| A | B | C | D | E | |
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1 | Show | Description/My Thoughts | Where can I watch? | When should I watch? | How should I watch (if I can't binge)? |
2 | Feel free to share this guide around with people that have a budding interest in Korean entertainment! | ||||
3 | The Genius Discord Server | ||||
4 | Key Bolded = Must watch, a cornerstone of Korean entertainment. ALL CAPS = SURVIVAL/REALITY GAME SHOW, WITH ACTIVE, FIERCE COMPETITION AND ELIMINATIONS. (Normal caps are probably variety shows) Underlined = Created and at least initially produced by Jung Jong-yeon (JJY), creator of The Genius, the catalyst of an entertainment golden age. Italicized = Future projects yet to release 🤪 = Less "brainy" and more "zany"; watch these first and foremost to be entertained rather than enlightened | PLEASE TAKE THE PERSONAL RATINGS SHEET WITH A GRAIN OF SALT | The Baechu Squad website will be a very helpful resource. Also try checking the pinned posts of r/TheGenius Having trouble getting to a show? r/KoreanVariety may be of use. | In general, watching these shows strictly in broadcast/release order is recommended. It is of course OK to make exceptions for more minor shows that haven't been subtitled yet or that you really don't care for. See Timeline sheet for more details. | It should go without saying that you SHOULD NOT watch seasons/episodes of most of these shows out of order. Always watch sequentially. The only exception is Problematic Men, since it doesn't have an important overarching narrative like all the other shows. |
5 | THE GENIUS (2013-2015) | The one that started it all, GENESIS. 13 players each season compete in complex free-for-all (sometimes team) and 1-on-1 games that test strategy, politics, mentality, psychology, and all that fancy-shmancy book-learning jargon. 4 seasons of 12 episodes each, one player eliminated every episode. Getting to the very end of this show should be your initial priority. Even though you don't strictly have to finish all 4 seasons before moving on, trust me, you will be doing yourself a favor regarding context in many of the later shows on this list. | Available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet | ASAP. | One episode at a time is probably best so's you can really digest the games/information of each round. |
6 | Crime Scene (2014-) | A variety show involving a revolving cast each season that convolves to solve elaborate murder mysteries (or resolves to be absolved by devolving the investigation) and have fun along the way. Originally running for three seasons from 2014 to 2017, a reboot/4th season aired in 2024, and a 5th season is set to air soon on Netflix. Big up Full-Metal-9309 on Reddit for writing this description: "3 seasons of pure comedy and mystery. Cast are well known for their wit and smarts. Each episode there is a new crime- and they make a whole crime scene, as well as rooms/areas relating to each 'suspect'. The cast dresses up as each suspect and try to find clues, while still role playing- it's like mafia!" | Seasons 1, 2, & 4: Available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet Season 3: See master spreadsheet Season 5: AIRING NOW! | Whenever you want, BUT: Season 1: I recommend you finish at least up to Season 2 of The Genius first in order to nourish a better appreciation for the cast. Season 2 on: I recommend you finish at least up to Season 3 of The Genius first in order to nourish a better appreciation for the cast. | One case at a time. The first three cases are each two episodes long, but from then on until the end of Season 3, case length was standardized to one episode each (with two exceptions that I won't spoil but which should be obvious once you get to them). Season 4 returns (teehee) to the two-episode format. |
7 | Problematic Men (2015-) | A weekly variety show wherein several accredited male celebrities try their hand at brainteasers/lateral thinking puzzles. Started in 2015, was unceremoniously shelved in 2020, and laid dormant for 5 years till a reboot was released in 2025. | Many clips (some subbed) are available on Youtube | After finishing The Genius (one early episode spoils the show). Reboot: After finishing The Time Hotel, Agents Of Mystery Season 1, and University War Season 2. | Very casually. |
8 | SOCIETY GAME (2016-2017) | The second survival show produced by God JJY, consisting of two "societies"- one a democratic republic, the other a benevolent dictatorship- going head-to-head in daily challenges. You won't be seeing many "Genius-style" plays in this one- it's more about politics, raw mental/physical ability, and the interactions/bonds that the residents of each society develop with each other. It ran for 2 seasons, each 12 episodes long, before being canned. | Available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet | Season 1: Whenever you want (though I'd better not find out that you watched it before finishing The Genius). Season 2: After finishing The Genius. | Go at your own pace! |
