Glass Stepping Stones

**Glass Stepping Stones** (징검다리건너기 *Jing-geomdali Keonneogi*?, lit. Stepping Stone Bridge) was the fifth game of the 33rd Squid Game held in 2020.

The game involved contestants attempting to cross two parallel bridges by jumping across tempered glass panels while avoiding weaker panels of regular glass. Those who landed on a regular glass panel broke through the panel and fell to their deaths from a high place, resulting in their elimination from the game.

Sixteen players entered the game; thirteen died and three progressed to the next round. Notable eliminations include Player 212 and Player 101.

## About

Players were asked to choose a jacket with a number from 1 to 16 before the game; shortly after it was revealed to the players that each number represented the order in which the contestants would play.

The game took place in a colossal chamber decorated to resemble the interior of a circus tent. Players began the game atop a platform at one end of the room which was connected to another platform at the opposite end by two parallel bridges, each one holding 18 glass panels. Each of the panels was either made from tempered glass, which could withstand the weight of at least two players; or regular glass, which would shatter on impact and cause the player to fall to their death, resulting in their elimination. The goal of the game was for players to successfully cross the bridges by jumping across the tempered glass while avoiding the regular glass, within a 16-minute time limit.

Once the given time limit had reached zero, all glass panels exploded to eliminate any players who remained on the bridges. Broken glass fragments from the explosion greatly injured the three successful players, with Player 067 receiving a debilitating injury from the shrapnel.

## Methods to win

If players have knowledge about glass-making like Do Jung-soo, it will be easier for them to pass since tempered glasses and normal glasses can be told by looking at the reflection of the glasses or hearing the sound of the glasses. Another way to throw other players who are in the front at the glass panels to test whether it is tempered or not.

## Players Eliminated

* Player 096
* Player 308
* Player 062
* Player 021
* Player 453
* Player 151
* Player 244
* Player 407
* Player 322 (Jung Min-tae)
* Player 212 (Han Mi-nyeo)
* Player 101 (Jang Deok-su)
* Player 360 (Ham Young-nam)
* Player 017 (Do Jung-soo)

## Players Passed

* Player 456 (Seong Gi-hun)
* Player 218 (Cho Sang-woo)
* Player 067 (Kang Sae-byeok)

## Trivia

* The players were very unlucky during this game, it has been calculated in most instances seven or more people would win the game. If we assume that each player guesses at random, they should break nine of the eighteen glass panels.
* There was initially supposed to be one more player, Player 069, but he committed suicide prior to the game.
* In reality, you would not see stains on toughened glass; instead, a light effect called anisotropy would be visible under certain lighting conditions.
* Additionally, there was supposed to be 20 players alive after Marbles, although only 17 are seen alive at the start of this episode. It is likely that two pairs did not finish their game in time, and hence two more players were eliminated.
* This game is based on 징검다리 (*Jing-geomdali*), a kid's game in Korea. It is referred to as such in the original Korean version. Video of children playing the game here
* While unconfirmed, it is theorized that the players in the front could have survived longer within the bounds of the game by guessing a few tiles and then forcing those behind them to go ahead. Though the rules state that their numbers are the order in which they have to play, they are somewhat vague in this regard and do not specify that one must keep guessing until their elimination after getting on the bridge and guessing at least one tile correctly, possibly creating a loophole.
	+ It is also speculated that the players could've survived by walking along the metal beams supporting the tiles, though this is unlikely, as the method would have gone against the spirit of the game and would likely have been disallowed.