# Squid Game (오징어 게임)
**Squid Game** (오징어 게임) is a South Korean survival drama series on Netflix, created, written, and directed by [Hwang Dong-hyuk](https://www.edgepedia.org/hwang-dong-hyuk), in which 456 financially desperate players compete in children's games for a large cash prize, with death as the penalty for losing.[1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game) Season 1 premiered on September 17, 2021, with nine episodes; two further seasons followed in 2024 and 2025, and the third season is the series finale.[1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/squid-game-season-4-interview) Within 12 days of release it became the most popular Netflix series ever, and it remains the streamer's most-watched show.[4](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-2-comes-to-life-with-all-new-lifestyle-products-brand) • [5](https://as.com/meristation/series/se-cumplen-5-anos-de-la-serie-mas-vista-del-mundo-el-mayor-fenomeno-de-la-historia-de-netflix-f202609-n/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 오징어 게임 (Ojingeo Geim) |
| Creator | Hwang Dong-hyuk, who wrote, directed, and produced the series[1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/) |
| Premise | 456 indebted players risk their lives in children's games for a life-changing cash prize[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game) |
| Seasons | Season 1: 9 episodes (2021); Season 2: 7 episodes (2024); Season 3: 6 episodes (2025, final)[1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/) • [3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/squid-game-season-4-interview) |
| Netflix record | Most popular Netflix series ever, over 330 million views; reached that mark 12 days after release[4](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-2-comes-to-life-with-all-new-lifestyle-products-brand) |
| Emmy Awards | At the 74th Primetime Emmys, Hwang Dong-hyuk became the first Asian winner of Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series; Lee Jung-jae won for acting[6](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81040344) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d) |
| Critical scores | Season 1: 95% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer and a Metascore of 69; Season 2 scored 62 and Season 3 scored 67 on Metacritic[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/squid_game/s01) • [1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and structure
The series centers on [Seong Gi-hun](https://www.edgepedia.org/seong-gi-hun) ([Lee Jung-jae](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-jung-jae)), a man in debt who accepts an invitation to a secret competition in South Korea that targets people struggling financially. The winner receives a large cash prize; what the players do not know at first is that losing a game is deadly.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d) The competition is run by masked staff under the Front Man ([Lee Byung-hun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-byung-hun)), the title of the game director overseeing how the facility is run and the games are played, and investigated from outside by Detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun).[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game) • [9](https://philpapers.org/archive/REISGA-2.pdf) Season 1's other principal players include Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) and Kang Sae-byeok (Hoyeon).[2](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game)
The games themselves are Korean childhood games turned lethal. A scholarly survey of the first season identifies seven: the Ddakji game, [Red Light](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-light), Green Light, the Dalgona Challenge (carving a shape from sugarcomb), Tug-of-War, variations of marbles, the Stepping Stone Bridge, and finally the Squid Game itself.[10](https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/1407) Hwang deliberately chose games that are relatable and easy to understand; the giant robot doll in Red Light, Green Light is modeled after a girl from Korean children's textbooks, so that childhood fun becomes a fight for survival.[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-making-of-a-global-sensation-the-journey-to-creating-squid-game?ftag=YHF4eb9d17)
### Seasons 2 and 3
Season 2, released in 2024 with seven episodes, follows Gi-hun as he re-enters the games intending to end them. Reviewers noted a shift in emphasis: where Season 1 framed the tournament as an allegory of financial distress, Season 2 blurs the line between victims and perpetrators and builds its contests around alliances and interpersonal skills rather than individual luck.[16](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/12/squid-game-season-2-review/681183/) Commercially it was enormous: 68 million views in its debut week made it the third most-watched season on Netflix ever, it broke the record for most views in a premiere week, and it ranked number one on the Top 10 TV Series (Non-English) list in 92 countries.[17](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-3-premieres-june-27)
