Debapriya Bhattacharya
Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, ‘Squid Game’ is about a secret contest run by billionaires on an isolated island off South Korea. A total of 456 debt-ridden players are selected from across the country to participate in a series of children’s games. Among them, only one final winner, Seong Gi-hun, walks away with a pot of 45.6 billion KRW (approximately $39.86 million). The dystopian survival thriller show is a commentary on the twisted result of capitalism and class disparity. It highlights the fallacy of free will in a society with extreme economic inequality and no financial security. If the Netflix series has managed to capture your interest, here is a curated list of shows similar to ‘Squid Game’ that you may consider for your next binge.
12. Clickbait (2021)
From the minds of Tony Ayres and Christian White, ‘Clickbait’ revolves around the abduction of Nick Brewer (Adrian Grenier), a family man who fails to show up for work one day. A video featuring him goes viral online, where he is seen holding signs admitting to abusing women and stating he would die after getting 5 million views. As the frantic search for him gets underway, details about a life he kept secret come to light. The show explores the dark side of social media, while showing a man being caught in a death trap, similar to the players in ‘Squid Game.’ You can watch the show here.
11. The Silent Sea (2021)
Choi Hang-yong adapted his short film ‘The Sea of Tranquility’ into the miniseries ‘The Silent Sea,’ which is set in a dystopian future. As the planet runs out of usable water, a team of scientists is sent to the moon to retrieve a mysterious sample from an abandoned research facility. Five years ago, a horrific accident at the site killed 117 people, including the sister of Doctor Song Ji-an (Bae Doona), an astrobiologist who is part of the current team. Upon reaching the lunar surface, they realize that they have been fed half-truths about what befell the dead researchers, and soon face mortal danger. Trapped on the moon instead of an island like in ‘Squid Game,’ catch up with ‘The Silent Sea’ on Netflix.
10. Memories of the Alhambra (2018-2019)
‘Memories of the Alhambra’ by Choi Jin-hee and Lee Myung-han follows investment company CEO Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun Bin). Upon learning about a groundbreaking augmented reality game about medieval battles in the Alhambra, he travels to Spain to meet the creator, Jung Se-joo (Park Chan-yeol). However, the latter goes missing, and Jin-woo gets to meet his sister, Jung Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye), instead. Inexplicable incidents follow, which blur the border between the real and the virtual. While ‘Squid Game’ keeps old school games central to the narrative, ‘Memories of the Alhambra’ swaps it for the AR experience, which is more representative of modern times. Watch the show here.
9. Red Rose (2022)
‘Red Rose,’ created by Michael and Paul Clarkson, is set around a young group of friends who download the titular app that acts as a companion while giving users tasks to perform. During the summer break, the group’s leader, Rochelle Mason (Isis Hainsworth), gets psychologically manipulated by the app into being isolated from her friends and family. As the situation further worsens, her friends start to investigate Red Rose. The mortal risk undertaken in ‘Squid Game’ is translated into the virtual world by ‘Red Rose.’ You can catch up with the show here.
8. Hellbound (2021-)
Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok created ‘Hellbound’ based on their webtoon of the same name. In the story, an otherworldly being known as Angel appears in front of individuals out of the blue to condemn them to hell at a specific time in the future. When that time arrives, three monstrous beasts arrive to maul the person and incinerate their body in a stunning display of vulgarity. Making use of the ambience of fear, a cult and a gang try to get rich and influential. The fate of the people in ‘Hellbound’ remains as unpredictable as the players in ‘Squid Game.’ Follow up with the show on Netflix.
7. Sweet Home (2020-2024)
Based on the eponymous webtoon created by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan, ‘Sweet Home’ revolves around depressed high school dropout Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang), whose family was killed in an accident. One night, the city comes under attack from horrific monsters. Hyun-su and his neighbors band together to put up a fight, as humans start changing into monsters themselves. ‘Sweet Home’ becomes relatable to ‘Squid Game’ as the characters get trapped in a dangerous situation without any visible means of escape. Watch the show here.
