Squid Game Season 3: What Did We Actually Play? Did We Survive the Final Boss?

Squid Game Season 3 : What Did We Actually Play?

Alright, bet! If you thought the last two seasons of Squid Game were giving intense vibes, buckle up, fam. Squid Game Season 3 just dropped on June 27, 2025, and it’s not just another patch update; it’s the full-blown, final boss battle we’ve been waiting for.

We’re talking six episodes of pure unhinged madness, wrapping up the whole saga. Is it the GOAT? Did Gi-hun finally clutch the win, or did he get hard-nerfed into oblivion?

We’re diving deep into the fresh trauma, the new games that made us scream, and all the meme-worthy moments from this absolute unit of a final season. Let’s get this bread!

Squid Game: Season 3 : Official Trailer, Netflix

The OG Gauntlet: Squid Game Season 1

Before the newness, we gotta respect the OGs. Season 1 slapped so hard it broke the internet. Here’s a quick recap of the games that introduced us to this wild world:

Ddakji (The Recruitment Game): This wasn’t even technically “in” the main games, but it was the gateway drug. Gi-hun got slapped repeatedly playing this traditional Korean paper-flipping game against the Salesman.² The goal? Flip your opponent’s folded paper tile by throwing yours onto it. Simple, humiliating, and the ultimate “can’t quit you” moment for our boy.
Red Light, Green Light: The iconic, horrifying opener. A giant, motion-detecting doll sings a lullaby, and players run. When she stops and turns, you freeze. Any movement, and you’re out – permanently. This game alone set the tone: innocent childhood fun twisted into a brutal slaughter. It was the ultimate filter, cutting the player count by more than half. Pure chaos.
Sugar Honeycombs (Dalgona): Ever tried to carve a perfect shape out of fragile honeycomb candy with a tiny needle? These players had to, under a strict time limit. Break the shape, you’re out. Gi-hun’s big brain play of licking the back to soften it? Pure clutch, no cap. This game was pure anxiety.
Tug of War: Not your average schoolyard contest. Two teams, high above the ground, pulled on a rope. The losing team plummeted to their deaths. This game was less about strength and more about strategy, teamwork, and knowing when to use that low center of gravity. Il-nam’s strategy was chef’s kiss.
Marbles: This one hit different. Players paired up, often with friends or allies, only to realize they had to play a marble game of their choice against their partner. The loser died. This was peak emotional damage, forcing unthinkable betrayals and sacrifices. Many a tear was shed over a handful of glass spheres.
Glass Bridge: Imagine hopscotch, but every step is a gamble. Players had to cross a bridge made of tempered and untempered glass panels. Step on the wrong one, and it shatters, sending you to your doom. The tension was palpable as players decided who would take the risk. It was a brutal test of nerve and observation.
Squid Game: The namesake. This traditional Korean children’s game involves two teams, offense and defense, navigating a court drawn in the sand. It’s a violent, physical game with specific rules for movement and combat. The final showdown between Gi-hun and Sang-woo was peak emotional warfare.

Level Up: Squid Game Season 2

Season 2 picked up three years after Gi-hun’s win, with him determined to take down the games. The stakes were higher, and the games got even wilder, mixing some familiar elements with fresh nightmares. The season had seven episodes, and Gi-hun diving back into the madness was a whole mood.

Ddakji (Recruitment & Pentathlon): This came back in a few forms!³ The Salesman used it again for recruitment, but it also appeared as the first mini-game in the “Six-Legged Pentathlon.”⁴ Still a classic way to start the pain.
Bread and Lottery: A new recruitment game where the Salesman offered pastries and lottery tickets to financially struggling individuals.⁵ It sounds harmless, but it’s another trap, another way to prey on desperation.
Jokenpô (Rock, Paper, Scissors) with a Twist: The Salesman used this in an intense face-off. Simple concept, but in the world of Squid Game, nothing is simple when your life is on the line.
Russian Roulette: A truly wild card thrown into the mix, especially in a confrontation between Gi-hun and the Salesman.⁶ This is no kid’s game; it’s a pure game of chance with fatal consequences.
Red Light, Green Light (Again!): Yes, the iconic giant doll returned! Gi-hun used his past experience to guide new players, trying to save lives, but the tension was still off the charts.
Six-Legged Pentathlon: This was a major new game, forcing players into teams of five, physically bound together.⁷ They had to complete a series of five mini-games within a strict time limit, moving from station to station.
- Ddakji: (Yep, again!)
- Flying Stone: Knocking over a vertical stone from a distance.⁸
- Ball Throw: Throwing a ball into a basket.
- Spinning Top: Successfully spinning a metal top.
- Jegi: Kicking a small toy (like hacky sack) five times consecutively.
Mingle (Special Round/Lights Out): This wasn’t an officially regulated game but a brutal “lights out” period where players could kill each other to raise the prize money and reduce competition.⁹ It was chaos, pure Lord of the Flies.

The Final Boss: Squid Game Season 3

The final season, six episodes of pure suspense, aimed to tie everything together.¹⁰ The stakes were higher than ever as Gi-hun confronted the architects of the games. This season concluded the saga with some truly wild new challenges:

Keys and Knives (Hide & Seek): This wasn’t your backyard version. Players were split: “Knives” hunted “Keys” in a sprawling, dark labyrinth.¹¹ “Keys” could temporarily lock themselves in rooms, but if caught, it was lights out. Gi-hun’s early strategic plays here were pure sweat. The dark environment and the constant threat of a surprise attack made this arguably one of the most terrifying games yet.
The Starry Night (Jump Rope): Imagine the original Red Light, Green Light doll, but now she (and a new male doll, Chul-su) are swinging a steel rod like a jump rope across a perilous bridge. Players had to time their jumps across treacherous gaps while avoiding being struck by the swinging rod. Misstep? You’re falling into the void. This was peak anxiety-inducing content, pushing players’ coordination and timing to the absolute limit.
O X (Sky Squid Game): The ultimate, brutal culmination. This game took the classic Squid Game concept and threw it onto three towering, interconnected platforms. To advance from one tower to the next, players had to physically push at least one opponent off the platform. It was a raw, visceral test of humanity, trust, and ultimate betrayal, forcing participants to commit unspeakable acts to survive. The visuals of players tumbling from these immense heights were genuinely chilling, making for a truly unforgettable finale.

Why You Need to Watch

Look, if you haven’t binged Squid Game yet, you’re missing out on the biggest cultural phenomenon in recent memory. These seasons are packed with more twists, more turns, and more moments that will have you screaming at your screen. It’s the perfect mix of suspense, drama, and WTF-is-happening that Gen Z gamers crave.

Plus, you’ll finally understand all the memes, and trust me, there are many. From the intense games to the raw emotional beats and the ultimate resolution of Gi-hun’s journey (yes, he makes the ultimate sacrifice in Season 3’s ending, leaving everyone in their feels), this series delivers on the hype.

You don’t want to be the one asking, “Wait, what’s Squid Game Season 3?” Share this with your squad, because misery (and hype) loves company.

Conclusion

Squid Game is a certified banger, a true modern classic that cemented its place in streaming history. It gave us everything we wanted and more, exploring themes of capitalism, human nature, and survival.