13 cards in the squid game

Rules: The final duel takes place on a squid-shaped field. One player is the attacker (must reach the "head"), the other is the defender (must push the opponent over the line). Danger: This is a brutal fight without rules, where knives given out after the last supper are used.

Rules: Players choose one of four shapes (circle, triangle, star, umbrella). They are given a box containing a candy disc and a needle. They must extract the shape without breaking it within 10 minutes. Danger: If the piece cracks or time runs out, the player is eliminated.

Rules: Players are divided into groups of 10. Two teams stand on high platforms and pull a rope to which they are handcuffed. Danger: The losing team falls into the abyss and the rope is cut by a guillotine. For the clones: Strategy is key here. Peak stands at the end as the strongest, and Dante advises pulling not with your arms, but with your whole body weight, looking up at the sky.

Rules: You must cross a bridge made of two parallel lines of glass tiles. One tile is tempered glass (it can support two people), the other is regular glass (it will break under the weight of just one). There are 18 steps in total. Danger: Falling from a great height. Time is limited, and other players are rushing you from behind.

Rules: Players are divided into pairs. Each is given a bag containing 10 marbles. The goal is to win all of their partner's marbles within 30 minutes, using any game (odd-even, throwing into a hole, etc.). Physical force alone is not allowed. Danger: The loser of the pair dies. This is the most psychologically difficult test.

Rules: You must cross the field in 5 minutes. When the giant doll sings a song and turns its back, you can run (green light). As soon as it stops singing and turns its head, you must freeze (red light). Danger: Motion sensors in the doll's eyes detect the slightest gesture. Anyone who moves is shot on sight.

The setting: An island in international waters. A vast underground complex with labyrinths of pink staircases, dormitories for hundreds of people, and sterile gaming arenas. Personnel: Hundreds of people in pink overalls and masks with shapes (circle, triangle, square). They don't speak, just follow orders. Host: The frontman in the black faceted mask. A cold, calculating voice, a complete lack of empathy. To the clones, he's a complete stranger, controlling their lives. Items: Each person wears a motion sensor around their neck and a number sewn into their clothing. Food is minimal (a bun and milk), and sleep is intermittent under the blinding light of lamps.

The clones didn't choose to participate. After yet another meeting, either in the card world or in the real world (depending on your interpretation), each of them lost consciousness (either by gas or a sudden blow). Awakening: They wake up on hard bunk beds in a huge hall. They're wearing green tracksuits with numbers on them. They're surrounded by hundreds of unfamiliar, frightened people. The memory of how they got here is erased. The only thing they know is that there's no turning back until the game is over.

When the number of "eliminated" players reaches the Host's desired level, and the carnage threatens to destroy key favorites (for example, when Peak is trapped or Romeo is caught in a crowd), the finale begins. Suddenly, a blinding white spotlight turns on. A siren sounds, ear-splittingly loud. The heavy steel doors to the hall slam open with a screech. Security entrance: The Triangles run into the hall in precise formation. They don't fire immediately—they create a human shield, separating the fighting clones. Their movements are mechanical, coordinated. "Players, return to your seats. Break time is over," Square's dispassionate voice comes over the speakers. The guards point their guns at those still clutching the broken pieces of beds. The air smells of ozone and fear. The clones freeze, breathing heavily and looking at each other in horror—they realized that the most dangerous game wasn't "The Doll," but themselves.

Peak (No. 008) Appearance: Tall, athletic, with a wild gaze. His purple hair is tousled, his jacket is buttoned to his chin, and his fists are constantly clenched. There's a scar or fresh abrasion on his face from a skirmish with security. Personality: A loner and survivor. He despises the Game Master and rules. He relies on brute force and speed in games. His strategy is to avoid making friends, so as not to hurt anyone (though deep down, he looks out for Vara). Varu (No. 005) Appearance: Short, stooped, with a sly grin. He hides his green glasses under his clothes and only wears them in the arena. His jacket number is always creased. Personality: The group's main chaos. He's the only one who enjoys panic. He'll cheat, push others into danger, or lie about the rules of the game. His goal is to reach the end by turning everyone else's suffering into a spectacle.

