Leave the Outside World Behind with New York’s Addictive ‘Squid Game’ Experience

There’s a sense of unease as you step into New York‘s “Squid Game” activation, located in the heart of Manhattan. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s smash-hit Netflix drama took children’s playground games and turned them into deadly competitions, with only one victor — survivor — winning the final cash prize.

But it’s exactly that twisted show premise that makes the real-life activation… genuinely fun. Without the show’s fatal modifications, Squid Game just that: a game. It’s an immersive and entertaining outing to attend with friends, family, and the included dose of strangers. (My batch included a group of teens as well as adult men with corporate jobs clearly on some kind of team building excursion. Multitudes!)

Located at the corner of 32rd Street and Sixth Avenue in the heart of Manhattan, Squid Game: The Experience is easily identifiable from anywhere with a direct sightline; the window display features two of the show’s masked and looming guards and a clear sphere full of cash. If you look closely, you’ll spot Young-hee behind them, against the idyllic farmland backdrop the she couldn’t be more removed from.

Entry itself is not ticketed; the atrium leads into a Night Market with “Squid Game” merchandise and Korean food and snacks in partnership with H Mart. The former includes everything from a full player tracksuit ($50, just in time for Halloween) to bottles and mugs to casual apparel to magnets and marbles (oof). A bar sponsored by Johnny Walker (complete with the company logo dressed in a Squid Game player’s outfit) serves themed cocktails like Red Light, Green Light (a bloody mary) and the Gganbu-rita (guess) crafted by Korean mixologist Ginn Choe. There’s even a machine serving instant hot food like dumplings and japchae (if your friend doesn’t break it… happened to someone I know…) and arcade games tucked in a corner, as well as a photobooth and a few tables to sit back and relax.

You don’t have to pay for Night Market entry, but you do have to pay to play. Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased online for specific time slots when you enter the game itself. The hourlong experience takes players through the show’s memorable glass bridge (instead of deadly guesswork, this one involves memorizing patterns), playground setting, a version of Red Light, Green Light complete with Young-hee’s glowing red eyes, a game from “Squid Game: The Challenge,” and a final mystery round (Season 2 teaser??). The games themselves are an impressive technological feat, with players wearing numbered wristbands that need scanning, motion sensors in Red Light, Green Light, lighting elements, videos, and more. For the $45 VIP admission, players also get complimentary coat and bag check, a free drink, discount coupons for the Night Market and “Squid Mart,” and exclusive entry into a VIP lounge with a private bar and seating to watch live streams of other players currently inside the game.

If there’s one thing both the fictionalized Squid Game and its significantly more fun activation have in common, it’s the idea of leaving the outside world behind. Whether you’re letting off steam with some friendly games, kicking back with a craft cocktail, or seeking a little retail therapy in the Night Market, Squid Game: The Experience manages to be a detailed treat for fans as well as a welcoming and enjoyable activity for all audiences. The New York location will be open into 2025, with sister locations in Madrid and Sydney.

“Squid Game” Season 2 will premiere December 26 on Netflix.