Netflix has a lot of shows that are hit or miss these days, but season two of Squid Game is definitely a hit. While it did experience a slight drop in popularity compared to season one, the series remains a gripping commentary on wealth inequality and social oppression that resonates far beyond South Korea. While many viewers recognize the familiar challenges, like the Red Light, Green Light and tug of war games, the show introduces us to several others that are less well known outside of Korea. One of the most notable is Ddakji, the game that recruiters use to find candidates for the deadly competition.
Before Squid Game, Ddakji wasn’t a game most westerners had ever heard of. But thanks to the show, it’s now getting a lot of attention. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find Ddakji games in the U.S. — they’re not exactly sold in stores, and while the rules seem simple, getting the tools to play is trickier than it seems. But don’t worry, you can make your own set of Ddakji and practice up in case Elon Musk brings the real-life version of these games to the U.S. (because who wouldn’t want a shot at that?).
How to make your own Squid Game’s Ddakji
While many people now associate Squid Game with the term Ddakji, that’s actually the name for the colorful folded paper pieces used to play the game, not the game itself. The game is called neomgyeomeokgi, which has gained a lot of popularity thanks to the show. In the series, we see Seong Gi-hun play this game in the first episode using Ddakji provided by a recruiter. Since we don’t have any well-dressed individuals offering us money for our dignity, we’ll have to make the Ddakji ourselves, but luckily it’s not complicated.
Here’s how you can make your own:
- Materials Needed:
- Two pieces of strong paper (construction paper works, but origami paper is better). Ideally, they should be different colors, though red and blue are the traditional combo from the show.
- Scissors or a paper cutter.
- Instructions:
- Start by cutting each piece of paper into half, giving you four squares in total.
- Fold each square into thirds, so you have four long strips of folded paper.
- Now, take one corner of each square and fold it upwards, aligning the edge with the top. Repeat this with the other side, folding downwards. This should create a diamond shape with an empty square in the center.
- Do this for all four squares of paper.
- Assembling the Ddakji:
- Take the two pieces from your first color and lay them on top of each other to form a four-pointed star, with the folded corners facing outward.
- Now fold the bottom flaps of the paper inwards to form a neat square, making sure the edges line up.
- Then, fold the next two sides over, tucking one side underneath the fold and the other side over the top of the other. This secures the Ddakji and gives it a tidy square shape.
- Repeat with the other color.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you’ll have two colorful Ddakji to play with. You can use them to play neomgyeomeokgi (the flipping game featured in Squid Game) or try other variations of the game, like ddakji chigi. Now you can practice flipping your way to victory — and who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be ready for a real-life Squid Game challenge!