Squid Game: The Game – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Squid Game: The Game

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

game2021

22%

WISE Score

A cartoon-style runner based on Netflix's brutal death-game series—colorful wrapping paper on a very adult premise.

Squid Game: The Game

game

2021

22%

WISE Score

A cartoon-style runner based on Netflix's brutal death-game series—colorful wrapping paper on a very adult premise.

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Where to Play

PC/Steam

Screenwise Verdict

Let's be blunt: this is a cash-grab game trading on one of the most violent TV phenomena of the 2020s. The fact that it's rendered in 'crazy and colorful' cartoon style doesn't change the fact that you're running through rooms trying not to die in a death-game scenario.

The Squid Game series is TV-MA for very good reasons—graphic violence, gore, suicide, sexual content—and this game inherits all those thematic concerns even if the blood is pixel art. For kids and young teens, this is a complete non-starter. For older teens who've already watched the show (against most recommendations), it's a mediocre runner with meme appeal.

If your kid is asking about this game, it's probably because Squid Game became a playground phenomenon despite being wildly inappropriate for that age group. Use it as an opening to talk about why mature content exists and why age ratings matter. But don't let them play this.

Age Fit

This is for older teens (17+) who have already watched and processed the TV-MA series. It is completely inappropriate for children and young teens. The source material's graphic violence and disturbing themes make this a hard no for anyone under 15-17, regardless of the game's visual style.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

A runner game based on a TV-MA series notorious for graphic violence, death games, and disturbing themes. Even in 'cartoon style,' the premise of surviving deadly trials through rooms of challenges directly mirrors the show's brutal elimination format. No evidence of positive modeling or emotionally healthy content—just survival horror wrapped in bright colors.

Imaginative

The game leans heavily on references, parodies, and memes from the source material rather than original creative expression. It's a runner with varied trials, which offers some mechanical variety, but the imaginative space is derivative—you're running through someone else's nightmare, not building or exploring anything meaningful.

Safe

Built on a franchise with explicit warnings for graphic violence, gore, death (including suicide), and sexual content. While the game itself may soften visuals with 'cartoon style,' the core loop is about surviving deadly trials—inherently unsafe for younger audiences. The search results make crystal clear this IP is 'not suitable for kids under 17.' Even if monetization is clean (no IAP noted), the thematic content is the safety concern.

Enriching

Minimal cognitive or ethical growth here. It's a reflex-based runner trading on shock value and pop-culture recognition. No meaningful skill-building beyond reaction time, no empathy development, no insight. The 'huge number of references and memes' might entertain teens who've seen the show, but that's cultural consumption, not enrichment.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

For older teens (17+) who loved the show, it offers a way to engage with the IP in game form
The 'cartoon style' may reduce graphic intensity compared to the live-action series
References and memes could be entertaining for fans already familiar with Squid Game culture

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What to Watch For

The entire premise is surviving deadly trials—even cartoonified, that's disturbing for kids
Based on a TV-MA series with warnings for graphic violence, gore, death, suicide, and sexual content
Zero educational value; this is pure shock-value entertainment
If your kid is asking about this, they've likely been exposed to the show—time for a bigger conversation

Conversation Starters

"What do you know about Squid Game? Where did you hear about it?"
"Why do you think a show about people dying in games became so popular?"
"What would you do if you were in a situation where you had to compete against friends?"

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