing from this experience was the politics of reality TV. If you did this with people you know, you could argue over the teams in Warship or jokingly elbow a friend in the rib when you beat them at Red Light, Green Light. Provided you’re not allergic to group activities (much respect for those who are), this could make for a hilarious birthday, bachelor or bachelorette party, reunion, or bonding event.

Manage your expectations.

“Some of the games were a little constrained by space, which impacted enjoyment,” Raegan pointed out. “For instance, Red Light, Green Light is over before you know it because you’re crossing such a tiny space, so that makes it less exciting than it could be.” And for $29 per ticket, optimized enjoyment is a factor to consider.

Go if you’re a Squid Game superfan.

If you love "Squid Game: The Challenge," you're likely to enjoy Squid Game: The Experience.

Raegan’s take: “I would pay $29 for this experience, but only if you can bring good company with you. It’s a novel experience and something interesting to do for a change.”