How to Play Google’s Secret Squid Game Mini-Game

Google is no stranger to Easter eggs, but this time it’s outdone itself. You’ve likely heard of Squid Game by now, Netflix’s South Korean smash-hit survival thriller. It’s currently in its second season, so Google decided to surprise us with a secret game.

How to Play the Secret Google Squid Game

To begin the fun, type “Squid Game” directly into the Google app on your phone or through your web browser on your computer. After a couple of seconds, a brown card with a circle, triangle, and square—just like the ones the show’s contestants receive—will appear at the bottom. Once you click or tap on it, the game starts.

The game in question is Red Light, Green Light, the first game in the TV show that the contestants play and is by far the most iconic. Young-hee (the doll from the TV show) will appear on your screen, along with six players who represent your lives, much like an old-school arcade game.

The doll starts reciting “Mugunghwa-kkoci pieot-seumnida,” which means it’s time to move your players. You move them by tapping or clicking the blue “O” button and stop them with the red “X” button. You only have to press “O” once to get the players moving; spamming the button won’t make them move faster.

You must press “X” before the song ends and the doll turns around. If you don’t react in time, you’ll lose a player. Fortunately, instead of being brutally gunned down like in the TV show, the player simply walks away and vanishes, making it a much more family-friendly alternative.

Tips to Win in Google’s Squid Game

While you will technically win if even a single player goes across the finish line, your not-so-secret mission is to save all of them. There’s a special little reward animation that you won’t want to miss.

To beat the game, pay careful attention to when the song begins and ends. There’s a short grace period between the doll turning its head and the song ends, but since there’s no timer like in the TV show, use that to your advantage by stopping the players sooner rather than later.

Also, I noticed that the players won’t react to the button until you release it, meaning you can hold your finger on the “X” and release it only when the song ends. This allows you to react more quickly and cover more distance in a single run.

Google does a great job at incorporating culturally relevant Easter eggs, but it’s typically in the form of Doodles, so I was quite surprised to find a mini-game when searching.

While the game looks easy, it’s actually harder than you’d think. Plus, you can always add an extra layer of challenge by timing your runs, trying to speedrun it, and competing against friends.