Gameplay technologies are one of our greatest assets. We offer an all-in-one solution for your production, from custom props and interactive buttons to fully programmable control systems. Should it be required our LED technology can be seamlessly connected with gameplay elements, creating dynamic, immersive experiences all from one supplier.
Backed by our dedicated R&D department, who thrive on tackling unique challenges, we're always ready to push the boundaries of what's possible.
Explore some examples below:
Destination X
Airing 2025
Write up coming soon…
Photo Credit: ITV
Genius Games
Alongside the scenic LED, designed by Josh Grace, the show also made powerful use of Light Initiative’s innovative Game Play Engine (GPE). Operating in real time, the GPE used pre-rendered graphical assets to display the evolving game state across studio-rigged screens. This seamless integration of technology played a key role in bringing to life the imaginative and high-stakes games developed by Executive Producer Anna Kidd and her team and built by Games Designer Ben Norman.
The GPE was easily programmable for a wide array of game play logic and provided both contestant and production game play real time game state and scores.
The system also kept track of players Trading accounts, controlled lighting props, and logged every action taken both by the contestants and production.
A notable prop Light Initiative created was a set of suitcases filled with intelligent lighting blocks which had been pre-programmed with a secret colour. Each block communicated wirelessly with the GPE and could change from black to reveal its secret colour.
Squid Games: The Challenge
Light Initiative was brought on board to help deliver one of the most iconic moments in Squid Game: The Challenge for the game of Red Light, Green Light. With 456 contestants taking part, the production required a robust, accurate, and responsive system to track movement and trigger special effects in real time.
We developed and operated a custom player tracking system, equipping every contestant with a wearable tracker. This allowed the production team to monitor each player’s position and movement throughout the game. In addition, a network of 16 cameras was deployed to capture comprehensive visual coverage, enabling adjudicators to verify whether any contestant had moved during “red light.”
In tandem with the tracking system, we engineered a remote squib-firing solution. These wearable SFX packs were wirelessly triggered from the gallery by our team, based on cues from the producers. The system provided precise, timed activations to create the visual impact of eliminations, all seamlessly coordinated with the gameplay.
Check out the video on the right as MD Bryn Williams talks more about the system.
Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (Ant v Dec)
For over a decade we had the privilege of working on Ant & Dec Saturday Night Takeaway, one of our favourite elements was Ant V Dec. These two are a particular stand out.
2016 - Life Size Pacman
It wasn’t just about the scenic neon and LED installation for the set and Pac-Dots. We also developed, built, and operated the custom tracking system used to follow Ant & Dec throughout the game. This system triggered the colour changes of each Pac-Dot, controlled the on-screen graphics, and logged their progress in real time, ensuring seamless integration between gameplay and visual effects. All controlled from the gallery.
2022 - vs The Dark
In addition to supplying 150 metres of IntelliFlex for the exterior of the box, we developed two custom colour-changing suits, each linked to a button and fully wired into the back of the armour. When pressed, the buttons activated the suits and simultaneously sent live telemetry to a remote laptop. This allowed the suits to be reset remotely and provided the games team with precise timing data to ensure each button press complied with the rules.
Bank Balance
For Gordon Ramsay’s high-stakes game show Bank Balance, Light Initiative designed and built 40 precision-engineered, colour-changing light blocks that were central to the gameplay. These blocks responded in real time to contestant answers—changing colour to indicate correct or incorrect responses—while also needing to be millimetre-accurate to maintain the delicate balance of the game table. Built to withstand repeated impacts without damage, each block featured a built-in redundancy system to ensure it remained illuminated and fully functional throughout filming, with no need for replacements or resets.
This innovative solution developed by Light Initiative earned Studio Ramsey the Tech Innovation (Entertainment) Award at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards 2021.
The Crystal Maze
One of Light Initiative’s earliest and most exciting ventures into gameplay technology was The Crystal Maze. Across 3 series, we developed and delivered more than 20 bespoke games—each designed to challenge contestants in unique and imaginative ways.
Our LED technology was embedded into a variety of games, enhancing both the visual experience and gameplay feedback. In several challenges, we wrote custom software for touchscreen tablets, enabling contestants to enter access codes that triggered electronic maglocks—creating highly interactive and responsive gameplay moments.
Additionally, some games incorporated almost an arcade-style setup. Contestants interacted with physical consoles featuring buttons that controlled the positioning of LEDs, confirming their correctness in real-time. This setup offered a nostalgic yet modern gameplay experience, with a tactile feel to the interaction, adding another layer of excitement and challenge.
For a select number of games, crystal release mechanisms were incorporated. These mechanisms were tailored to each game and demanded high reliability and precision. Whether it was a physical puzzle or a logic-based task, our systems ensured seamless performance, enhancing the pace and immersion of the show.
The result was a dynamic, high-energy environment that supported the creative vision of the production team while delivering memorable moments for both contestants and viewers.