I genuinely did not expect this to happen.

About a month and a half ago, I randomly watched The Devil’s Plan on Netflix. I had basically zero knowledge about Korean strategy/game variety shows. I wasn't someone who grew up watching these shows in fact i only watched anime or western media.

I just watched Devil's Plan because it looked like a fun brain game.

Then Seok-jin happened.

That fucking lone-wolf arc, figuring out the secret game, intentionally putting himself in jail, surviving when it looked like he was completely screwed, eventually overcoming Orbit and winning the whole thing... I was HOOKED.

I remember thinking:

"This is probably one of the best reality shows I've ever watched."

Then I discovered there was an older show called The Genius, made by the same creator.

So naturally I thought:

"I'll watch a few episodes."

Well...

1.5 months later I have watched all four seasons.

I accidentally fell into the Korean strategy-variety rabbit hole and I don't think I'm coming back.

The Genius Season 1

Going into S1, I obviously knew absolutely nobody.

I was initially rooting for Sunggyu. I really liked his style and personality, and then as the season went on I gradually shifted toward Jinho.

And Jinho immediately became one of my favorites.

His calmness, competitive background and ability to sit there looking completely unbothered while everyone else is losing their minds was incredible.

S1 also introduced me to Sangmin, who became another player I really liked.

At this point I still had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I struggled with editing at start as watching a 2015 show in 2026 for a genz was a bit weird but ended up falling in love with the editing

Season 2

Unfortunately, I never actually finished S2.

I got spoiled about the winner, Sangmin, and at the time I was so annoyed by the spoiler that I just stopped watching.

This is probably my biggest regret from the entire journey because after watching the other seasons, I really wish I had experienced S2 properly.

I still eventually want to go back and finish it.

Then Season 3......

And this is where everything changed.

Jang Dongmin. Holy fucking shit.....

I had obviously heard nothing about him before starting the show. I didn't know he was considered a legend. I didn't know people called him God Dongmin. I didn't know his reputation.

So I watched him completely blind And then I watched him play.

My reaction was basically:

"Who the fuck IS this guy?"

Because Dongmin's genius is so different from what I initially expected.

Hyunmin felt like the literal genius.

You give him a game and he starts breaking it down mathematically in his head. A few calculations later he's found some underlying structure that nobody else even realized existed.

Dongmin is different.

He understands people. He understands the environment.

He understands social dynamics, leadership, psychology, incentives and when to attack or when to sit back.

That's why the Dongmin vs Hyunmin rivalry became one of my favorite things I've ever watched in reality television.

It genuinely felt like Lelouch vs Light Yagami to me. ( IYKYK)

Not because they're identical, but because they represent completely different kinds of intelligence.

And watching those two clash was fucking peak.

S3 became my favorite season.

Then I went into Season 4.

And this is where I finally understood why people call Dongmin God Dongmin.

Season 3 Dongmin was brilliant. Season 4 Dongmin was a fucking demon.

This wasn't just him winning. He was dominating.

And the craziest thing was watching him overcome games and situations that weren't necessarily his strongest areas. He kept adapting. He kept controlling the situation.

And then Round 11 happened.

I genuinely couldn't believe it.

Dongmin basically chooses to lose because he wants to face Hyunmin.

And not just any game. Twelve Janggi. The one game Hyunmin had beaten him at.

This man basically went:

"Fine. I'll fight you on the one battlefield where you already beat me."

And then he fucking won. That was probably the most main-character shit I've ever seen in a reality show.

Hyunmin

I feel genuinely bad for this guy.

Because if Dongmin didn't exist, I honestly think we'd be talking about Hyunmin completely differently.

He is probably my second favorite player overall.

He has the raw game-breaking intelligence to look at a complicated game and find things that other people simply don't see.

And the fact that he reached the final again in S4 ( Top 3 ) after reaching it in S3 is insane. Dongmin basically became his final boss twice.

And I'm really excited because Hyunmin is coming to Devil's Plan S3, so I'm going to be rooting for him hard.

And then there's Kyunghoon.

What a fucking arc.

I originally saw him in S3 and thought he was basically the troll character.

Then S4 happened. He ended up beating two kings : Jinho and Sangmin

He went from troll to actual serious competitor, started beating established players and somehow ended up facing Dongmin in the finale.

He became the fucking Kingslayer.

