Squid Game has, quite honestly, revolutionized Korean media — and for good reason. The brilliant acting, combined with genius storytelling and adrenaline-pumping plotlines, has kept us glued to our screens for two seasons now, and we’re just waiting for more.
Unfortunately though, we all know it takes time for new seasons to arrive. Season 2 just dropped, and we’ve barely had a chance to catch our breath before binge-watching the entire thing. Now, we find ourselves in a Squid Game drought, searching for the next anxiety-inducing series to feed our screen addiction. Thankfully, you’ve come to the right place to do that, so here’s a selection of killer dramas to satisfy this need.
Related: ‘Squid Game 2’s violence feels more brutal. What’s changed, ‘Squid Game’ or me? on The Mary Sue
Alice in Borderland
Based on Haro Aso’s manga, Alice in Borderland follows a group of gamers, who find themselves in an abandoned, post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Here, they are forced to compete in a series of deadly games to earn time for their visas — and if they expire, lasers descend from the sky, instantly killing them.
Danganronpa: The Animation
Squid Game feels like a story straight out of a seinen, so for those who like anime, Danganronpa: The Animation is the show for you. This series follows sixteen students trapped in an academy by the machine Monokuma, who forces them to participate in deadly games. The catch? If you don’t kill someone, you’ll be trapped in the building forever.
Kaiji
how we said Squid Game feels like it’s straight out of an anime? That’s because it is. Kaiji is the series that inspired Squid Game, and it follows Kaiji Itō, a broke young man drowning in debt in Tokyo, who gets two choices: either spend ten years repaying the debt, or an underground gambling tournament on a mysterious ship. Kaiji chooses the latter.
The 8 Show
If you prefer live-action over animation, then The 8 Show is the perfect follow up for you. This show revolves around eight individuals trapped in a mysterious eight-story building and forced to participate in a perilous game show, earning money as time ticks by — but survival comes at a cost.
Tomodachi Game
Squid Game also seems to borrow a page or two from Tomodachi Game. This anime, follows Yuuichi and his friends, who are tricked into clearing a 20 million yen debt. To repay it, they must participate in a series of psychological games designed to test their friendships — and expose the true nature of humanity.
The Devil’s Plan
Now, here’s a curveball: there are actual Korean reality series that seem to be inspired by Squid Game — and that’s The Devil’s Plan. In this show, twelve contestants compete over seven days in a mix of competitive strategy games to win a hefty cash prize. Along the way, many are eliminated, because in the end, there can only be one winner.
Pyramid Game
If you’re into school-life series, Pyramid Game is a K-drama that explores the concept of a social pyramid in school through popularity polls. The lower you rank, the more violent the other students become. Seong Soo-ji, a transfer student, finds herself at the bottom of this pyramid and will stop at nothing to climb her way to the top.
3%
3%, is a Brazilian thriller series where young people live in a dystopian world where the only way to secure a spot in paradise is by undergoing a series of trials known as “The Process.” Supposedly, only 3% of the population qualifies for this elite group.
Death’s Game
Death’s Game doesn’t revolve around a competition for money. Instead, this 2023 Korean drama introduces Choi Yi-Jae, a man on the verge of suicide. Confronted by Death itself, he’s given a chance to redeem his life — but only by experiencing death multiple times in alternate lives.
Night Has Come
The K-drama Night Has Come is a mix of the card game Mafia, and Squid Game. The series follows a group of students trapped at a retreat center, forced to play a deadly real-life version of Mafia. Their only hope for survival is to eliminate their fellow players and uncover who among them is the Mafia.
Published: Jan 28, 2025 01:03 pm