I Went To The Traitors Experience In NYC

I’ve always had an inkling that I’d do well on The Traitors — not because I’m a good liar, but because I know I can deliver on a killer outfit and a persuasive argument, two essential skills to succeed in the campy Peacock reality series. Though I watch the show religiously, I never thought I’d get the chance to experience its twists and turns IRL, until The Traitors Experience came to New York City in honor of Season 4’s premiere.

On Jan. 13, I got to preview the interactive game that allows fans to compete in a real-life version of the show. The Traitors Experience is open to the public from Jan. 14 to Jan. 22 at the Weylin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The $40 tickets are currently sold out, but never fear — Peacock has hosted similar pop-ups for past seasons, so there’s a good chance it will be back in one or more major U.S. cities next year.

In the meantime, here’s my full review of the hour-long immersive experience for anyone who couldn’t snag a ticket. PSA: It will give you more respect for the contestants on the show, especially the traitorous ones. (Lisa Rinna, I bow down.)

The Evening Is Shrouded In Mystery

Upon arrival at the historic bank-turned-event space, I was led down a set of steps into a darkly lit lounge area that looked just like the Scottish castle Traitors is filmed in. I signed a waiver saying I was comfortable with light physical challenges, then took a seat on the couch and had some snacks (Walker’s shortbread cookies and charcuterie) while I waited for my group to be called.

When our time slot rolled around, my group of 10 players met our guide, Emily Norcia, who would be with us throughout the experience. We were handed blindfolds, and got the rundown on how the game would work: One or more of us would be secretly playing as Traitors, trying to sabotage the group during challenges to get points for their team. Then, we gathered in a circle and went straight into Traitors selection.

I was really hoping I’d be chosen as a Traitor because I wanted the chance to be sneaky, but I didn’t receive a tap on the shoulder during the selection process. So I officially embraced the Faithful role, which seemed easier anyway because I wouldn’t have to lie.

We then filed into a decorative bar space, where we met a surprise guest... Alan Cumming himself! The Traitors host played up his iconic murrrderous persona to ask us to guess which of our fellow contestants were the most and least trustworthy. While Alan was our only celebrity guest, some participants in other time slots got to meet current contestants Natalie Anderson and Rob Cesternino, plus Season 3’s Derek Levasseur.

The Challenges Require *A Lot* Of Critical Thinking

We said goodbye to Alan (for the time being) and entered the next room for our first challenge. We were presented with an elaborate tablescape meant to simulate the breakfast room on the show, and we were given cards with each of the Season 4 contestants’ names and photos. Before the bell rang, we had to “seat” them at the table in the correct order based on a series of tricky hints. (Keep in mind that our Traitors were supposed to sabotage the competition without being discovered.) My group of three completed our part, but the other group didn’t finish in time, leading me to question who among them might be trying to undermine us.

Before we knew it, it was time for the first murder. After two lucky players got a “shield” card from a fortune teller, we gathered in a circle and put on our blindfolds, while the Traitors among us silently pointed to who they wanted to kill. Thankfully, I was spared. The experience doesn’t end right away for a murdered contestant, though. Our first-killed participant still got to play the rest of the game, but with various disadvantages, like competing in challenges blindfolded or while striking and holding a pose.

The second challenge tasked us with navigating through a giant maze, while answering questions like “What colors are in the Scottish flag?” and “How many notes can a bagpipe play?” After completing a puzzle, we managed to earn more points for the Faithfuls.

Then came the recruitment ceremony for a new Traitor. We were all handed small wooden boxes with white or red painted inside, and we traded them among ourselves. The person with the red in their box became a newly recruited Traitor (my box had white, so I remained a Faithful).

After one more murder and two more challenges — one involving matching cards and solving riddles, and the other requiring us to do math problems to unlock suitcases and assemble Alan’s wardrobe — we ended the competition with five coins for the Faithfuls and four for the Traitors. Still, we had one more test to complete before finishing our experience.

The Roundtable Felt The Most Like The Actual Show

My group headed into the roundtable with the Faithfuls in the lead, but we still needed to root out the Traitors in our midst. By now, I had a good idea of who one of our Traitors might be, but I was making total guesses on the others. Alan came back out to guide us through the voting process.

First, the two murdered players had the chance to share their thoughts, then we all had a few minutes to discuss our theories and let the accused contestants defend themselves. We voted, then the player went up to the circle of trust for Alan to ask “Are you a Faithful or a Traitor?” in his signature high-drama way. We did manage to banish one Traitor (after sending a Faithful home), but there was one left that went undetected. He got a themed cape as a prize, and we all applauded his sneakiness — I had defended his innocence just five minutes before.

Tensions aside, we all laughed afterward and said we had a blast, and I came away with some new friends (who I can thankfully trust in the real world).

I’m Ready To Try Again — And Fine-Tune My Strategy

Despite knowing nothing about what to expect going in, I had a blast at The Traitors Experience and would love to do it a second time. Being a Faithful was fun, but I do wish I’d had the power of a Traitor — the added difficulty of having to lie and sabotage the missions would’ve made things harder. Still, I was grateful not to be a roundtable target or a victim of the two murders.

Though tickets aren’t currently available in NYC, if you get the chance to attend a future iteration of this event, I’d highly recommend it alone or with a friend. Most of us won’t ever get to appear on the real show, but we can live out the experience for an hour with much lower stakes and no cameras — plus no grueling physical challenges in the Scotland rain. I’ll be watching the show with a closer eye now for strategy and gameplay, and a new appreciation for my favorite sneaky Traitors (looking at you, Rob Rausch).