Netflix is going all-out in celebration of the forthcoming second season of its hit series,Squid Game. In addition to abevy of new merchand aChristmassy Yule Logtie-in, the streamer has also created a playable Google Easter Egg for those who venture to search for the series' name on the search engine.
Released on December 19—a mere week before the series' second season premieres on December 26—the game appears whenever you search for the show’s name (on web or mobile browsers) by way of a tiny brown envelope at the bottom of the screen. Once clicked, the now-iconic animatronic girl doll Young-Hee appears on the screen, flanked by two soldiers, facing a group of six tracksuit-clad contestants.
Using the O and X buttons, players are tasked with advancing the six players across the line at Young-Hee’s feet without being seen by her usually murderous eyes. Instead of being killed on screen, however, any player caught moving dissolves into thin air. If you manage to get all of your players across unscathed, players are greeted with a giant gold piggy bank and confetti, which isn’t as enticing as millions of dollars, but that’s the price for playing a non-deadly version of one ofSquid Game’s many, ahem, games.
This Isn’t The Only Free ‘Squid Game’ You Can Play Right Now
Though Netflix has been in the gaming business for a minute now, most of those offerings are only available for paying members. But on December 17, the streaming service released a mobileSquid Gamethat’s free for a limited time (meaning you don’t have to pay for/borrow someone else’s Netflix password to play).Squid Game: Unleashedis described by Netflix as “the definitiveSquid Gamevideo game.”
Per an official statement from Netflix, the synopsis forSquid Game: Unleashedis as follows:
Prepare for fast, heart-pounding action and brutal competition in this multiplayer battle royale game. Play with friends (or enemies) online and see if you have what it takes to outlast and defeat all the other contestants in each twisted tournament. With deadly challenges pulled from the series and more new games inspired by classic childhood activities, each round is a dark trip down memory lane. Can you make it through playtime alive?
‘Squid Game’ Creator Reveals How Writing Season 2 Changed the Ending of the Series
They say pressure makes diamonds, and Hwang Dong-hyuk felt the pressure when writing Seasons 2 and 3 of ‘Squid Game.’
Squid Gamehas proven to be a tentpole series for the streaming service, with more than 1.65 billion—yes, billion—hours of viewing time logged in the first 28 days of the first season’s release back in 2021. Since then, the show has spawned a real-life reality competition (with less murder) and put extreme pressure on the show’s creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk, to live up to the hype created by its initial installment.
Season 2 of the series will see its first winner, Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), return to the titular games in order to save the other players and take down the secret billionaires controlling it all.Several criticshave called the soon-to-arrive second season a “triumphant return.” The series has already been renewed for a third and final season—and its already been written, too, so hopefully we won’t have to wait three years for the conclusion to this gripping story.
Squid Game
In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children’s games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully - but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.
