Traitors fans, rejoice! The moment has finally arrived where we can stop critiquing missed clues and dubious tactics of participants on our TVs and put our own detective, or devious deception, skills into action with The Traitors: Live Experience.
A fully immersive, playable version of the global TV phenomenon, The Traitors has traded its remote Scottish castle for the cobbled streets of Covent Garden, inviting Londoners and visitors alike to put their Traitor hunting talents to the ultimate test.
Ahead of its official opening on Friday 1 August, we were invited to wear our best poker face and dive into the deception early. If like me, you’ve always wanted to claim your innocence as a “100% faithful” yet pull off some seriously sneaky tactics then this experience is for you!
What’s the concept behind The Traitors: Live Experience?
The Traitors: Live Experience is a chance to step inside the exhilarating world of the hit BBC show. Created to capture the magic of the series in a single evening, the experience revolves around the Round Table – where players compete in missions to win gold, discuss suspicions, vote to banish potential Traitors and attempt to win – either as a Traitor or a Faithful.
Depending on your identity, the challenge takes a thrilling turn. As a Traitor, your mission is to "murder" one player each night without raising suspicion. If you're chosen as a Faithful, the stakes are just as high as you work together to spot the deception and vote out the Traitors before it’s too late.
It’s the ultimate game of wit, nerves and trust!
Welcome to The Cloak and Dagger
From the moment you step off the busy streets of Covent Garden into the Cloak and Dagger bar, you’re immersed in a world of rich dark wood panelling, plush red velvet furnishings and stylish dungeon-esque decor. Cloaked mannequins even stand beneath chandeliers, setting the tone for an evening of intrigue and betrayal.
We gather around a lavish booth area, sharing excitement with our fellow Round Table contenders before filling out an online form hinting at what lay ahead – including the tantalising option to opt in as a potential Traitor (I couldn’t resist clicking “yes”). We’re then summoned downstairs to begin our experience.
And what a descent it is. Winding corridors bring the show’s Scottish castle to our real-time game – think chequered flooring, antique portraits and a gleaming steel knight. It’s a theatrical journey before the drama even begins. When we reach our door, a cloaked host ushers us into a shadowy room to take our seats at the Round Table.
Let the games begin
There’s something wildly surreal about sitting at the Round Table – it appears huge and bursts with anticipation (as if Claudia Winkleman herself might stride in at any moment). Each table seats 14 players, while booking in a group of eight is highly recommended for a classic mix of strangers and unfamiliar strategy that the show’s known for.
An interactive screen kicks things off with a swift introduction to the game, but there’s no time to second-guess your fellow players because you’re soon scribbling your name on a mini whiteboard, flipping it around and proclaiming exactly what makes you a good Faithful. I insist I “can't keep a straight face when I lie” while other answers are hilariously chaotic, like “animals love me” and “I’m Irish, how could I lie?”.
Round Table revelations
Of all the moments I’d been looking forward to the most, this was it – the re-creation of Claudia’s legendary heeled strut around the Round Table as you await the infamous shoulder tap to mark you as a Traitor. (And yes, it absolutely delivered.)
You could practically hear hearts racing over the sound of suspenseful music as we’re instructed to put on our blindfolds – in the form of blackout goggles. The faint swish of our host’s cloak grazes once and then twice as they circle around the table. But with no tap, I’m officially a Faithful.
Mind games and murder
Just like the hit show, you’re thrown into a whirlwind of mind-twisting missions, collecting “gold” to build a shared prize pot. At the end of the game, the prize pot is shared among the winner, or winners, and acts as the score for the game. The reward? Other than bragging rights, a chance to earn a spot on The Traitors: Live Experience official leaderboard.
I struck lucky in our first challenge, bagging a shield that would spare me from “murder” that night. But immunity didn’t stop the adrenaline spike as we slipped on our blackout goggles once more and the Traitors unveiled themselves for their first kill and left it to our host to deliver the chilling tap of elimination.
Top tip: If you haven’t seen the show, take time to familiarise yourself with how the game works beforehand as it moves quickly and there isn’t much time for the host to explain the rules.
Banishment, betrayal and big theories
With blindfolds off and lights up, you’re swept into the next “day” of the game – channelling the luxurious breakfast table tension from the show as you eagerly scan the room to discover who’d been “murdered” in the night.
Though there’s not much time to plot upcoming moves as we’re swiftly ushered into the next challenge – a fast-paced mission around the room, with every correct answer fuelling the shared prize pot.
With more gold successfully gained, it’s time to return to the Round Table where theories fly across the group, including a particularly persuasive “rustling fabric” theory. I chimed in with my own doubts, unsure if I was cleverly speculating, or walking myself into the firing line.
Then comes banishment. With whiteboards out and one final speech to convince the group of someone else’s betrayal, I was relieved to not be on anyone’s boards, even though it turns out we banished an innocent Faithful. Traitors: 1, Faithfuls: 0!
Watching the game unfold
As I lost my shield, I seemed to have also lost my luck as the host’s tap on the shoulder confirmed my elimination. But the experience doesn’t end there, murdered and banished players get exclusive access to a lounge area, complete with a big viewing screen, bar service and a chance to get involved with games happening at the Round Table.
Here, we watched the End Game where the remaining players either banish the last Traitor, or Traitors, or get outwitted by them. In our session, the Traitor triumphed. But the real win was sharing stories and humorous theories back at the Cloak and Dagger bar.
Final thoughts on The Traitors: Live Experience
This playable experience proved to be as close to the show as you could get, without actually being on TV. From blindfold suspense to strategic mind games, every moment keeps you guessing and transports you to the anticipation of the iconic castle.
As London’s latest live attraction, and arguably one of its most transportive, this game of deception delivers plenty of thrills and is a great way to spend a few hours with family or friends. Whether you’re a Traitors superfan, or just love a murder mystery, The Traitors: Live Experience is a must-do London attraction that you won’t forget anytime soon.