It's No Surprise How Many Want To Compete In This Real-Life Squid Game

Contains spoilers for "Squid Game" Season 1

The dangerous tournament in Netflix's "Squid Game" is a competition that no one should really take part in, especially since the entire contest is ultimately a messed-up reality show for rich folks. Even so, the show is quick to lampshade the fact that when the prize is high enough, truly desperate people are willing to do anything — even voluntarily return to the game that they know will almost certainly be fatal.   

The show has rapidly become a true cultural phenomenon, with a flash flood popularity that's on par with — and arguably exceeds — Netflix hits like "Stranger Things" and "Tiger King." Thanks to its exciting concept and an artful blend of fantastic horror movie scenarios and grounded, realistic characters, the "Squid Game" fever has spread well beyond the TV screen. It appears that many people would be willing to play the game in real life, too. Netflix even has to re-edit certain scenes that show the phone number the characters call to enter the game, solely because wannabe "Squid Game" participants have been pestering the poor person who has the real number. Knowing this, it's probably no surprise that people have been lining up to compete in this real-life version of "Squid Game."

Don't worry, people aren't really lining up to compete in deadly versions of Red Light, Green Light and tug-of-war. Per Koreaboo, the real-life version of "Squid Game" is a completely safe event that comes courtesy of the Korean Cultural Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The games will take place on October 12, and while the event will feature same games as the show and a similar aesthetic, there will be no threat of harm, nor promise of monetary prizes. As such, no one's going to die, let alone leave the premises as a multimillionaire. Sponge blasters will understandably be used instead of actual guns, and there will be no fatal falls or dormitory brawls.  

A total of 30 people out of over 300 applicants have been selected to compete in this "KCC Squid Game Event," which omits two of the most violent games from the show, the tug-of-war event and the squid game itself. However, there will be an added event in the form of ddakji, the paper tile game from the show's first episode — though, presumably, without the high-stakes betting and face-slapping. All in all, the event seems like a fun and safe way to find out how you'd fare in the show's terrifying games, even though only a small handful of the series' fans can take part. For now, the rest of us have to make do with games you can play if you love "Squid Game."