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Squid Game is a South Korean thriller set in a dystopian future, where 456 financially struggling players compete in children's games for a ₩45.6 billion (US$39.86 million) prize, with elimination as the deadly consequence. The show's name comes from the traditional Korean game "ojingeo."
Lee Jung-jae stars as Seong Gi-hun. In season 2, four years after winning, Seong Gi-hun abandons his U.S. plans to stop the deadly game and re-enters the competition with new contestants. Within three days of release, season 2 amassed 68 million views, surpassing Wednesday’s premiere record. The third and last season, filmed back-to-back, arrives in 2025.
As viewers await season 3 of Squid Game, keep an eye out for these other shows with similar themes of intense survival and the harsh realities of competition.
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Disclaimer: The following list is ranked in no particular order, and the opinions expressed belong solely to the author.
Alice in Borderland, Liar Game, and 8 other shows to watch while waiting for Squid Game season 3
1) Alice in Borderland (2 seasons, 16 episodes)
Starring Kento Yamazaki and Tao Tsuchiya, Alice in Borderland is a Japanese sci-fi thriller based on Haro Aso's manga. The series centers on players who are stranded in an abandoned Tokyo and are forced to play lethal card games in order to extend their visas or run the risk of being executed by laser.
Arisu and his friends are forced to play deadly games while stranded in a city. With Usagi, the only other survivor, they fight for their lives and try to uncover the city's secrets. Similar to Squid Game, the series emphasizes teamwork and understanding the game's dark origins. Season 3 is expected in 2025.
Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video
2) Liar Game (11 episodes)
Liar Game is a Japanese show based on a popular manga of the same name, it was adapted into a live-action series directed by Hiroaki Matsuyama. The first season consists of 11 episodes and concludes with an unprecedented three-hour finale.
Contestants battle in a game where losers inherit crushing debt. To win 100 million yen, they must master deception. Naïve student Nao Kanzaki (Erika Toda) enters this ruthless world, facing betrayal with a con artist while clinging to her faith in people.
Squid Game and Liar Game feature desperate contestants trapped in psychological battles where deception and strategy determine who walks away victorious.
Where to watch: Apple TV+, Prime Video
3) The Devil’s Plan (12 episodes)
The Devil's Plan is a reality game show where 12 contestants play both collaborative and competitive strategy games to win a cash prize.
12 celebrities start with a "Piece" that can be won, lost, traded, or spent. The Prize Match adds to a ₩500 million pot, while the Main Match sends two low-ranking players to prison. The games include strategy and social deduction, with a hidden Gomoku challenge offering 10 Pieces. The Devil's Plan is a battle of wits, similar to Squid Game, where contestants manipulate rivals for the ultimate prize.
Where to watch: Netflix
4) The Genius (4 seasons, 48 episodes)
The Genius is a South Korean reality game show that aired four seasons from 2013 to 2015.
13 participants—all subject-matter experts—compete in social and strategic games. The title of "The Genius" and a monetary reward are awarded to the last player standing after one is eliminated every week in the Main Game and Death Match.
The Genius is equally dramatic and unexpected as Squid Game since it is driven by strategic betrayals and shifting alliances.
Where to watch: Prime Video
5) Money Heist (3 seasons, 11 episodes)
Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) is a Spanish crime drama by Álex Pina, following two meticulously planned heists on the Royal Mint and Bank of Spain, led by the Professor (Álvaro Morte).
In Madrid, the "Professor" recruits eight criminals to infiltrate the Royal Mint, print €984 million, and escape after 11 days while managing hostages and police. They reorganize with new recruits for a second mission—stealing gold from the Bank of Spain—after the first robbery, but they run into fierce police opposition once more.
Stories of underdogs risking everything against a strong system, where tension and survival instincts determine the outcome, are told in both Money Heist and Squid Game.
Where to watch: Netflix
6) 3% (4 seasons, 33 episodes)
3%, a Brazilian dystopian thriller starring João Miguel and Bianca Comparato, is Netflix's first Portuguese-language original series. It takes place in an undefined future where 20-year-olds from the impoverished "Inland" have one chance to pass "The Process" and join the wealthy "Offshore" society.
Only 3% are successful; the remainder are thrown away or removed.
The show follows Michele, a young woman who is innocent and motivated by justice, as she participates in a harsh selection procedure like the Squid Game. To obtain a better living, participants must outlast and outmaneuver their adversaries.
Where to watch: Netflix
7) Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (26 episodes)
Japanese anime television series Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, is based on the first part of Nobuyuki Fukumoto's manga series Kaiji, Gambling Apocalypse: Kaiji. The series revolves around the gambling misfortunes of Kaiji Itō, a young man who struggles with poverty.
Kaji, a drifting man, is forced into debt by loan sharks after his co-worker fails to pay. He boards the Espoir, hoping to win financial freedom through a night of gambling but becomes trapped in a brutal contest. In Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor, debt-ridden players enter a dangerous game, similar to Squid Game, where there's no way out and losers face lifetime slavery.
Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video
8) All of Us Are Dead
All of Us Are Dead is a South Korean zombie horror web series based on the webtoon of the same name by Joo Dong-geun. The series tells the story of high school students battling for survival after a zombie outbreak at Hyosan High School.
In 2026, a second season that was filmed at Sunghee Girls' High School is expected to debut.
Students at this highschool are infected with a virus that makes them aggressive, flesh-eating zombies. While the Korean military tries to stop the spread of this madness to keep the country from collapsing into chaos, trapped students—including lifelong friends—fight for survival and a way out.
Squid Game and All of Us Are Dead both depict survival hinging on quick thinking and cooperation as characters fight for their lives against a merciless force that preys on weakness.
Where to watch: Netflix
9) LOST (6 seasons, 121 episodes)
LOST is a science fiction adventure drama series created by Jeffrey Lieber, J. J. Abrams, and Damon Lindelof that follows the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 after it crash-lands on a mysterious island in the South Pacific hundreds of miles off course from its Sydney-to-Los Angeles route.
In LOST, strangers stranded on a dangerous island fight to survive while uncovering secrets like a security system, bunkers, and hostile survivalists. They must face hidden threats and discover the truth behind their situation, similar to Squid Game.
Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video
10) Panic (10 episodes)
Panic is a teen drama show created and written by Lauren Oliver, based on her 2014 novel of the same name. Starring Olivia Welch, Mike Faist, and Jessica Sula, it premiered on May, 2021. In August 2021, after one season the series was canceled.
In Carp, Texas, 23 recent grads participate in the annual deadly game tournament called Panic for $50,000 and the possibility of escaping their lives. Presented with fear-driven challenges by secret judges, players must decide how far they will go to secure a better future.
Similar to Squid Game, where survival has a price, young competitors in Panic risk their futures on a lethal game that tests their limits, proving that fear is the ultimate currency.
Where to watch: Prime Video, Apple TV+
Viewers can keep an eye out for Squid Game season 3, which is set to release on June 27, 2025, on Netflix.
