How to Play the "Squid Games" at Home (Without the Violence Obviously)

Red Light, Green Light in your own backyard.

Trigger warning: this article discusses violence.

As Squid Game rockets its way to becoming the most popular Netflix show of all time, it has got a lot of people wondering how they would perform at the Squid Game.

Considering that all the challenges in the popular series are based on real-life children's games, it's not hard to have your own version of Squid Game in your own backyard with some friends.

So, if you're wanting to do a creative party (COVID safe) with your friends, here's how you can pull off your own Squid Game (without the violence).

 

Game 1: Red Light, Green Light.

Image Credit: Netflix

Anyone who grew up in Australia would know that red light, green light is pretty much a variation of 'What's The Time, Mr Wolf?' Tell me I'm wrong?

In the spirit of staying true to Squid Game though, we're gonna stick with Red Light, Green Light.

Nominate one person to be the traffic light at one end of your backyard (or the local park) and line up the rest of the players at the other end.

When the traffic light turns its back and yells "green light", the players can move as fast as they want towards the traffic light. When the traffic light turns around and yells "red light", all the moving players must stop.

Any player caught moving after the traffic light turns around is eliminated.

Game 2: Honeycomb.

Image Credit: Netflix

The most iconic game from the series was when the players had to cut out a shape stamped into a sugar honeycomb candy called 'ppopgi'.

To make your own, all you need is some sugar and baking soda. Here are the instructions:

1. Melt the sugar on low heat, stirring constantly until caramelised
2. Add a pinch of baking soda and mix well
3. Pour the mixture onto some baking paper and press the mixture flat
4. Use a cookie cutter to add a shape in the centre and then leave it to set

Now that it's set, get yourself a needle, set a time limit, and try to carve out the shape without breaking the candy.

Game 3: Tug of War.

Image Credit: Netflix

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Get yourself a giant rope, spilt your crew into two and play Tug of War.

To make it more exciting, place an inflatable pool in the middle. No one likes to get wet, right?

Game 4: Marbles.

Image Credit: Netflix

If you've seen Episode 6 of Squid Game (what a tragic ep btw) then you'll know the players were each given 10 marbles each and told to win all their partner's marbles (without violence).

For y'all playing at home, you can do the ‘odd or even' guessing game that Gi-Hun played where you guess if the other person has an odd or even number of marbles in their hand. If correct, they hand them over, if wrong, you give them the amount they had hidden.

Super simple.

Game 5: Glass Steppingstones.

Image Credit: Netflix

The only game we can think of that inspired the glass steppingstones is hopscotch. So, get some chalk and have at it.

If that's not extreme enough, you can easily replicate the mechanics of what they did in the show (without the falling part) by drawing out the bridge on some pavement. For each 'glass' section, place a piece of paper on each.

For each piece of paper that indicates tempered glass, draw a tick on the bottom of the page. For each piece of paper that represents glass that shatters, draw an 'X' on the bottom of the page. Bam, that's how easy it is.

Game 6: Squid Game.

Image Credit: Netflix

Last up: the Squid Game. You literally can't have your own Squid Game tournament without including the game it's named after.

To play your own version of this, you're first gonna need to mark out the squid-like image above, either on some grass or down at a beach. You can use rope or cones to do this.

Next, split your group into two. One half—the attackers—want to enter the squid from the bottom circle and make their way through the squid and step foot in the top circle (the squid's head).

The other half—the defenders—are confined inside the bounds of the squid and must prevent the attackers from reaching the squid's head. If an attacker is pushed out of the boundary after they enter, they are eliminated.

To make it that much harder, attackers are limited to hopping on one foot unless they cross the neck of the squid (the two rectangles). If successful, they can use two feet.

There you have it, an easy way you can set up your own Squid Game at home to play with your mates without all the mindless violence.

Header Image: Netflix