On 18 March 2026, season 17 of ‘Jet Lag: The Game‘ premiered on Nebula. Titled ‘Taiwan Rail Rush‘, two teams have to claim as many as long-distance train stations possible, using chips they can earn through challenges.
‘Jet Lag: The Game’ is an American travel competition video series produced by Wendover Productions and distributed on Nebula and YouTube. Created by Sam Denby, Adam Chase, and Ben Doyle, who also serve as the main on-screen participants, the series launched on 25 May 2022. Each season centres on a competitive game played across real-world locations, in which participants must achieve a geographically defined objective. Many of these formats draw inspiration from playground and board games, adapted to large-scale travel.
Episodes are released weekly on Nebula, followed by a release on YouTube one week later. By February 2026, the series had reached sixteen seasons and nearly one hundred episodes. The show has also expanded to include a companion podcast and downloadable game materials, allowing viewers to recreate selected formats. It received a nomination at the Streamy Awards in 2023 and won a public vote at the Webby Awards in 2025.
Gameplay
Each season features a distinct ruleset tailored to its setting, particularly the geography and available transport infrastructure. Game formats have included territorial control across countries or continents, global circumnavigation by air, variations of tag played across European rail networks, point-to-point races between geographic extremes, and large-scale hide-and-seek games spanning entire nations.
Progress is typically shaped by constraints introduced during gameplay. These may take the form of challenges, requiring players to complete specific tasks before continuing, or curses, which impose restrictions or distractions. Depending on the format, players may have access to real-time tracking of their opponents.
Travel is central to the gameplay, with most movement taking place via trains, aircraft, and walking. Buses, ferries, and bicycles are occasionally used, while cars are generally avoided unless necessary due to limited public transport, as scheduled transit is considered more strategically engaging.
Team structures vary between seasons. In three-player formats, two players form a team while the third competes solo, with roles rotating when the solo player is caught. In seasons featuring a guest participant, Chase and Doyle typically compete together, while Denby teams up with the guest. Some seasons have featured multiple guests, each paired with one of the regular players. Notable guest competitors have included Toby Hendy, Michelle Khare, and Tom Scott.
Production
The series was developed by Denby, founder of Wendover Productions and chief content officer of Nebula, together with Chase and Doyle, all of whom participate in every season. Its format evolved in part from ‘Crime Spree‘, a project from the Wendover-affiliated channel Half as Interesting, in which Chase and Doyle pursued Denby across the United States. Denby has also cited ‘The Amazing Race‘ and ‘Taskmaster‘ as key influences on the show’s mechanics.
Filming locations are selected based on the availability of reliable and frequent public transport, resulting in a focus on Europe, North America, and East Asia. In response to the environmental impact of air travel, the production offsets its emissions through the purchase of certified carbon credits.
The programme is filmed without a traditional production crew. Instead, participants record footage themselves using handheld or tripod-mounted smartphones and wearable microphones. This approach allows for greater flexibility and enables the players to prioritise gameplay over technical production.
Taiwan
So in season 17 the trio travels to Taiwan. Sam teams up with Michael or Mike Downie, a YouTuber from Canada who creates transport adventure videos.
Taiwan had been long on the trio’s wishlist, but until now they didn’t find the right game for the mostly circular rail network. With ‘Rail Rush’, they found it. Each team has to claim long-distance train stations by marking them with chips, 1 to 5. The other team can reclaim in by putting more chips on that station. But 5 is the maximum.
To earn chips, they have to complete challenges.
Episode 1
Episode 1 is usually more explanatory, and it is now as well. It ends with a cliffhanger, sure, but the game needs some traction.
I like ‘Jet Lag’ not only for its adventure, but also because it can provide travel ideas. The show is both a game show and (not so) sneakily a travel show.
As I’m looking into travelling to Taiwan later this year, I’m watching with extra interest. I haven’t found a hidden gem yet, as I did with the Izu Teddy Bear Museum in Japan.
But I’m eager for episode 2.
