Every Game in Squid Game Explained: Rules, Origins & Death Tolls

Squid Game captivated the world with its deadly twist on childhood games. What made the show so compelling wasn't just the violence—it was the simplicity. These are games every child knows, transformed into life-or-death struggles that reveal the depths of human nature.

In this guide, we'll break down every game featured across all three seasons of Squid Game, explaining the rules, the Korean cultural origins, the death tolls, and the strategies that helped some players survive. Whether you're rewatching the series or preparing for our online versions, this is your complete reference.

Game 1: Red Light, Green Light (무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다)

The Rules: Players must cross a field while a giant doll faces away. When she turns around singing "무궁화 꽃이 피었습니다" (mugunghwa kkoci pieot seumnida), anyone caught moving is eliminated—literally shot by snipers hidden in the walls.

Korean Origins: This is one of Korea's most beloved children's games, equivalent to "Red Light, Green Light" in Western countries. The phrase translates to "The Mugunghwa flower has bloomed," referring to Korea's national flower. Children traditionally play it in schoolyards, though without the lethal consequences.

Death Toll: 255 players eliminated in Season 1, more than half the contestants.

Strategy: The key is controlled deceleration. Players who tried to stop suddenly were more likely to wobble. Gi-hun's strategy of hiding behind others, while morally questionable, proved effective. The optimal approach is steady, deliberate movement with a low center of gravity.

Game 2: Dalgona (Sugar Honeycomb)

The Rules: Players must carve a shape out of a thin honeycomb candy (dalgona) using only a needle. Breaking the shape means elimination. Time limit: 10 minutes.

Korean Origins: Dalgona is a nostalgic Korean street candy from the 1970s-80s. Vendors would press shapes into the cooling sugar, and children who successfully extracted the shape would win another candy. The four shapes—circle, triangle, star, and umbrella—have increasing difficulty.

Death Toll: Approximately 79 players eliminated.

Strategy: Gi-hun's brilliant improvisation of licking the back of the candy to weaken it wasn't cheating—it was creative problem-solving. The moisture softens the candy, making it easier to separate without cracking. However, too much moisture causes it to dissolve entirely.

Game 3: Tug of War

The Rules: Two teams of 10 pull a rope over a platform suspended high above the ground. The losing team falls to their death.

Death Toll: 80 players (8 teams lost)

Strategy: Il-nam's winning strategy became iconic: "Step back, lean back, hold for 10 seconds." By surprising the opposing team with a sudden release of tension, then pulling hard when they're off-balance, the weaker team can defeat a stronger opponent. Position matters too—the anchor at the back should be the heaviest, strongest person.

Game 4: Marbles

The Rules: Players pair up, thinking they'll work together. Then the devastating twist: they must play against each other. Each pair has 30 minutes to win all 10 marbles from their partner using any game of their choice.

Death Toll: 80 players (half of remaining contestants)

This is widely considered the most emotionally devastating game. Alliances formed over days of survival became meaningless as friends and family were forced to compete against each other. The show used odd/even guessing, but players could negotiate any marble game.

Strategy: The psychological game is as important as the physical one. Some players (like Sang-woo) used deception. Others (like Ali) trusted too completely. The marble games themselves—odd/even, target shooting, trades—each have optimal strategies, but nothing prepares you for betting against someone you love.

Game 5: Glass Stepping Stones

The Rules: 16 players must cross a bridge of 18 paired glass panels. One panel in each pair is tempered glass (holds weight), the other is regular glass (shatters on contact). 16 minutes to cross. Wrong step means falling to your death.

Death Toll: 14 players

The Math: Position matters enormously. Player 1 has roughly a 1 in 262,144 chance of surviving if guessing randomly. Each correct step by previous players improves the odds for those behind them. The glassmaker (Player 13) could identify tempered glass by its appearance, but the Front Man eliminated this advantage by turning off the lights.

Strategy: Go last if possible. Watch the panels that shatter versus survive. Some fans have calculated that being player 16 gives you approximately a 50% survival rate if everyone ahead guesses randomly.

Game 6: Squid Game (오징어 게임)

The Rules: The namesake game. An attacker must enter a squid-shaped court and reach the head. A defender must stop them. Players can push, trip, and tackle. The first to touch the squid's head wins—in the show's context, one player dies.

Korean Origins: A real children's game popular in 1970s-80s Korea. The court is drawn in sand, and games could get quite physical. It required both strength and strategy, making it the perfect finale.

The Final Showdown: Gi-hun versus Sang-woo. Former childhood friends. The game came down to moral choice as much as physical prowess, with Gi-hun ultimately choosing mercy over murder.

Play All Games Online

The genius of Squid Game was taking innocent childhood memories and revealing the desperation beneath society's surface. These simple games became mirrors reflecting capitalism, inequality, and the lengths people will go to survive.

Our recreations capture the tension without the danger. Test your reflexes in Red Light, Green Light. Prove your steady hand in Dalgona. Challenge your memory on the Glass Bridge. Experience the games that captivated over 1.65 billion viewing hours—with the only thing at stake being your pride on the leaderboard.