Squid Game Season 1 recap: Everything to know before binging on Season 2

Squid Game (Image via Netflix)
Squid Game (Image via Netflix)

When Squid Game first came out, it became an instant global sensation and it was all anyone could talk about. It had no dearth of drama, suspense, and shocking moments and had millions of people hooked on to their screens.

Season 1 was about 456 desperate individuals who play deadly children's games for money. With every game, things get more intense and their chances of survival become slimmer.

With Season 2 on the horizon, fans can't wait to immerse themselves back into the world of Squid Game. Here’s a recap of Season 1, covering all the important details that you need to remember before watching Season 2.


The main plot of Squid Game

Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)
Lee Jung-jae and Park Hae-soo in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)

Squid Game centers around Seong Gi-hun, a divorced gambling father drowning in debt. He’s invited by a strange man (played by Gong Yoo) to take part in a series of mysterious games, where players compete for 45.6 billion won (about $38 million). The catch? The games are life-or-death challenges based on traditional Korean children's games.

Each player is driven by financial desperation. They quickly realize that failure in the game is synonymous with death. As the games advance, friendships are formed and broken, challenging the moral limitations of each participant.


The players and their stories in Squid Game Season 1

Park Hae-soo in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)
Park Hae-soo in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)

The players in the mysterious game come from all walks of life. However, the series mainly focuses on a few characters. Besides Gi-hun, there’s Cho Sang-woo, Gi-hun's childhood friend turned financial criminal who is on the run; Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector who joined the game to secure a better life for her family; and an elderly man, Oh Il-nam, who has a brain tumor.

These characters are driven by their motives. The creators made sure there was an emotional connection between the characters and the viewers by showing their backstories. Their personal life, along with the brutal games, make Squid Game more than just a survival drama. It evolves into a window to human nature and the lengths people are willing to go to for survival.


The deadly games

Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)
Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)

Throughout Season 1, players compete against each other in six games. Each game proves to be deadlier than the other.

The first is Red Light, Green Light, where players must stop when a giant robotic doll turns around. Anyone caught moving beyond that time is eliminated, or rather, killed. The second game is Sugar Honeycombs, where players must carve shapes out of honeycombs without breaking them. The challenge? It's almost impossible to get it right with the crumbling pressure.

The third is the Tug-of-War, which is a traditional game but here’s the twist - the losing team plunges to their deaths. The fourth game is Marbles, where players have to face off in pairs, and as you must remember, the loser confronts death.

The fifth is the Glass Stepping Stones, which is a game of chance. Players in this game must choose the right glass to step on. One wrong step and they plummet to their doom.

The final game is the Squid Game which decides the winner.


The plot twists in Squid Game Season 1

Wi Ha-joon in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)
Wi Ha-joon in Squid Game (Image via Netflix)

Squid Game Season 1 has a lot of plot twists. The end reveals that Oh Il-nam, the old man, is the mind behind the games. He participated in the game because he was bored, and wanted to have one last thrilling experience before he died.

Another twist involves Hwang Jun-ho, a police officer who joins as a participant in the games to find his missing brother. He finally finds him only to discover that his brother is the overseer of the games, called the Front Man.

Season 1 saw its end with Gi-hun deciding not to leave for the U.S., hinting at the possibility that he might be preparing to try and find out the people who are responsible for the deadly games.

As there are many unanswered questions, fans are eagerly waiting for closure in the next season.


Squid Game Season 1 can be streamed on Netflix.

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more updates and detailed coverage.

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Edited by Yesha Srivastava