6. Bet (2025-)
Loosely based on the manga ‘Kakegurui – Compulsive Gambler’ by Homura Kawamoto and Tōru Naomura, Simon Barry’s ‘Bet’ takes place in a private boarding school where social order is dictated by underground gambling. Miku Martineau stars as Yumeko Kawamoto, a transfer student from Japan who challenges the established hierarchy upon her arrival at St. Dominic’s Prep. Per the institution’s norms, the students with top gains are rewarded with privileges, while those in debt are forced to face humiliation. While not as brutal as the ‘Squid Game,’ their lives are still considerably changed based on a game. Watch ‘Bet’ on Netflix.
5. High-Rise Invasion (2021)
The manga series ‘High Rise Invasion’ by Tsuina Miura and Takahiro Oba was turned into anime with the same name by director Masahiro Takata. It centers around Yuri Honjō, a high school girl who finds herself transported to a world filled with skyscrapers connected by suspension bridges. Hunted by mysterious figures wearing masks, Yuri finds other teenagers trapped in the same place, among them her brother, Rika. Unable to distinguish between friends and enemies, the youngsters in mortal danger find themselves in a similar place to the players of ‘Squid Game.’ Catch up with the show here.
4. All of Us Are Dead (2022-)
Originally titled ‘Jigeum uri hakgyoneun,’ ‘All of Us Are Dead’ deals with the aftermath of a misguided high school teacher unleashing a deadly virus during a failed experiment. The microbe triggers a zombie outbreak on the campus and beyond, as the authorities struggle with the rapidly escalating crisis. The plot focuses on a group of uninfected students who find themselves on the school premises, cut off from the outside world. With only their wits and courage to rely on for survival, their situation echoes that of ‘Squid Game’ participants. You can watch ‘All of Us Are Dead’ here.
3. 3% (2016-2020)
‘3%’ by Pedro Aguilera takes place in a dystopian future where the Earth’s population is geographically divided by economic standing. While the rich live in a virtual paradise known as the Offshore, those in poverty reside in a region called the Inland. Every year, each 20-year-old gets an opportunity to reach Offshore by going through a series of tests. However, the nature of the tests is such that only 3% succeed, while many fail to survive. The impoverished people going through challenging endeavors to secure a better future are reminiscent of the plot of ‘Squid Game.’ Check out the show here.
2. The 8 Show (2024)
Based on the webtoons ‘Money Game’ and ‘Pie Game’ by Bae Jin-soo, Han Jae-rim’s ‘The 8 Show’ follows eight strangers who participate in a game where they are locked in a building and earn large sums of money for every minute the game continues. Every night, they are housed separately on different floors and can buy personal provisions at very steep prices. During the daytime, they are left to work together and make purchases for the group. While the participants initially work together to maximise individual profits, things take a turn when the income disparity between the upper and lower floors is revealed. Much like ‘Squid Game,’ it shows the shifting dynamics between the players as the group threatens personal gains. Catch ‘The 8 Show’ here.
1. Alice in Borderland (2020-)
Shinsuke Sato created ‘Alice in Borderland,’ based on Haro Aso’s eponymous manga. The story follows individuals who have been transported to a life-like, deserted model of Tokyo city, where they are forced to participate in sadistic games. The type and difficulty of each game are represented by playing cards. By successfully completing the games, the players get to extend time on their “visas” that allow them to stay in the city. If the visa expires, they are killed by lasers shot from the skies.
Many parallels can be drawn between ‘Squid Game’ and ‘Alice in Borderland.’ Both shows involve people who are forced to participate in games that determine life and death. The players stay together, secluded from the rest of the world, and build alliances among themselves to improve their chances of survival. Moreover, the games are controlled by unseen entities who seemingly take a twisted pleasure in watching humans gamble with their lives. Watch ‘Alice in Borderland’ on Netflix.
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