Little Lion Entertainment
Immersive attractions and live gaming experiences that put audiences inside the action
Overview:
Little Lion Entertainment creates and operates large-scale immersive attractions that combine theatre, gaming, technology and social play. Founded by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the London-based company first made its name by transforming the cult television format The Crystal Maze into a playable attraction. It has since expanded into live video games, competitive socialising and location-based entertainment, developing experiences designed around active participation rather than passive viewing.
The company has welcomed millions of guests across its attractions, with its portfolio spanning original concepts and well-known entertainment IP. Its long-running The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience operates in London and Manchester, while Little Lion's newer Arcade Arena concept is helping push the business further into technology-led, real-world gaming.
From The Crystal Maze to live video games
Team celebrates victory in The Crystal Maze dome.
The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience opened in London in 2016, followed by Manchester in 2017. Players move through themed zones tackling physical, mental, mystery and skill challenges before taking on the famous Crystal Dome.
Little Lion subsequently broadened its approach to immersive entertainment. Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience, which opened for a limited run in 2022, translated the video game and film property into a physical adventure incorporating performance and themed environments.
A major step came in 2024 when Little Lion acquired The Ents Inc, the company behind Chaos Karts. The acquisition supported the development of Arcade Arena: large-scale venues where physical environments, digital projection and interactive technology turn video-game-inspired concepts into multiplayer attractions.
Arcade Arena and a new generation of location-based gaming
Chaos Karts combines electric karting with projected environments, reactive gameplay and in-kart power-ups, creating races that can change without relying on conventional physical track scenery.
The Arcade Arena platform has since expanded with the PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE, developed in collaboration with Bandai Namco Entertainment. The attraction transforms PAC-MAN into a human-scale multiplayer game in which participants physically move through the experience.
PAC-MAN LIVE debuted in Manchester in 2025 before launching in Dubai eight weeks later. It went on to take first place in the Brand Realisation category at the 2025 blooloop Innovation Awards.
The next stage of the company's growth is Arcade Arena London, opening on London's Southbank on 5 September 2026. The venue brings three experiences together under one roof: Chaos Karts, PAC-MAN LIVE EXPERIENCE and the new Alien Invasion. Exclusive to the London venue at launch, Alien Invasion combines laser-tag-style gameplay with drone technology in a science-fiction environment.
Building repeatable immersive experiences
Little Lion's development reflects a wider shift in location-based entertainment towards experiences that combine digital content with physical spaces and face-to-face social play. Arcade Arena has been structured so that individual games can sit within a wider venue platform, allowing new content, levels and IP-led experiences to be introduced over time.
Alongside its UK operations, Little Lion has already taken concepts into the Middle East, with Arcade Arena operating in Dubai and The Crystal Maze developed as a franchise in the region. As the company enters its second decade, its focus is increasingly on scalable live gaming experiences that bring together technology, entertainment IP and shared physical play.
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