Games You Should Play If You Love Squid Game
The new survival drama "Squid Game" has a grip on Netflix subscribers with its compelling depiction of a nightmarish competition consisting of various children's games in which the stakes couldn't be any higher.
The Korean series has turned into an international hit and become the streaming service's top show in over 90 countries, according to Vulture. As its unprecedented popularity ripples around the globe, fans hungry for more have sought out shows like "Squid Game" and movies to watch that have similarly violent and gamified setups. Some viewers have even taken to TikTok to recreate some of the most iconic moments, such as the game played in the very first episode, "Red Light, Green Light."
One of the central themes of "Squid Game" is that the consequences of the trials are so brutal that it has no place in modern society, no matter how much money the winner gets. This makes a real-life recreation inherently impossible, but trying to find a similar experience in a video game is much more likely. Here are the titles gamers should try if they want to create their own "Squid Game" tournament.
Move or Die
One of the aspects that keeps "Squid Game" so unpredictable over its nine episodes is the variety of challenges the contestants face. These range from familiar competitions like Tug of War to more exotic trials like the titular game, Squid, keeping audiences wondering what will come next and how a simple children's activity can be made into a life or death struggle.
"Move or Die" is a party game that captures the frantic, ever-changing, high-stakes drama of "Squid Game." As noted on Steam, this "4-player friendship ruining party game" features dozens of different modes made even more frantic by constantly switching modifiers every 20 seconds. Players may start a simple match of Bomb Tag or Falling Blocks, only to find that a mutator such as Lights Off has plunged the map into darkness or that every player suddenly has Jetpacks.
The other mechanic that keeps players on their toes and replicates the high-stakes nature of "Squid Game" is right in the name, "Move or Die." Players must constantly remain mobile or lose health, meaning that as they adjust to new modifiers and conditions, they need to keep working towards their current objectives. Situations get out of hand pretty quickly — just like in "Squid Game."
Fall Guys
Another core premise of "Squid Game" is that at the end of the day, there can be only one winner. This is the same concept at the center of battle royale games, making them an excellent choice for gamers looking to recreate that experience.
Sadly, there isn't an exact match amongst the current roster of battle royale titles for the mix of teamwork, self-preservation, and violence that makes "Squid Game" stand out. Of all the choices out there, "Fall Guys" does the best job of capturing the twisted game show atmosphere of "Squid Game" and the single-minded obsessiveness of winning that the show highlights.
To be fair, "Fall Guys" is one of the most violence-averse battle royale titles on the market, considering there isn't a weapon in sight and it's coated in sugary sweet pastels. However, like "Squid Game," "Fall Guys" is composed of a series of simple, sometimes childish, challenges that mask the intensity of the competition taking place. "Fall Guys" contestants constantly fall to their death from round to round, and many of the minigames feature players diving across the finish line to make it to the next game, just like in the first "Squid Game" episode, "Red Light, Green Light."
As noted in the official patch notes, "Fall Guys" added squads in Season 4, but the core mechanics still revolve around a single victor. Any gamers who want to find out how they might fare in the unexpected challenges of "Squid Game" could do worse than spending some time with "Fall Guys."
Roblox
Anyone genuinely looking to experience the madness that is "Squid Game" might have the best chance to do so in the sandbox title "Roblox." Like "Fall Guys," "Roblox" is not often associated with the level of graphic violence seen on the show, but dedicated fans have managed to recreate enough of the challenges to help "Squid Game" make its video game debut.
The "Roblox" take on "Squid Game" isn't exactly a single cohesive experience. Instead, it consists of games recreated by different users. Although the quality can vary, it is currently the best way for viewers to try the actual "Squid Game" challenges in a virtual setting.
Players can explore, for instance, a module called "Red Light, Green Light EPISODE 5!" that contains versions of Honey Comb, Tug of War, Red Light, Green Light, and more. Anyone who doesn't find the recreation they're looking for in that offering can try "Squid Game X," which features many of the same games but with a slightly different take on each.
We Happy Few
One of the most haunting things about "Squid Game" is how uncaring the people running the game behave towards the players. As the various contestants put life and limb on the line, the guards and the mysterious Front Man proceed with an eerie calm. Not to mention the fact that this is all done while the guards wear colorful costumes and force the competitors into games that seem whimsical on the surface.
