Do I have to watch ‘Squid Game’ before seeing ‘Squid Game: The Challenge?’

I’m going to address the elephant in the room straight away, because there’s no use beating around the bush. All right, here it is. Are you ready?

I’ve never seen Squid Game. I know, I know — how could I, an entertainment journalist, not watch the most popular show in the history of Netflix? You might as well fire me on the spot. I’ll wait while you finish picking your jaw up off the floor. 

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get to the issue at hand. If you’re like me and you’ve never watched Squid Game (which, if you’re reading this article, I assume you are), then is it possible for you to still enjoy its reality TV show spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge? 

Since we don’t beat around the bush here, I’ll give you the answer straight. No, you don’t have to have seen Squid Game to watch Squid Game: The Challenge. But let me tell you something else: it would sure make the whole thing a lot less confusing, and a lot more entertaining. 

For starters, you might understand why people in red tracksuits are walking around wearing black cloth face coverings, marked with a solid white circle denoting an eye. (What the heck?) You might also understand what the big deal is with the giant animatronic doll wearing pigtails in a simulated dirt field (…is this supposed to signify something? And why are the contestants running toward her?) 

If you’ve seen the flagship show, I’m assuming you’ll also recognize the individual challenges. From the trailer, I see an arcade claw machine with blue teddy bears inside; I’m just going to assume this is a replica from the show, and given the intense look on one woman’s face while she attempts to grab one, not winning comes with dire consequences…? Again, this is all speculation. 

There’s also this big moment when one contestant is handed a delicious-looking burger and french fries on a tray that everyone proceeds to chow down on together. Is this supposed to be… a challenge? Then we are shown a montage of clips displaying various challenges, from marbles in sand, to people standing in boats. If I’m oversimplifying all of this, I apologize. I genuinely have no idea what these challenges are meant to mean.

So, on the one hand, Squid Game: The Challenge is best enjoyed having seen the source material that inspired it, that’s clear as day. But, on the other hand, you can’t have a reality competition that hinges upon the successful completion of challenges without explaining the rules for said challenges beforehand. I have zero doubt Netflix will forego this time-honored reality competition rule, whether or not the challenges’ rules are the same as they were in the dramatic series. 

Speaking of similar rules — if my memory serves, the show involved life or death consequences, not just a cash prize. It goes without saying that Netflix has removed these vital stakes as set out by the source material, even if the reality show itself was previously flagged for treating its contestants like “warzone” soldiers, which producers later denied. 

And speaking of contestants, there are a whopping 456 players in Squid Game: The Challenge, but only 10 episodes, so that means eliminations will come in droves. Like its source material, the reality show offers a massive cash prize. $456 million, to be exact, which according to my findings, is the biggest cash prize in the history of reality TV. 

Squid Game: The Challenge premieres on Netflix on Nov. 22. Here are all the deets on the highly-anticipated show.