Loved Squid Game? Netflix just revealed a spiritual successor – it looks great

There was a brief window after Squid Game came out in late 2021 where there was no doubt that Netflix was the best streaming service out there – you couldn't watch the most talked-about show on the planet anywhere else. 

Now, three years later, we're still waiting for a second season of that masterful show (it's supposedly coming later this year) – but Netflix might just have another twist on the game show genre coming much sooner.

The 8 Game arrives on the service on 17 May and promises a tighter and more personal look at what confined space and competition can do to people. 

It's a South Korean production, and some of the visual similarities are pretty obvious, so there's no doubt that comparisons will be made between The 8 Show and Squid Game left, right and centre. 

Interestingly, this show is actually based on some webcomics online, which were published between 2018 and 2020, so the question of originality is one it can successfuly dodge its way around.

The 8 Game will see eight contestants brought to a mysterious facility with the goal of making money by playing a series of eight games over eight levels of the building. 

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The massive prize pool they can win gets lowered any time they buy anything or ask for supplies, though, and cooperation is clearly a major part of this new game show.

We can expect things to get more twisted and pressurised as the show unfolds, and with eight episodes (as you'd expect) you can be sure that we'll get into fairly dark territory by the time those later episodes come around. 

The show looks like it'll pack a visual punch, with all the contestants wearing distinctive white suits and their surroundings having a pulpy, saturated colourful look, much like Squid Game's. 

That means The 8 Show will probably pair beautifully with a truly great TV – like our current top-ranked choice, the Samsung S95D OLED – which will have those colours popping out like you wouldn't believe. 

Meanwhile, there's more than a week to wait before the show is available in full, so you might want to check out what else Netflix has to offer up in May. Choices, choices...