Is Squid Game Based on a True Story? Truth Behind the Hit Series

When “Squid Game” premiered on Netflix in September 2021, it quickly spiraled into a worldwide phenomenon, capturing over 100 million viewers in less than a month. The show’s harrowing premise—hundreds of cash-strapped people competing in deadly versions of childhood games for a huge cash prize—sparked urgent questions. Chief among them: Is Squid Game based on a true story? The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no, revealing layers of cultural anxiety, economic hardship, and creative inspiration in contemporary South Korea.

Origins of Squid Game: Inspiration and Context

At its heart, “Squid Game” is not a direct retelling of specific real-life events. However, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has acknowledged that the show’s grim universe draws heavily on genuine societal issues and personal experiences. After the 2008 global financial crisis, Hwang, like many South Koreans, found himself wrestling with debt and unemployment, which became fertile ground for his screenplay.

He developed the script as early as 2009, when stories of South Korea’s ballooning household debt and soaring youth unemployment were making national headlines, painting a backdrop of desperation that pervades the series.

“Although the games themselves are fictional, the sense of financial desperation and societal pressure depicted in Squid Game is based on very real issues faced by ordinary people in Korea and around the world,” said Professor Kim Hyun-soo, a cultural sociologist at Korea University.

Hwang has spoken openly in interviews about drawing inspiration from his own struggles, as well as classic Japanese survival-game manga like “Battle Royale” and “Liar Game.” In practice, this means Squid Game sits at the intersection of creative fiction and authentic reflection on society’s inequalities.

Economic Hardship and Class Tension: The True Stories Squid Game Mirrors

Though not a literal recounting, Squid Game resonates so profoundly because it mirrors real economic divisions and risks that are all too common in South Korea—and across the globe.

South Korea’s Debt Crisis

South Korea’s household debt-to-income ratio is among the highest in the world. According to government data, the average household debt far outpaces disposable income, especially among lower-income and younger Koreans. Many young adults feel trapped by stagnant wages, high housing costs, and pressure to succeed in a hyper-competitive society.

This reality underpins the desperation shown by characters like Seong Gi-hun, the show’s protagonist, who battles gambling addiction and mounting insolvency. Similarly, the sense of being forced to compete relentlessly—sometimes at the cost of morals and even survival—parallels the real-life anxieties felt by many.

Real-Life “Gambling” With One’s Future

In South Korea, stories abound of people risking everything in pursuit of financial rescue. While not as violent as the games in the series, reports of debt-fueled suicides and ruined families illustrate that stakes can be just as life-altering. Beyond Korea, viewers from countries facing rising inequality and social immobility have identified with these themes, helping explain Squid Game’s global impact.

Game Motifs and Their Cultural Significance

One aspect that grounds Squid Game in reality is its use of traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light, Green Light and the eponymous “squid game.” These games evoke nostalgia and a sense of lost innocence, which only heightens the show’s commentary about the harshness of adult life.

Why Old Children’s Games?

Hwang Dong-hyuk chose simple, familiar playground games to contrast childhood fairness with adult brutality. For Korean viewers, seeing these innocent games turned deadly has a deeply unsettling effect. For international audiences, the universality and simplicity of the games provide a compelling, easy-to-understand mechanism for storytelling.

Layers of Symbolism

The games in Squid Game aren’t arbitrary. Each reflects deeper themes—trust, betrayal, teamwork, and the arbitrariness of fate. The violence in the show’s “playgrounds” metaphorically exposes how society, especially in times of economic hardship, can strip away empathy and reward only the most ruthless competitors.

The Global Appeal and Real-World Parallels

While Squid Game is deeply Korean in its references and social critique, its resonance is global. In countries from the United States to Brazil, viewers have drawn connections to their own economic precarity, stagnant wages, and widening class divisions.

The Survival Game Genre

Though Squid Game has become the genre’s most recognizable success, it follows a tradition that includes works like “Battle Royale” and “The Hunger Games,” each using stories of deadly tournaments to critique their societies’ inequalities and obsessions with spectacle.

Modern Labor and Gig Economy Echoes

Many have compared the “survival of the fittest” mentality in Squid Game to contemporary labor trends. For millions worldwide, gig economy jobs and relentless competition for scarce resources make the fight to stay afloat feel, if not deadly, at least Sisyphean.

Creator’s Vision: Art as Social Critique

Hwang Dong-hyuk has repeatedly asserted that his intention was less to shock and more to prompt reflection. He has noted in interviews that the disturbing elements of the series are exaggerations meant to “hold a mirror up” to society.

“I wanted to write a story that was an allegory or fable about modern capitalist society, something that depicts an extreme competition, somewhat like the extreme competition of life. But I wanted it to use the kind of characters we’ve all met in real life.”
— Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game creator (via Variety)

Through this lens, the series becomes less about whether these exact events happened, and more about how close reality can sometimes come to the fiction.

Conclusion: Squid Game—Not True, But True Enough

There is no evidence that the Squid Game depicted on-screen—deadly contests for cash among debt-ridden citizens—has ever taken place. The specific games and events are products of Hwang Dong-hyuk’s imagination. Nevertheless, the emotional truth of the show rings uncomfortably true for many.

Economic desperation, cutthroat competition, and vanishing social safety nets are real struggles for millions. Squid Game’s lasting power lies in transforming these social anxieties into an unforgettable, if fictional, survival story. As societies continue to wrestle with inequality and resilience, the show’s message endures: sometimes, fiction is the sharpest mirror we have.

FAQs

Is Squid Game based on any real events or crimes?

No, there is no record of real-life deadly games like those in Squid Game. The show is fictional, though the social and economic struggles it depicts are grounded in real-world issues.

Who created Squid Game and what inspired him?

Squid Game was created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, who drew inspiration from his personal financial struggles and South Korea’s economic climate, as well as classic survival-game stories in popular media.

Are the childhood games in Squid Game real?

Yes, games like Red Light, Green Light and the squid game itself are real traditional Korean children’s games. Their use in the show provides cultural context and symbolism.

How has Squid Game resonated with audiences worldwide?

Audiences around the globe have related to the show’s themes of financial hardship and class struggle, seeing parallels in their own lives and societies.

Are the economic issues in Squid Game unique to South Korea?

While certain details reflect South Korea’s society, many countries face similar problems with debt, inequality, and social pressure—a key reason for the show’s international success.

Will there be a Squid Game Season 2?

Netflix confirmed that Squid Game will return for a second season, with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk set to continue the story. Further details about the plot and release are forthcoming.