Gonggi Squid Game

Gonggi with a Squid Game theme, supplied in a metal tin.

Gonggi (Korean: 공기, IPA: [koːŋɡi]) is a popular Korean children's game traditionally played with five or more small grape-sized pebbles. Nowadays children buy colourful plastic stones instead of finding pebbles. It can be played alone or with friends. The stones are called gonggitdol (공깃돌). As only a few stones and a flat surface are needed to play, the game can be played by anyone almost anywhere. A similar game also exists in Nepal and is known as 'gatti'.

The game is also called Jjagebatgi in North Gyeongsang Province, Salgu in South Gyeongsang Province and Datjjakgeoli in South Jeolla Province.

The game
generally starts with each player throwing the stones from the palm of the hand up into the air. While the player is in the air, the player turns the hand back upwards. The gonggi stones are then caught on the back of the hand. The person with the leading number plays first.

How to play gonggi
Level 1: The stones are thrown onto the playing surface, and the player chooses one stone to throw up into the air. While the stone is in the air, the player picks up one stone from the playing surface. The player then catches the stone. These steps are repeated until all the stones have been caught.
Level 2: The stones are again thrown onto the playing surface. At this level, however, the player picks up two stones at a time.
Level 3: The stones are thrown onto the playing surface. The stones are picked up once in a cluster of three, and the second time in a quantity of one.
Level 4: The player throws one stone up into the air, places the others on the surface and catches the airborne stone. The player then throws the same stone again, but this time picks up the four clustered stones from the playing surface and catches the airborne stone.
Level 5: The player throws the stones from the palm of the hand up into the air. While the player is in the air, the player turns the hand over. The stones are then caught on the back of the hand. The player then throws the stones up into the air and catches them. The number of stones caught counts towards the score. There are various tricks in this phase. Some examples are the Dragon and the Clap Toss. Such showing off is not allowed in the official game, however.

Various tricks in level 5
Dragon
While the stones are in the air, the player turns the hand back upwards, catches several stones, turns the hand back downwards and catches the stones that remain.

Clap toss
While the stones are in the air, the player claps before catching the stones.

Both the dragon and the clap toss give the player twice as many points; twice as many stones.