Squid Game Fans Will Love These Death Game Manhwa for Their Next Binge

After three long years, Squid Game has finally returned with a sequel that has completely overtaken Netflix’s viewership rankings. That said, with Squid Game Season 3’s release still a while away, fans of the series looking for something similar may want to check out these death game manhwa in the meantime.

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While Netflix’s Squid Game surely has its own distinct appeal, these death game manhwa offer a very similar thrill with many of these stories similarly featuring either money or the life of its characters being put on the line.

Pyramid Game

Pyramid Game by Dalgonyak revolves around Seong Suji, who, upon transferring to Love High, finds herself embroiled in an ugly popularity game conducted among the so-called “happy class.” Once a month, the class gathers to vote, establishing a hierarchy within the class. Those with the least votes end up being the target of constant bullying, and Suji, against all odds, finds herself at the very bottom of this pyramid upon her arrival.

Determined to break the system, Suji thus sets out to make allies and find the true benefactors of this ugly game. Though the series may not be as violent as Squid Game, its high school setting doesn’t stop it from being a thrill to read from start to finish.

Zombie X Slasher

In a world overrun by zombies, Cheolsu, the protagonist of Zombie X Slasher, finds that one of the biggest issues is not the zombies themselves but rather the housing crisis, where even seven lifetimes’ worth of his savings won’t be enough for a house.

Motivated by his dream of being a homeowner, Cheolsu joins the National Counter-Offensive Movement, where he is offered five million won for every zombie he kills. Though not strictly a death game manhwa by definition, Zombie X Slasher by NARACK and Hong Jun Ki offers a thrilling survival story that Squid Game fans are sure to enjoy.

Death’s Game

Written by Wonshik Lee and illustrated by GGulchan, Death’s Game is centered around Yijae Choi. After being unable to find employment for years after graduating and having lost all his money to a Bitcoin scam, Yijae hits absolute rock bottom after learning that his ex-girlfriend is getting married only three months after breaking up with him.

That said, after taking his life, Yijae finds himself not in the afterlife but on a plane with death incarnated as a young woman seated beside him who punishes him with a cruel game. Death explains that Yijae will live thirteen other lives. Each individual he is reborn as is fated for imminent death, and if Yijae can avoid dying, he gets to live out that particular individual’s entire lifetime. While it may seem like he has been given 13 chances to start all over again, avoiding death proves to be harder than Yijae could have ever anticipated, setting the stage for this enthralling series, which has also been adapted into a K-drama of its own much like Squid Game.

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100

From the same creator as Jungle Juice, 100 by Hyeong Eun and Yunyeol Choi is based on the popular battle royale game PUBG. The series follows a South Korean National Intelligence Service agent named Hoyoung Cheon who commits several crimes and robberies all so he can find his way into Battlegrounds, a death game with 100 participants where the last one standing is offered anything they wish for, be it freedom, money, a clean criminal record or all of the above.

Hoyoung’s mission is to find a missing assemblyman named Naksu Kim, who has accidentally found himself in the midst of this dangerous game. To make matters worse, the other participants are all dangerous convicts, each with a thirst for victory that makes Hoyoung’s mission all the more challenging.

Zero Game

Zero Game by zelbasen revolves around Hanna Yoo, who, at the lowest point in her life, is presented with the opportunity to rebuild her life from zero. The series takes off as Hanna finds her life falling apart after the death of her parents, and just when her aunt had all but abandoned her, Hanna receives a mysterious email from her dead father inviting her to participate in a survival game known as the Zero Game.

Upon agreeing to take part, Hanna is transported into a world much like her own though filled with monsters and games that she must clear to make it to the top and get the chance to restart her life. That said, several others compete for the same prize, leaving few that she can truly trust. With gorgeous art to boot, Zero Game adds just a touch of isekai to the typical death game manhwa formula for a refreshing read overall.

Escape Room

True to its title, Escape Room by 10PARK follows Sean Baek, who, after passing out drunk one night, mysteriously wakes up in an escape room the following day. That said, everything about this escape room is beyond creepy, with potential death waiting at every wrong turn.

Luckily, Sean’s overly rational mind, which has always estranged him from his peers, seems to be perfect for the escape room’s sadistic games. With over a hundred chapters and a fully completed story, this high-stakes series is the perfect psychological thriller for fans of Squid Game‘s darker motifs.

Money Game

Written and illustrated by Bae Jin-su, Money Game has coincidentally spawned a K-drama adaptation by Netflix called The 8 Show and is sure to be an instant favorite of any fan of Squid Game. As its title implies, Money Game also involves a group of contestants roped into a survival game by the promise of money and riches, in this case, 44.8 billion won split between the eight contestants.

Having been told they are part of a reality show, the eight contestants in the game must survive for 100 days in the studio, where they are each given their own room but nothing else except for a rulebook and a set of clothes. The biggest catch is that anything else they need, including food and water, must be purchased at 1000 times its original cost, with this amount being subtracted from the total prize pool. Though not as violent as Squid Game, Money Game somehow manages to be much darker with poignant commentary on social structure, governance, democracy, and even human nature itself.

All of these manhwa are available to read on Webtoon.