Episode

Playtest

An American traveler short on cash signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system, but soon can't tell where the hot game ends and reality begins.

Air date:

October 21, 2016

Writer:

Charlie Brooker

Director:

Dan Trachtenberg

Air date:

Writer:

Director:

October 21, 2016

Charlie Brooker

Dan Trachtenberg

Storyline

An American traveler short on cash signs up to test a revolutionary new gaming system, but soon can't tell where the hot game ends and reality begins.

Trivia

‍In Sonja's video game collection, the game Dark Souls II can be seen. The actress who plays Sonja, Hannah John-Kamen, was a voice actor for Dark Souls II, in which she played the character Sweet Shalquoir.
At the end of the episode, Cooper's last name is revealed as Redfield, a reference to either Chris or Claire Redfield, another nod to the Resident Evil franchise.
The grand estate where the game company is located is Englefield House in Berkshire, England. This same estate is used in several other films and TV series, such as X-Men: O Início (2011) in which it was used as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (a.k.a. the X-Mansion).
Several references are made to the Indiana Jones franchise. Sonja compares Cooper to Indiana Jones, the bar where they meet is named The Raven (as is Marion's bar in Raiders of the Lost Ark), and Cooper mimics ripping the heart from the figure in the house while shouting "Kali Ma," mimicking Mola Ram's character in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
The "game" is inspired by games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.