After watching Squid Game, a show that left a lasting impression on me, I was surprised to see the announcement for Squid Game: Unleashed by Boss Fight at Netflix Games earlier this month. This video game takes the intense and brutal games from the series and transforms them into wild, multiplayer experiences. While it still features gore, it’s presented in a cartoonish manner. Unlike the show’s characters, you won’t face permanent elimination upon losing; you can keep trying until you master these virtual renditions of the deadly games.
This trend of turning the Squid Game concept into various gaming adaptations—be it Squid Game: Unleashed, the upcoming collaboration with Call of Duty, or even YouTuber Mr. Beast’s real-life version—seems to miss the deeper themes of the original series. However, this isn’t the first time such adaptations have strayed from their source’s core message. Take the novel Battle Royale from 1999, which depicted a harsh society where children are forced into lethal survival games—a compelling reflection on authoritarianism and survival. Yet, the popular video game trend it inspired, seen in titles like PUBG and Fortnite, focuses more on entertainment rather than the raw social commentary found in the book, even bringing playful elements like featuring Snoop Dogg.
Considering this history of adaptations, perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised by games like Squid Game: Unleashed. Game director Bill Jackson mentioned in our conversation that creating something people want to play was the main goal. As opposed to crafting a narrative-heavy, storytelling experience like those from Telltale Games that would delve deep into Squid Game’s societal critiques, players expressed a desire to dive directly into the games themselves.
“We asked our community what they’d like to see from Netflix Games,” Jackson shared. “And overwhelmingly, the response was Squid Game. When we dug deeper, players were eager to jump into the arena, experiencing what it’s like to be a contestant—even relishing the idea of failing and facing virtual death. From the get-go, this feedback was clear, so that’s exactly what we aimed to create. You essentially become a contestant in a stylized version of the show.”
The transition from screen to gaming inevitably changes the essence of Squid Game, as Jackson elaborates: “At its core, you’re a participant, and failure comes with harsh consequences. But it’s a game—if you falter, you simply retry. That’s the loop we embraced.”
During our chat, I brought up Battle Royale’s influence on gaming, and Jackson noted its enduring appeal across different media. “Consider movies like Death Race or even Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon—they share these competitive setups. In gaming, this format is quite captivating. It places you in a contest where failure means being knocked out, while others advance. That format is fundamental to gaming, echoing something deep within us.”
As unexpected as it might sound, people genuinely enjoy this aspect. It’s not merely Netflix execs pushing game designers to dilute Squid Game’s social impact. Regular folks are eager to test their mettle against these challenges—to see how they’d fare—safely ensconced in a digital playground where failure isn’t the end, but boasting rights are still up for grabs.
This isn’t to say players overlook the show’s meaningful narrative or are shallow. I believe, like Jackson, that this enthusiasm for competition taps into something inherent in all of us. It feels a bit unsettling, sure, but it perfectly explains the emergence of these adaptations. We wanted them, and so they came to be.
