So, you know of Netflix's Squid Game. That show with the high stakes, life-or-death tasks that have us collectively going 'WTF' whenever a new game is introduced. Its third season released on Friday.
It's also one of Netflix's most successful shows, owing to its unique theme and storyline. Want to know more about the brutalities of being poor in a hyper-capitalist, unequal world? Squid Game will open your eyes and keep you on the edge of your seat.
To promote the release of the third season, Netflix India invited 19 of the most popular content creators to play a version of this game, and called for fans to witness it live.
I had a seat at the event, and here's my experience.
1. The Squid Game theme was on-point.
As I and the throngs of fans waited for the gates to open, we were monitored by the masked men in red—making the whole thing feel super realz. The audience was enthusiastic about the idea of watching someone play Squid Game live. Looking at those uniforms immediately activated my fight-or-flight. Thank you for that, Netflix.
2. The game set-up was, hands down, the best part of the event. And yes, the giant creepy doll was there too.
One of the best parts about Squid Game is the game set-up—it is vibrant, colorful, and reminiscent of the participants' childhood, which makes watching it even harder because people literally die on these colourful grounds. I was curious about how the games would turn out to be in real life, and I was positively floored.
The set was absolutely grand, mimicking the games we've seen in season 2. There was just so much to take in—the giant creepy doll, the merry-go-round, and the doors, waiting for participants to fight tooth and nail to enter.
The meticulous attention to detail truly got me. Oh, and fun fact: the production design was headed by a woman! A big win all around.
3. The competition was hosted by Rahul Dua and Sumukhi Suresh, and the 20th player was chosen from the audience.
It felt a bit odd to see an uneven number of content creators as participants. But that was quickly cleared up—hosts Rahul Dua and Sumukhi Suresh announced that there would be 20 players, and the 20th would be one of us. The selection process? Cookie tins were hidden under random seats in the stadium—if you found one, you could choose to participate in the first round to qualify for the finals. Yes, that cookie—the one with the shapes from season 1. Told ya, the attention to detail was *chef's kiss*.
After a chaotic first round, where participants had to carve out the shape from the cookie (throwback!), they moved on to the infamous red light, green light—with the creepy doll watching, of course. We finally had a winner, and the crowd absolutely lost it cheering him on.
4. The content creators were welcomed by a roaring crowd.
Once the 20th participant was picked from among us, it was time for the real Squid Game to begin. One by one, the content creators were called in—and their fans cheered like it was a full-blown arena match.
Among the many familiar faces were Sakshi Shivdasani, Apoorva Mukhija aka The Rebel Kid, Vishnu Kaushal, Aaditya Kulshreshth aka Kullu, and Shreya Kalra. And of course, the pre-game banter? Top-tier.
5. We saw a glimpse of a game from Squid Game 3.
Because I clearly have no life and have already binge-watched all of season 3, I can now confirm—we did get a glimpse of a game this season. A classic from childhood, it was a skipping rope game where participants had to, well, skip—and make sure the rope didn’t smack into them. The shifting speed of the rope made it surprisingly fun to watch. Once again, major props to the set design team for pulling off such an over-the-top, giant set-up.
6. Content creators had to participate in games from Squid Game 2, and things got COMPETITIVE.
Everything was hunky-dory—until it was time for the merry-go-round. It was one of the most intense games in season 2, and yep, it delivered just as much chaos in real life. Participants were scrambling to find the right number of people and an open door, and it got so hectic that one person had to be eliminated from the room because they were the odd one out.
One of the creators literally clung to someone else’s leg in an effort to stay in the game. Desperate times.
7. The winner did go home with a cash prize along with bragging rights, and the audience got to explore the set.
I won’t spoil who took the win, but let’s just say there was a cash prize—and they made sure to flaunt it at the end (honestly, fair). But the real cherry on top? We got to go down to the actual set and spend time there! It was ridiculously cool taking pictures with the red-suited guards, the giant merry-go-round, and of course, gawking at the sheer size of those creepy dolls up close.
All in all, it was incredibly fun watching people participate in low-stakes Squid Game, which compels me to repeat: we need to make this a theme park. And until that is a reality, here's a picture of me with the giant, creepy doll. I was asked to pose; you can't say no when you're in the Squid Game.
