If you thought Squid Game was the peak of Korea’s TV mind games, think again. The Devil’s Plan is back on Netflix today with a brand-new season — and it’s somehow even more addictive, more devious, and more intellectually cutthroat than before. This isn’t just a game show; it’s a cerebral battle royale where genius meets betrayal, and where one wrong move can land you in jail. Well, the show’s version of jail, at least.
At first glance, this Korean reality competition looks like your typical “smart people in a house” setup. But give The Devil’s Plan a few minutes, and you’ll quickly realize that what’s actually happening here is something closer to Squid Game meets Survivor meets a kind of Mensa braintrust. Over the course of one week, a group of contestants — including regular people as well as gamers, actors, and even K-pop idols— are locked together in a swanky living space and forced to battle it out in ruthless, logic-based games that are so complex you’ll feel like you need to pause the episode just to keep up.
Each day brings two matches: A prize match (where players cooperate to earn gold pieces) and a main match (where losers get tossed into jail). Those gold pieces act like currency. You can trade them, bribe with them, and use them to buy advantages. Run out, and you’re out. And don’t let the sleek set design fool you — the rules here are always shifting, alliances are razor-thin, and your best friend in one round might sabotage you in the next.
Here’s an example of how The Devil’s Plan works (or, at least, the game portion of the show):
One mini-game from Season 1, called Fragments of Memory, forced players to analyze a chaotic hospital scene, memorize the image’s tiniest visual cues, and then recall specific details under pressure. Get a question wrong? You’re done. Decide to pass on too many questions rather than risk a wrong answer? Your team might run out of players and lose the whole challenge. And remember: Every won match adds real cash to the final prize pot, which can grow to a staggering 500 million Korean won (about $350,000). But if players fumble too many games along the way? That pot stays empty.
The newly arrived Season 2 brings a new batch of schemers into this fiendishly clever labyrinth. And just like before, almost anything goes — short of violence or stealing — which means the real game is psychological. You’ll see deals cut in corners, trust manipulated for survival, and friendships tested under a microscope.
Long story short, it ought to be abundantly clear to Netflix subscribers if it’s not already: If a series comes out of Korea, odds are it’s probably smarter, sharper, and more addictive than whatever else you’re currently watching. As for The Devil’s Plan, this show, in my humble opinion, remains the smartest, sneakiest, and most high-stakes reality series that’s still flying under too many people’s radar.
