With Squid Game Season 2 just around the corner — premiering to Netflix on Dec. 26 — fans are buzzing with anticipation to see how the story unfolds. However, with only a few weeks till the second season, the wait still seems too long. To pass the time, why not consider watching other shows and movies similar to Squid Game?
If you recall the events from Season 1 of the show, our main protagonist, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), won the games and took home the 45.6 billion won (about $31,850,368.80 USD) prize. In an unexpected change of events, Gi-hun chooses to re-enter the game, this time with the intention of taking down the organization that runs the competition.
As a self-proclaimed thriller aficionado and avid binge-watcher, I’ve compiled a list of nine shows and movies that share similar themes and messages to Squid Game — perfect for holding us over until Season 2’s release. While we, unfortunately, can’t fast-forward to Dec. 26, we can keep ourselves entertained with these action-packed alternatives.
Night Has Come
Starting the list off strong, my first option if you’re searching for something similar to Squid Game is the 2023 Korean drama Night Has Come. During their class retreat, second-year high school students are forced to play a high-stakes death game with a twist that’s based on the Mafia Game. The Mafia Game is a popular party game where a group of participants are secretly assigned a role, which includes being a citizen, doctor, police officer, or the mafia. Each night, the citizens must identify the mafia before becoming their next victim. Night Has Come takes this concept and transforms it into a survival game with a bit of a supernatural aspect. Looking for a place to start watching this series? It’s currently available to watch on Viki.
Alice in Borderland
Alice in Borderland is another high-stakes series that will have you on the edge of your seat with each episode. The Netflix Original Japanese drama follows the main protagonist, Arisu Ryohei, who, after an outing with friends, is unexpectedly transported to an empty and abandoned parallel version of Tokyo. But he’s not alone. As he gradually finds out, there are more people that are trapped in this new world.
The only way to survive is to compete in deadly games, which are represented by playing cards that resemble a deck of cards on their phones. Each player must participate in these dangerous challenges in order to renew their “visa.” But if a player’s visa expires, they die. Alice in Borderland slightly differs from Squid Game in terms of the game’s challenges, as it leans more into mental strategy and agility to solve each puzzle. Netflix has renewed Alice in Borderland for a third season, so it’s time to catch up on the first two!
The 8 Show
The 8 Show is another Netflix original that uses symbolism to highlight power struggles and the shifting dynamics of society influenced by money and debt, which are central themes also explored in Squid Game. The Korean drama follows eight debt-ridden contestants who are invited to participate in a reality show competition to pay off their debts. The show’s premise? The candidates will have to live together in an apartment complex-style building, each earning money by the minute.
Without giving too much away, the game isn’t all that it seems, as there are surprise twists and turns for every player. As time passes, the dynamics of the candidates gradually evolve, and they grow more aggressive and violent to obtain money. The 8 Show is unlike any other competition you’ve seen, and it will undoubtedly make you think introspectively.
Battle Royale
Battle Royale is a cult classic that not only inspired countless works in the survival genre but also influenced renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The 2000 Japanese drama served as inspiration for Tarantino’s own highly acclaimed films Kill Bill: Volume 1 and Volume 2. Battle Royale follows high school students who must fight to the death as part of a forced legislation to address the country’s juvenile delinquency issue. The students are forced to compete to the death, with only three days until one survivor remains.
Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the director of Squid Game, was even inspired by Battle Royale. In an interview with The Guardian, Hwang spoke about his motivations for creating Squid Game, saying, “I read Battle Royal and Liar Game and other survival game comics.” He added, “I related to the people in them, who were desperate for money and success.” Battle Royale is available to watch on Prime Video!
The Hunger Games
There’s not much need for any introduction to The Hunger Games, as the critically acclaimed film trilogy hasn’t left fans’ thoughts since its premiere in theaters back in 2012. The Hunger Games is a dystopian action film franchise that is strikingly similar to Squid Game, and if you enjoy one, you are bound to like the other. The Hunger Games takes place in the Capitol of Panem (formerly known as North America). To maintain order in the country, each district must choose two youths (a girl and a boy) to compete in a nationally televised fight to the death. It’s there that we meet our main protagonist, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who, in order to protect her sister, volunteers as a tribute in the games and must rely on her hunting abilities and wits to survive.
All of Us Are Dead
All of Us Are Dead differs from the other shows and movies on the list in that it revolves around a zombie apocalypse. However, it still offers action-packed moments and intense scenes reminiscent of Squid Game. The Netflix original centers around a group of high school students who must combat a virus that has infected their school grounds and the outside world. To survive, students locked in the school must fight their way out. All of Us Are Dead was an instant success upon its premiere in January 2022, becoming the second South Korean Netflix original to reach no. 1 in the United States since Squid Game. The series has been renewed for a second season, which will premiere sometime in 2025. So if you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend you do before Season 2!
Escape Room
The 2019 film follows six strangers who are invited to a variety of immersive escape room experiences where they are tasked to solve a range of clues and riddles to win a cash prize of $10,000. Little do they know that the competition is actually a death game and a test of survival, with each room containing traps that could lead to their deaths. When the film originally came out, it made me have an irrational fear of escape rooms, but it’s definitely worth adding to your watch list! Escape Room is available to watch on Hulu.
3%
The Brazilian Netflix series is a dystopian thriller about a group of underprivileged 20-year-olds who compete in “The Process” to join the elite and make better lives for themselves. The only catch is that only 3% of participants successfully complete the process each year. The show’s major themes of glaring inequities in wealth and distribution are similar to those in Squid Game.
Happiness
The final show on my list is Happiness, another zombie apocalyptic series. Don’t let the title fool you — the series is an intense thriller that will keep you fascinated from the first episode. The show follows Yoon Sae Bom, a special forces agent who learns about an opportunity to move into an apartment that is only available to married couples. In an attempt to obtain the apartment, she asks her high school best friend, Detective Jung Yi Hyun, to pretend to marry her to move in. The two go along with the idea, but things quickly spiral out of control when they become stuck in their apartment complex due to an outbreak of a zombie-like virus that has only impacted their building. The show is similar to Squid Game as it explores themes of social caste systems and the abuse of power among the apartment’s tenants. Happiness is available on Netflix!