The Cube (Australian game show)

The Cube Australia

Company type	Television program
Industry	Television entertainment
Founded	February 24, 2021 (2021-02-24)
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Parent	ITV Studios Australia

The Cube was an Australian adaptation of the British game show sharing the same title, which debuted on Network Ten on 24 February 2021. The program was presented by comedian Andy Lee.

Format

Pairs of contestants who share a prior relationship compete inside a transparent Perspex cube measuring 4 meters in each dimension. The goal is to successfully complete seven challenges, each offering progressively higher prize amounts, without losing more than nine lives in total. The selected games are designed to evaluate both mental acuity and physical ability. Generally, an episode focuses on two participants; depending on their performance and editing choices, a contestant's gameplay may extend across two episodes.

Players begin with nine lives and forfeit one life after every unsuccessful attempt. They must keep attempting the current challenge until they either succeed or exhaust all lives; failing to complete a challenge results in leaving with no winnings. After completing a game, contestants receive an introduction to the next task via a female computerized voice and a demonstration performed by an individual dressed in a featureless mask and full-body jumpsuit. Players then decide whether to quit and retain their earnings or proceed further, risking their accumulated prize money.

Host Lee offers commentary on previous contestants' struggles and average life losses to assist players in making informed choices. Audience members, often friends or family, provide additional guidance. Certain games enforce constraints such as time restrictions or one-handed operation; breaking these rules leads to an immediate loss of one life.

Contestants have access to two single-use aids: "Simplify," which lowers the difficulty level of a challenge (for example, by granting more time or enlarging targets) without revealing the exact modification until activated, and "Swap," which permits players to exchange roles during solo games. Simplify can be employed after any failed attempt within a game and remains active for that game only; Swap becomes available starting with the second game and can only be used at the beginning of a new challenge.

The ultimate seventh challenge carries a $250,000 grand prize; successfully completing it signifies that the contestant has "conquered the Cube."

Production

Network Ten greenlit the series in December 2020 for broadcast in early 2021. Auditions took place from November 2020 through January 2021. The inaugural season was recorded in January 2021 by ITV Studios Australia and premiered at 7:30 pm on 24 February 2021.

Prize money

From its launch, The Cube featured a tiered prize system starting at $2,000 and culminating with a $250,000 jackpot. Contestants risk forfeiting all previously won amounts if they lose all nine lives during gameplay.

Stage	Prize Amount
Game 1	$2,000
Game 2	$5,000
Game 3	$10,000
Game 4	$20,000
Game 5	$50,000
Game 6	$100,000
Game 7	$250,000