Kuromaku (No. 002) Appearance: Ash-blond hair perfectly styled, glasses on a thin chain. Suit cleaned (as much as possible). Often holds a stolen pencil, with which he makes calculations on the bedroom walls. Personality: The brain of the resistance. Tries to organize the clones into a "survival committee." His weakness is that he gets lost when logic fails (like on the glass bridge). He believes that if you play perfectly, you can cheat the system. Umbrella (No. 006) Appearance: Pale, with eyes perpetually wet with tears. The sleeves of his jacket are longer than his arms, and he constantly hides his face in them. He looks the most fragile and defenseless. Personality: A pacifist in hell. He doesn't want to kill anyone and is willing to surrender rather than see violence. However, it is his empathy that sometimes drives others (even Pika) to act humanely.

Dante (No. 003) Appearance: Calm as a rock. Flame-red hair, meditative gaze. Often sits in the lotus position on the top bunk. His clothes look the neatest of all, as he doesn't make any unnecessary movements. Personality: Fatalist. He's the only one who isn't afraid of elimination (death). His advice sounds like riddles that, if understood correctly, can save lives. He's here as an observer, accepting any outcome. Gabriel (No. 001) Appearance: Large, uncomprehending eyes, elven ears. His number 001 makes him stand out from the crowd. He constantly questions the guards, ignoring their weapons. Personality: "Blind Spot." His unconventional thinking allows him to find loopholes in games. He doesn't understand the concept of death, so he feels no fear, making him an incredibly effective player.

Felix (No. 004) Appearance: Sunny yellow hair, a mad glint in his eyes. His smile seems out of place among the corpses. Constantly trying to hug or cheer up his comrades. Personality: A fanatic. He believes that if they are "kind," miracles will happen. But his kindness has teeth: he is ready to viciously attack those who behave selfishly (like Vara), considering it a "just punishment." Romeo (No. 007) Appearance: Pink hair, tries to maintain a romantic image even in the dirt. Tries to charm other players to create a human shield around herself. Personality: A trapped hedonist. He can't stand the lack of comfort and beauty. In games, he displays incredible cunning, manipulating the emotions of those around him so they sacrifice themselves for him.

These are super-rich and jaded people for whom the suffering of clones is just a form of gambling. Appearance: They never show their faces. They wear luxurious tuxedos and heavy, gold-glistening animalistic masks (Deer, Lion, Bull, Owl, Bear). The masks are encrusted with precious stones, a stark contrast to the players' dirty green suits. Behavior: They arrive on the island for the fourth trial (Balloons). They sit in a closed box with panoramic glass, placing huge bets on this or that clone (for example, whether the "smart one" Kuromaku or the "aggressor" Pik will survive). They view the clones like thoroughbred horses at a race, discussing their chances with cynical laughter.

The voice playing over the speakers is a fully-fledged part of the environment. He's always polite, calling the clones "esteemed players" and congratulating them on completing stages, which sounds incredibly mocking against the backdrop of a mountain of corpses.

Gangsters led by Do-suk: Brute Force. They immediately spotted Pik as a dangerous competitor and are trying to provoke him so that security will "remove" the powerful player for breaking the rules. Desperate Loners: Old people, single mothers, and bankrupts. They view the clones as "strange freaks" with colored contacts and unusual hair. To them, Felix and his wealth are crazy, and Kuromaku is a suspicious genius. Traitors/Defectors: People who try to gain the trust of clones (especially Romeo or Umbrella) in order to use them as human shields in the next game.

Now it is not just a warehouse of beds, but a social ghetto. Territories: The hall is clearly divided. "Our people" (the clones) have their own corner, which Peak has forced everyone to guard. Around them is a "no man's land," and beyond that are the camps of ordinary people, who whisper and glance sideways at 008. Smells and sounds: The constant hum of hundreds of voices, the smell of sweat, cheap food, and fear. At night, you can hear not only Umbrella's sobs, but also the muffled groans of wounded "minor" players who are left unaided.