Ghaziabad sisters’ suicide pact: What's online ‘Korean lover game’ that lists ‘chilling final task’

Amid rising concerns over online gaming addiction and a series of tragic incidents involving teenagers, the term “Korean Games” has come under sharp public and official scrutiny.

In the context of the recent Ghaziabad sisters' tragedy and global trends, "Korean Games" usually refer to three different things.  Experts, however, caution that the phrase is often misunderstood and loosely used to describe different kinds of games and online trends—each carrying varying degrees of risk.

Here is a breakdown of what they are and why some have become a cause for concern:

What does the term 'Korean Games' refer to?

Specialists broadly classify such games and trends into three categories:

Task-based 'love' or simulation games

The most alarming category includes Otome or visual novel-style games, sometimes referred to as “Korean love games.” These games feature highly stylised fictional characters—often inspired by K-pop culture—with whom players interact through scripted storylines or AI-driven chats.

Mental health experts warn that these games can involve emotional manipulation, asking players to complete tasks at odd hours to “prove” loyalty or sustain a virtual relationship. For adolescents, this may blur the line between reality and fiction, leading to sleep deprivation, academic decline, social withdrawal, and emotional dependence.

Competitive online games 

South Korea is a global leader in professional gaming and has developed popular titles such as PUBG, MapleStory, Black Desert, and Lost Ark. While not inherently dangerous, these games are designed for long play sessions and often rely on reward-based systems like loot boxes and gacha mechanics, which can make disengagement difficult—especially for children.

Traditional games and viral challenges

Following the global popularity of the Netflix series Squid Game, traditional Korean children’s games such as Red Light, Green Light and the Dalgona candy challenge went viral online. Though harmless in their original form, experts warn that extreme or modified online challenges inspired by such trends can encourage risky behaviour.

Why are authorities and parents alarmed?

Experts cite high-engagement design, emotional pressure, secrecy, and social isolation as major concerns. Some platforms use “dark patterns” to keep users online longer, widening the communication gap between children and parents.

Ghaziabad tragedy

Concern intensified after a tragic incident in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where three sisters aged 12, 14, and 16 jumped to their deaths from the ninth floor of their apartment around 2 am on Wednesday.

Police suspect the girls were influenced by a task-based online game allegedly called ‘Korean Lover’, which they had reportedly been playing for two to three years. Screenshots recovered from their phones allegedly showed suicide listed as the final task.

A suicide note recovered from the spot read:

“Mummy, Papa, sorry. The game you wanted us to quit, now you will realise how much we loved it. Korean was our life.”

Investigators said the girls were deeply emotionally attached to the game, had stopped attending school, and reportedly believed they were “Korean princesses.” The parents told police they were unaware of the game’s true nature and believed it was a normal mobile pastime.

Expert warnings and safety measures

Psychologists warn that such task-based challenges rely on gradual psychological grooming, not force, making adolescents particularly vulnerable—especially those facing loneliness, academic stress, or emotional isolation.

Authorities have linked these patterns to earlier cases involving challenges such as Blue Whale and Blackout, and are using the IT Rules, 2021 for content takedowns while promoting mental-health helplines.

Warning signs for families include secrecy about phone use, withdrawal from social interaction, disturbed sleep, fixation on dark content, and expressions of hopelessness.

Experts stress the need for parental awareness, open communication, screen-time monitoring, digital literacy and timely mental-health support to prevent further tragedies.