To mark the commencement of Squid Game Season 2, we have assessed the difficulty levels of each brutal challenge in the Netflix series – and one stands out.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll spend most of your time watching Squid Game in two states: recoiling from the harrowing bloodshed, and pondering to yourself, “Could I win?”
It’s almost like the show has a point, and even as observers, we’re all guilty of indulging in its fantasy; when there’s money on the table, what would you do to not only win it, but survive?
Some of its challenges are harder than others (and to be clear, we’re not including the so-called “special games”, as they just incite murder under duress). We’ve ranked both seasons’ games without spoilers, so you’re safe even if you’re about to press play or you’ve already reached the ending of Season 2.
9. Ddajki (Seasons 1 & 2)
Difficulty rating: 2/10
The rules: Each player has a square envelope (known as a ddakji). One player puts theirs on the ground, and the other has to throw theirs at it to flip it over.
Why it’s hard: Ddakji is undeniably a game of skill; in Season 1’s opener, Gi-hun desperately tries to flip the Recruiter’s envelope to no avail, and he does it without breaking a sweat. Just like throwing a paper airplane, flicking a playing card, or playing with a hacky sack, it comes down to a knack – if you have it, it’s fine, if you don’t, you’re in trouble (but it really doesn’t seem that hard).
Words by Cameron Frew
8. Marbles (Season 1)
Difficulty rating: 4/10
The rules: Players are paired into teams of two and given 10 marbles each. They can play any game of their choosing (so long as it doesn’t involve violence), but the winner must claim all 20 marbles within 30 minutes. If there’s no winner by the end of this timeframe, both contestants are eliminated (shot).
Why it’s hard: A lot of players lost more than their marbles in this game. The most difficult part of this challenge isn’t the gameplay itself but the fact that you have to make an impossible decision: you win, your best friend dies; you lose, you die. Unless you’re the dark triad type, no victory feels sweet in Squid Game – but this one’s particularly cruel.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
7. Red Light, Green Light (Seasons 1 & 2)
Difficulty rating: 5/10
The rules: Players must make it to the other side of the arena before the time runs out. However, they’re only allowed to move when a large doll says, “Green light” – and when it says, “Red light,” they have to stand completely still, or else they’ll be killed.
Why it’s hard: Red Light, Green Light isn’t a difficult game. If anything, it may be the easiest of the lot: all you need to do is jog, stop, and jog until you’re safe. It’s the constant threat of a bullet that makes it so hard; if I pointed a gun at your head and told you to open a packet of crisps, you’d probably piss your pants, so imagine how it feels trying to remain calm and still.
Unsurprisingly, this is the first game in both Season 1 and 2, and it always carries a heavy toll.
Words by Cameron Frew
6. Tug of War (Season 1)
Difficulty rating: 6/10
The rules: Much like regular tug of war, the game sees two teams of 10 players competing by pulling a rope to overpower the opposing team. The sinister twist here is the gap between the platforms and the guillotine positioned above it; the minute a group falls down, the blade cuts the rope in half and the players fall to their deaths.
Why it’s hard: It’s a bit like gym class at school: you’re kind of screwed if you don’t pick the strongest teammates. There are exceptions to the rule, though, as Gi-hun’s team learned thanks to mole Il-nam. Strategy, coordination, and timing can level the playing field to a certain degree, but one weak link will throw you and your peers to the ground like sacks of meat hitting concrete.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
5. Squid Game (Season 1)
Difficulty rating: Depends/10
The rules: On a squid-shaped court, players split into two teams: offense and defense, decided by a coin toss. The offense must hop on one foot until they cross the squid’s neck. They win if they tap their foot on the top of the court, while the defense wins by preventing this and forcing them outside of the court’s bounds.
If either side is unable to continue playing the game, the last one standing is the winner. Oh, and “unable to continue playing the game” means they’re killed – and in this round, any kind of violence is permitted.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
4. Mingle (Season 2)
Difficulty rating: 7/10
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The rules: Players stand on a rotating platform. When it stops, they’re told to assemble groups of a specific number; it could be as high as six or as low as two. After this, they need to make it to one of 50 rooms before the time runs out, and any stragglers are murdered on sight.