Season 3, the final season, premiered on June 27, 2025, with six episodes.[18](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-3-complete-coverage-guide) It picks up from Season 2's cliffhanger, in which Gi-hun's attempted rebellion failed and his close friend Jung-bae ([Lee Seo-hwan](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-seo-hwan)) was killed, and follows Gi-hun's continued goal of ending the games while the Front Man, who had infiltrated the players while hiding his identity, pursues his own plans.[6](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81040344) Hwang Dong-hyuk confirmed in a letter to fans that Season 3 would be the final season, and Season 3, Episode 6 is the planned series finale; the series will not return for a fourth season.[3](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/squid-game-season-4-interview)
## Development
Hwang Dong-hyuk conceived the idea and began writing in 2008, finishing the script in 2009. He originally planned Squid Game as a film, but investors found it too violent and not commercial, and he could not secure enough investment or cast it; he shelved the project and instead made the films *Silenced* (2011), *Miss Granny* (2014), and *The Fortress* (2017).[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-making-of-a-global-sensation-the-journey-to-creating-squid-game?ftag=YHF4eb9d17) About 10 years after conceiving the idea, he brought the project to Netflix as a series, saying that Netflix gave him creative freedom without limits.[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-making-of-a-global-sensation-the-journey-to-creating-squid-game?ftag=YHF4eb9d17) In a later interview he recalled that the original concept was a two-hour film that failed to gain traction with financiers or actors before he reworked it for television.[12](https://apnews.com/article/f321d0738aeee6e9571d854e4472420f)
The production's visual identity came from art director Chae Kyoung-sun, who built large-scale sets in vibrant colors to create a realistic yet fantasy-like world; one of the longest builds was a replica of Korean neighborhood alleyways of the 1970s and 1980s.[11](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-making-of-a-global-sensation-the-journey-to-creating-squid-game?ftag=YHF4eb9d17)
## Reception and records
Season 1 became a global sensation immediately upon its Netflix premiere in September 2021.[13](https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/gs/article/id/4156/download/pdf/) It took 12 days to become the most popular Netflix series ever, amassing over 330 million views to date.[4](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-2-comes-to-life-with-all-new-lifestyle-products-brand) Critics responded strongly: Season 1 holds a 95% Tomatometer from 77 reviews and an 85% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and its critics consensus praises the show's sharp social commentary alongside its brutality.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/squid_game/s01) On Metacritic the three seasons scored 69, 62, and 67 respectively, all rated generally favorable.[1](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/)
The series also reshaped perceptions of Korean television internationally; a RAND research report notes that its popularity reinforced South Korea as a global cultural presence.[14](https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA2500/RRA2547-1/RAND_RRA2547-2.pdf) At the 74th [Primetime Emmy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/primetime-emmy-awards), Hwang Dong-hyuk made history as the first Asian to win Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Lee Jung-jae won a Primetime Emmy for acting.[6](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81040344) • [7](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d) In Korea, the show was noted as the first [Korean drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-drama) to reach number one on Netflix's worldwide drama rankings, and merchandise tied to the show, from dalgona-making kits to the players' green numbered tracksuits, sold widely.[15](https://prsinmun.co.kr/data/file/pdf/202411/1935654343_6RPj3aOM_1193ED98B811EC9B94-4EC9DBC_S.pdf)
## Spin-offs and franchise
Netflix extended the property beyond the original story. [Squid Game: The Challenge](https://www.edgepedia.org/squid-game-the-challenge), a non-lethal reality competition adaptation, was ordered alongside the second season and has run for multiple seasons; critics received it as effective reality television in its own right.[7](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d) • [19](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game-the-challenge/critic-reviews/?season=season-1) An English-language version was reported in development, and a US series from director [David Fincher](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-fincher), listed as *Squid Game: America* with a planned February 2026 filming start in Los Angeles and Hwang and producer Kim Ji-yeon among its producers, was reportedly no longer moving forward at Netflix as of August 2026, with loose plans instead for regional spin-offs in different countries.[7](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d) • [20](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/squid-game-us-series-from-fight-club-director-david-fincher-looks-to-still-be-happening-at-netflix-with-potential-plot-and-filming-details-unveiled/) • [21](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/game-over-david-finchers-squid-game-is-reportedly-dead-at-netflix/)
