Colors, Places, and Games: Reading the Metaphorical World of the Netflix Series "Squid Game"

This chapter explores how Squid Game uses color, spatial design, and childhood games as visual metaphors to critique capitalist structures and power dynamics. The stark contrast between the green tracksuits of players and the pink-red uniforms of guards reflects rigid social hierarchies. Labyrinthine staircases and playful color palettes evoke disorientation and nostalgia, while intensifying the brutality of the games. Innocent childhood contests are transformed into violent spectacles, revealing the psychological toll of systemic inequality. Through visual analysis, the chapter highlights how the series blends aesthetic contradiction and narrative tension to expose moral compromises in contemporary society. It situates Squid Game within broader debates on surveillance, social stratification, and the ethics of competition. © 2026, IGI Global Scientific Publishing.