Top 10 Differences Between Squid Game TV Show and The Challenge

While “Squid Game: The Challenge” features familiar set pieces from the original Netflix series, you may be surprised to know where it was filmed. The scripted series is set in South Korea, and as such, was filmed in and around the East Asia country - including Daejeon, Seoul, and Incheon. Taking place in Korea and featuring Korean language, the location added a true authenticity to the proceedings. “Squid Game’s” reality show counterpart, however, filmed exclusively in the United Kingdom. Per Netflix, contestants were housed in The Wharf Studios, located in Barking, England. They occupied six sound stages over 16 days. The only additional location was for the infamous Red Light, Green Light game, which took contestants to a former Royal Air Force hangar in Bedford, UK.

As with “Squid Game: The Challenge’s” filming location, the contestants that make up the show are in great contrast to the one’s featured in the Netflix scripted series. “Squid Game'' features 456 heavily indebted players vying for a life changing cash prize. These participants hail from South Korea and are portrayed by a stellar cast of South Korean actors. “Squid Game: The Challenge,” on the other hand, has 456 players from around the world, with the vast majority from the United States and the United Kingdom. And while many are in financial need, plenty are not. The reality competition cast even includes TikTok and Instagram influencers – a far cry from the burdened participants in the original series.

As with the show it’s based on, the “Squid Game” reality series boasts a large cash prize for its winner. In fact, it currently stands as the largest amount of money offered on a TV game show – ever! The players compete in a series of child-like games for a whopping $4.56 million dollars. Of course, in the scripted “Squid Game” series, Seong Gi-hun and Co competed for 45.6 billion Won. That prize pot in US dollars amounts to $38.6 million. Meaning, the real-life game show’s jackpot is $34.04 million less than the prize offered in the OG drama series. But something tells us that the reality show contestants didn’t seem to mind!

As mentioned, “Squid Game: The Challenge” has plenty of familiar set pieces and call backs to the scripted series. The players even don replica green track suits. In addition, you will also see the show’s now iconic “guards,” fully decked out in their signature pink hooded jumpsuits and permeated masks hiding their identity. However, one presence that is missing, at least from the first half of the series, is the nefarious Front Man. This baddie, played by Lee Byung-hun in the TV series, oversees the games. It’s possible the high-ranking figure may show up in later episodes or in follow-up installments, but for now, the Front Man’s ominous authority does not factor into the reality game.

A reality TV staple, the player testimonial, or confessional, features a contestant talking directly to the camera in a private setting. It’s a device used to provide exposition or added commentary and are a signature part of such shows as “Survivor” and “Big Brother.” And, just like the rest of TV’s reality output, “Squid Game: The Challenge” uses the testimonial technique to great effect. This, of course, is not something that was utilized in the “Squid Game” scripted series. But why would it? The game played in that series was not for a TV audience, but rather a cabal of wealthy VIPs who watch for their own twisted enjoyment. Regardless, the confessionals in “Squid Game: The Challenge” go a long way in getting us, the viewer, invested in the players in the game!

Turns out that one of the biggest differences between “Squid Game '' and “Squid Game: The Challenge” has nothing to do with what happened on screen. While the former was a labor of love, with creator Hwang Dong-hyuk riding a 10-year-plus timeframe to get his passion project made, “Squid Game: The Challenge” was a rather hurried production chock full of controversy. Speaking to various entertainment outlets through anonymity, some players described “inhumane” filming conditions. This included allegedly being forced to play the Red Light, Green Light game in sub-freezing temperatures where many people passed out. The reality show also came under fire for allegations that it was “skewed toward high-profile participants.” Netflix and its producing partners have denied all the allegations, however.

“Squid Game” is beloved by a global audience for many reasons – one of them being its strong social commentary. It’s very clear that the show carries an anti-capitalist message. In fact, the games act as an allegory for the capitalist system where the underclass must compete against each other for money by working for the wealthy. So, in an attempt to capitalize on the franchise with this reality TV series, you can argue that Netflix has completely ignored the original series' message or, quite simply, missed the point. It was never meant to be about twisted childhood games in which people participate, but rather a disturbing parallel to society at large. Does this missing theme mean that the competition series will be any less fun to watch? That’s a ‘no’ from us!

“Squid Game: The Challenge” features a very intriguing wrinkle to the games, something producers describe as “pre-game tests of character.” Because they knew everyone had watched the original series and would know what to look for, they used these pregame moments to “play” with the contestants. They made participants separate in order to drive alliances - or in some cases, break them. It became a frenzied exercise of “where to go” and “who to trust” before the game was even revealed. The tests reflected the many personalities of the people in the groups and the tension between them. These pre-game strategy scrambles served as a clever way to create drama in lieu of a script.

From Red Light, Green Light to the Dalgona honeycomb challenge, many iconic games from “Squid Game” have been carried over into the reality competition spin-off. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t new games afoot. One pleasant surprise takes place when the contestants split themselves up thinking they are going to compete in the Tug of War battle. As it turns out, they are thrust into a new game for the franchise – a life size version of Battleship, or Sea Battle. Like the game it’s based on, the playing field is separated into two sides, where each team’s fleet of “warships” are placed and marked - concealed from the other team. The team captains then take turns placing "shots" at the other team’s ships. The first team to sink 2 ships wins, with the opposing team eliminated from the game. The twist with this version, however, is that if you are in a ship that is sunk, you are eliminated – whether your team wins or not.

Without question, the biggest difference (and understandably so) between “Squid Game” and “Squid Game: The Challenge” is that no one dies in the reality series. While this is a no-brainer, killings were actually a major part of the “Squid Game” drama series. If a player was eliminated from that game, they didn’t just lose the game – they lost their life. Yep, the stakes were as high as they could be in the dog-eat-dog games of the OG series. In this new challenge, however, players didn’t have to worry about losing their lives. But, to create a visual representation of one’s “death” in the game, the players were equipped with color packs that exploded when they lost. The sudden bursts may have been jarring, but it was definitely better than the lethal alternatives seen in the original “Squid Game.”

What other differences did you find between “Squid Game” and “Squid Game: The Challenge”? Let us know in the comments below.