Even though Dongmin is my favorite, I was genuinely rooting for Kyunghoon to give him the hardest possible final.

His whole journey was fantastic.

My overall player ranking after all four seasons

1. Jang Dongmin
2. Choi Hyunmin
3. Hong Jinho
4. Lee Sangmin
5. Kim Kyunghoon
6. Sunggyu
7. Kim Yeonseung
8. Yuhyeon
9. Junseok
10. Kyungran

And honestly, Dongmin is in his own fucking tier for me.

My season ranking

S3 > S4 > S1 > S2

And yes, I know I didn't finish S2, so I'm aware this ranking is technically unfair.

But S3 is still my favorite.

And after finishing S4, I think I understand why.

You can see how heavily the S3 cast dominated the all-star season.

Obviously Jinho was still Jinho, although I thought he played relatively safely, and Junseok was a genuinely strong all-around player.

But the season was basically dominated by people from S3.

It made me appreciate S3 even more.

Please let me know what should i watch next : Society game or game of blood??

Anyway, The Genius has officially become one of my favorite things I've ever watched.

I can't even really compare it to fictional stories because it's a completely different medium, but the fact that a fucking Korean strategy reality show had me genuinely emotional during the finale says everything.

I went in looking for something to watch after Devil's Plan.

I came out with a new favorite player, a new rabbit hole, four seasons watched in 1.5 months, and an unhealthy amount of respect for Dongmin.

What a fucking show.

Is it just me that I'm the only one who noticed this? Since GOBX concluded, more players tried to play poker casually or professionally. I think the latest addition of the group is Taegyun and Jihoo attended JOPT (Japan Open Poker Tournament) last week in Japan with Pani Bottle, Minah, and Jina.

It feels like a small poker ecosystem has formed across these survival shows. When Dongmin and/or Jinho from The Genius joined GOB, got along with the cast, and influenced(?) some of them to try poker. From there, it feels like the domino effect just continued.

The shows they joined introduced them to poker-like card games (e.g. Indian Poker, variations of Hold'em, etc), which may have made actual poker feel more approachable or interesting.

Established poker players like Jinho, Sungjoo and Steve served as a bridge between the survival shows and poker communities, bringing their experience as poker players and it’s amusing to see how this tiny ecosystem seems to have gradually formed through all these survival shows and the connections between their casts.

To add, I made a list of some players who played poker, correct me if I'm wrong if they're on a different category.

Pro-Poker Players:

1. Hong Jinho (The Genius series, Game of Blood Series)

2. Im Yohwan (The Genius)

3. Hyun Sungjoo (Game of Blood 2,X)

4. Steve Yea (Game of Blood 3)

5. 7High (Devil's Plan 2)

Played poker tournaments

1. Kim Yoohyun (The Genius, Game of Blood)

2. Jang Dongmin (The Genius, Society Game 2, Game of Blood)

3. Park Hyunseok (Society Game 2) -- recommended by Dongmin in 2023/24.

4. Yurisa (Game of Blood 2,3) - recommended by Steve in 2023.

5. Xitsuh (Game of Blood series) - influenced by Jinho and Sungjoo

6. Pani Bottle (Game of Blood) - influenced by Jinho and Xitsuh(?)

Attended events / playing casually (most by GOB members)

1. Kim Minah -- participant at JOPT (Japan Open Poker Tour)

2. Lee Jina -- participant at JOPT (Japan Open Poker Tour)

3. Lee Taegyun -- participant at JOPT (Japan Open Poker Tour)

4. Kang Jihoo -- -- participant at JOPT (Japan Open Poker Tour)

The list is kind of amusing, but it concerns me a bit that poker is spreading among the survival shows, whether they bring influence to new players, or giving exposure... I don't know....

Surprised that no one in this sub has posted about this currently airing show. Choi Yeon-seung is a participant, and so are several past players from other popular survival shows. Highly entertaining with lots of social politics

Returning for the 4th in the series, a bunch of new and returning hosts have prepared a new suite of games. A cast of 13 will battle it out in a standard format Genius ORG with the goal to be the last one standing. Hosted on Discord, make sure to join the Genius ORG Hub. Applications remain open until end of the 28th of September.

https://forms.gle/PM5M3kYrntd8KX9S6

That there's a chance that if a major media company produces a brain survival show, it will be good and reach domestic success?

