If you loved Squid Game, you'll adore these 5 Korean dramas that deliver the same heart-pounding suspense, social commentary, and survival thrills.
1. "All of Us Are Dead" (2022)
📺 Netflix
🧟 Zombie Horror
12 Episodes
Deep Dive
This series transforms a typical zombie outbreak into a microcosm of class struggle. Students from different social cliques must cooperate to survive, echoing Squid Game's themes of inequality.
- Character Arcs: Bullied student Nam-ra becomes a half-zombie "hambie"
- Visual Storytelling: School setting morphs from safe haven to battleground
- Pacing: Episode 5's 22-minute single-take cafeteria battle
💀 Darkest Moment: Episode 8's suicide choice mirrors Squid Game's marble game sacrifices.
2. "The Glory" (2022-2023)
📺 Netflix
🧠 Psychological Thriller
16 Episodes
Deep Dive
Song Hye-kyo delivers a career-best performance in this psychological warfare masterpiece about systematic revenge against childhood bullies.
- Symbolism: Chess motifs represent strategic revenge planning
- Social Critique: Exposes how wealth protects abusers
- Cinematography: Muted palette erupts into red during key scenes
♟️ Masterstroke: The Go game scene mirrors Squid Game's deadly childhood games.
3. "Alice in Borderland" (Japanese)
📺 Netflix
🎮 Survival Sci-Fi
2 Seasons
Deep Dive
This Japanese series (often compared to Squid Game) features deadly card-themed games in a deserted Tokyo with key distinctions:
- Game Design: Card suit-based challenges (♥️=teamwork)
- Philosophy: "Borderland" purgatory concept
- Action: 22-minute single-take massacre sequence
🃏 Mind-Bender: Supernatural "between life and death" reveal.
4. "Sweet Home" (2020-2024)
📺 Netflix
👹 Monster Horror
2 Seasons
Deep Dive
When humans transform into monsters reflecting their darkest desires, residents of a crumbling apartment complex must survive both the creatures and each other. This webtoon adaptation turns urban isolation into psychological warfare.
- Body Horror: A gossip becomes a tongue monster, a bodybuilder grows muscle tumors
- Social Collapse: Religious cults form within days of isolation
- Setting: The apartment building becomes a vertical battlefield
🏢 Architectural Terror: Episode 4's stairwell battle uses vertical space like Squid Game's glass bridge.
5. "Kingdom" (2019-2020)
📺 Netflix
🏯 Historical Zombies
2 Seasons
Deep Dive
Joseon-era politics collide with a zombie plague in this genre-defining series where class oppression becomes literal consumption. The crown prince investigates while nobles weaponize the outbreak.
- Historical Twist: Zombie rules based on Shi Yi Ji ancient texts
- Visual Contrast: Pristine palaces vs blood-soaked battlefields
- Political Allegory: Starving peasants = zombies, nobles = virus spreaders
👑 Revolutionary Twist: Season 1's finale reveals zombies as weapons of class war—peasants eating the rich.
Bonus: "D.P." (2021-2023)
📺 Netflix
🎖️ Military Thriller
2 Seasons
Why It Fits
This brutal expose of South Korea's mandatory military service follows soldiers tracking deserters. While not a survival game, its institutional violence mirrors Squid Game's systemic cruelty.
- Anthology Style: Each deserter's backstory unfolds like Squid Game player histories
- Cinematography: Shaky cam during beatings enhances realism
- Impact: Sparked national debate about military reform
🎖️ Devastating Detail: A deserter's suicide note written on his own body in bruises.
The Squid Game Connection Guide
| Series |
Shared Theme |
Unique Angle |
Intensity |
| All of Us Are Dead |
Class struggle |
Zombie school outbreak |
🔥🔥🔥🔥 |
| The Glory |
Systemic cruelty |
Psychological revenge |
🔥🔥🔥 |
| Alice in Borderland |
Deadly games |
Supernatural purgatory |
🔥🔥🔥🔥 |
| Sweet Home |
Social collapse |
Body horror transformations |
🔥🔥🔥🔥 |
| Kingdom |
Class warfare |
Historical zombie politics |
🔥🔥🔥 |
| D.P. |
Institutional violence |
Based on real cases |
🔥🔥🔥🔥 |
🎬 Ultimate Binge-Watching Pathways
🧟 Zombie Marathon
1. All of Us Are Dead (modern school)
2. Sweet Home (monster apartment)
3. Kingdom (historical)
♟️ Psychological Thrills
1. The Glory (revenge)
2. D.P. (military)
3. Squid Game
🎮 Deadly Games
1. Alice in Borderland
2. Squid Game
3. Sweet Home (monster battles)
💀 Extreme Horror
1. Sweet Home
2. Hellbound
3. All of Us Are Dead
Which Korean Thriller Shocked You Most?
