There was a time before I knew about killing games. Before Hunger Games, before Danganronpa, before Squid Game. And then, I played 999.
On the face of it, killing games seem sociopathic: We tend to follow a single "player" who is unwittingly enrolled in a game where only the strongest, cleverest, or most underhanded person can survive, and win the prize. Everyone else will die, or be killed, in traumatic and gory ways designed to entertain the fictional audience. The problem is that the fictional audience is also a real audience — an audience of one. The player. You. The premise of the killing game is that you have to be pretty sick to enjoy this spectacle of horror, but the fact that killing games persist in media means that they are enjoyable. Does that make us sick?
999: Nine Persons, Nine Hours, Nine Doors is a Saw-like killing game that takes place in a mysterious sinking ship full of locked doors, scrawled with huge, single-digit numbers in red paint. There are, as the title suggests, nine people aboard the ship, each with their own digital watch-like device bolted onto their wrists, each with a different number on said device. The players must group together to enter the numbered doors by adding together their numbers — 4 and 1 can go into a 5 door, for example — but if a player goes through a door they shouldn't, or tries to remove the device, they explode.
Unsurprisingly, people start dying pretty quickly, because almost everyone on board has secrets, and some of them are the murdery kind. But that's not really the crux of the story in 999, as it slowly becomes clear that there's something else going on. Why are you all here? Who put you here? Who is everyone? And is it actually possible to escape?
I don't want to spoil the game, because I think everyone deserves a chance to play it themselves, and have the mind-blowing twists and revelations happen in real-time. Also, I'm not entirely sure I could explain the plot, even if I wanted to — it's the kind of story that only really makes sense if you're actively following it, and there are plenty of bits that you might need to have knowledge of basic philosophy to understand. So instead, I want to talk about what 999 represented in the world of gaming — and what killing games really mean.
Because, right, listen, I'm not a sociopath. Or a psychopath. I'm pretty normal, and capable of distinguishing fact from fiction. I've never, not even once, trapped an assorted group of teens in a warehouse, a school, or a boat, and made them bump each other off. I don't have the resources for that! But playing killing games like 999, Danganronpa, and Virtue's Last Reward is a fascinating look into the human psyche, accompanied by brilliant writing. (Well, most of the time, anyway. Let's not talk about Danganronpa's love of dodgy and occasionally creepy tropes.)
Killing games are not original. From the gladiatorial fights of the Romans to the 1924 story "The Most Dangerous Game", humans have always been fascinated by killing for sport, and there is almost always a class system involved to determine who has to play and who gets to watch. It's basically a hyper-extreme version of modern poverty, where billionaires hoard wealth and those below the poverty line starve, except that the game allows the latter to potentially become the former... while the rich patrons of the game watch.
In 999, unusually, the game is not divided amongst class lines — the poor, the young, the old, and the rich mingle alike in the captive arena. Instead, the motive here is not to elevate oneself above poverty, but it is twofold: One, for the captives to escape (the reward is their lives) and two, to unwittingly form the solution to an old problem, and be the unaware cogs in a machine built to enact revenge.
As Junpei, one of the people trapped in this killing game, you are expected to team up with a handful of other people to solve a bunch of logic puzzles to solve each room, and then make difficult decisions when the entire group joins back together again after each puzzle — decisions like who to team up with next, and potentially who to leave behind if the numbers don't add up.
As the player, you're not actually faced with the threat of death, because you can just put the DS down at any point — but the stakes for each puzzle are sky-high nonetheless, as each character that you meet is gorgeously intricate, complex, and deep, and you want to see each of their stories to the end. It's not just about rescuing Junpei, your avatar — it's about trying to find the best solution, the one where everyone lives.
So yes, there's perhaps a small crumb of sociopathy in the enjoyment of a killing game — or at best, a morbid fascination, just the same as people who enjoy true crime. It helps that we have some distance from the stories, either because they're fictional or because they're being told as if they're fictional, so we never have to come face-to-face with the real people behind the stories. But it's not just about enjoying the macabre. Killing games allow us to witness the depths of human depravity — but also human generosity.
Hunger Games shows its protagonist giving an impromptu funeral to a young girl, even though it puts her at risk. Squid Game shows its protagonist taking care of an old man, even though the old man is statistically the worst game partner to pick. And 999 shows us people who want to escape, but not always at the cost of the deaths of others. The easiest solution to 999 is to kill everyone, and use their bracelets to escape without having to have a bunch of tedious conversations. But killing games would be boring if everyone in them was a sociopath; the excitement and intrigue comes from the fact that these players care too much to take the easy way out.
