Stranger Things Fans Will Love Escape The Dark, And It's Just One Reason I Think Netflix House Is A Must-Visit

In the realm of themed entertainment, Disney and Universal are the current kings of the castles (Cinderella's and Dr. Frankenstein's, respectively), while Six Flags has the market cornered on high-thrill, low-frill roller coasters. Just below those tiers is a smorgasbord of awesomeness ranging from LEGOLAND and SeaWorld to Dave & Buster's and Escapology — shout out to the upcoming Sloth World — and the streaming giant Netflix entered that chat in a big way in 2025 with the company's first two experience-driven entertainment hubs dubbed Netflix House.

I attended the opening event for press and influencers for Netflix House Dallas, following its lengthy and anticipation-building construction, and was wowed by and large by how big the space was, and by how many different projects are being celebrated through the variety of immersive experiences, games, food and drink options, and the wall-to-wall decorations. Whether you're an original project completist who's watching all the upcoming movies and series, or the only Netflix show you've ever watched is Stranger Things, Netflix House Dallas is already a must-visit destination, and plans to regularly swap aforementioned elements for new ones only cements its revisitability.

Let’s walk through the various reasons why Netflix House has me mostly convinced that metro areas around the country should opt in. Now grab those walkie-talkies and let’s talk about the first of two different Hawkins-set experiences.

Stranger Things: Escape The Dark Is Truly A One-Of-A-Kind Adventure

The impetus behind creating the sensory-heavy Stranger Things: Escape The Dark was to make anyone feel as if they're stepping inside an episode of the show, and the plot here centers on a hunt for a trio of missing Hawkins teens, including the sadly non-immortal Eddie Munson. Equipped with a flashlight and headphones that utilize binaural audio for full immersiveness, fans will go through a variety of different scenarios and situations that incorporate locations and characters from the hit show.

Delving into too many details would just spoil the surprises, but I'll dance around a few of my favorite highlights. As pictured above, Will's Castle Byers hideout is one of several detail-filled locations (also including Eddie's trailer) that are meant to be explored, and I could have spent the entire hour just staring at things. But there are other areas to explore that utilize both the headphone audio and a variety of different visual effects, from practical, expertly crafted set pieces to digital wizardry incorporating screens, smoke, lighting and holograms. There are quite a few genuine "wow" moments that are more than worth recommending it to other fans.

While not all sections of the experience hit upper-echelon theming as the first and final areas, Escape The Dark is a unique vibe mix of escape rooms, haunted houses and theme park shows, but without the puzzles or big scares that keep certain visitors away from those first two.

Squid Game: Survive The Trials Is All The Fun Games Without The Death

Much like Escape the Death can be enjoyed for its own merits without someone being a Stranger Things fanatic, watching Squid Game is not necessary to enjoy the hell out of the Survive the Trials experience, even if it absolutely adds value to seeing all the games set up in real life. Not to mention getting a cold stare from one of the many Pink Soldiers spread around.

Upon entering the Trials, players will be given a numbered wristband that is used to track points throughout the various challenges. That’s right, this is absolutely a competition where you’ll be facing off against everyone else in your party (and possibly some strangers), and you’ll find your mobility, dexterity, awareness, memory and timing put to the test, among other skills.

It all culminates in that most viral game of all, Red Light, Green Light, with the creepy Young-hee watching over everyone like a robotic hawk. Thankfully, players who fall short of the top spot won’t be lethally taken out of commission at the end of Squid Game: Survive the Trials, but humbling criticism from friends is likely on the docket.

The RePlay Arcade Is More Than Just On-Theme Video Games

I love arcades, from retro quarter-based dives to annoyingly trendy barcades, and always enjoy games and machines I’ve never engaged with before. Which is pretty much the entirety of Netflix House’s RePlay Arcade, since all of the options therein are exclusive to the brand, even if some of the game types themselves can be found in other entertainment hubs — basketball, football, punching bag,, etc. For instance, the team was able to quickly turn a Dance Dance Revolution cabinet into a game focused squarely on KPop Demon Hunters to take advantage of the animated film’s popularity. But it’s far more than that approach.

