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Even years after its release, few Netflix shows have come close to the success of Squid Game. In fact, the beloved show still holds the title of the most-watched Netflix show to date. In Squid Game, several intriguing characters, hoping to turn their lives around, participate in various children's games to win an attractive cash prize. However, deadly consequences await the participants who end up losing.
Season one of Squid Game, complete with inspired performances and startling twists, received positive feedback from subscribers as well as critical acclaim. However, the clever screenplay left many questions unanswered, which helped lay the foundation for season two, scheduled to release on December 26, 2024.
As fans still have a long wait in front of them, they should consider checking out the engaging shows on this list that boast plenty of excitement and entertainment.
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Disclaimer: This list contains information from various sources.
Liar Game, The 8 Show and five other shows like Squid Game that are delightfully unpredictable and addictive
1) Liar Game (2014)
Squid Game fans who enjoyed its game aspect will find Liar Game intriguing. Spanning 12 episodes, the premise of this show also centers around a risky game that bears heavily on the participants.
Kim So-eun plays the role of the lead, Nam Da-jung, a naive college student who gets invited to join a reality show called Liar Game. Since the objective is to trick one's opponents, she doesn't fare well and ends up getting conned. Nam Da-jung then reaches out to Ha Woo-jin, a genius ex-con swindler (Lee Sang-yoon), to help her win the game.
This adaptation thrives on believable performances by the lead actors, who effortlessly capture the subtle mannerisms of the well-developed characters based on Shinobu Kaitani's manga of the same name. Like Squid Game, it is never quite easy to predict which direction the narrative will take, which undoubtedly adds to the audience's anticipation.
Where to watch: All episodes of this show are available for streaming on Apple TV+ and Viki.
2) Duty After School (2023)
In Squid Game, the tension never dissipates because every moment is life or death. Similarly in Duty After School, the characters are faced with a life-threatening situation that brings out the best in some but the worst in others.
The focus is on a group of senior students at Sungjin High School who have been conscripted to fight the strange creatures that started to appear in the skies around the world. At its core, it may be an apocalyptic story but Duty After School has a different approach as compared to other content from the genre.
Instead of focusing on the origins of the creatures or the efforts made by different stakeholders to tackle the problem, the narrative delves into how the situation impacts the youngsters. It forces them to grow up ahead of time. Duty After School, like Squid Game, introduces interesting characters with their own strengths and flaws who add to the narrative.
Where to watch: Duty After School, containing 10 episodes, can be streamed on Viki and Apple TV+.
3) Siren: Survive the Island (2023)
It is no secret that Squid Game participants who can rely on their quick wit and endurance have better luck avoiding the deadly fate that awaits losers. Likewise, the participants in Siren: Survive the Island also face strenuous challenges that test them both mentally and physically.
The 10-episode reality show brings together 24 women from different fields such as firefighting, sports, law enforcement, and others. Divided into teams of four, they participate in various challenges on a remote island. Losing teams are eliminated and the team that survives till the end gets to take home the winner's title.
The fatal circumstances in the Squid Game make it difficult for participants to fight fair battles. Thankfully, the stakes are much lower in this entertaining show, which leads to healthy competition and blossoming team dynamics that the viewers will find endearing.
Where to watch: Siren: Survive the Island is available on Netflix.
4) The Devil's Plan (2023)
In Squid Game, each game looked deceptively simple but the participants had to employ many different strategies to survive. In The Devil's Plan, participants are also faced with tricky games that require them to formulate strategies on the spot to get a head start.
In this twelve-episode reality show, celebrity contestants take part in a series of games that test their mathematical skills, logical reasoning, memorization abilities, and more. Depending on the format of each game, the contestants either participate as individuals or as teams.
One thing that this show does well is to showcase complex games that require the contestants, and the viewers at home, to really deliberate on the solution. It also doesn't introduce drama just for the sake of it. Instead, it allows the beloved celebrities to show a different side of their personalities and try their best to outsmart each other.
Where to watch: The Devil's Plan can be viewed on Netflix.
5) Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)
It would be a shame for Squid Game fans to miss out on this reality show as it is based on the 2021 dystopian thriller. A total of 456 players compete in varied games for a chance to win the prize money—US$4.56 million. The game stages, in particular, will make quite an impression on viewers because they look exactly like the locations in Squid Game.
Even though the participants in this show aren't faced with life-threatening situations, they still take the challenges very seriously because there is a lot at stake. Also like the Squid Game, viewers will learn quickly enough not to pick favorites as the show makes a habit of eliminating players swiftly and consistently.
As it is fashioned like a reality show, Squid Game: The Challenge is quite dramatic from time to time, but overall, it is still quite fun and entertaining.
Where to watch: The 10-episode Squid Game: The Challenge is available for streaming on Netflix.
6) Night Has Come (2023)
It becomes obvious in Squid Game that it isn't always possible to stay logical or uphold moral ethics when one's life is on the line. The same can also be seen in Night Has Come, starring Lee Jae In, Kim Woo Seok, Choi Ye Bin, and others.
In this 12-episode South Korean drama, a group of high school students are enjoying a relaxing retreat. But things take a deadly turn when they are forced to participate in a mafia game of death. The students have a hard time tackling the situation because each wrong choice can lead to tragic consequences.
The fast-paced narrative enjoys a healthy dose of plot twists that will keep the viewers glued to their screens. The show does have some disturbing scenes but that shouldn't deter Squid Game fans who have seen their fair share of violence and gore.
Where to watch: Night Has Come can be streamed on Viki.
7) The 8 Show (2024)
Squid Game made an impact on viewers because it showcased the lengths people can go to when they are blinded by greed. Netflix's The 8 Show imagines a situation wherein strangers have to put up with each other's eccentricities in order to accumulate a bigger cash payout.
Like in Squid Game, The 8 Show also witnesses strangers who come together to participate in a game. They are locked inside a building and they earn money based on how long they can stay inside. The conditions are extreme which leads to frayed nerves. But the real discord starts taking shape when they realize that players on higher floors earn more than those on lower floors.
The show hinges on the eight characters as they form the core of the narrative. And so, the creators deserve credit for being able to make each character unique and interesting. Everyone is flawed in some way or another which makes them relatable on some level. It is also interesting to see how they react and adapt to the extreme conditions of the show.
Where to watch: This eight-episode black comedy thriller can be viewed on Netflix.
Fans of Squid Game will enjoy these well-made shows because they offer unpredictable plot twists coupled with intriguing characters who are hard to forget.
