Genius Game

It's a "westernized" adaption of Netflix' "The Devil's Plan".

The Devil's Plan is a lot more complicated and the UK version is a little simplefied, which I find refreshing, because I want to be entertained and not lectured.

The Devil's Plan although, the very first game, I haven't understood the rules nor what to do. It's so overly complicated with 5 or 6 tiers to the game and even more plots and twists, while "Genius Game" has only 3 layers and at max one more twist.

But you decide for yourselves. I might be just to simple for either show. Maybe it is because I am a non-native (English) speaker.

But both shows are good.

Pick a stereotype then find the blandest personality of it and give them a puzzle box, make sure they talk a big game with lots of #iamverysmart claims of why their so cerebral and then put them together and watch them fight over some cheap resin blocks all for entertainment.

From the first round it's clear who thinks their better than the rest and who hasn't got a clue whats going on.

The problem with this opener is a lot of time is spent with back and forth mansplaining everything, yes the men take the lead in most of the conversations, and the women mostly just nod or agree.

The set is fancy and filled with knick naks but still feels ' cheap' like they tried to copy the crystal maze / doctor who's tardis theme with a big 'g' all over.

Similar shows - crystal maze / fort boyard, the cube, golden balls.

Probs keep watching out of morbid curio cos tv is lacking currently :D.

This is a dumbed-down version of the Devils plan but cheesier and a larger social element.

Big personalities take over and create blocks of allies that gang up on people on the edges.

A lot of the games are designed to accommodate this so often most players don't even play the games they just hang around waiting for the chosen patsy to get booted.

Then there was one death match which wasn't a game at all - it was a literal populality test.

This seemed very unfair and goes against the spirit of the game.

For the most part the games don't matter, as there is no advantage to going against the crowd and it gets quite tedious.

The last few episodes I used a bit of zoom as it was just lame chatter and tactics talk that really didn't matter.

While a lot of viewers seem to think the games are too confusing, I liked that you had to really concentrate and think like one of the players. I didn't find them too difficult though, and especially the death match was a fun game (that I myself have played with friends before). David's persona as The Creator is a mysterious, yet interesting character that gives the show the extra bit it needs. Judging from the first episode, the format is really enjoyable and just the right amount of complicated mixed with reality and getting to know the contestants! It's what I personally seek from a show, so I'm really looking forward to the next episodes!

If it was just the games, like a modern day Krypton Factor, the game show would be better. As it is they have shoehorned in backstabbing and it thinks it is the traitors - it isn't. It feels drawn out and doesn't move forward, if they just cut that out what made it about how well they outsmart each other in the challenges, it would be an 8 out of 10 instead of 6.

Perhaps the contestants just aren't very likeable, I couldn't relate to their goals and why they formed cliques and turned on each other except the obvious: to win. Perhaps I'm weird for expecting and wanting more.

The production value of the show is good, it just feels like it's half filler.