Several of the choices in RePlay are wholly original in scope, such as the Floor Is Lava-themed game that has players jumping from one side of a lit-up floor to the other, as well as a Love, Death + Robots game that’s like Operation on steroids. I also had a blast playing a Happy Gilmore golf game that made up for its janky controls by including a lot of random movie references. (Bob Barker appearance included.) Gamers can also play a quick Love Is Blind matchmaker game to see which Netflix character is a perfect fit. (I got Red from Orange Is the New Black, which I doubt she would be happy with.)

The three biggest highlights in RePlay, though, are the trio of themed mini-experiences that cost a bit more than other games, but take around 15 minutes or so to play through. First is a another Stranger Things room (woo!) that takes place in a familiar basement, with players tasked to help Dustin with a certain mission. We also have an Army of the Dead room that tasks players with performing a heist without using any verbal forms of communication. And then there’s a calorie-burning Sakamoto Days room that involves stacking grocery store shelves, grouping items on counters, and throwing those same items at attackers that start appearing on a side wall.

The Merch And Food Options Are Plentiful And Largely Exclusive

Netflix House doesn’t want visitors to get all worked up and energized without being able to replenish, and has both a dine-in eatery (Netflix Bites) and a bar. Of course, both have exclusive items themed to a variety of projects, from a WWE Slam Burger to Scoops Ahoy ice cream flavors. While I didn’t try everything during my own first visit, everything I did try tasted great (including the dranky-dranks). What’s more, the price point for the quality of the meal beat out anything else in the mall or other fast-casual eateries. So even if experiences are the last thing on your mind, it’s still worth a lunch trip.

Like Netflix Bites and other other common areas, Netflix House’s merch section is also free for the public to enter and peruse, and it would be extremely easy to drop a ton of money in there as well. From hoodies to keychains to puzzles to LEGO sets to posters to figurines and beyond, it's the perfect spot for a shopping spree.

I talked to Greg Lombardo, Netflix's VP of Experiences, and asked about using the merch options as a way to spotlight certain projects that might not lend themselves as well to games and immersive challenges. Here's what he told me:

I was surprised to see Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein already represented in Netflix House, given how recently it hit the service, but those are the kinds of fast-pasced additions fans can expect to see over time. The store also highlights a ton of KPop Demon Hunters and Stranger Things items (as well as featuring a life-sized Vecna statue that looks amazing). But in case anyone was thinking The Hunting Wives might not warrant placement here, the store actually spotlights the Brittany Snow series with exclusive Texas-themed clothing and other items that can't be found anywhere else.

Netflix House Also Honors Its Older Projects, With A Goal Of Rotating Experiences And Other Elements

For all the obvious attention given to Stranger Things, Wednesday and the service's other global hits, Netflix House has nods (both obvious and not) to projects that ended their runs years ago. The mural on the wall behind the bar, for example, pays tribute to beloved shows like BoJack Horseman, Ozark, Black Mirror's "San Junipero," and more. One of my favorite visual elements are lit-up chess board squares on the ceiling in the main entryway, next to an image of Anya-Taylor Joy's Queen's Gambit character.

If all of the above wasn't already enough of a sell, Netflix House locations weren't built to be static and unchanging. The idea is to be able to swap out literally anything within the building if necessary, mainly to draw attention to newer proejcts, but also to capitalize on the popularity of ongoing hits. Everything from the clever and eye-catching neon signs hanging everywhere to the menu items to the games and experiences themselves is theoretically meant to be replaced at some point, which adds a ton of revisit-ability that isn't the case with a lot of other arcades, escape rooms and the like.

So I obviously enjoyed the heck out of my time at Netflix House, and I'm pretty sure anyone else who drops in will have just as much fun. But don't take my word for it. Take a trip to either the Dallas or the Philadelphia location to See What's Next for yourself. Just don't order from the waiter that looks like Vecna, because it's probably the real Vecna.