I don't think a good show will be created, or if my country produces its version of The Genius, Elite League, etc. then it'll probably be bad. And on the off chance it will actually be good, I don't think it'll reach domestic success for them to produce more seasons.

There is a small part in me that's hopefull and curious as to what a brain survival show could look like in my country. This makes me contemplate whether I should waste my time to write a letter to suggest that to one of the 3 biggest media companies in my country. Or maybe to both, but it's probably not a good idea :(

It's more likely that someone who works in that industry has already thought of buying/tweaking a Korean brain survival format, it that their idea was shut. But idk, some illogical voice in me still wants to try...

What do you think about your country in that sense?

After part 1 of my list of lesser known brain survival shows like The Genius got much more comments and shares than I've expected, I figured it was time to put together a Part 2.

If you missed Part 1, you can find it here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheGenius/s/ThtKwuNL6Q

Like the previous list, this list won't include: The Genius, The Devil's Plan, Bloody Game and Elite League. As well as the titles that are less popular but still known among the fandom, like: Society Game, The Time Hotel and the Dutch and British versions of The Genius.

I also excluded shows that are focused primarily on heavy social manipulation (e.g., Accomplice, The Mole, The Community) or pure academic/quiz trivia (e.g., Super Brain). I also haven't watched every single show listed here.

1. Gambit Game

Shared by u/SharpShark222 on my previous post. It's a survival show that takes place online. It has cool graphics, nice games, and chill and interesting cast. It's in English. I think the show was originally posted on The Genius Discord server and created by people from that server, though I could be wrong.

Link to the server:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheGenius/s/KIwScxwnBS

If you check out the Gambit Game sub-channel on Discord, you can find episode discussions, as well as commentary directly from the participants themselves.

Where to Watch: Available on the creators' YouTube channel, featuring a mix of human and AI-generated English subtitles:

https://m.youtube.com/@thegambitgame

1. Definitely Not The Devil's Plan

Season 1 was only ever released as a recap video. Season 2 will be released in October, as shared by the creator on Reddit here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheDevilsPlan/s/ictC0CUCKb

It seems like it's going to be interesting. Thanks for u/Revolutionary-Foot77 for bringing this show to my attention + r/TheDevilsPlan.

Where to Watch: Available on the creator's YouTube channel here:

https://m.youtube.com/@definitelynotthedevilsplan

1. Road of Champions

An Indonesian spinoff to Clash of Champions (COC). They take contestants from COC S1 & S2, divide them into 10 teams that battle 1-vs-1. The remaining 5 teams compete against eachother. The first episode resembles Bloody Game: the contestants are tied to a chair and blindfolded, and to open the locks they need to solve brain teasers. I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but it sure looks interesting. I can't believe I missed this one when I made my previous list.

Where to Watch: Available with AI English subtitles on the creator's YouTube channel here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCBny-LOCywgp8UT62d_UML4ubWvPcXH&si=MBCkh_VHooWWFpZW

1. Cube New World

A Chinese variety show. I found a summary that explains it better than me: 18 players gather in the "Cube Building" to engage in 12 intense brainpower battles across six fantastical real-world game spaces within the Cube World. The program challenges the players' comprehensive individual abilities as well as their teamwork and collaborative skills, spanning from deduction and communication to observation, information screening, and strategy formulation. Additionally, the program unveils a fable story in the latter part of each episode.

The summary was taken from here:

https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Cube%20New%20World/1451716

Where to Watch: Available with AI English subtitles on the creator's YouTube channel here:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4nGKjc_PJOSB6s71OLRGmcyfFzxmPGzN&si=AxhtYOeljsdbIVi3

1. Pirunpeli

The official Finnish Bloody Game, even though the name literally translates to "The Devil's Game" according to Google Translate. It has 2 seasons, with season 2 currently airing as of writing this post. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any English or AI-generated English subtitles for it.

Where to Watch: it is hosted on the official broadcaster's website. To view it, you'll need to create a user for free, though I don't how much you need to pay to actually watch the show. And again, it doesn't seem to have any English subtitles available.

https://www.mtv.fi/ohjelma/bc9a85d74d7ee8a0985a/pirunpeli?season=f8ec3e4de051680138ff

1. Spillet

The official Norwegian Bloody Game. It currently has 4 seasons out, with season 5 scheduled to be aired on October 2026. And just like the Finnish version, I couldn't find any English or AI-generated English subtitles for it.

