If you were ever a child (and we promise you that you were), you know the game “The Floor is Lava,” quite well. Perhaps you’re even a self-proclaimed expert at this game. You know how it’s played. Your mom tells you that you’re not allowed to stand on the furniture or run through the house, so you pretend the floor is made of lava and you jump from couch to couch and from table to table and bed to bed and on anything that is not the floor while she constantly reminds you that you don’t listen well and asks if you can hear her. It’s the single best game ever as a child. And, now, it’s a series on Netflix, and it is here to make your life. Here’s everything you need to know.
1. It’s as Simple As You Imagine
The rules are simple. Don’t touch the lava. Just get to the other side of the obstacle course without touching the lava. It literally is as simple as the game you played as a child, and it really is not any more complex than that. We are so impressed that adults took something fun and simple and hilarious and didn’t make it complicated and ridiculous. Honestly, that’s the true miracle.
2. It’s Funny
It’s so over-the-top it’s hilarious. You won’t be able to stop yourself from laughing. Trust me – our four kids watched it like it was the greatest thing that ever happened, and they laughed nonstop, and I assure you they are not close in age. It really is hilarious.
3. The Lava is Really Just Pool Water
If you’re worried and panicked thinking that this really lava – and who wouldn’t be thinking that it might just be in these uncertain times – don’t panic. It’s just pool water. It’s red because they used colored lighting beneath the surface. Yes, it really is that simple.
4. The Best Job in the World Might Be On this Show
We might be biased here, but we do believe that the person who gets to sit behind the scenes and make the lava bubble and spray people in the face might just have the best job in the world. What a way to get paid, right? You get to pick and choose, you get to ruin the lives of people who just want to make it to the other side. This is real, and this is really cool.
5. The Game Plays No Games
If you fall into the lava, and some of you might, you will actually sink down in the depths of the lava never to be seen again. Okay, so that’s a slight exaggeration, but they really are not playing any games when it comes to this game show. You fall, you’re done, and we don’t see you again. You do very dramatically sink, and it might be the greatest part of the show.
6. It’s Ridiculous in the Best Way
Honestly, after watching a few of these, it’s really ridiculous, but it’s also something that the show seems to realize. The contestants realize it. The host realizes it. Everyone knows it, and it’s not like it’s the elephant in the room at all.
7. Your Kids Will Eat This Up
Listen, if you have kids, turn this on. They will literally sit down and watch this unfold for at least the first three episodes before they decide they, too, can make this happen at home. If you need some free time, we should recommend that you ask your kids to do something educational like read a book or write their dissertation, but we honestly believe that it’s their imaginations that are the most exciting thing about them. So, let them watch this, and then watch the mess unfold.
8. Your Kids Will Participate at Home
Please know that if there is one thing you need to know about this new Netflix series, it’s that your kids will make a horrible mess of your house trying to create their own obstacle course around the lava floors you have. It’s going to keep them entertained, though, so perhaps you can do something that doesn’t require being their personal assistant for a few moments at a time.
9. It Works in Teams of Three
If you’re curious, you have to be part of a team of three to play this game. Your teammates are your family. They are your lifeline. They are your ride or dies in this moment. The premise is simple. You get one point for every person who successfully avoids touching the lava on any given course.
10. You Can Win Money
And not little money, either. Those who play can win some serious cash, but you need to trust your team can handle it. The winners get a whopping $10,000 if they get the most points and win the game. We are here for it.
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