9 | Master Key (2017-2018) 🤪 | A short-lived variety project revolving around the all-powerful "Master Key" and the power struggles involved in finding it. A neat little watch if you're looking for something fun. | The Master Key | Watch Korean Series Online - KOCOWA+ | Whenever you want, though I suggest finishing The Genius and seasons 1-3 of Crime Scene first for reasons. | Go at your own pace! It's worth noting that the show is effectively split into three parts: Part 1/Episodes 1-3, which feature a basic/introductory format, Part 2/Episodes 4-9, where the rules get altered to be much more interesting and worthwhile IMO, and Part 3/Episodes 10-13, which veers hard into standard variety fare and is honestly totally skippable if you're not into that sort of thing; it may as well be a different show altogether. |
10 | The Great Escape (2018-2025) | A variety show produced by JJY documenting the hardships and laughter of six brave boys as they challenge various escape "rooms". "Rooms" is in quotes because as the series progresses, the production value/scope of the escapes gradually balloons in size. There are six escapes per season, plus a bonus BTS special at the end of every season to wrap up/review the season as a whole. After being inactive for some time, a reboot season not led by JJY and with only half of the OG cast aired in 2025. Both The Great Escape and Girls' High Mystery Class are part of a canon known as the DTCU (DaeTalChul Universe) which refers to the different arcs/shared elements presented by the fictional world of both shows. As such, it is extremely recommended that these two shows in particular be watched in broadcast order. | Available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet REBOOT OUT NOW | Seasons 1-3: After finishing The Genius. Season 4: After finishing Girls' High Mystery Class Season 1. The Story: After finishing Girls' High Mystery Class Season 3. | One escape at a time. Each escape spans two episodes (except for one escape in Season 1 that was just not enough content-wise to fill two full episodes, but that is the only exception, I assure you). |
11 | Village Survival, The Eight (2018-2019) 🤪 | A show where celebrities with various charms stay together in a village and hunt down a hidden check for ₩10,000,000. Despite the name, it's not actually an elimination-based survival show, but a nature survival show. | Village Survival, the Eight | Watch Korean Series Online - KOCOWA+ Village Survival, the Eight 2 | Watch Korean Series Online - KOCOWA+ | Whenever you want. You may want to watch: .Crime Scene Season 3 | One game/filming session at a time, which is two episodes long. |
12 | Mafia Game In Prison (2019) 🤪 | Also known as Prison Life Of Fools. Various entertaining individuals play rounds of Mafia interspersed with numerous wacky games. Not essential viewing, but at the end of the day, it's social deception and some of the cast appear in other shows on this list. As a bonus, it introduced me to one of the funniest comedians alive today, Lee Soo-geun. | A quick search in relevant places should get you on the right track. | Whenever you want. | One game at a time. One game is two episodes long (barring the final two games, which are both one episode long). |
13 | Sixth Sense (2020-2025) 🤪 | To Be Added | Watch Sixth Sense Online | OnDemandKorea Watch Sixth Sense2 Online | OnDemandKorea Watch Sixth Sense3 Online | OnDemandKorea Prime Video: Sixth Sense: City Tour City Tour 2 coming 2025... | ||
14 | Girls' High Mystery Class (2021-2024) | JJY's second foray into the hybrid thriller/variety genre, this time starring five female entertainers roleplaying as students newly enrolled in schools which prove to be more than meets the eye. Note that JJY produced only the first two seasons, after which he had no input whatsoever (but did leave it in the capable hands of his co-directors). Both The Great Escape and Girls' High Mystery Class are part of a canon known as the DTCU (DaeTalChul Universe) which refers to the different arcs/shared elements presented by the fictional world of both shows. As such, it is extremely recommended that these two shows in particular be watched in broadcast order. | Seasons 1 & 2: https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/girls-high-school-mystery-class?id=dae9aa12e11f5feaa72ac8f9d573a821 OR available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet Season 3: A quick search in relevant places should get you on the right track. | Season 1: After finishing The Great Escape Seasons 1-3. You may also want to watch: .Crime Scene .Village Survival, The Eight .Mafia Game In Prison Seasons 2 & 3: After finishing The Great Escape Season 4. | One day of filming at a time, which in Season 1 is three episodes each except for the final day which is four episodes long, and in Seasons 2 & 3 is two episodes each. |