999 is one of the best killing game games out there, and so is its follow-up, Virtue's Last Reward (the third in the trilogy, Zero Time Dilemma, isn't quite as good), and that's largely due to its utterly brilliant story, and its unique narrative presentation. It's more twisty than a bag of fusilli, and more turny than Lot's wife, but that's not its only appeal: None of its characters are who they first appear, and by the end of it, you'll want to save almost all of them — even having seen their worst flaws. The test isn't just completing the puzzles in the escape-room segments. It's finding humanity in an inhumane situation.
Comments (58)
I’m probably a sociopath as I discover this kind of game with this anthology. Nice work!
Wait, are the Zero Escape games on Switch?
I don't remember that. But yes, games are fantastic and should be enjoyed. I played Virtue's Last Reward first, but it was still great.
"one of the best killing game games out there" -Kate 2022.
I couldn't vote in the poll because 'I haven't played a killing game' wasn't an option. I didn't actually realize this was a video game genre. Squid Game was a good show, but I feel like playing a game like that (even in safe video-game format) would be stressful.
"Let's not talk about Danganronpa's love of dodgy and occasionally creepy tropes."
this this this. I take severe issue with the Danganronpa series for this very reason, and I've had multiple arguments with hard-core fans who seem to take issue with honest criticism of the series. Danganronpa has a lot of problems that aren't talked about enough.
Haven't played any 'killing games' as of yet (though The World Ends With You is tempting me), but I can tell you right now one that I will never play for as long as I live: Danganronpa. Love the music and the character design is great but I've watched a fair few videos from different parts of all the games and it just looks like the most insensitive, disgusting and vicious for the sake of being vicious game ever. I've been converted to visual novels thanks to Ace Attorney but this is one series I'm not touching for the life of me.
I wouldn't necessarily call 999 a killing game. They're never told that they should kill each other and most don't.
Also just a heads up, none of the Zero Escape games are on Switch.
999 is my favourite (in general the Zero Escape games are great and more thrilling than World's End Club). Raging Loop is intense too.
Played these on the DS and Zero Escape on 3DS amazing games. Couldn’t stop playing them I Unlocked everything apart from a few endings on Zero Escape I can’t get Zero’s real name and who he is under the mask. The deaths where mostly bad endings and there’s a few social deviants. As you don’t know who to trust as the bracelet locked to your wrist injects a poison if your teammates bite to excite you.
I dunno, I like mystery stories but I can't stand excessive violence so I usually stay clear of this kind of game. That said, I did play the first Danganronpa because of its similarities to Ace Attorney, and I could just about cope with the deaths (and the various, er, dodgy aspects) and ultimately enjoyed it for the murder mystery side of things. I think it helped that it had a sense of humour and that the blood was pink. So I might like some other similar games as long as they're not too grim.
(I have also played The World Ends With You but I can't remember a thing about its story. I don't think it was as dark or depressing though.)
I've always liked Virtue's Last Reward way more than 999 honestly. Despite being a longer game it feels a lot less meandering.
That said Danganronpa lands much stronger to me than Zero Escape does. Helps that the whole thing's a very strong trilogy while Zero Time Dilemma is... Yeesh.
I played danganronpa saga last month both games and anime are awesome and while they're are pretty good games I enjoyed zero games much more, mostly for the puzzle solving which I think are a must for a visual novel.
As someone who isn't bothered at all by any of Dangaronpa's "doginess", it's DR2 for me. That one was the first piece of fiction that truly made me cry, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. Granted, I've never played any of the 999 series, so I can't really judge those ones.
@MS7000 They are not, I wrote 999 on the search bar and the only result was world's end club
Wait, since when were the Zero Escape games on Switch?!
But yes, the first two Zero Escape games are unimpeachable masterpieces of the adventure game genre. Absolutely stellar.
@moodycat Gnosia is brilliant. Despite the wildly different style of gameplay, it feels very Zero Escape-y in a number of respects. It's one of the most unique gaming experiences I've had to date.
@alexybubble DR2 is a close second for me after VLR. Such a massive improvement on the original in pretty much every way. I went in expecting a cheap cash-in sequel and came out having experienced one of the best games I've ever played.
Love the Zero Escape collection. Got Virtue's Last Reward on the 3DS. I wish Chunsoft or Aksys did physical copies of Zero Time Dilemma for the European players seeing as it's not in the EShop.
I'm actually playing through this game right now, it's incredibly addicting!
