When a show calls itself Genius Game, you’d expect it to offer mind-blowing puzzles, high-stakes strategy, and maybe a few moments where you sit back and think, “Wow, that’s clever.”
But instead, viewers – and even critics – were left baffled, squinting at their screens trying to figure out what was actually going on.
Even Einstein and Bobby Fischer Would Be Lost in This Maze
Imagine Albert Einstein writing in to say, “This show makes me feel relatively stupid,” or chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer admitting he can play hundreds of games blindfolded but still couldn’t wrap his head around Genius Game.
That pretty much captures the mood of viewers who tuned in hoping for smart TV and ended up with utter confusion.
Zircons, Cages, and Confusing Rules
From the get-go, the show drops you into a swirl of rules that feel like they were written during a caffeine-fueled fever dream.
Contestants compete for plastic cubes called “zircons” – each supposedly worth £1,000 – but the logic around who keeps them, loses them, or trades them is murky at best.
One contestant got kicked off and had to give his cubes back, while others seemed more focused on swapping them than winning.
Where’s David Tennant? Not Really There
David Tennant, billed as the star of the show, plays a mysterious character known as “The Creator.”
But instead of being live on set, he appears in pre-recorded video snippets, explaining the rules with all the passion of someone reading cereal box ingredients.
While his segments are broadcast to the players on a screen, he’s not actually involved in the gameplay.
It’s like calling someone a party host when they didn’t even show up.
A Sci-Fi Set With Nowhere to Go
Visually, the show tries to wow us with a Tardis-inspired set – staircases that go nowhere and walls that scream “futuristic brain lab.” But in the center of it all is… a cage.
Yep, a literal cage where players try to trap each other to stop them from collecting zircons. And no, that part wasn’t a joke.
Adapted from a Korean Hit – But Something Got Lost in Translation
Genius Game is based on a popular South Korean series, suggesting that either South Korea is filled with hyper-intelligent citizens or they have patience most of us can only dream of.
Because over here, the show’s format comes across less like genius and more like a long, slow exercise in frustration.
The First Episode Felt Like a Never-Ending Round of Nonsense
The hour-long premiere revolved around one repetitive main game.
Players had to “raid a bank vault,” choosing between three options.
If too many chose the same vault, nobody got anything and they were benched for the next round.
Strategic teaming up quickly turned into targeted elimination, and the vibe shifted from clever gameplay to playground politics.
Nice Guys Finish First… in Getting Booted
One friendly middle-aged contestant named Paul tried to keep spirits high, reminding everyone that it was just a game.
Big mistake. The group swiftly picked him as the first to be thrown out, and he didn’t take it well.
His final challenge involved matching shapes while everyone else watched and shouted the answers – making sure we, the audience, couldn’t even join in on the fun.
A Game Show That’s More Headache Than Genius
By the end of it all, the only real mystery was how Genius Game ever made it past the pitch meeting.
With nonsensical mechanics, a disengaged host, and rules that even Einstein couldn’t decode, the show is less a test of intellect and more a test of endurance.
Final Verdict? Genius It Ain’t
If you were hoping for a thrilling, high-IQ competition, this isn’t it.
Viewers were left bored, confused, and wondering whether the title was meant to be ironic.
Maybe it’s brilliant in a galaxy far, far away – but over here, it’s just a cleverly disguised mess.