The series revolves around a contest in which 456 players, drawn from different walks of life but each deeply in debt, play a series of children’s games for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion prize, with a deadly penalty if they lose. The name of the series draws from a similarly named Korean children’s game.

What is the message of Squid Game?

It’s the first South Korean drama to top the US Netflix charts and its core message is ‘can I ever repay this debt?’

How does Squid game work?

The series revolves around a contest in which 456 players, all drawn from different walks of life but each deeply in debt, play a series of children’s games with deadly penalties if they lose for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion prize.

Why “Squid Game”? According to Squid Game director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, he chose to name the show after Squid Game as it was the most physical kids’ game of the times and for him, it was “the most symbolic children’s game to represent the kind of society we live in today.”