Final Boarding Call: Squid Game’s Front Man Designs Rail-Themed Games for the Desperate

As Squid Game returns for its final season, RAILTARGET sits down with the Front Man to discuss… rail-themed games?

In this exclusive (and entirely fictional) RAILTARGET interview, we step into the shadowy silence of a derelict control room to ask the one man you don’t want running your morning commute: What games would he design with platforms, ticket gates, and "unexpected delays" as weapons? The answers are ruthless—and chillingly punctual.

With the final season of Squid Game now streaming, fans are curious—if the next set of deadly challenges were to take place in a train station, what kind of games would we see?

FRONT MAN: There’s something poetic about a railway station. People think they’re going somewhere. They think time is theirs. That illusion makes it the perfect arena. "First game: Platform Shuffle." A classic. Players are given random train tickets. They must locate their platform without assistance, signage, or Google Maps. One wrong turn? Game over. Literally.

Brutal. What about timetables—can those be weaponised too?

FRONT MAN: Of course. We'd call it "Delay Roulette."A screen flashes multiple departure times—only one train is real. The others? Red herrings. If you pick wrong, well… let’s just say the doors close very quickly in our game. Every 90 seconds, a door opens and shuts. If you’re not in the right place at the right moment, you're… redirected. It’s not about running fast. It’s about knowing when to wait and when to risk it all. Much like life. Or transit in Paris. 

What about something more physical—akin to Red Light, Green Light?

FRONT MAN: "Level Crossing." Contestants are placed on a real, functional shunting yard. Their task: cross the tracks blindfolded, guided only by railway signal sounds—if they can tell real from recorded. A whistle doesn’t always mean safety. And sometimes, the train isn’t on the schedule.

Never underestimate the Front Man (or Lee Byung-hun) 👀 pic.twitter.com/AIpOsES6tA

— Squid Game (@squidgame) February 9, 2025

And the infamous "last train of the night"?

FRONT MAN: Ah, yes. "Final Boarding." Only one ticket is valid. Only one sleeper car is safe. Players must scramble through a darkened rail yard, hunted by searchlights and station announcements that mislead. The goal is to find the correct train before the night swallows you whole.  We even introduce background actors—fellow "passengers"—to sow doubt. One player once followed a phantom conductor for 18 minutes. He never returned.

Many old stations across Europe have fallen into disuse. Could those be turned into arenas?

FRONT MAN: Of course. I would use an abandoned border station in the Alps for "Passport to Nowhere." Players must navigate a labyrinth of customs booths, decipher old railway stamps, and negotiate safe passage using fake national rail cards. Each wrong stamp... opens a door to nowhere. Geopolitics makes for wonderful chaos.

What’s the most underrated game in your rail-themed line-up?

FRONT MAN: "Mind the Gap." It’s simple: walk across a line of historic trains. The catch is that the gaps between cars are unpredictable. Some short, others a leap across chasms of steel and shadow. But the gaps aren’t just physical. They’re psychological. The deeper you go, the more you question whether there’s an end. One contestant froze mid-step between two Soviet tankers. He cried for his mother. We let the wind answer. 

Are you inspired by real-world rail drama?

FRONT MAN: Religiously. I study Deutsche Bahn’s winter schedule like scripture. The elegance of Italian strikes. The minimalist torment of a Swiss delay. We once ran a game called "Cancelled. Cancelled. Platform 8." It was based entirely on a Thursday evening in Stuttgart. You know what’s terrifying? The uncertainty. The announcer says: "Due to technical reasons…" And you realise your life depends on whatever “technical” means. 

And the final game?

FRONT MAN: Can’t spoil everything. But let’s just say it’s called "One-Way Ticket." And not everyone gets to board.

Would you ever make the game intermodal?

FRONT MAN: Already in testing. Trams. Ferries. Even high-speed rail. But there’s something timeless about a regional train that leaves at 17:02. Especially when it doesn’t.

Any last words for our readers?

FRONT MAN: Never trust the departure board. And whatever you do—run when you hear the whistle.

This seems more psychological than physical. Is that the shift you’re aiming for?

FRONT MAN: The mind breaks before the body. Timetables, delays, detours—these are metaphors for existence. We are all waiting for something that was never coming. My games reflect that. Hope is a ticket already stamped.