Alice in Borderland Is Better Than Squid Game
When Squid Game dropped on Netflix in 2021, it instantly became a global phenomenon, dominating headlines, memes, and Halloween costumes. With its bold visuals, deadly childhood games, and sharp social commentary, it captured the attention of millions. But nearly a whole year before Squid Game blew up, there was Alice in Borderland — a Japanese sci-fi thriller that tackles the “deadly game” genre with more depth, creativity, and emotion.
If you haven’t seen Alice in Borderland yet, you're missing out on a mind-bending, adrenaline-pumping, emotionally gripping ride that deserves the crown over its more popular South Korean counterpart.
Down the Rabbit-Hole
Alice in Borderland doesn't just drop you into a game, it throws you into a whole new dystopian world. The empty, alternate-reality Tokyo is eerie, beautiful, and full of mystery. The stakes feel cosmic. It’s not just about survival; it's about uncovering how and why this new world exists. The layered storytelling slowly pulls back the curtain in a way that keeps you hooked, continuously satisfying the itch of curiosity by gradually revealing new info and lore about the story, world, and characters.
Meanwhile, Squid Game is much more confined, with little intrigue or depth by comparison. Its minimalist set design is visually striking, but the mystery wears off early on once you know who’s behind it. This leads to what’s probably its biggest flaw: the lore, or lack thereof.
Squid Game has a habit of constantly raising new questions about its story and world without actually answering any of them. Looking at the big picture, even with season 2 having just ended, we don't know any more about the lore than we did when the show started.
It's All Fun and Games
To not beat around the bush, the games in Squid Game are far too simplistic. And I understand that's the point, they're meant to be the classic childhood games that we all played in our youth. But, while they do evoke a sense of nostalgia, they're not very creative. In contrast, Alice in Borderland introduces a diverse system of games tied to a deck of cards, with the suit representing the type of challenge, and the number determining the difficulty:
Spades ♠️ = Physical games
Clubs ♣️ = Team-based games
Diamonds ♦️ = Logic and intellect
Hearts ♥️ = Psychological and emotional
This classification brings a layer of strategy and unpredictability to each game. You never know if you'll need to run, solve, fight, or betray your friends. The games aren’t just brutal, they’re clever. They test not only your strength and smarts but your morality and trust. Standouts like the “Witch Hunt” game or the “Seven of Hearts” game are emotionally gutting and brilliantly designed. You’re not just watching people fight to survive, you’re watching them unravel in high-stakes ethical dilemmas.
Another standout game for a different reason is the “Queen of Spades” game, Checkmate — a team-based version of tag with elements of Shogi. Quite simply, the game just looks fun. It would be a blast to play in real life, especially if done in a similar setting. And that’s a key difference in the games between the shows, the games in Alice in Borderland seem like they would be a lot of fun to play for real (without the dying).
Until Someone Gets Hurt
In Squid Game, Seong Gi-hun is a compelling protagonist with clear motivations. But while his arc is emotionally resonant, much of the supporting cast feels underdeveloped or reduced to stereotypes. Characters like Ali and Sae-byeok are sympathetic, but they don’t get the depth they deserve before their stories are cut short. Since we know from the beginning that only one person can win, when characters start dying, it’s not shocking because it’s expected.
Alice in Borderland on the other hand invests time in its characters, even side characters get compelling backstories and moments of growth. Arisu, the main protagonist, starts out as a drifting gamer and evolves into a deeply introspective, battle-hardened survivor. His trauma, guilt, and growth feel raw and real, and his moral struggles are given weight and space to develop. The aforementioned “Seven of Hearts” game in particular was a masterful moment of emotional trauma early on, helping set the tone for the rest of the series.
Then there’s Usagi, a mountain climber with a quiet resilience and deep emotional scars. Chishiya, a cool-headed strategist with mysterious motives. Kuina, whose trans identity is handled with care and complexity. Their arcs intertwine organically, and the emotional payoff is stronger because of the time the show spends letting you care.
In the games of Alice in Borderland, death is not guaranteed (although neither is living). The games focus more on surviving rather than winning. In many of the games, there’s a chance that the vast majority of the players, if not all, could make it out alive. So, when characters die, it hits harder; not just because of the shock, but because the show made you feel something for them first.
Style vs Substance
Squid Game has a distinct visual identity — colorful playground sets drenched in blood, minimalist corridors, and surreal imagery. It’s striking and memorable. But Alice in Borderland arguably goes further in terms of cinematic quality.
The series features wide-angle cityscapes of an abandoned Tokyo that feel both haunting and majestic. Game arenas are incredibly varied — from towering buildings to deadly botanical gardens — and they all feel like part of a larger, dangerous ecosystem. The cinematography in Alice in Borderland is stunning. The visual effects are smooth, and the tension is masterfully built. The action is better choreographed and more energetic, and the music is more immersive and impactful.
You get the sense that Alice in Borderland was crafted with a director’s eye for both spectacle and nuance, something more akin to a high-budget sci-fi movie than just a TV thriller. While Squid Game has its signature pastel deathtrap aesthetic, beyond that, the direction feels more grounded and less inventive.
Even thematically, it’s hard to even compare the two. Squid Game was lauded for its critique of capitalist systems, and rightfully so. Its message about desperation, inequality, and debt-driven despair resonated with audiences, but it did so rather bluntly without taking the opportunity to dive deeper.
Alice in Borderland tackles a broader range of themes: the search for meaning, the fragility of human connection, survivor’s guilt, and the existential dread of living without purpose. Its characters aren’t just trying to escape poverty, they’re wrestling with the question of why their lives matter at all.
There’s a kind of philosophical melancholy at the heart of Alice in Borderland that gives it a different emotional flavor. It doesn’t just want you to be shocked, it wants you to think.
Alice in Borderland dares to go bigger, bolder, and deeper, and it pays off.
“Imagination is the only weapon in the war with reality.”
Both shows are intense, brutal, and thought-provoking. But if you’re looking for a survival series that offers more than just blood and shock value — one that builds a rich universe, crafts smarter and more varied games, and explores the human condition with genuine depth — Alice in Borderland is the better pick. It may not have the mainstream memeability of Squid Game, but it has heart, soul, and brains, and leaves a deeper scar once you’ve watched it.
