In 2021, viewers around the world became obsessed with a bunch of strangers playing kids’ games and, in doing so, made “Squid Game” Netflix’s most popular show of all time. But besides having a great premise and some incredible performances from the actors behind the series’ best characters, “Squid Game” also has, quite simply, an excellent title. Likewise, the term “Squid Game” itself is quickly incorporated into the show in its first episode before ultimately giving rise to a pivotal moment in the season 1 finale.

“Squid Game,” as it were, gets its name from a real children’s game, just like every lethal challenge that the players are forced to endure in the show. Squid, or “ojingo,” is played on a squid-like drawing on the ground, made up of two circles at the top and bottom and a triangle and square in between them. Played in groups, one side stays on the outside, trying to get into the squid, while those on the inside try to stop them. Simple as it might be, the game encapsulated everything the show’s creator aimed to convey in his nail-biting story of the rich, the poor, and a scary robot doll with a spinning head.

In a 2021 interview with Radio Times, “Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk explained how the now world-famous title for his show (with all its desperate contenders and iconic pink onesies) came to be. “Squid Game is a game I used to play as a child in the schoolyard or the streets of the neighborhood,” he explained. “This is a story about people who used to play this game as children and return to play it as adults.” Of course, plenty of other games in the show are now equally well-known (Red Light, Green Light being the obvious standout), but what earned Squid Game the title spot?

“It was one of the most physical and it was also one of my favorite games. I felt that this game could be the most symbolic children’s game that could represent the kind of society we live in today,” Hwang noted.  A solid choice, then? Maybe, but to some, the name was a gamble that might not have clicked anywhere outside of South Korea. As a result, another option was considered that might not have piqued the interest of the Netflix-streaming masses the way “Squid Game” clearly did.

When it comes to getting an original idea off the ground, it’s understandable that everything needs to be considered, including the name of a brand new Korean show hoping to make it big. There were concerns, however, that “Squid Game” wouldn’t click so well with audiences overseas. In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix executive Minyoung Kim admitted, “Squid Game, or ojingeo in Korean, is a real kids’ game here, but not all Koreans actually know it. My generation knows it, but my niece’s generation probably wouldn’t.”

Hence, a substitution was made. “So we went with the title ‘Round Six’ instead, wanting it to be more general and helpful for telling people what the show is about — there are six rounds to the game,” Kim explained. Thankfully, Netflix ultimately had a change of heart at Hwang’s request. “But later, director Hwang suggested that maybe we should go back to ‘Squid Game,’ because it’s a unique show and this game is the essence. I think the more authentic title has actually played really well,” Kim added. It certainly has, and while Hwang might be sick of “Squid Game” at this point, it’s clear that with the success of the second season and a David Fincher-directed spinoff series in the cards, “Squid Game” played things just right.