Summary
Following the worldwide critical acclaim of Netflix’sSquid Game, which became the streaming platform’s third-most watched show with over 150 million total views, it was apparent that this massively popular series was here to stay. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk’s haunting exploration of desperation and class warfare has tapped into some of the most prevalent and long-standing societal issues of our time. His desire to explore complex themes has a lot in common with video games, whereSquid Gamehas already started to make its presence known.
Squid Game: Unleashedtaps into the communal nature of the series, as the multiplayer battle royal game feeds into the life-or-death struggle between human players. However, the franchise is long overdue for a single-player adventure. But that might be a tricky task, as translating something likeSquid Gameinto a single-player focused adventure could prove difficult. AsSquid Gameis built around evolving human interactions in the wake of unthinkable violence, it’s an environment that would make for an incredible game. These are the ways that Netflix’s worldwide sensation could become a AAA single-player experience.
5Character Customization
Craft A Custom Character And Get Assigned A Number
In creating an interactiveSquid Gameadventure, it would be ideal to have arich, complex character creator. An even wiser move would be to draw from some of the industry’s most competent character creators. The likes ofCyberpunk 2077andDragon’s Dogma 2would be a good starting point.
Customizing one’s look is just the start, however. The contestants inSquid Gameare all united by one thing: their massive debt that can only be assuaged by winning the 45.6 billion won. To that end, being able to narrow down fine details as to just why the player needs the money would be a must, as it would add some context and weight to the whole game.
4A Deep Alliance System
Form Alliances To Survive The Games
Over the course of two seasons,Squid Gamehas explored the darkest aspects of humanity. Some of the show’s most intense moments revolve around who can be trusted and who can’t. With a video game version, locking the player in the dormitory with 455 other contestants and giving them all unique personalities to explore would be ambitious, but could result in something truly special. Taking a page from theWatch Dogs: Legionplaybook, it could cultivate a group of characters from all walks of life, each with their own personality and goals.
Cozying up with some of the more nefarious contestants would alter the player’s relationships with others, allowing players to form up with a group as in the show and survive. Considering the votes that take place between each round to determine whether the games continue, players could becomeostracized for their choices, creating an extra layer of tension. It would add some fun strategy to the game, as well as tie in to one of the key aspects of bothSquid Gameseasons, where alliances and groups become paramount.
3Recreating The Games
Red Light, Green Light
Throughout the competition, all 456 contestants have one thing in common, which is their struggle to survive deadly gauntletsbased on childhood games. It has become one of the most popular aspects of the show, and recreating it in video game form is essential to the success of any potential adaptation. Some of the most compelling games in the show include Red Light, Green Light and Glass Stepping Stones.
Red Light, Green Light is always the first game in any of the competitions, so it is crucial to find a fun way to interpret it. Emulating the sheer terror of Young-hee’s sinister singsong phrase punctuated by contestants getting killed would make for one of the most terrifying moments in gaming. Meanwhile, Marbles would allow the player to make active decisions in order to increase their chances of winning. It would also be important to recreate the Special Game, a riot orchestrated by the guards to sow chaos and weed out weaker players. If done properly, this would be incredible.
2An All-Star Cast
Hire Some Of Korea’s Most Talented Actors
The cast ofSquid Gamefeatures some of Korea’s greatest performers, such as Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun. Considering that the upcoming third season will be its last, the prospect of the cast appearing in a potential video game adaptation isn’t likely. But that’s probably a good thing. Not being tied to the cast from the series opens the game up to more original and unique characters, which would further expand the scope of the world.
Hiring more of Korea’s talented actors and musicians is a must, making use of facial scan and motion capture technology to bring them to life. AsSquid Gameis a show built around both the absurdity of the games and the subtle performances in the quieter moments, hiring good actors and making use of quality motion capture is an absolute necessity. It should be noted that it’s crucial to bring in Gong Yoo to play the charismatic Recruiter, but other than that, it would be wise to gofor an entirely new cast.
1Explore Previous Squid Game Competitions
Tap Into The Lore Of The Series
Over the course of its first two seasons, the Netflix series has covered two competitions. But in a first season episode called “A Fair World,” the detective Jun-ho discovered that Squid Game had been going on since 1988. Among the list of competitions that Jun-ho found, multiple winners were listed for each game, but a few were left tantalizingly unseen.
This gap in the show’s lore opens up quite a few options, as the game could free itself from any established lore and break out on its own. In the list that Jun-ho reads, the Squid Game competition winners from 2000 to 2004 are not seen, leaving them open to interpretation. Additionally, it could be fun to explore the 28th Squid Game, where the nefarious Front Man won and made himself an integralpart of the mythology. No matter what direction is chosen, these could be optimal ways to bring the series to life in video game form. It doesn’t alter the canon of the show, and allows the player to actually win the competition.
