Jabbar Lewis and Nic Ashe watched every episode of "Squid Game" -- and were convinced they would be able to handle the deadly schoolyard contests. They never imagined they might actually get a chance to try.
At "Squid Game: The Trials" in Los Angeles, fans of all ages can relive the most emotional moments of Netflix's South Korean hit show -- but there is a lot less blood and no one wins any prize money.
"It's so funny that even without the $4.56 million cash prize, you really feel the stakes in the game. I found myself sweating and shaking and I would do it again," said Ashe, 27.
"It's like the show kind of came to life. It came out of my TV and I got to step into the world."
In a series of rooms, organizers of the immersive LA attraction have set up harmless versions of the brutal games depicted in the series, in which misfits and criminals took an all-or-nothing gamble: win the prize or die.
Netflix says it hopes visitors will be transported into the universe of the show -- and its reality competition spinoff -- from the get-go.
Players are greeted by the Front Man, the overseer of the game, flanked by his minions in their distinctive fuchsia jumpsuits and black masks with symbols.
Classic "Squid Game" challenges like the glass bridge and the dalgona candy game are recreated, as is the runaway favorite: "Red Light, Green Light," complete with the giant, menacing, motion-sensing doll.
"It was real!" said Melanie Galano.
Fellow visitor Andrew Lin chimed in: "It just felt like you're kind of in the show."
Participants wear wristbands that buzz when they "die" in a challenge, but some joked that they hoped for more reality.
"I expected real dying," joked Choi Hyumbom. "I realized it's not the same as (the show), but I'm still having fun."
Lewis, who won his round, said for him, "'Squid Game' just represents determination to win, the will to win. And it does require a lot of strategy."
When asked how he plotted his win, Lewis replied: "Be low-key in the background and then come up like a shark and destroy everybody."
