(Credits: Netflix)

If Squid Game has taught us anything, it’s that survival is just a game away. Years have passed since the Netflix survival drama first made waves, but the anticipation has been festering like an unhealed wound. It’s a behemoth of a series that has redefined the streaming landscape single-handedly. And as viewers hurtle towards the electrifying third season, Best of Netflix has conjured up a list of five shows to quench their thirst for more.

In case you’re seeking the Squid Game-esque thrills elsewhere, look no further. Every title that makes the list a bit more terrifying than the last is nestled snugly within Netflix’s realm. So, before the deadly games unleash on June 27th for the third time, surrender to the allure of survival dramas and mind-bending games that will push your notion of fun to the brink.

This marathon is unlike anything you’ve seen before, made intentionally to catapult spectators into the uncharted territories of suspense and intrigue. As of now, the squid-shaped countdown ticks on, serving non-stop reminders of what’s to come this Friday. But Best of Netflix believes that no quest for survival is truly complete without proper preparations.

For those who are yet to warm up for season three, this is all the cue you need. Buckle up with this collection of Netflix shows that will test your limits and leave you breathless. Because Squid Game season three will be a sprint for the riches, and anyone who limps will be left out.

Five shows to stream on Netflix before Squid Game season three

Sweet Home (Lee Eung-bok and Jang Young-woo, 2020-2024)

Based on Carnby Kim-Youngchan Hwang’s webtoon, Sweet Home is a Netflix horror drama that ran for three seasons from 2020 to 2024. Set against an apocalyptic backdrop, Sweet Home shows a world where humans transform into monsters that reflect their desires. Right at the centre of the story is the protagonist, Cha Hyun-su, who relocates to a run-down apartment called Green Home. But when the monstrous breakout happens, he and his flatmates desperately fight for survival. Although Sweet Home doesn’t fully fit the bill of Squid Game, it checks a few crucial boxes.

It doesn’t involve any such deadly competition that has players pitting against one another. But at the core is a quest for survival, where violence is the only vocabulary. Moreover, Sweet Home is a strategic combination of horror and psychological drama. It highlights how far humankind will go when survival is at stake, just like Squid Game.

Kingdom (Kim Seong-hun and Park In-je, 2019-2021)

Based on Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il’s webtoon series The Kingdom of Gods, Kingdom is a South Korean Sageuk series streaming on Netflix. The show begins three years after the events of the Imjin War. It’s a mix of political and horror thriller. It follows the Crown Prince of Joseon, Lee Chang, and his desperate attempts to discover all about the enigmatic illness infecting the King. However, his mission brings much more than he bargained for when a deadly epidemic threatens the kingdom.

Chang’s mission is twofold: to save the kingdom and stand against the rival political forces at the same time. Kingdom, like Squid Game, falls within the survival drama trope. However, the historical significance adds a layer of intrigue. Similar to Squid Game, Kingdom stresses the socio-economic divide prevalent in Joseon. And the conspiracy brewing underneath fuels the mystery.

The 8 Show (Han Jae-rim, 2024)

Based on the Naver webtoons Money Game and Pie Game, The 8 Show is a black comedy thriller that feels like Squid Game in an alternate universe. The 8 Show follows eight participants who participate in a game for a lucrative cash prize. The Netflix series takes place in an eight-storey building where each player is placed on eight separate floors. Although initially they cooperate to expand their remaining game time, a clash of powerplay erupts, highlighting class divisions and social inequality.

Although The 8 Show draws inevitable comparisons with Squid Game, its comedic tone marks a thematic departure, giving it a life of its own.

3% (Cesar Charlone, Daina Giannecchini, Dani Libardi, Jotagá Crema and Philippe Barcinski, 2016-2022)

3% is a Brazilian dystopian thriller, just like Squid Game is a South Korean dystopian thriller. Set in the future, 3% follows a group of 20-year-olds from the destitute “Inland.” They participate in a competition to better their lives. Through the competition, they are offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finish “The Process” and reach the affluent “Offshore” society. However, true to the expectations of a survival drama, only three percent make it out alive.

Similar to Squid Game, 3% explores the themes of social inequality. The players of Squid Game are motivated to participate in the deadly games to clear their debts once and for all. On the contrary, 3% focuses on a group of individuals who would do anything to leave their life of poverty. But with one finish line on the horizon, morality soon begins to crumble as survival becomes a challenge of its own.

Alice in Borderland (Shinsuke Sato, 2020)

Alice in Borderland is a sci-fi thriller based on Haro Aso’s manga. It revolves around Ryōhei Arisu and Yuzuha Usagi, who are entrapped in Tokyo, but in a parallel universe. Both are forced to participate in deadly games. And each game is dealt with precision, its type and difficulty revealed through a deck of cards inspired by the French suits. The rules are simple: when you win, the “visa” to live is extended; if you lose, a fatal fusillade of lasers from above seals your fate.

Alice in Borderland is very much in the DNA of Squid Game, where dangerous games and survival are at stake. However, the supernatural element of Alice in Borderland distinguishes it from the South Korean survival drama.