www.parkworld-online.com
Industry Insider
theme, soundtrack and challenge. When you come to Level99, you find wildly
varying game mechanics inside environments that tap into exploration and discovery. We want guests to feel intrigued by the mystery behind each door and curious about the themed environment they’ll step into next. You could say we are an explorer’s paradise,
because there is no single way to experience Level99. Each guest follows their own path according to what interests them most. Each game lasts between three and five minutes, which keeps wait times down while giving guests the opportunity to try as many games as possible and repeat their favorites.
If the Challenge Games are hidden behind closed doors, how do guests stay engaged between games? The overall architecture and design of Level99 is very deliberate. Throughout the venue, we created town square-style spaces around the Challenge Room entrances. While guests wait, they are surrounded by Player-vs-Player Duel Games in the common areas and can watch others compete. We also have original artwork throughout the venue. The Art Hunt is an ongoing game guests can engage with during their visit. Each entrance also shares three clues about the Challenge Game, so there is a lot to take in during the two minutes before entering the next room.
Are there signature experiences guests will fi nd at every Level99? We do have a few guest favorites in every venue. Our Axe Run, for example, is almost as much fun to watch as it is to play. Guests love it, and they ask for it. We have a list of “greatest hits” that we put in each venue, but none of our locations are the same. Every quarter, our design and build team creates new challenges and follows a schedule that allows us to add and swap out games so guests always have something new to try.
What most often surprises fi rst- time guests? The easy answer is everything. I don’t think there really is a name yet for our type of attraction, and that’s OK. The scale, quality, variety, gameplay and theming come together in a new way. We created a space that guests can explore however they want, as many times as they want, in whatever order they want. Beyond the games, guests are often pleasantly
surprised by the food. We take food and beverage as seriously as our games, including our craft, farm-to-table-style menu. Our culinary team creates our sauces in-house. Every day, we prepare
DARK RIDE EDITION 2026 39
our own pizza dough with a custom blend of flour commissioned for our version of Detroit-style pizza. If you order a Shirley Temple from the bar, the grenadine is hand-mixed; it does not come out of a bottle. We wanted to do justice to that part of the
experience. While guests are having a great time playing, they can also have a great time eating and drinking. The bar and tables sit in the middle of the action, so even when guests pause from gameplay, they remain surrounded by Duel Games, the Axe Run and the energy of the venue.
Is Level99 creating a new category? I don’t believe there is a name yet for our type of attraction, and that’s OK. We are unconventional, and we are part of an evolution. Our scale, quality, variety, gameplay and theming have allowed us to create an entirely new experience for guests. There’s a certain beauty and inspiration in that. We challenged ourselves to invent new modes of play for people to do together, and guests are responding positively. That’s what gets us really excited.
How do you balance challenge and replayability? That depends on how you look at it. There is physicality involved in some games, problem- solving and mental challenge in others, and teamwork and communication can determine success or failure. The Player-vs-Player Duel Games are all about competition. While we provide hints at the entrance of each
Challenge Game, part of the experience is figuring out the puzzle in the time allotted. The games are
“We are unconventional, and we are part of an evolution”
Matthew DuPlessie
deliberately designed to be challenging. We all know there is little satisfaction in entering a game and solving it instantly. If it’s too easy, it’s not fulfilling, and you won’t want to do it again. Our games challenge and intrigue guests. We want them to determine a strategy, figure it out, solve the game and then play again to level up or beat their previous time.
What’s next for Level99? Our Disney Springs location has only been open for three weeks, so we are still celebrating that. We have announced upcoming locations in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and we’re excited about all that lies ahead.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