In the world of "We Happy Few," a hallucinogenic drug has left most of the populace in a contented daze, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Many of them now wear forever-smiling masks, even as they commit terrible acts against innocent people. This inevitably leads to violence and disorder, and the few people who haven't been affected — known as "downers" — have to do their best to survive in a deceptively cheerful world.
Much like in "Squid Game," a pervasive feeling of paranoia is present in every corner of "We Happy Few." As players try to sneak their way out of the city of Wellington Wells, they begin to learn more about how things got to be so bad. If you enjoy peeling back the layers of a dystopian society and horrific events that are tinged with a bit of satire, "We Happy Few" might just have what you're looking for.
Danganronpa
The "Danganronpa" franchise has become infamous for its pitch black sense of humor and high level of violence, which already makes it a shoo-in for fans of "Squid Game." The series follows groups of high school students who are forced to kill one another by Monokuma, a mysterious individual in a leering bear costume.
Aside from the horror inherent in the premise, the "Danganronpa" series also embraces another facet of "Squid Game" that has captivated audiences: mini-games. As the story progresses, the students hold a series of Class Trials to determine who the killer among them is. The players' defense or argument typically manifests in different types of mini-games, including a shooting gallery where you remove someone's armor (a.k.a. their own defense) and a rhythm game that tasks players with lining up words in the right order to form an argument.
Players and "Squid Game" viewers who aren't turned off by the dark subject matter may find themselves enthralled by the bizarre mix of visual novel aesthetics and outside-the-box mini-games. And the best part is that the franchise has grown to be quite expansive, encompassing multiple games and books, as well as two anime spin-offs.
Gang Beasts
"Squid Game" is all about turning kids' games into a realm of chaos and horror, and what better game to sum that up than "Gang Beasts?" On the outside, "Gang Beasts" provides a pretty cute backdrop for fun, with adorable characters that players can customize with quite literally hundreds of combinations right off the bat.
However, the instant you get into a game, things get ugly. The goal is to be the last person left alive as you try to outmaneuver and outsmart the others in your lobby. It's not as easy as it sounds, though — each button controls a different body part, and you have to master some tough combinations as you to try to knock others off the map.
There's also the possibility of the map helping you. Much like how 212 in "Squid Game" smuggled in a lighter to help with Episode 3's challenge (via Vulture), "Gang Beasts" players can think outside the box and secure a victory by being cleverly observant of the surrounding area. For example, one map lets you cut the rope that your enemies are standing on to knock them out.
All in all, the multiplayer knock-em-out style of "Gang Beasts" is pretty similar to "Squid Game" — only it's still kind of fun to die in this colorful party game.
Grand Theft Auto 5 (with mods)
"GTA 5" has enjoyed an especially extended life with the help of its modding community. One mod even added 70 new missions to the game, giving gamers extra playtime in their favorite setting. However, some modders have used the assets of "GTA 5" to create entirely new worlds, or recreate pop culture favorites. Now, several streamers have posted videos of a mod that brings "Squid Game" to life.
For instance, Caylus began his "Squid Game" run by telling viewers he forgot he signed up for the event. Then, he proceeded to maneuver his way through each game, starting with Red Light, Green Light. Though Caylus didn't name the mod he was using, it mimicked "Squid Game" perfectly, capturing its bleak landscape. The mod even allowed for masked guards in pink jumpsuits, ominously standing around the games, but refusing to speak. Caylus made it through two games — Red Light, Green Light and the infamous glass bridge challenge — but lost the challenge in the third round, which featured jumping cars over the entire map of "GTA 5." After falling from the sky on a motorcycle, Caylus was "wasted" by the game's moderator.
Kwebbelkop seemed to have a different "Squid Game" experience. Though he also began with Red Light, Green Light, he then moved on to a chaotic game of Simon Says and his own walk across the glass bridge. Finally, the group played a game of musical cars and, at last, a slap-off. Kwebbelkop did win the game, but many weren't so lucky.
Playing "Squid Game" in "GTA 5" allows players to dip into the tense thriller for just a bit before jumping back into Los Santos, which can be equally as intense.