Squid Game

Number of seasons	3
Number of episodes	22
Episode length	32–63 minutes
Genre	Drama, thriller, action
Starring	Lee Jung Jae, Park Hae Soo, Oh Yeon Soo, Wi Ha Joon, Jung Ho Young, Heo Sung Tae, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo Ryun
Screenwriters	Hwang Dong Hyuk
Creators	Hwang Dong Hyuk
Music
Country	Republic of Korea
Website
Years of release	2021–present
Rating Kinopoisk • IMDb	7.5/10 • 8.0/10
Age rating	18+

The South Korean series "Squid Game" (original title: Ojing-eo Geim or 오징어게임) is a bold and gripping blend of genres, including survival, action, thriller, and drama. Its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, not only wrote the script but also brought every detail to life, personally overseeing the filming process. The first season brought together a star-studded cast, including Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-young, Oh Yeon-soo, Wi Ha-joon, Anupam Tripathi, Heo Sung-tae, and Kim Joo-ryung. In the second season, this impressive cast was joined by such celebrities as Lee Byung-hun, Lim Si-wan, Lee Jin-wook, and Jo Yu-ri.

At first glance, the series' story seems simple: a group of people with dire financial woes decide to participate in a mysterious survival game. At stake is a massive cash prize of 45.6 billion won (approximately $38.5 million at the time of its premiere). However, the further the plot unfolds, the more it immerses viewers in profound social contradictions and personal dramas. The project premiered on September 17, 2021, on Netflix and immediately attracted the attention of millions.

An interesting detail: the idea for the series was born from its creator's personal experience. In his youth, Hwang Dong-hyuk himself faced severe financial difficulties and was acutely aware of the injustices of modern society. He wrote the script back in 2008, but the project failed to gain traction. It wasn't until 2019 that Netflix became interested in the show as part of its strategy to release international projects. The risk proved to be worth it: viewers and critics were unanimous in their praise, praising the impressive acting, the unconventional concept, the aesthetic elaboration of each scene, the soundtrack, and its profound social messages.

The series quickly became a global cultural phenomenon. It topped Netflix ratings in over 90 countries, including the US and UK. In the first month alone, "Squid Game" was viewed by over 142 million people, making it the highest-rated series on the platform at the time.

The realization of its success inspired the creator to continue the story. In November 2021, Hwang Dong-hyuk officially announced a second season, with filming beginning in the summer of 2023. In addition to the main series, the reality show "Squid Game: The Challenge" premiered in 2023, offering participants a real-life survival experience.

Fans eagerly anticipated the continuation of the story. The second season debuted on December 26, 2024, and the climactic third installment premiered on June 27, 2025. The Squid Game will not only be remembered as a Netflix staple, but will also take its place in television history for the boldness and relevance of its premise.

Statistics

Total duration of the series:
Number of filming years:
Number of directors:

Plot

A brief description of the events of the series

The plot of the series focuses on a group of individuals who, faced with critical financial problems and significant debts, decide to participate in a dubious gaming competition. The organizers manipulatively promise the winner a substantial financial reward, while concealing the fact that only one will be able to leave the competition alive, while the rest risk being doomed to death in case of failure in the tests.

Participants face a moral dilemma, exploring the extent to which they are ready to violate their moral standards in the name of monetary reward. They are looking for allies to achieve their goals, which sometimes leads to the betrayal of loved ones and friends.

At the same time, the viewer observes attempts to introduce a person into the system of supervision and management of the game, who initially has nothing to do with this cruel social experiment, but is driven by noble motives. He is faced with a misunderstanding of what is happening and does not know the reason for the death of numerous participants, and he is also unaware of the creators of this game and the ways to leave the ominous place. However, he realizes the need to strictly adhere to the imposed rules for the sake of his own survival.

Season-by-season overview of the series episodes

Browsing this section, you can quickly go to the page of the desired season or episode to study and edit materials.

Seasons		Episodes
Season 1		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Season 2		1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Season 3		1	2	3	4	5	6

Characters

Browsing this section, you can quickly go to the page of the desired character to study and edit materials.

Interesting pages

Browsing this section, you can quickly go to the necessary page of the free category for studying and editing materials.