As a seasoned gamer and enthusiast who has spent countless hours playing everything from classic board games to modern video games, I must say that the games featured in “Squid Game” Season 2 are a unique blend of childhood nostalgia and adult horror. The creators have masterfully crafted these games to evoke a sense of familiarity while simultaneously infusing them with a chilling twist that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.
Contains spoilers for “Squid Game” Season 2
It’s high time to don your green jumpsuits! The highly-anticipated second season of “Squid Game” is now streaming on Netflix, so get ready to pick up a new set of games that will challenge both your skills and your survival instincts as you unravel the mystery of who will survive till the end.
The second season of “Squid Game” may offer some light entertainment, but it seems less innovative compared to the 2021 blockbuster South Korean thriller series, “Squid Game.” Creator and director Hwang Dong-hyuk has drawn upon his memories of playground games to introduce fresh and dangerous twists on traditional childhood competitions. From the chilling rendition of Russian roulette and a refreshed Rock-Paper-Scissors game to the suspenseful mini-games of the intriguing six-legged race, there’s much more fun and danger to explore in this new installment.
Rock, Paper, Scissors – Minus One
In “Squid Game” Season 2, the debut competition is a modified form of Rock, Paper, Scissors that’s specifically popular in Korea. As we see the enigmatic recruiter (Gong Yoo) subject several homeless individuals to psychological torment under the scorching city sun by making them choose between a lottery ticket and a roll, Seong Gi-hun’s hired workers find themselves captured by the malevolent salesman. Upon waking up in a dark room, they discover they are tied together, threatened with guns, and compelled to participate in this novel game.
Titled “Rock, Paper, Scissors – Minus One,” this adaptation invites players to employ both hands during each round, rather than just one. Instead of presenting a single selection per round as in traditional play, each player offers two choices. After observing their opponent’s hands, they eliminate (or subtract) one from the equation. This additional layer of psychological strategy makes it an ideal fit for “Squid Game.” Furthermore, accommodating multiple hands allows this version to be played by up to four individuals, much like another Korean spin on Rock, Paper, Scissors known as Muk-jji-ppa.
Russian roulette
In the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors – Minus One”, the danger originates from an extra, clandestine game being played alongside the main one, orchestrated by the recruiter. Russian roulette is a deadly game, popularly associated with its supposed birthplace, where players load a six-shooter revolver with only a few bullets, leaving empty chambers. They then take turns shooting the gun, risking their lives based on chance. The origins of this lethal pastime are unclear, but it demonstrates remarkable adaptability, as shown in “Squid Game”, where various factors can significantly alter its play dynamics.
Initially, when the recruiter starts the game, he rotates the cylinder for each round, ensuring that every pull of the trigger has a 1-in-6 chance of causing someone’s demise (a cruel twist on its own). However, during his match with Seong Gi-hun, he stops moving the cylinder after the first spin, making it more dangerous as the odds of death rise with each subsequent pull. Their game ends up leading to one of the most shocking deaths in Season 2. The third version, where the cylinder is loaded with five bullets, seems less frequent and even more abhorrent.
Flying Stone
Among the games featured in “Squid Game” Season 2, we’re rather optimistic that we could win against Flying Stone. The second game, following the challenging six-legged race (the first being Ddakji, played in the previous season), is a straightforward contest involving one player throwing a stone at another stationary stone, resembling a headstone found in a cemetery.
If they knock the stone down, they succeed and are allowed to move forward in the race. If not, they must walk all the way up to the stone, retrieve their wayward projectile, and start again. Stone throwing as a means of recreation is obviously not specific to Korea, and has been around since at least the days of ancient Greece. That said, it is unclear if Flying Stone is a particularly popular playground game in South Korea, or if there are more specific rules unique to the country that aren’t obvious in its brief appearance on “Squid Game.”
Gonggi
In the third contest of “Squid Game” Season 2, there’s a challenge known as the six-legged race, which involves a dexterous and skillful game often linked to women by some characters. Known as Gonggi in Korean, this game requires five stones, referred to as gonggitdol. The aim is to showcase your hand-eye coordination by tossing one stone into the air while simultaneously picking up others from the ground.
Initially, you toss each of the five stones in front of you, similar to dice. Afterward, you individually pick up the stones while also tossing another one up into the air. In the second round, you throw just one stone up and gather the remaining four stones grouped by twos. Subsequently, you throw a single stone, collecting the rest as a group of three and an isolated stone. Then, you lift all five stones in the air and attempt to catch them with the back of your hand. Lastly, you hurl them from the back of your hand and catch them all once more. Although it may sound complex, “Squid Game” makes it seem simpler than the game called Flying Stone or its successor.
Spinning Top
Following their effortless journey in the Gonggi competition, the action moves on to the Spinning Top race. The rules here are deceptively straightforward – a competitor must wind a string around a top, toss it from their hand, and ensure that it spins upon landing on the ground. It’s reminiscent of the Japanese spinning toy Beyblades, but more challenging and potentially hazardous (based on the TV show you’re watching). Interestingly, this game resembles the Korean game Paengi Chigi, which also involves launching spinning tops with strings. However, in Paengi Chigi, players are required to keep the top spinning for as long as possible using a wooden stick.
The game called Spinning Top is likely one of the least memorable and exasperating games from Season 2. It’s mainly significant because it generates a tense moment when the undercover character Front Man Hwang In-ho, played by Lee Byung-hun, struggles to master it on time. This event seems to be part of the anticlimactic twist in his storyline during Season 2, which feels like a repetition of a familiar letdown in the most unpleasant way possible.
Jegichagi
In simpler terms, the climactic event of the six-legged race is known as Jegichagi, a game that resembles Hacky Sack and is familiar to American viewers. Just like Hacky Sack, Jegichagi involves a participant kicking an object (a jegi, which looks like a miniature, ribbon-decorated disk wrapped in paper, akin to a badminton shuttlecock) with their foot repeatedly.
The specific history of Jegichagi isn’t clearly defined, and its cultural roots are often disputed, with some claiming it originated in Korea and others suggesting China as its birthplace. Nowadays, it is predominantly played during Korean celebrations like Chuseok (a harvest festival in autumn) or Seollal, the Korean New Year.
Mingle
Without a doubt, the standout game among Squid Game Season 2 offerings is Mingle, a captivating yet sinister spectacle. Ranked third in the series after the six-legged race (regrettably the last before the show shifts into an unrelenting barrage of gunfire), it unfolds within a massive revolving room featuring a carousel at its core. As the room rotates, music plays for an uncertain duration. When both the music and rotation cease simultaneously, a number is announced. Contestants must then swiftly organize into groups of that specified number and seek refuge behind one of the rooms secure doors before time runs out.
In various parts of the world, a game known as Mingle is commonly played, particularly in settings such as college dormitories and new office buildings to facilitate social interaction. During play, individuals are encouraged to share personal details about themselves. In the series “Squid Game,” character Hwang In-ho utilizes Mingle to reveal his dark secret – he’s a murderer; however, it appears that he misunderstood the true intention of the game, resulting in violent actions rather than fostering camaraderie. Let’s hope that when you play Mingle or any other games inspired by “Squid Game” Season 2 at your next gathering, things don’t take a dramatic turn towards violence!
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2024-12-27 09:30