I really got into 999 back on the DS. The story, amazing puzzles, characters, the music, all great stuff. The 2 games that followed didn’t amaze as much but they are still good. Still salty after all these years I got it hit with that glitch on Virtue’s Last Reward and I had to start all over.
I wish there was a poll option like, "I've never played a 'killing game' but I'm intrigued enough now to try". Given both the article and some of the responses in the comments here, I would say that pretty emphatically.
I'm really not sure what to think about visual novel-type games. One of the first things I realized about gaming, in returning after a long absence, is that plot/narrative doesn't have to meet the standards that apply to standalone fiction in order to enhance the player's experience. The Resident Evil series seems to understand that: a B-movie sensibility serves the action and tension quite well, in part because humour and campiness are integral to the whole affair.
Given that, I look forward to playing my copy of Ace Attorney Chronicles, but I still wonder how a title that relies on narrative serves the player, especially given some of the disapproval I read in prior comments...
It's more twisty than a bag of fusilli, and more turny than Lot's wife
Very nice. I would have said, more turny than a neutron star, but then I recalled that people like Ted Cruz exist. (Has he flipped more times than Kain Highwind yet?)
Funny how you mentioned The Hunger Games and Squid Game amongst killing game fiction, but not Battle Royale, which both the book and movie predated, and was definitely a popular entry into this subgenre in my generation.
You are not a sociopath, because the rules (especially moral rules) are different in video games and actions don't have consequences. I have learned something talking to a young boy who told me that he thought he was used to war scenes after playing so many videogame, but watching a video about Ukraine where a panzer drew over a car with a person inside, made him sick. Videogame are there also to learn about the deepest and darkest fantasies humans have, as every piece of art. In fact, I'm sure young people can learn a lot about violence thanks to video games as long as they don't loose the sense of reality. It's also educational for understanding aggressive behaviour. For me playing violent games is a way to relieve stress, and those narrative games are stories in which you actually suffer for losses (like in a good book or movie), but can change the course of events. But sometimes I also just like going around making havoc... Because it's not a real destruction...
Are any of these games on switch and if so whats the best one I should start with ?
True Story: 999 showed me I have prosopagnosia (Face Blindness). The funny thing about it is most people who have it don't realize they have it and just think they're really bad at names.
But (Without revealing too much) there was a puzzle at some point where you have to identify characters by face, and one character was getting weirdly anxious about it, and I realized I was feeling really anxious about it too. I learned about his condition, looked up some facts online, and now I know I have it too.
That axe murder thing though...
I miss the days of the DS in that respect; it had so many cool little games (or visual novels like these) that really tickled my curiousity for weird new games. I really was sucked in by 999; the characters, the scenario, the dialogue, the madness of some endings...
999 and VLR were my first killing games and I love them both. 999 has the best story and VLR has the best gameplay. Also no, the Zero Escape trilogy is not on switch, if they were I would have bought them again.
No mention of Battle Royale! My goodness, also finding 999, being intrigued by the box art then being whirled away for the next 30ish hours without prior knowledge was amazing. A cherished gaming memory. Thanks for the neat throwback article at a different angle.
Can somebody please tell me, like in one or two non-spoilery lines, what the dodgy parts are in Danganronpa? Asking because I've heard them almost universally praised by VN fans as one of the classics of the genre and I've never read too deeply about them because I thought I might buy and play them one day and don't want to be spoilerized.
Is it just the murdering, or is it like sexualizing kids and stuff? I'm okay with a lot of "dodgy" things, but there are some lines I won't cross, and that's one of them.
Got so excited when I saw this. I hope they port it to Switch!
@JasmineDragon I'm curious as well. I did not know this was a genre until today and when I looked up this game, didn't see anything that people said were negative.
Tried getting into Danganronpa.. but "playing" what amounts to a visual novel just isn't very fun to me.
I am pretty sure that the Zero Escape games aren’t on Switch unless Kate knows something we don’t?
Played 999 for the first time last year. Still holds up really well. (And all three Zero Escape games are on Game Pass atm, if anyone’s interested.)
But my favourite is The World Ends With You. That game is sublime on every level: visuals, audio, gameplay and story. Well, maybe the story is merely good, but as a package it’s one of my all-time favourite games.
The Zero Escape franchise and Ai Somnium game (soon to be games) are some of the best I've ever played. So brilliant and so rare in this era.
