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TikTok trend explained: Red Light, Green Light

There's no doubt about it: Netflix series Squid Game has well and truly taken over the internet — and now so have the games.

Although the games from the series have some uh, deadly results if you don't win, TikTokers have taken the games and recreated them with the results less likely to leave players dead.

One of the most popular games being the classic playground game: Red Light, Green Light.

Stills from red light, green light TikTok. Source: TikTok
The Netflix series has inspired TikTokers to recreate the games. Source: TikTok

What is the actual trend?

It's as simple as it sounds, TikTok users are playing Red Light, Green Light, using the soundbite of the scary doll calling the orders from the show.

TikTokers are filming themselves, some of them even managing to find some of the giant dolls that popped up in the world's major cities before Halloween and playing with those.

Where does the trend come from?

The trending game on TikTok uses a soundbite from Squid Game of the doll singing "mugunghwa kochi pieotsumnida" which is Korean for "Red Light, Green Light."

In the traditional schoolyard version, a player stands in front of a group and calls out "green light" meaning the group behind them has to run, but when they call out "red light" they have to stop and stand dead still.

In Squid Game, if you move the scary giant doll that calls out the orders shoots anyone that moves, but in real life (thankfully!) it just means you get out.

Biggest videos of the trends so far

There are over 882,000 videos that have used the soundbite so far, with that number continuing to grow.

User Yovinca Prafika was one of the first TikTokers to use the soundbite, amassing almost 3 million likes and almost 52 million views on her video showing her playing the game by dueting with another video of the doll.

Why is the trend so popular?

Red Light, Green Light is a throwback to the popular schoolyard game but with the sinister twist of the popular Squid Game series.

Also, the added element of some users being able to access the spooky doll adds to the general eeriness of it.

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