
Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian survival thriller created, written, and directed by Hwang Dong‑hyuk. It follows Seong Gi‑hun, a debt-ridden man who joins a secret contest where 456 players compete in deadly versions of childhood games for a ₩45.6 billion prize. Losing means death. The games—Red Light, Green Light, honeycomb carving, tug‑of‑war, marbles, and the titular squid game—are brutal yet stripped-down. The show explores economic inequality, class disparity, and moral compromise within oppressive capitalism .

Season 1 premiered on September 17, 2021; Season 2 on December 26, 2024; and the third and final season on June 27, 2025. The final season broke Netflix records with over 60 million views in its first three days and garnered praise for its dark escalation and emotional depth—though critics noted diminishing novelty in game design  .

As a global phenomenon, Squid Game earned numerous international awards, including Emmys and SAG wins, and fueled cultural trends—from dalgona candy to Korean language learning and iconic fashion from the show.