Understanding the rules of the Squid Games: A complete guide

Netflix’s Squid Game took the world by storm with its gripping narrative of high-stakes survival, turning seemingly innocent childhood games into deadly contests.

Set in a dystopian environment, contestants compete for a life-changing prize of 45.6 billion won (R612 million). However, the price of losing is far more severe than just missing out on the money. Here’s a complete guide to the rules of each game, as seen in Squid Game Seasons 1 and 2.

The journey begins with ddakji, a simple game where players use folded squares of paper to try and flip their opponent’s tile. While harmless at first glance, the recruiter adds a physical twist: losers endure a slap instead of losing money.

Winning just once secures entry into the Squid Games. From there, contestants face the infamous Red Light, Green Light. Players can only move forward when the eerie doll, Young-Hee, announces "Green light".

Those caught moving during “Red light” are brutally eliminated. With five minutes to reach safety, this game establishes the deadly nature of the competition, eliminating over half the players in the first round.

The second game, Dalgona, is deceptively sweet. Contestants must carefully carve out a preselected shape - circle, triangle, star, or umbrella - from a honeycomb candy without breaking it.

A simple needle is their only tool, and the challenge of precision within 10 minutes costs 79 players their lives. Next comes Tug-of-War, a team-based game where brute strength and strategy collide.

Teams of ten pull against each other, aiming to send their opponents plummeting to their deaths. The lead character, Gi-hun’s team survives by leveraging smart tactics, proving that brains can outmatch brawn.

In the fifth game, Marbles, contestants must win all 10 of their partner’s marbles within 30 minutes using any game of their choice. This deeply emotional round forces friends to become rivals, leading to heartbreaking betrayals.

Only 17 players move forward. The penultimate challenge, Glass Bridge, is a perilous test of chance and nerve. Players must cross a suspended bridge made of glass panels, some of which are tempered to hold weight, while others shatter under pressure. With only 16 minutes to cross, the fear of each step proves fatal for many, leaving only three survivors for the final game.

The series climaxes with the titular Squid Game, played on a court shaped like a squid.

Contestants are divided into offence and defence. The offence must hop on one foot while trying to tap the squid’s top, while defence uses both feet to stop them.

The game allows for violence and even death. Gi-hun emerges victorious after his rival, Sang-woo, sacrifices himself. Though Gi-hun wins the prize, he is haunted by the loss of his humanity.

Season 2 introduces new challenges that are equally ruthless. The first, Bread and Lottery, forces participants to choose between taking a loaf of bread or a lottery ticket. Those selecting the ticket must surrender their coin used for scratching, while leftover bread is destroyed.

This cruel social experiment exposes human desperation and the moral cost of survival.

Another game, Rock, Paper, Scissors, Minus One, twists the classic childhood game by allowing players to use both hands.

One hand is withdrawn, and the remaining hand determines the winner, testing quick reflexes and decision-making under pressure.

In Episode 4 of Season 2, the puppet masters unveil a new and unpredictable challenge: the Six-Legged Pentathlon. The Pentathlon features five-player teams, tethered by the ankle, racing against the clock.

Each team must complete a series of mini-games within five minutes, advancing to the Next Stage only after a player successfully finishes their task. The games include ddakji, Flying Stone, Gong-gi, Spinning Top, and Jegi.

In ddakji, players use folded squares of paper to flip their opponent's tile. The rules remain unchanged from the Season 1 introduction game.

For Flying Stone, a player must stand behind a designated line and knock over a stone by throwing another at it. If they miss, the entire team must retrieve the thrown stone and return to the starting line before trying again.

Gong-gi involves throwing five dice into the air and catching them in increasingly difficult stages.

To finish, the player must toss all five dice together and catch them on the back of their hand.

South Africa has its own version called “ingendo” in isiZulu, or “five stones”. The next game involves spinning a top with players needing to wrap a cord around a top, throw it, and ensure it spins successfully.

Any mistakes require the team to retrieve the top and start over from the beginning.

In the last game, Jegi, resembling a badminton shuttlecock, must be kicked five consecutive times using a player’s feet or ankles to complete the challenge.

Episode 6 introduces Mingle, a game that mirrors the emotional intensity of Season 1’s Marbles.

Players are placed on a rotating carousel surrounded by colourful doors. When the carousel stops, a specific number is announced.

Contestants must quickly form groups matching that exact number and move together into a designated room. Throughout the game, new numbers are called, forcing constant regrouping. If players fail to find a room or form a correctly sized group, they are eliminated.

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