Fouzia Ashfaq 
When Squid Game dropped on Netflix in 2021, it didn’t just become a hit—it became a global phenomenon. The Korean survival drama captivated over 111 million households in its first month, blending childhood nostalgia with brutal violence, desperate characters with cutting social commentary, and suspense with emotional gut-punches. What made it irresistible was that perfect storm of high-stakes competition, morally complex characters forced into impossible choices, and a searing critique of capitalism and inequality that felt uncomfortably relevant.
If you’ve binged Squid Game (maybe twice) and are craving that same adrenaline rush mixed with psychological depth, you’re in luck. The streaming landscape is packed with thrillers that capture different elements of what made Squid Game so addictive. Some offer deadly games and survival competitions, others dive deep into class warfare and human desperation, and a few deliver that same “I can’t believe they just did that” shock value.
Here are 10 shows that’ll scratch that Squid Game itch—from international gems you might’ve missed to popular picks that deliver on the tension and thrills.
1. Alice in Borderland (Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Japanese sci-fi thriller follows Arisu and his friends as they’re mysteriously transported to a deserted Tokyo where they must compete in deadly games to survive. Each game is tied to a playing card suit, with different challenges testing physical strength, intelligence, teamwork, or psychological endurance. The stakes escalate rapidly, and the production values are absolutely stunning.
Why it’s similar: If you loved the game-based structure of Squid Game, this is your next obsession. The survival games are creative and genuinely terrifying, the characters face impossible moral dilemmas, and there’s that same exploration of human nature under extreme pressure. Plus, it’s got that Asian thriller intensity that Western shows often can’t quite replicate.
2. 3% (Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Brazilian dystopian thriller presents a world divided between the impoverished “Inland” and the prosperous “Offshore.” Every year, 20-year-olds compete in “The Process,” a brutal series of tests where only 3% will pass and earn the right to a better life. The show follows several candidates as they navigate physical challenges, psychological manipulation, and moral tests while uncovering dark secrets about the system itself.
Why it’s similar: The core premise mirrors Squid Game’s setup—desperate people competing for a chance at a better life, with a system designed to exploit their vulnerability. It’s got the same class commentary and examination of how far people will go when survival and opportunity are dangled in front of them. While less graphically violent, it’s equally intense psychologically.
3. The Platform (Netflix Film, but worth mentioning) ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
Okay, I’m cheating slightly because this is a film, not a series—but it’s too good not to include. In a vertical prison where inmates are fed via a platform that descends level by level, those at the top feast while those below starve. As the platform moves down, there’s less and less food, creating a vicious hierarchy. The premise is simple but devastatingly effective.
Why it’s similar: This Spanish thriller offers perhaps the most direct allegory for class inequality and capitalism you’ll find. Like Squid Game, it forces viewers to watch people make horrific choices driven by systemic cruelty. The social commentary is even more explicit, and the claustrophobic setting creates unbearable tension.
4. Sweet Home (Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After a family tragedy, a reclusive teenager moves into a decrepit apartment building—just as humanity begins transforming into monsters based on their desires. Survivors must band together inside the building, fighting both external monsters and their own potential transformations while uncovering the mystery behind the apocalypse. Based on a popular webtoon, it blends horror, action, and emotional drama.
Why it’s similar: While this leans more into horror than Squid Game, it shares that Korean production quality, emotional depth, and exploration of human nature under pressure. The apartment building becomes its own pressure cooker environment where alliances form and crumble, and people reveal who they really are when society collapses.
5. Snowpiercer (TNT/Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Set on a perpetually moving train that circles a frozen Earth, this show divides humanity into classes based on their position on the train—luxury at the front, squalor at the tail. A murder mystery becomes the catalyst for revolution as the “Tailies” fight against the brutal class system. It’s based on the film of the same name but expands the world considerably.
Why it’s similar: The train is essentially Squid Game’s class metaphor made literal—a contained environment where the haves and have-nots can’t escape each other. There’s violence, moral complexity, and a simmering revolution driven by desperation and inequality. The show doesn’t shy away from showing how systems dehumanize people to maintain power.
6. Gangs of London (AMC+/Netflix internationally) ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
When the head of London’s most powerful crime family is assassinated, a power vacuum ignites an all-out gang war across the city. This ultraviolent British crime thriller features stunning action sequences, complex characters, and a sprawling narrative that explores how power corrupts and desperation drives people to extremes.
Why it’s similar: While not about games or competitions, Gangs of London shares Squid Game’s unflinching approach to violence and its examination of people trapped in deadly systems. The action is visceral and shocking, the stakes are constantly life-or-death, and characters must make impossible choices to survive. If you appreciated Squid Game’s willingness to go dark, you’ll love this.