## Themes and analysis
[Academic writing](https://www.edgepedia.org/academic-writing) has read the series as an allegory of consumer capitalism and debt. Soo Yeon Kim and Sungjoo Park, scholars who published a research article on the series in *International Review for the Sociology of Sport*, argue that its appeal comes from a paradoxical pairing of ruthless competition and moral cooperation: the games dramatize how contemporary play is driven by consumer capitalism while the drama shows unanticipated team spirit and underdogs winning against the odds.[22](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10126902221107468) Jihoon Kim of Chung-Ang University, writing in the *International Journal of Communication*, reads the games' operation, particularly Red Light, Green Light, through [Shoshana Zuboff](https://www.edgepedia.org/shoshana-zuboff)'s concept of surveillance capitalism, and attributes part of the show's global reach to Netflix's platformized spectatorship: algorithmic recommendation, hyperspecific genre categories, and the encouragement of binge-watching.[23](https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/20723) Philosophers have also engaged with it: Indrek Reiland of the [University of Vienna](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-vienna) argues in the journal *Analysis* that, on Bernard Suits's account of game-playing as a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles, the players in Squid Game play the games but do not do so voluntarily, since they are forced to play.[24](https://academic.oup.com/analysis/article/82/4/638/6645000)
## References
1. [Squid Game – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game/)
2. [Squid Game – JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/squid-game)
3. [Is Squid Game Coming Back For Season 4? Creator Explains Final Season – Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/squid-game-season-4-interview)
4. [Squid Game Season 2 Comes to Life With All-New Lifestyle Products and Brand – About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-2-comes-to-life-with-all-new-lifestyle-products-brand)
5. [Se cumplen 5 años de la serie más vista del mundo – AS Meristation](https://as.com/meristation/series/se-cumplen-5-anos-de-la-serie-mas-vista-del-mundo-el-mayor-fenomeno-de-la-historia-de-netflix-f202609-n/)
6. [Squid Game – Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81040344)
7. ['Squid Game' returns looking for win with season 2 – AP News](https://apnews.com/article/203d15f451e92c5151a8617dedc7153d)
8. [Squid Game: Season 1 – Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/squid_game/s01)
9. [Squid Games – PhilPapers (Analysis preprint)](https://philpapers.org/archive/REISGA-2.pdf)
10. [Child's Play and Survival: Examining Children's Games in the Squid Game – DiGRA Digital Library](https://dl.digra.org/index.php/dl/article/view/1407)
11. [The Making of a Global Sensation: The Journey to Creating 'Squid Game' – About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/the-making-of-a-global-sensation-the-journey-to-creating-squid-game?ftag=YHF4eb9d17)
12. [Hwang Dong-hyuk on killing off his 'Squid Game' characters – AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f321d0738aeee6e9571d854e4472420f)
13. [Drama Reviews – University of Michigan Publishing](https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/gs/article/id/4156/download/pdf/)
14. [Research Report – RAND Corporation](https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA2500/RRA2547-1/RAND_RRA2547-2.pdf)
15. [프레시안 기사 (Squid Game and K-content), PDF](https://prsinmun.co.kr/data/file/pdf/202411/1935654343_6RPj3aOM_1193ED98B811EC9B94-4EC9DBC_S.pdf)
16. [The Agony of Indulging in Squid Game Again – The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/12/squid-game-season-2-review/681183/)
17. [Squid Game Season 3 Premieres June 27 – About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-3-premieres-june-27)
18. [Let the Final Games Begin With 'Squid Game' Season 3 Complete Coverage Guide – About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/squid-game-season-3-complete-coverage-guide)
19. [Squid Game: The Challenge critic reviews – Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/squid-game-the-challenge/critic-reviews/?season=season-1)
20. [Squid Game US series from David Fincher looks to still be happening – GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/squid-game-us-series-from-fight-club-director-david-fincher-looks-to-still-be-happening-at-netflix-with-potential-plot-and-filming-details-unveiled/)
21. [Game over: David Fincher's Squid Game is reportedly dead at Netflix – GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/drama-shows/game-over-david-finchers-squid-game-is-reportedly-dead-at-netflix/)
22. [What's in a game? A dialectic of competition and cooperation in Squid Game – International Review for the Sociology of Sport](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10126902221107468)
23. [What You See from These Survival Games is What Machines Get and Know – International Journal of Communication](https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/20723)
24. [Squid games and the lusory attitude – Analysis (Oxford Academic)](https://academic.oup.com/analysis/article/82/4/638/6645000)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Thriller, crime, and mystery series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license