Firstly, laws are vital to safeguard the interests of the community. In Squid Game, we see a descent into chaos in the absence of necessary laws. The first season is a prime example of this – there was no law in place that made killing other players outside the games a punishable offence.

The only laws that governed this society were simple to a fault: (1) players cannot stop playing; (2) players who refuse to play will be eliminated; and (3) the games can be terminated if a majority of players agree to stop, resulting in everyone leaving with nothing. This can be directly contrasted with the society in which we live – in Victoria, there are severe consequences for murder, with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment. South Korea has similar sanctions in place, and as such, players did not immediately discover the loophole in this newly-formed society. Realisation hit when, following the murder of one player by another, the guards took no action and the prize pool was increased. Thereafter, all hell broke loose, and players began attacking one another after the lights went out. This paints a scary picture of what society could look like in the absence of law. Though the players’ response may have been more extreme, given that they were at their wit’s end, Squid Game suggests that laws are necessary to maintain order and safety in society.

Additionally, laws must remain consistent to promote fairness and to build trust in the legal system. Squid Game shows us what the legal system should not be – biased, with preferential treatment given to a select individual. In season 3, Gi-hun and a small group of players banded together to start a rebellion. However, as the losses began to pile up, the rebels were ordered to return to the dormitory or risk facing elimination. The Front Man and soldiers made good on this threat, killing all who failed to follow instructions. That is, all but Gi-hun. It was therefore unsurprising that the remaining players found it incredibly unfair, and became increasingly suspicious of Gi-hun. This preferential treatment was once again extended to Gi-hun in the fourth episode of the season – this time, the Front Man handed him a knife, suggesting that he use it to kill the remaining players. There are two key issues with this – firstly, this provided Gi-hun with an unfair advantage as he was the only player in possession of a weapon; and secondly, the players had been told that same night that physical violence had been outlawed. Once again, the rules did not apply to Gi-hun, as the Front Man assured him that he would get off scot-free for killing the players, and even go on to win the game. Though Gi-hun did not take the Front Man’s suggestion, he ended up utilising the weapon to his advantage in the final game.