AS 'Squid Game' continues its ascent into global popularity – reaching number one in 90 countries, according to Netflix – it’s no surprise that many people might be interested in participating in their own version.
Sure, the vast majority of the 456 contestants in the fictional hit show out of South Korea ended up dead in a number of brutally bloody ways… but that prize money though.
Fortunately, one of the first copycat games organised in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, by the local Korean Cultural Center, doesn’t plan on killing its contestants, but instead hopes to inspire people in the UAE to learn more about Korean culture.
And to be clear, there is no prize money.
Of the over 300 hopefuls in the UAE who applied, just two groups of 15 participants each will be able to compete. They will then dress up in the same costumes as the show’s characters, while staff will wear the now iconic pink outfits with the circle, triangle, and square masks.
The event will have four of the six games from ‘Squid Game’, except for the titular game and the tug-of-war. It will also add the game of ddakji to the list of games, which series lead Seong Gi-Hun plays with the Salesman who recruits him into the death games.
To make the game safe, sponge guns will be used instead of real guns, and the treacherous glass stepping stones will be played on flat ground instead of high up in the air – where people could actually get hurt.
If the 'KCC Squid Game Event' is fun enough and becomes popular, who’s to say there won’t be more around the world – perhaps with more local games, and maybe even with prize money. – The Vibes, October 10, 2021