Why it’s hard: On paper, Mingle seems easy; stay with your friends and you should be okay. But what if there’s an odd number and someone is left on their own? What if you could only survive by pushing a pensioner out of the way and stealing their spot in a safe room?
It doesn’t matter if you’re a good person and have allies: everyone’s at risk, and that makes it one of the most dangerous games in the series.
Words by Cameron Frew
3. Dalgona (Season 1)
Difficulty rating: 9/10
The rules: Players are given a dalgona (honeycomb, basically) cookie, with their shape – a circle, triangle, star, or umbrella – determined by which door they picked outside the arena. With nothing but a small needle, they need to cut out the shape from their cookie without breaking it.
Why it’s hard: Forgive my phrasing, but are you delicately fingered? Even if you were in the most stress-free environment possible, do you think you could easily cut a circle shape in a cookie without cracking it even a little bit? Okay, now imagine the imminent threat of a bullet in your head and the possibility of having to cut out the shape of an umbrella.
I think I’ve said enough: it may look deceptively simple, but the risk of death is incredibly high on this one.
Words by Cameron Frew
2. Six-Legged Pentathlon (Season 2)
Difficulty rating: 10/10
The rules: Players divide into teams of five before their legs are tied together. They must make their way around a circular rainbow track, successfully completing five mini-games at every 10-meter mark: ddakji, flying stone, gong-gi, spinning top, and jegi.
Here are the rules for each of the mini-games:
- Ddakji: The player must throw a folded paper tile onto the floor with enough force and precision to flip a tile lying flat on the ground
- Flying stone: The player must stand behind a line and use a stone to knock over another standing stone from a distance
- Gong-gi: A bit like Jacks, the player is given a board and five small plastic stones. They must toss one stone into the air while picking up others from the board in a set sequence. After grabbing all five stones, they must throw and catch all of them on the back of their hand, before flipping them up and catching them in their palm (if all of that sounds like word salad, just know that it involves throwing, catching, and a steady hand)
- Spinning top: The player must tightly wrap a long piece of string around a spinning top, then release it with precision to ensure the top spins successfully on its own
- Jegi: Similar to hacky sack, a player must successfully tap a shuttlecock with their feet five times in a row without letting it touch the ground
Each team must select one player per mini-game before they begin. They have just five minutes to complete each round and cross the finish line, or else they’re all shot dead.
Why it’s hard: This was the game that made me realize I wouldn’t last a second in this competition. Yes, there’s an element of skill, but really you need to be good at two things: team work and performing well under pressure.
Even someone who spent their entire childhood mastering the art of gong-gi might suffer a case of wobbly hands when there’s a gun pointed at their head. Plus, if you don’t get it right the first time, well, you’ve got to go back and do it again.
With an average of one minute per game, the odds of winning grow less and less with every failed attempt. If you can’t even make it past ddakji, you may as well just say your prayers.
Words by Daisy Phillipson
1. Glass Bridge (Season 1)
Difficulty rating: Accept death
The rules: Players must make it to the other side of a catwalk with glass panels on either side – and with each step, they’ll either survive or the glass will shatter beneath their feet. Oh, and they only have 16 minutes to complete it, so they can’t dilly-dally, either.
Why it’s hard: Here’s the thing: if you’re among the last people to walk across the bridge, you have an incredible advantage. If you’re the first player, you have a 50/50 chance with every step – those aren’t bad odds, but you need to be right 18 times in a row.
That puts Player 1’s chances of survival at 0.0003815%. Think of it this way: do you think you could flip a coin 18 times in a row and call it correctly every time?
There is only one way you can figure out which panel will break, but there are two problems: firstly, you need to be a glass expert; and secondly, if the guards catch you trying to discern which stepping stone is safe, they’ll turn the lights off anyway.
In short, unless you’re lucky at the back, you’re probably screwed. It’s a game of pure luck, and the odds aren’t in your favor.
Words by Cameron Frew
Squid Game Season 2 is streaming on Netflix now. If you’ve already finished it, check out our list of the best TV shows of 2024.