15 | MONEY GAME (2021) 🤪 | A controversial web series created by Jin Yong-jin based off of a webtoon of the same name. Not at all essential viewing, I only include it because some of the contestants later got casted for their tenure on this project in things that ARE essential viewing. After you finish watching, please read this post to further understand WHY this series attracted controversy: The Real Money Game: Drama after the show : r/koreanvariety | 머니게임 Please keep in mind that this playlist is sorted in reverse chronological order. | Whenever you want. | Go at your own pace! |
16 | ACCOMPLICE (2021-2023) | A Mafia-style web series created by famed content creator Jang Ji-soo. Although there are 2 seasons as of 2024, only the first season is fully translated; 3 episodes of Season 2 are not translated and likely never will be due to underperforming view-wise. I watched those episodes with Youtube's auto-translate feature and was able to follow along well enough; I'd say try that if you're really interested. | 공범 Please keep in mind that this playlist is sorted in reverse chronological order. | Season 1: After finishing The Genius and Money Game. Season 2: Not encouraged unless you know Korean/are eager to watch the whole thing and don't mind machine translations. | Go at your own pace! |
17 | GAME OF BLOOD (2021-2025) | Also known as Bloody Game. The first new brain survival show of the 2020s, advertised as "an unfair and irrational game", which, uh, it definitely proves to be at points. Currently 3 seasons are out, which have surprisingly different flavors. Season 1 was produced by the same individual who spearheaded Money Game (Jin Yong-jin), but Season 2 onward was produced without his input. Note that the first two seasons' final episodes are merely showcases of bonus clips that didn't make the final edit (and in Season 1's case, combines them with a cast reunion) and are not required viewing. | Season 1: Bloody Game | Watch Episode 1 Online - KOCOWA+ (BEWARE THUMBNAILS) Season 2: Bloody Game 2 | Watch Episode 1 Online - KOCOWA+ OR Watch Bloody Game 2 | Prime Video (BEWARE THUMBNAILS) Season 3: Bloody Game 3 | Watch Episode 1 Online - KOCOWA+ OR Prime Video: Bloody Game 3 OR Watch Bloody Game 3 Online | OnDemandKorea (BEWARE THUMBNAILS) | Season 1: After finishing The Genius and Society Game. You may also want to watch: .Girls' High Mystery Class Season 1 Season 2: I recommend you watch Money Game first, or at the very least read this post: The Real Money Game: Drama after the show : r/koreanvariety, to better understand the reputation surrounding one of the players. You may also want to watch: .Uma Game .Gender Survival: Divided World .Battle For Tenancy: Penthouse Season 3: HOO BOY. This season, more than any other so far, rewards people who have watched the previous shows the players have been on (befitting its "survival all-star" concept). IMPERATIVE to finish for maximum enjoyment: .Society Game .The Time Hotel .University War Season 1 .The Influencer You may also want to watch: .Crime Scene .Uma Game .Rewind: A Night To Forget Other related things that have not been fully translated (or translated at all): .War Of The Poker Gods [2ACE] .Battle For Tenancy: Penthouse .Treasure Hunt .Accomplice Season 2 .Hexagon Game .Ideology Verification Zone: The Community | Season 1: One episode at a time. (You may want to watch episodes 4 and 5 together.) Season 2: Two episodes at a time (as that's how the season was released). Also, I highly recommend that you go in completely blind (no promotional material whatsoever!) if you can. It may be fun to watch in tandem with The Time Hotel and Devil's Plan Season 1, as all three shows were filmed at around the same time. (To be more exact: The Time Hotel occured in early December 2022, while Game Of Blood 2 & Devil's Plan 1 were both played in January 2023.) Season 3: Episodes 1-2, 3-5, 6-7, & 13-14 are batches that are best watched together. Episodes 8-12 can be gone through one at a time. It may be fun to watch in tandem with University War Season 2 and Devil's Plan Season 2, as all three shows were filmed in the same month (August 2024). |
