The first game of Squid Game: The Challenge, a brand-new Netflix original reality game show, led to the mass elimination of more than half of the players. Over 450 players had initially joined the game, and the remaining 200 were left to face the rest of the games and tests that would be unleashed on them. The players were restricted to the dorm room for most of the time, and it allowed them to form alliances and friendships that could be used in the later part of the show. Many of them had begun to understand the importance of the friendships that were forming which led many of them to question their loyalty as well.
In the first test, two contestants were asked to work in the kitchen. Following the chore, they were asked to either give another player of their choice an advantage or choose someone to be eliminated. It was this kind of forced dilemma the players were put in, which allowed them to develop their emotional strength. An inherent selfishness would emerge, and players would end up choosing any of their peers that could be a danger to them in the upcoming games and other tasks. The two players decided to eliminate one of their teammates, Mothi. Mothi did come across a potential player that could sabotage the chances of many others. With Mothi gone, it set the tone of the show. Anybody could be in danger of elimination, be it during tasks or elaborate games. The second game of Squid Game: The Challenge is titled “Dalgona,” and it is a team game that would require sacrifice as well. The players were instructed to form four separate lines inside the game hall. Four players from the first row were taken to a set that resembled a school playground.
Each player was asked to quickly choose any one of four signs placed on the wall: a circle, a triangle, a star, and an umbrella. All of them must come to a consensus in two and a half minutes before choosing the sign that represents their respective group. There are multiple levels of elimination in this game, and it begins with choosing one of the four shapes before venturing into the honeycomb activity. The first two groups that were asked to choose the shape disagreed over not choosing the umbrella shape. One person’s disagreement led to the elimination of all four players because they could not come to a consensus. The reason there was no consensus was that carving out an umbrella-shaped honeycomb would be a difficult task, which is why the last standing player always chose not to agree after the other three had chosen. The player disobeyed despite several attempts to convince them otherwise.
In this process, eight people ended up being eliminated. This was just another way of removing more players from the game and adding more money to the orb. Even though there was much hue and cry during the elimination, fewer people were playing the game, and it would pave the way for the rest of them to count on their luck. The elimination was carried out by shooting the players with black ink, as in the previous game. It was done to warn the upcoming contestants and prepare their minds well in advance. One of the many mental techniques was to make quick decisions to further avoid eliminations and make one less mistake. Finally, the next four chose a sign for themselves and the rest of their group to avoid further elimination. Through this game, an understanding of group dynamics and the human psyche, and making plans accordingly were promoted. The four of them reached a consensus, and the group moved forward with a further extension of this game.
Elimination is always around the corner, and the circle group was given a honeycomb in a round shape to be carved out. Some were eliminated with the black ink, while others were removed for not finishing work on time, and the rest were able to complete the task within the assigned time. This was the flow of the game for the rest of the honeycombs in the other three shapes. There was no mass elimination as in the first game, but here slowly their skills were put to the test, and it allowed many to understand the reason for their survival so far in the game. The game allowed them to get a hang of working within a set time limit and under pressure. Timing is of great importance, and the ones who survived understood that aspect and moved on to the next task.
The next task after “Dalgona” involved a phone being placed inside the dorm. All the players were suspecting what the next task could be. One of the contestants picks up the phone, and the said person is given a treat, which he shares with many in the dorm. This task was carried out only to get the contestants to relax and believe the show was not just about challenges. This was probably done for distraction and not to warn anybody about the incoming tasks that could be deemed difficult. The phone rang for the second time, and the same contestant picked it up and was informed about being at risk of elimination unless he convinced another contestant to pick up the phone the third time. He tried hard to make people understand why any one of them should be picking up the phone next, but everyone could sense his desperation. These were the kinds of hot and cold tasks assigned to the contestants, so it threw them off unexpectedly. With this contestant eliminated by the end of the second game, there were many other group activities awaiting the rest of the crowd, as there were way too many who would be exiting soon, and the money orb kept filling up.
