The Squid Game: The Challenge Rules You Didn't See On Screen

Streaming Netflix

Netflix premiered the first five episodes of “Squid Game: The Challenge” on November 22. Its core premise is that real-life contestants must compete in recreations of games featured on the streaming service’s mega-hit drama, “Squid Game.” Behind the scenes, some of its participants have alleged dark truths about the Squid Game reality show, claiming they experienced decidedly inhumane treatment while filming. That said, Netflix revealed in a blog post about the production that players were required to abide by a number of rules viewers never see onscreen, intended to ensure players’ safety and security.

“Violent, threatening behavior would not be tolerated,” executive producer Tim Harcourt said. “There was a whole list of common sense rules that you’d expect to see when you’re putting over 200 strangers into a single room.”

The fact that viewers don’t explicitly see these rules is understandable given that, from the sound of it, they likely mimic regulations that would hold at any workplace. If two contestants broke out into a fistfight, for instance, it would be safe to assume that would jeopardize their involvement on the show without seeing their infraction spelled out explicitly. Nevertheless, fans of “Squid Game: The Challenge” wondering how its large pool of contestants seems to more-or-less behave themselves in such trying conditions can presume that these common-sense rules ultimately impacted the environment on set.

Squid Game: The Challenge features a massive cast from a wide range of backgrounds

As anyone who’s ever watched a reality show is well aware, the genre is a hotbed for conflict. At its start, prior to its first game eliminating a fraction of its pool of contestants, “Squid Game: The Challenge” introduces a cast of 456 competitors. If a few Real Housewives are prone to breaking out into arguments at any perceived slight, this effect should be compounded by the exponentially larger “Squid Game: The Challenge” cast — hence the codification of the show’s off-screen rules.

Furthermore, its contestants come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Executive producer Toni Ireland told Entertainment Weekly that featuring a diverse cast was a priority. “That’s something that was a real north star for us, that we had to have an inclusive cast representing people from lots of different backgrounds,” she said.

While this philosophy is ultimately to the show’s benefit, putting hundreds of people with wildly varying life experiences into a high-stress environment together could lead to plenty of volatile scenarios, explaining the addition of explicit, common sense rules behind the scenes. Executive producer Stephen Yemoh even revealed one of those rules — contestants were asked to only take one meal at a time. Of course, viewers know that contestant #161, named Lorenzo, explicitly defies this directive, suggesting the off-screen rulebook wasn’t necessarily enforced if an infraction didn’t impact filming.