In an act of holiday magnanimity (and crafty marketing), Netflix is giving everyone a new way to compete with your friends. On December 17, the streamer will release its mobile game Squid Game: Unleashed for everyone to play for free, regardless of whether they have a Netflix subscription or not.
At The Game Awards, Netflix announced the game based on the deadly competitions from the hit drama series will, for a limited time, not be behind a paywall. Squid Game: Unleashed is a multiplayer battle royale featuring challenges both pulled from the acclaimed series as well as “new games inspired by classic childhood activities,” according to the game’s site. The site also states that “each round is a dark trip down memory lane,” so I suppose events like a musical chairs variant in which the last person standing gets shot, or freeze tag in which the person is literally frozen and their limbs break off, are not out of the question.
Players can pre-register now and obtain an exclusive skin to use while competing for the ultimate prize. By the looks of it, there are a few differences between the game and the series. In images Netflix has released of the game, players appear to be able to wield items like bats and balls. Also, the infamous glass bridge challenge appears to now let players all run across the bridge at the same time instead of individually like on the show. Also, a massive piggy bank swinging from a chain doesn’t look like it’s going to be easy to get past at the end of the bridge.
Alain Tascan, president of games at Netflix, spoke about what players can expect from the game at The Game Awards. “Squid Game: Unleashed is all about playing with (or against) your friends in the iconic games from the series like Glass Bridge and Red Light Green Light, so we’re inviting everyone into the chaos this holiday season.”
The second season of Squid Game premieres on December 26. You can catch up on the series by bingeing the first season, and then follow it up by trying to win the game yourself. Just don’t piss off your family with your Squid Game supremacy.