Last two weeks, 나인 퍼즐 have taken over my entire brain. I’m not even kidding. I’ll be working, eating, even attempting to nod off and suddenly find myself thinking, “Wait on, but suppose that clue wasn’t a coincidence? ” That’s the kind of depth drama gets out of me. If you’ve been viewing it too, then you get what I mean, and if this has left you hankering for that same otherworldly, mind-bending adrenaline high, then you’re probably in search of Kdramas Like Nine Puzzles —and trust me, you’re not alone. The tension, the psychological suspense, those ominous silences — would be the kind of praetorian show which does not ask you to watch but provokes you to chant the mystery.
Only nine episodes are out as I write this, and I’m already in a death spiral. Nine Puzzles has all I could ask for in a drama: a slow burning mystery, morally dubious individuals, intelligent deduction and the ultimate question that looms over everyone: Who can you trust?
But before I make it to the list, I should technically say: if you haven’t been keeping up with Nine Puzzles, you are genuinely missing something special. It is directed by Yoon Jong-bin and Lee Eun-mi, and features Kim Da-mi as profiler Yun I-na and Son Suk-ku as Detective Kim Han-saem. The premise? I-na witnessed her uncle being killed a decade ago. Instead of being protected, she ended up as the prime suspect of the primary investigator, Han-saem.
Cut to the modern day: I-na is now a chief profiler for the Seoul Metropolitan Police, and fate has it that she must utilise the skills of the very person who once questioned her capabilities. They’re paired together and dropped into a series of terrifying murders that could be connected to her own traumatic history.
This drama doesn’t merely provide mystery, it constructs an entire maze around it. And if you are like me, you’re somehow already obsessed and searching for something just like this drama. So, here are six kdramas Similar to Nine Puzzles that will mess with your head every bit as much (in the best possible way).
Kdramas Like Nine Puzzles
The Lies Within
Not many people talk about The Lies Within, but honestly? But, you know what? It should be cherished, particularly if you’re looking for Nine Puzzles similar shows like this one that investigate high-stakes cover-ups and emotive repression. Centred on an unexplained demise, the show investigates political machinations and personal treachery, and features Lee Min-ki and Lee Yoo-young.
Understanding just how much to raise tension without overdoing it is the speciality of director Lee Yoon-jung. I enjoyed how real all the characters were, no heroes, no villains, just people making impossible choices. It’s subtle yet powerful.
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Flower of Evil
One of the best Korean mystery series I’ve ever seen. If you were drawn to the way that Nine Puzzles allowed you to emotionally invest in its characters who were, but possibly guilty suspects, Flower of Evil will be your new favourite. What struck me most here is Lee Joon-gi’s performance. He is Baek Hee-sung, a doting husband with a frightening secret. Told from the perspective of director Kim Cheol-kyu, the classic “good guy vs bad guy” tale is turned on its head.
Watching Moon Chae-won act out his wife, a detective who gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth about her husband without realising it? Unsettling. There were moments I didn’t know whether to protect him or run from him. The emotional whiplash is real, and that’s what makes it so addictive to watch.
Mouse
For those who love dark and disturbing psychological thriller kdramas, Mouse delivers that in spades. Lee Seung-gi delivers an all-time best career performance as a lovably unassuming policeman whose life disintegrates once he is involved in a string of serial murders.
Directed by Choi Joon-bae and Kang Cheol-woo, this drama is more an experiment in psychology than it is a detective show, because it is precisely that: an examination of exactly how far one will go when their self slips away from them. I enjoyed on a personal level how it messes with morality — like, are we evil by birth or do we learn it? The plot twists hit us like a freight train, and I think I actually gasped out loud more times than I’m willing to admit.
Also Read: A Widow’s Game Review: Seductive Yet Predictable Thriller That Falls Apart at the End
Beyond Evil
If you enjoy dramas that slowly strip away your faith in all the people on screen, Beyond Evil is the show. Yeo Jin-goo and Shin Ha-kyun slayed as a duo of detectives hunting for a serial killer while also burying their own demons from the past. Shim Na-yeon directed this show, and I was questioning every line of dialogue.
What most connected with me was the show’s absence of a reliance on flashy chase sequences or constant plot twists. Rather, it’s all about creating emotional beats and character tensions. It genuinely felt to me like the climate at Nine Puzzles, where even gazing across the room at somebody can feel like a threat.
Doubt
If you are fond of emotionally intense kdramas, Doubt is probably what you need. It’s about Jang Tae-su (Han Seok-kyu), a respected criminal profiler whose life at work and home disintegrates when a murder case suggests his own daughter is the likely suspect. This drama is an emotional gut punch for good reason: It’s not just solving a crime, it’s what happens when the one person you’ve built your world around gets sucked into that crime.
The emotional struggle is massive here, and adds a raw, human factor that fans of character-driven thrillers may dig. There’s a poignant conflict in the relationship between Jang Tae-su and his daughter, Ha-bin (Chae Won-bin), as he grapples with his profiler instincts and paternal love.
Signal
Oh, Signal. If you haven’t viewed this one yet, check it out. Kim Hye-soo, Lee Je-hoon and Cho Jin-woong bring such sincerity and emotional depth to their roles that I was hooked from the very beginning. The show, which is directed by Kim Won-seok and written by Kim Eun-hee, takes advantage of the bond of a mystical walkie-talkie to solve cold cases through dialogues that transcend time.
But here’s the thing that really drew me in: It’s not just a crime-solving series, it’s a series about the heartbreak that comes with it. Like dark Korean dramas, it gets at the core of individual loss and lost opportunities, and the space between justice and truth. I consider that from time to time.
K-dramas such as Nine Puzzles make you obsessed, and if you are also dashing around in your phase of fixation, then with these six dramas, your days are going to be absolutely busy. Each one has its own flavour of suspense, ethical dilemma and emotional baggage. So plunge in, please — you perhaps wish to clear your schedule first. Trust me, these dramas don’t let up easily.
