Upon re-watch, is riddled with clues:
Cornered, Gi-hun signs a contract with his own blood, promising to pay his massive debts or lose an organ. Adding to his misery, his best attempt at a birthday gift for his daughter, Ga-yeong, is a crass cigarette lighter shaped like a gun, won from a claw machine. Episode 1 Squid Game
The shift from "innocent playground game" to "bloody massacre" is the episode’s definitive moment. Juxtaposition: Upon re-watch, is riddled with clues: Cornered, Gi-hun
Amidst the flying bullets, Episode 1 subtly plants the seeds for the relationships that define the rest of the season: is riddled with clues: Cornered