Missing Nine Puzzles? These 5 K-dramas will keep you guessing with their unpredictable twists

Disney+’s latest crime thriller, Nine Puzzles, premiered on May 21, 2025, and quickly became a global hit due to its unpredictable storyline. The K-drama narrates the story of Yoon I-na (Kim Da-mi), who becomes a suspect in her uncle’s murder because she was found at the crime scene with no recollection of how she got there.

Years later, I-na becomes a criminal profiler and begins solving a case involving a string of murders, which shockingly connects with her uncle’s murder due to puzzle pieces found at the crime scene. Obsessed with finding her uncle’s killer, I-na begins the investigation, where she is met with shocking and unpredictable twists.

The Disney+ show concluded on June 4, 2025, with I-na finally catching the killer, who was closer to her than she knew, leaving fans wanting more Korean series like Nine Puzzles. This article will provide you with 5 K-dramas, just like Nine Puzzles, that have mystery and unpredictable twists that you will find yourselves guessing on who the actual culprit is.

5 K-dramas like Nine Puzzles

5) Karma

Karma involves murder mysteries and unusual connections between the characters and has a dark and thrilling vibe to it. The K-drama begins with Jae-yeoung hiring Gil-ryong to kill his father, Dong-sik, to get an insurance payout that could solve his debt problem. Gil-ryeong stages the body, which is then hit by Sang-hun, who later thinks he killed Dong-sik and tries to hide the body with a witness, who saw him hit Dong-sik. This starts a twisty tale where one character, while trying to hide their own crimes, commits more crimes, involving more people.

Just like Nine Puzzles, where the reason for the murders began with the greed for power and money, Karma also has a mysterious and dark vibe and also begins with a character's selfish needs.

4) The King of Pigs

Kim Dong-wook in The King of Pigs | Image via Studio Dragon

Nine Puzzles was a hit among viewers due to its theme of using nature at its worst and the effects that destroy the lives of people considered to be at the bottom of society. The King of Pigs follows the same theme of showing the worst of human beings. The K-drama follows two classmates, one, Gyeong-min, who has become a serial killer and hasn't forgotten the severe bullying he endured during his high school, and the other, Jong-seok, now a detective. The mysterious tale connects the two with a death that happened two decades ago.

Nine Puzzles also connects the serial killer and I-na, the criminal profiler, with a murder that they committed 10 years ago, which was due to a reason that she finds out at the end. Therefore, The King of Pigs should be your next watch if you enjoyed Nine Puzzles, as the twisty tale would remind you of the Disney+ series.

3) Mouse

Mouse is one of the popular K-dramas in the crime thriller genre. It narrates the story of Moo-chi, now a detective, who, like I-na from Nine Puzzles, has witnessed something horrific as a child and carries the trauma within to this day. Moo-chi, in this K-drama, tries to catch a psychopathic killer while also understanding the behavioral patterns of psychopaths and also how people around them would react when they notice these patterns. Will they help rectify it or just ignore it? That's one of the main questions answered in the series.

Mouse delves into more psychological elements in trying to understand psychopaths and whether they feel any remorse toward their victims. Therefore, the tale delves into the psychology behind a criminal's mind and curates a story that would keep you hooked from beginning to end.

2) Beyond Evil

Inspired by Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s acclaimed crime thriller, Memories of Murder, Beyond Evil’s narrative gets twisty as it progresses. While catching a serial killer in a small town, where everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise. Joo-won comes to this small town from Seoul to prove that Dong-sik might have been the murderer who killed his own sister. The problem arises when their friends and family become suspects, which results in both of them suspecting each other as well. The case becomes more entangled when they begin questioning themselves about being accomplices in the murders, revealing new secrets.

The twists in this K-drama are mind-boggling, and it also shares many of its elements with Nine Puzzles. Dong-sik is suspected of murdering his sister, just like I-na was suspected of murdering her uncle, and Joo-won is the one who suspects Dong-sik, just like Han-saem suspects I-na in Nine Puzzles.

1) Revenant

Kim Tae-ri in Revenant | Image via Studio S

While a supernatural thriller, Revenant has many elements similar to Nine Puzzles. The K-drama narrates the story of San-yeong, who gets possessed by an evil spirit and goes on a killing rampage, which is concluded as suicides, as there is no evidence against her. She joins hands with Hae-sang, who can see ghosts and is aware of San-yeong's possession even before her. They try to solve the murders and how they are connected, which brings forth a tale involving horrendous crimes committed by powerful people against the powerless, resulting in the creation of the evil spirit.

The Disney+ series, like Nine Puzzles, depicts the failure of society that leaves the powerless giving in to the whims of powerful people while also highlighting suicides, as Korea has high suicide rates.