18 | BLACK SHEEP GAME (2022) | A Mafia-style mini project released early 2022, only 4 episodes long, and featuring a very familiar individual. You could definitely watch it all in one sitting. | Black Sheep Game | Watch Korean Series Online - KOCOWA+ | After finishing The Genius. | Go at your own pace! |
19 | TREASURE HUNT (2022) | To Be Added | Available via Baechu Squad (unfinished translation) | After finishing Accomplice Season 1. | |
20 | UMA GAME (2023) 🤪 | A survival webseries released in early 2023 that many recognizable faces participated in. Don't expect much in the way of brainy stuff (though there certainly is some); this show is best described as "Squid Game meets Fear Factor". | 🎬【예능】 우마게임 - YouTube Please keep in mind that this playlist is sorted in reverse chronological order. | After finishing Money Game. You may also want to watch: .Game Of Blood Season 1 | Go at your own pace! |
21 | THE TIME HOTEL: TIME IS MONEY (2023) | A survival show that kind of appeared out of nowhere in early 2023 and broke the dry spell of survival shows in 2022. The titular hotel is a whimsical abode wherein time is not only your sole form of bargaining, but your lifeforce as well. Certainly a must watch, as it is the closest thing we've had to The Genius since it ended, while having its own unique aesthetic and flair. You can tell the production team are clearly Genius super fans. | Search on r/koreanvariety OR see master spreadsheet | After finishing The Genius. You may also want to watch: .Mafia Game In Prison | Watch episodes 1-3 and 6 one at a time. You may or may not choose to watch episodes 4 and 5 as well as 7 and 8 together, but you should definitely watch episodes 9 and 10 (the two-part finale) together. It may be fun to watch in tandem with Game Of Blood Season 2 and Devil's Plan Season 1, as all three shows were filmed at around the same time. (To be more exact: The Time Hotel occured in early December 2022, while Game Of Blood 2 & Devil's Plan 1 were both played in January 2023.) |
22 | DEVIL'S PLAN (2023-) | JJY's third venture into the realm of reality game shows, and his first in six years. Many people were hoping and praying that this would be the long-awaited return of The Genius, but DO NOT go into this expecting as such. Instead think of it as a soft reboot. | Watch The Devil's Plan | Netflix Official Site Season 3 coming 2026... | Technically whenever you want, as it was designed to be as accessible as possible to international viewers who aren't realistically aware of the storied lore of Korean brain variety/survival shows. However, to truly appreciate all of the elements JJY injected into this show, I recommend you not watch until you finish The Genius and Society Game, as well as the first four seasons of The Great Escape and the first two seasons of Girls' High Mystery Class. It really seems like a hodgepodge of all the things he's helmed over the years. You may also want to watch: .Problematic Men .Mafia Game In Prison .Uma Game .War Of The Poker Gods: Ragnarok | Season 1: One day of filming at a time. At first, each day is exactly two episodes long, but the boundaries between days are kind of muddied towards the latter half of the show. I recommend you end your viewing session after finishing episode 9 (even though day 5 hasn't ended yet at that point). It may be fun to watch in tandem with The Time Hotel and Game Of Blood Season 2, as all three shows were filmed at around the same time. (To be more exact: The Time Hotel occured in early December 2022, while Game Of Blood 2 & Devil's Plan 1 were both played in January 2023.) Season 2: One day of filming at a time, though good luck as the boundaries between days this season are even less cleanly between episodes. It may be fun to watch in tandem with University War Season 2 and Game Of Blood Season 3, as all three shows were filmed in the same month (August 2024). |
23 | UNIVERSITY WAR (2023-) | Also known as Elite League. A survival show with a quiz show influence from the minds of a production team who previously worked on The Genius, Society Game, and The Great Escape, with the intensity/editing of those shows to boot. Five* teams of four from Korea's* most prestigious academies duke it out in challenges involving extreme intellectual prowess. A lot of the games here would feel right at home on the likes of Society Game or Problematic Men. As the show itself claims, "strategic moves such as politics and betrayals are not necessary here", so if you're craving that sort of thing, keep walking. | A quick search in relevant places should get you on the right track. Season 3 coming 2025... | Whenever you want. | Season 1: One day of filming at a time. At first, each day is exactly two episodes long, but the boundaries between days are kind of muddied towards the latter half of the show. Season 2: I don't know, man. Go at your own pace. It may be fun to watch in tandem with Game Of Blood Season 3 and Devil's Plan Season 2, as all three shows were filmed in the same month (August 2024). |