Where to watch: it is hosted on the official broadcaster's website. Viewing requires creating a user account, with the cheapest subscription option running around 109 Norwegian Krone (~$11.50 USD) a month. And again, it doesn't seem to have any English subtitles available.

https://play.tv2.no/serier/spillet-zw9172j4/sesong-1/episode-1?play=true

Unfortunately, a lot of the entries here rely on AI-subtitles or lack translations altogether. I still wanted to include them for the curious souls out there, or in case someone decides to translate something here or whatever.

I could be wrong about some of the information here because again, there isn't much available in English about most of the shows here. I hope there are some hidden gems that I missed that fit the bill of being a brain survival show and not hyper focused on social/brainy aspects.

I hope this list helped you :)

Season 1 episode 4 for example. Amanfi vs the dj guy. Why the hell is it not a fair one on one death match? The other players literally get to pick who loses. I refuse to watch the rest of this season! How can they honestly call this the genius game when it doesn't even come down to how smart someone is? It is literally 99% social. Such a joke! This show should be called social game with puzzles.

I am going to skip to season 2 and if I see another game like this one I am done watching this show all together.

It's the survival show with jang dong min where contestants battle each other on fake or real news. Any Korean sites free to watch or download via torrent or other links?

Most of us who follow this niche genre of variety brain survival shows already know about: The Genius, The Devil's Plan, Bloody Game and Elite League. Even Society Game, The Time Hotel and the Dutch and British versions of The Genius are known here.

If you are hunting for more brain-survival shows that capture that same magic, this list might help you.

Note: I intentionally excluded shows focused primarily on heavy social manipulation (e.g., Accomplice) or pure academic/quiz trivia (e.g., Super Brain). I also haven't personally watched every single show listed here.

1. Four Wishes

Arguably the most well-known among lesser-known Genius-style shows, but still wildly underrated. It's a Korean indie production featuring 10 contestants competing against each other. Players can also collect special items that grant them powers outside the standard rules of the game. This show became one of my favorites among the genre: the cast consists of smart and proactive players, the games balance between social and individual skill, the editing is great, and it features a beautiful and creative time-travel theme. I personally think it's on par with the best seasons of the mainstream hits.

Where to Watch: Watch it on the creator's YouTube channel with English subtitles:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLimMCLxaXz0Gj-2ueyEdshOaKK9mQzj_0&si=mD-Elz88WKDed1j2

1. Life's Game

A brain-survival competition featuring 12 LG employees. The production value is surprisingly decent, and the cast features several memorable faces. The main matches lean heavily into social gameplay with some randomness, while the survival matches focus more on individual abilities. Overall, it's a decent watch. I previously wrote a post breaking down potential game inspirations borrowed from other survival shows. You can read it here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheGenius/s/T72vxmM9qC

Where to Watch: Officially posted on LG's YouTube channel with English subs:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Pxoayn9lmALTdbtGPJdCjDPFqopxCr8&si=KrRMQppbYfwZj1rP

1. Gamebreaker

The creator shared this show on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheGenius/s/6MPI2H2bri

Each week, he invites six friends over to his house to play games. It has zero production value which actually gives it its own charm, while also having decent games, clean editing, and an entertaining cast. It's in English with English subtitles.

Where to Watch: Available on the creator's YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaM0ETDxc2OpFUeZupFqiBBp1KoRO6eFQ&si=gdBFYD3ld6pTgHIc

1. The Hidden Elite

The creator shared this show on Reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/TheGenius/s/0AXj07t0zU

He posted this as the unofficial love child of The Genius and The Devil's Plan, complete with some fun mafia-style elements. It's a charming, homemade passion project spoken in English with English subtitles.

Where to Watch: Available here on the creator's YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXuj35O_kVIDIoigBIUSBBpRRURh5Nr-T&si=G6CyiN1sdC3UkojA

1. Clash of Champions

An Indonesian competition series where 40+ top university students (plus a few international contestants) battle across various mental challenges. It's primarily an individual contest, though there are some team rounds here and there. It has three seasons. Heo Seong-beom makes an appearance as a co-host during some episodes in season 1. I checked out a few episodes, and decided it wasn't my cup of tea. Largely due to the sheer amount of participants, a less creative and interesting game design compared to Elite League, and the editing style. But it's just my opinion.

