Is Squid Game Based on a True Story? Answered

Themes like battle royale have caught massive influence in recent times majorly because of video games. However, in 2021 when Netflix came out with Squid Game, the show encapsulated the thrill and essence of a battle royale mixed with the twisted adaptation of children’s games, and the next thing you know, Squid Game became one of the most successful releases in 2021. So, the theme itself begs the question, is Squid Game based on a true story? Let’s find out.

No, Squid Game Is Not Based on a True Story

Considering how twisted and inhumane the concept of Squid Game is, you would be happy to know (I hope you are) that Squid Game is not based on a true story. The concept of this show is inspired by Manga and Anime.

The creator of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter explained how the idea of creating such a show came to him. He explained how his financial troubles became the reason for the idea of this show. He elaborated-

“So back in 2008, I had a script that I had written, which I was running around with trying to get investment, but it didn’t work out and it wasn’t made into a movie. That actually put me into a really difficult financial situation — I was broke. So I spent a lot of time killing time in comic book cafes, reading. And I read a lot of comic books revolving around surviving death games — manga like Liar Game, Kaiji and Battle Royale.” – Hwang Dong-hyuk

Hwang further said that these stories where people neck deep in debt put themselves willingly in life-or-death situations to have a chance of clearing their debts became quite intriguing for him. He also admitted that if then he had the chance to participate in such an event, he would happily do it.

“And well, I read some stories about these indebted people entering into these life-and-death games, and that became really immersive for me because I was struggling financially myself. I was even thinking that I would love to join a game like that, if it existed, to make a bunch of cash and get out of this terrible situation.” – Hwang Dong-hyuk

Hwang Dong-hyuk also had an interview with Variety, where he admitted that Japanese animation and comics were a major inspiration for Squid Game but the games featured in them were a bit too complicated for him so, he went with what he was comfortable that is, children’s games he was familiar with.

“I freely admit that I’ve had great inspiration from Japanese comics and animation over the years. When I started, I was in financial straits myself and spent much time in cafes reading comics including Battle Royale and Liar Game I came to wonder how I’d feel if I took part in the games myself. But I found the games too complex, and for my own work focused instead on using kids’ games.”

Now all we have to do is wait for Squid Game Season 2 to come out and this time around, we will get to see some new games being featured in the show. So, with that being said, I am happy to know that a thing like Squid Game is not real. What do you guys think? Would you choose to be a part of such an endeavor if something like the game was real? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned with us for further updates!