7. The Wilds (Amazon Prime) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
A group of teenage girls from different backgrounds crash on a deserted island and must work together to survive—but not everything is as it seems. This survival drama has a mystery at its core that slowly unravels, revealing dark secrets about how these girls ended up on the island and who’s watching them.
Why it’s similar: This is a more character-driven, less violent take on the survival competition genre. Like Squid Game, it explores how people from different social classes interact under pressure, and there’s a sinister organization pulling strings behind the scenes. The psychological manipulation and slow reveal of the true game being played will appeal to fans of Squid Game’s darker undertones.
8. Panic (Amazon Prime) ⭐⭐⭐½
Every summer in a small Texas town, graduating seniors participate in Panic—an illegal, high-stakes competition involving dangerous challenges. Winners get enough money to escape their dead-end town. This year, the game turns deadlier than ever when a new player changes the rules, and participants must decide how far they’ll go for a chance at a better life.
Why it’s similar: The setup is remarkably similar—young people risking everything in dangerous games for money to escape poverty. While aimed at a slightly younger audience and less graphically violent, it still explores desperation, class mobility, and the exploitation of vulnerable people who feel they have no other options.
9. Extracurricular (Netflix) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Korean thriller follows a model high school student who secretly runs a criminal enterprise to pay for his education. When a classmate discovers his secret and wants in, things spiral into increasingly dangerous territory. It’s a dark, morally complex look at how economic pressure pushes teenagers into desperate choices.
Why it’s similar: If you want another Korean thriller with social commentary about class and desperation, this is it. While there are no literal death games, the escalating danger and moral compromises feel just as intense. The show examines how systemic inequality forces people—even kids—into impossible situations, and it doesn’t offer easy answers or redemption.
10. Yellowjackets (Showtime/Paramount+) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A high school girls’ soccer team survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness in 1996, and the show alternates between their struggle to survive in the past and the fallout 25 years later. As resources dwindle, civilization erodes, and dark secrets emerge about what they did to survive—and who they became in the process.
Why it’s similar: This psychological thriller explores how quickly people abandon morality when survival is on the line. Like Squid Game, it examines group dynamics under extreme pressure, the trauma that lingers from violence, and how desperation transforms people. The mystery element and slow revelation of horrors keeps you hooked the same way Squid Game’s twists did.
Quick Comparison Table
| Show | Platform | Violence Level | Social Commentary | Survival Games | Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alice in Borderland | Netflix | High | Medium | Direct games | Dystopian Tokyo |
| 3% | Netflix | Medium | High | Testing process | Future Brazil |
| The Platform | Netflix | High | Very High | Indirect | Vertical prison |
| Sweet Home | Netflix | Very High | Medium | Monster survival | Apartment building |
| Snowpiercer | TNT/Netflix | High | Very High | Class warfare | Moving train |
| Gangs of London | AMC+ | Very High | Medium | Gang warfare | Modern London |
| The Wilds | Prime | Low-Medium | Medium | Island survival | Deserted island |
| Panic | Prime | Medium | High | Direct games | Small-town Texas |
| Extracurricular | Netflix | High | Very High | Criminal enterprise | Modern Seoul |
| Yellowjackets | Showtime | Medium-High | Medium | Wilderness survival | Dual timeline |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which show is most similar to Squid Game?
Alice in Borderland is the closest match in terms of structure and execution. It features deadly games, high production value, Asian thriller sensibilities, and that same mix of physical violence and psychological horror. If you specifically want more game-based survival thrillers, start here.
Are there any English-language alternatives?
Yellowjackets and Snowpiercer are excellent English-language options that capture different elements of Squid Game. Yellowjackets offers the psychological horror and survival desperation, while Snowpiercer delivers the class commentary and contained-environment tension.
Which shows have the best social commentary?
The Platform, 3%, Snowpiercer, and Extracurricular all offer biting social commentary about inequality, capitalism, and class systems. The Platform is particularly unflinching in its metaphor, while Extracurricular grounds its critique in realistic teen desperation.
Are any of these less violent but still thrilling?
The Wilds and 3% are less graphically violent while maintaining tension and stakes. Both focus more on psychological manipulation and character development than gore, making them good options if you want the thriller elements without the brutal violence.
Will there be more shows like Squid Game?
Absolutely. Squid Game’s massive success has proven there’s global appetite for high-concept survival thrillers with social commentary. Netflix has already renewed Squid Game for additional seasons and is developing similar projects. The genre isn’t going anywhere.
The beauty of Squid Game’s success is that it’s opened doors for more international thrillers to find global audiences. Whether you’re drawn to the deadly games, the class commentary, the Korean thriller aesthetic, or simply that feeling of not being able to stop watching, there’s something on this list for you. Each show offers its own unique take on survival, desperation, and what happens when people are pushed to their limits.
So grab your snacks, settle in, and prepare for some sleepless nights—because these shows are just as addictive as Squid Game, even if some of them let you sleep with the lights off afterward.
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