Gonggi Craze: traditional Korean games spark global buzz with Squid Game Season 2

From Gonggi stones to Mingle songs, Squid Game Season 2 inspires global fans

A TikToker from Australia posted a video on Dec. 30 showing 3D-printed gonggi stones inspired by Squid Game Season 2. / Screenshot from TikTok channel jc.3d_designs

Season 2 of Squid Game has topped Netflix’s TV show charts in 93 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, according to data from FlixPatrol. As the drama draws global attention once again, traditional Korean games featured in the series are also sparking interest. While opinions about the new season vary, the newly introduced games have largely been praised as “intriguing.”

Following the global craze for dalgona candy-picking from Season 1, a new trend—”gonggi challenge”—has emerged on social media.

Episode 4 of Season 2 showcases a set of five traditional Korean games: ddakji-chigi (a game using folded paper), biseok-chigi (a stone-tapping game), gonggi (a game involving small stones or pebbles), paengi-chigi (spinning tops), and jegi-chagi (a shuttlecock game). Among these, a scene where contestant Kang Dae-ho, a former marine played by Kang Ha-neul, deftly plays gonggi with impressive hand movements went viral on TikTok, amassing over 10.31 million views.

Gonggi is a traditional Korean game that uses five small objects—traditionally pebbles or plastic stones. Players throw one stone into the air while quickly picking up others on the ground, progressing through increasingly difficult levels. Compared to other traditional games, gonggi’s complex rules have piqued international curiosity.

The British weekly Radio Times described gonggi as potentially the most confusing game for Western viewers but highlighted its accessibility, noting that it can be played with any small, round objects such as stones, dice, or marbles.

Kang Dae-ho (center), played by Kang Ha-neul, plays gonggi in Squid Game Season 2. / Netflix

On Reddit, users discussed where to buy gonggi sets and speculated that sales of Korean gonggi sets could increase significantly. Several users shared that they had purchased gonggi sets on Amazon for around $8.

Meanwhile, viewers in Asia, including those from India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, expressed familiarity with similar traditional games in their own cultures. A four-year-old YouTube video titled “How to Play Gonggi” saw a surge in comments from viewers who mentioned discovering it after watching Squid Game and trying to understand the second season. Videos of K-pop idols, such as NewJeans, playing gonggi have also gained renewed attention.

A TikToker from Poland posted a video on Dec. 30 playing gonggi with dice. / Screenshot from TikTok channel sabinitta

Reflecting its growing popularity, TikTok and YouTube are now filled with clips of international viewers attempting gonggi using alternative objects like stones, chocolates, and dice.

A British man, wearing a tracksuit with the number “456″ from the show, posted a TikTok video where he used five chocolates to progress through the game’s five levels. Meanwhile, an Indian YouTuber uploaded a gonggi demonstration using pebbles, set to Rosé's “Apartment (APT).” In the 3D-printing community MakerWorld, users have shared guides for printing custom gonggi sets, featuring the iconic circle, triangle, and square designs from the drama.

A TikToker from the United Kingdom posted a video on Dec. 29 attempting gonggi with chocolates while wearing a tracksuit. / Screenshot from TikTok channel temp_tation

Another game, the pairing game (Mingle), involves participants singing the Korean folk song “Round and Round” while matching into pairs based on a called-out number.

On Reddit, fans expressed curiosity about the song, describing it as highly addictive and noting that its intense melody made it hard to forget. Some even referred to the pairing game as the best one of the season. The nursery rhyme “Round and Round” has sparked creativity among fans, leading to remixes and user-generated content, including recreations of the game on the metaverse platform Roblox.

[Baik Su-jin]

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