24 | Apartment 404 (2024) | To Be Added | Watch Apartment404 | Prime Video | ||
25 | Agents Of Mystery (2024-) | A miniseries by JJY that follows in the footsteps of The Great Escape and Girls' High Mystery Class. | Watch Agents of Mystery | Netflix Official Site Season 2 coming February 2026... | Preferably after getting acquainted with JJY's style via his past works, particularly The Great Escape and Girls' High Mystery Class. Also preferably after watching The Time Hotel. | One mission at a time. One mission is three episodes long. |
26 | Rewind: A Night To Forget (2024) | A project that very much emulates the likes of TGE/GHSMC of the DTCU (it feels like a sidestory/AU almost). A harmless enough watch that even comes with two bonus, also subbed episodes that are also worth a look. | 기억을 잊는 밤 | Whenever you want, but finish University War Season 1 first. | Go at your own pace! |
27 | THE INFLUENCER (2024) 🤪 | A survival show themed around the business of online influencing. Not really a "brainy" show, but many of the tactics used by the players are surprisingly clever/outside the box (and as a bonus, some cast members from the other shows on this guide appear!). I enjoyed this one way more than I expected to. | Watch The Influencer | Netflix Official Site | Whenever you want, though you will recognize some players if you've previously watched: .Money Game .Accomplice .Game Of Blood Seasons 1 & 2 .Black Sheep Game .Treasure Hunt .Uma Game .University War Season 1 | Go at your own pace! |
28 | LIFE'S GAME (2025) | A survival webseries by LG that is surprisingly well thought out, filmed late December 2024. Don't have much else to say other than it's a good watch! | Life's Game - YouTube | Whenever you want, but please finish The Genius & Devil's Plan S1 first. You'll be glad you did. | Go at your own pace! |
29 | LOLscape Game (2025) | A short little League of Legends themed escape room, worth a watch. | LOLscape: The Game Please keep in mind that this playlist is sorted in reverse chronological order. | Whenever you want. | Go at your own pace! |
30 | PROJECT GENIUS (????) | An independently produced season/"fangame" of The Genius by Hong Jin-ho, filmed May 2022 (estimated). Features some old faces from The Genius, as well as many new faces from the newer survival shows that have come out since then. | Coming soon... | Definitely after finishing: .The original 4-season run of The Genius .Money Game .Game Of Blood Season 1 You may also want to watch: .Accomplice (most importantly Season 2) .Treasure Hunt .The Time Hotel .Game Of Blood Season 2 .The Influencer | |
31 | THE TRAITORS (????) | The upcoming Korean adaptation of a wildly successful international reality format. | Coming soon... | ||
32 | SPOILER ZONE | ||||
33 | "JANG DONGMIN GAME" (????) | An upcoming brain survival created by the man himself. | https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/broadcast/2025/01/23/4TALY5NFCKYWZOH6QAALSO2FVI/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpWck1LVyB8&t=933s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lgjvE55vg&t=396s | ||
34 | END OF SPOILER ZONE | ||||
35 | |||||
36 | International Adaptations | ||||
37 | Who's The Murderer (CN) (2016-) | The Chinese adaptation of Crime Scene, currently running for a whopping 8 seasons and counting. Haven't watched it myself, but I'd imagine it's quite similar to its Korean counterpart and worth a watch if you already love Crime Scene. | Who’s the Murderer with English Subs | ||
38 | The Great Escape | Chinese Adaptation Russian Adaptation | |||
39 | THE GENIUS (NL) (2022) | A Dutch adaptation of The Genius, released 7 years after the end of the original run. Unfortunately not as compelling as the OG due to inferior presentation/shortened episode lengths/different culture and sensibilities, but you might not care. | Available via Baechu Squad OR master spreadsheet | After finishing The Genius (KR). | Go at your own pace! |
40 | GAMBIT GAME (2023-2024) | A virtual English fan project meant to be a sendup to The Genius. I personally wasn't sold until about halfway through, so just hold on till then. | Gambit Game: First Move | After finishing The Genius; many of the games are clearly derived from games on The Genius. | Go at your own pace! |
41 | GENIUS GAME (UK) (2025) | The British adaptation of The Genius. | The Genius Game - ITVX | After finishing The Genius (KR). | Go at your own pace! |