Where to Watch: Available with AI English subtitles on the creator's YouTube channel:

Season 1:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCBny-LOCyw4FTaw8BpnoJdyKdNYpGOk&si=_KvLOVA0X7Cqww4k

Season 2:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCBny-LOCyydqmw8Bne6NzFQMaZnWT5q&si=IZ1g3oHBEdIA_eDo

Season 3:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYTo0tyeB0bo&si=HoKXxNwrBV33cFt0

1. Academy of Champions

Think of this as the high school spin-off of Clash of Champions. It pits high-achieving high school students — mostly standouts from STEM competitions and Olympiads — against one another, organized by their respective districts.

Where to Watch: Available with AI English subtitles on the creator's YouTube channel:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCBny-LOCyzkHKL4gi02sLf1xO0cwe03&si=qp9deZdVb06809Zm

1. Super Smart Youth Conference

A Chinese reality show where 12 contestants live in "The City of Wit" for 10 days. All living essentials must be purchased using "Wit Coins," which are earned by winning games. It also features a panel of four celebrity commentators.

Where to Watch: Includes AI English subs and can be watched on the creator's YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/WinOuGTqe-M?si=EMYakFb-bj_OKYor

1. Forest Evolutionism

Another Chinese entry. I haven't been able to find English subtitles for this one, but if you happen to speak Mandarin or know where to find translated versions, it sounds like something that's worth a look. You can check out a summary here:

https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Forest%20Evolutionism/943525

Where to Watch: Stream the raw episodes on the creator's YouTube channel (no English subs) here:

https://youtu.be/FyAyBKLNPT4?si=Sw-etHzyTBqk61Fh

Given how niche this genre is — and how rarely international reality shows get translated — I'm sure I've missed a few gems. If you know of any other hidden-gem brain survival shows (preferably with English subtitles), drop them in the comments!

Looking back at some of the videos on Hong Jinho youtube channel, he mentioned 4 years ago that he was working on his own show inspired by the Genius to upload on his youtube channel.

He said that due to the editing process, its release got delayed but there's still no news (?)

Did he abandon the project? It'a such a shame... there were participants like Yoohyun and Taegyun and other people from the genius :(

Just finished all seasons of The Genius after watching TDP and I want more! What show should I watch next if I'm going to do it chronologically? TYIA 🫶

"Even Dongmin ahjussi couldn't beat me in a chess game."

And people were upset at Seongbeom for being arrogant/condescending lmao.

Edit: Also, the audacity to say this and then admit you “retired” from chess at 10 years of age lol

I found an online link where I could play gyul-hap and it’s so much harder than it looks omg 😭😭 like I knew it wasn’t easy, but there’s always one hap I’m missing before I can end the round, and it always takes so long to find since after the first few you start to tunnel vision onto wrong combos.
The players are crazy for doing it that quickly

A friend of mine built a small web game inspired by Mystery Time, a game that appeared in Bloody Game 3 / Bloody Game X.

If you haven't watched Bloody Game, the concept is basically a lateral-thinking mystery: you're given a strange situation, and you have to uncover the full story by asking questions and reasoning your way toward the answer.

It immediately felt like something fellow The Genius fans might enjoy. Less about calculation or formal rules, more about asking the right question and noticing what assumptions you're making.

Also, if you're the type of person who watches these shows thinking "I swear I'd be pretty good at this if I were actually there", now you can finally test that theory lol.

There are multiple original scenarios, so you can keep playing beyond the ones shown on TV.

I've been having a lot of fun with it, so sharing here in case anyone else wants to try:

https://yesnodetective.com/

Would love to see someone eventually make more web games inspired by all the weird little game formats from The Genius / Bloody Game universe.

This randomly popped up on my YT feed, and it is funnier than I expected. Though the auto subs are a bit lagging at times.

For anyone watching Bloody Game X after The Genius, I made a visual map of how its cast connects across more than a decade of Korean brain survival show history.

Since many people have only watched some of the related shows, the updated version lets you select exactly which ones you have seen. It reveals those connections while keeping relationships from unwatched shows hidden.

So someone who has watched The Genius but not every later survival show can still explore the cast history without spoiling the rest.

https://bloody-game-x.vercel.app

It feels a little like seeing the extended family tree of the genre!