Squid Game is a South Korean survival drama television series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk. It premiered on Netflix in September 2021 and quickly became a global sensation due to its gripping storyline, intense emotional stakes, and commentary on social inequality.
The series follows 456 players, all of whom are in serious financial debt, as they compete in a mysterious competition for a grand prize of 45.6 billion won. The games are based on traditional Korean children's games but come with a deadly twist—losing means death.
The first game, "Red Light, Green Light," is one of the most iconic moments in Squid Game. It starts off innocently enough, with players expecting a simple childhood game. But it quickly takes a terrifying turn when they realize that being caught moving results in instant death.
The giant doll, which scans for movement, became a symbol of the show. This game sets the tone for the rest of the series, showing the brutal consequences of failure and how far the contestants are willing to go to survive.
The second game in Squid Game is the "Dalgona Candy" challenge, where players must carve a specific shape (circle, triangle, star, or umbrella) out of a thin honeycomb-like candy without breaking it. The stakes are high—if the candy breaks, the player is eliminated.
This game is particularly tense because it requires precision, patience, and strategy. It also highlights how the difficulty of survival is often influenced by luck, as the shapes are assigned randomly. The umbrella, for example, is far more challenging than the triangle or circle.
One of the most memorable moments is when Gi-hun (player 456) figures out he can lick the candy to weaken it, showing his cleverness and desperation. The third game in Squid Game is the "Tug-of-War." This is where teamwork and strategy become crucial, as players are split into teams of ten to compete in a classic game of strength—but with a deadly twist: losing means falling to your death.
Initially, it seems like physical strength will determine the winners, but Cho Sang-woo (player 218) and Oh Il-nam (player 001) prove that strategy is just as important. Il-nam's advice, such as holding the rope firmly, standing in specific positions, and making a sudden coordinated move to destabilize the other team, helps their group survive despite being physically weaker.
This game emphasizes the blend of intelligence and cooperation needed to survive.
The fourth game in Squid Game is the emotionally devastating "Marbles" game. In this round, players are told to pair up, thinking they'll be working together as teammates. However, they soon learn that they must compete against their partner, with only one of them allowed to survive.
Each pair plays a variation of a marbles game of their choice, using either skill, luck, or deception to win. This game is brutal because it forces players to betray someone they may have bonded with.
Some of the most heart-wrenching moments include:
• Gi-hun (player 456) tricking his elderly partner, Il-nam (001), into losing by exploiting his apparent confusion.
• Sae-byeok (067) and Ji-yeong (240) sharing a deep, emotional conversation before Ji-yeong sacrifices herself.
• Ali (199) being betrayed by Sang-woo (218), who steals his marbles under false pretenses.
The fifth game in Squid Game is the "Glass Stepping Stones" challenge, arguably one of the most intense and nerve-wracking games. Players must cross a long bridge made of glass panels, but there's a twist: some panels are made of tempered glass that can support their weight, while others are regular glass that will shatter under them, causing them to fall to their deaths.
The players are forced to move in a specific order, with those in the front essentially sacrificing themselves to reveal the path for others. The game heavily emphasizes luck, strategy, and timing, as the remaining time counts down while the players hesitate.
This game also reveals a lot about the characters:
• Sang-woo's selfish and ruthless decision to push another player to their death to save time.
• Gi-hun's growing struggle to maintain his morality.
• The added cruelty of the VIPs watching the spectacle for entertainment.
The sixth and final game in Squid Game is the titular "Squid Game," a traditional Korean children's game. However, in the context of the show, it becomes a brutal one-on-one fight for survival between the two remaining players: Gi-hun (456) and Sang-woo (218).
The game involves an attacker and a defender, with the attacker trying to reach a designated space while the defender tries to stop them. What starts as a strategic game quickly devolves into a violent battle, with the two former friends physically and emotionally clashing.
Ultimately, Gi-hun gains the upper hand but chooses not to kill Sang-woo, offering him the chance to forfeit and end the game without further bloodshed. However, Sang-woo, consumed by guilt and desperation, takes his own life, allowing Gi-hun to win the prize money.
The final game is a powerful culmination of the series' themes, including morality, sacrifice, and the dehumanizing effects of greed.
The main purpose of the games in Squid Game was twofold:
1. Entertainment for the VIPs: The games were orchestrated as a form of entertainment for a group of wealthy elites, referred to as the "VIPs." They watched and bet on the outcomes of the games, treating the participants' lives as a spectacle for their amusement. This reflects the show's critique of how those in power exploit and dehumanize the less fortunate for personal gain and enjoyment.
2. A Twisted Form of Justice: The creator of the games, Oh Il-nam (Player 001), revealed that the games were also his way of testing human nature. He believed that life was unfair for people in desperate circumstances and wanted to see whether, given the chance, participants would prioritize morality and humanity or resort to selfishness and violence to survive. The games served as a cruel social experiment to explore these dynamics.
In essence, the games represent the extremes of inequality, desperation, and the commodification of human lives. What's your take on the reasoning behind the games—do you think Il-nam's justification holds any weight?