What is Squid Game about?
Squid Game is a South Korean Netflix drama about hundreds of people in deep debt who compete in deadly versions of children's games for a huge cash prize.
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the series premiered in September 2021. It follows Seong Gi-hun, a gambling addict, who joins 455 other desperate players on a secret island. They compete in games like Red Light, Green Light and tug-of-war for a prize of 45.6 billion won. Players who lose are killed.
The show uses its brutal games to criticize inequality, debt and the pressures of modern capitalism. Its striking designs, such as pink-suited guards and the giant doll, became instantly recognizable and inspired costumes and memes worldwide.
A global phenomenon
Squid Game became Netflix's most-watched series ever after its release. Lee Jung-jae, who plays Gi-hun, won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2022, the first Asian actor to win that award. Season 2 was released in December 2024 and the final Season 3 in June 2025.
Did You Know?
Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote the first script around 2008 but could not find a studio willing to make it for about a decade.