Netflix's New Divisive K-Drama Is the Perfect Squid Game Replacement

You can’t say the title Squid Game out loud in a public place without seeing a couple of faces light up and another few cringe. The South Korean TV show took over the world in a matter of days after its release, becoming a massive cultural phenomenon — but three years later, there’s still no sequel, and the public is growing frustrated.

Fortunately, Netflix just released another TV show with a similar idea: it also comes from South Korea, has a unique twist to it, and might just become the next big thing.

Welcome to a New Money Game

To say that Squid Game popularized money games would be an understatement. They’re fun and engaging and, unlike in the iconic series, don’t typically end in bloodshed. A fun concept to play around with, and an uncharted potential for social commentary in the world of advanced capitalism. What’s not to love here?

Squid Game was destined to pave the road for worthy successors, and it did.

The 8 Show is a new series coming from South Korea that recently premiered on Netflix, and it has already proven its worth — and divisiveness. While on Rotten Tomatoes, The 8 Show is struggling with a measly 57% Audience Score, it’s going rather strong on IMDb, boasting a 7.3/10 score on that platform.

But we know what you’re wondering: How is it different from Squid Game?

The 8 Show Has a Unique Twist

Squid Game was as straightforward as they come: survive the tests and get the money. The 8 Show takes the general idea but makes it more nuanced and complex by expanding the rules. The first two things you’re going to notice are that there are only eight participants, and if anyone dies, the game is immediately canceled.

But there are many more differences!

Players get assigned a random income level on a per minute basis and have nothing around them. Any amenities they need, they must purchase from the game masters at a wild 1000x markup — and those funds will be deducted from the total prize pool. Effectively, the players have to find a way to build a small economical society, but while there’s no open brutality like in Squid Game, the outcome is arguably worse.

The 8 Game definitely adds a unique and worthy twist to the “money game” idea it borrowed from Squid Game, so give it a look and decide whether you’re with the Rotten Tomatoes’ naysayers or IMDb’s fans. The show is available on Netflix.