@SoIDecidedTo @JasmineDragon Without going into spoilers, there's some fan service that people take issue with (the particular characters that they take issue with were both heavily abused as children. One of the two doesn't generally have nearly as bad of reactions to them as the other, but there are still some people who take issue with that one.) Also, there's a character who deals with gender issues in one of the games, and a lot of people don't like how they were handled.
Heavy spoiler warning from here on out.
DR1:
In Danganronpa 1, a lot of people have some issues with how a particular character is handled. The game, up to the point of them being murdered and beyond is referred to as a girl, and is treated as such. While trying to find the culprit of their murder, the game reveals that they were actually a boy the entire time (by having one of the female characters feel down the character's corpse, with the reveal coming when the feel the genitals). This is accompanied by some big reactions from most of the cast, and an intimidate switch to using male pronouns to refer to that character for the rest of the game. The game does state that the pronoun switch was what they would have wanted, though.
DR2:
Danganronpa 2 doesn't have any scenes that people treat with the same contempt as that scene, but this is where some of the fan service issues start cropping up. One of the two aforementioned characters (the better of the two) gets put into several highly compromising positions. There's also two scenes in a later chapter that imply that (after the character has pretty much completely gone insane) she sexually assulted the protagonist. These scenes are completely disregarded by the game after that case is over.
Misc:
Danganronpa 0, 3, V3, and Summer Camp don't really have much of note in terms of these kinds of scenes. Yes, Danganronpa 3 and Danganronpa V3 are two completely different things. 3 finishes the story of the games before, and V3 is a reboot of sorts. I just thought I should mention that while I was bringing these ones up, since it can be confusing.
Ultra Despair Girls:
Then we have Ultra Despair Girls, where the worst of the scenes lies. Do note that the only time that the cannon expects you to played through UDG is for one episode in DR3 (Summer Camp also expects you to have played through UDG, but that isn't cannon), so you can safely skip this one if you feel uncomfortable.
One of the villains of UDG was a child actor. She, alongside her mother, were both put into prostitution by her father. This permanently screwed her up. During one the chapters, she kidnaps one of the main protagonists, and you have to play through a minigame where you have to stop what I can only describe as tentacle rape. After this minigame, the other main protagonist comes to save the first, and fights the villain, shredding most of her clothes in the process. That would already be bad enough, but the villain here is about 12 years old during the game. From what I've heard, people seem to be lukewarm to positive on the rest of her appearances in the game, but that's still a thing you'll have to deal with if you want to play this one.
@alexybubble It's better to add spoiler tags to your post per paragraph.
[ spoiler ] insert text [ / spoiler]
Like that, but without the space in between the brackets.
It'll look like this if you did it right.
EDIT: Good work. And great, detailed response to the question, btw. I was working on a reply of my own, but I couldn't have said it better.
That was a tricky poll question, trying to choose between 999 or Danganronpa 2. I went with 999, which was also my first.
The World Ends With You is also a killing game then? I was aware of it being an RPG in modern day Japan, but didn't know it had killing game elements. It doesn't seem like there's a good way for me to try it out though. Second-hand Nintendo DS prices for it are expensive over here, and there's various complaints about the Switch version's controls.
I'd also recommend Your Turn To Die. It's not on Switch (though neither is Zero Escape), but it's a free web browser game. It takes quite a bit of influence from Danganronpa and Zero Escape, but whilst also doing its own thing.
@crimsontadpoles Honestly, just try the Switch version with a capacitive stylus. I refuse to believe the controls and design of the combat in general can be worse than in the NDS version, having played it just recently.
Also, (light spoilers) TWEWY's characters are trapped in a game in an alternate dimension of sorts where they have to complete specific goals every day or risk being annihilated by the Reapers who oversee it. So it definitely fits the genre.
Bought 999 back then (imported) because it was hyped quite a bit, but it’s not for me. Can’t stand the gore and violence.
For anyone who hasn't read it:
And then there were none, by Agatha Christie.
One of the originators (And I believe it's THE originator) of this concept and one of the tightest designed stories of the last century. It's nerve wrecking even about 90 years later!
I played through Zero Time Dilemma recently, and I had a great time. It's my favourite game of the three.
The fragment system makes it easier to work towards the various endings, as opposed to the system in 999, where you were going blind (hitting triggers in a certain route that would allow you to experience new events, and continue along the 'good end' route - if that makes any sense).
The same system was in Virtue's Last Reward, which I'm playing again, sporadically (coincidentally, it was my first game of the series, followed by 999, which I was fortunate enough to find in a game shop (only released in America on the DS), then Zero Time Dilemma), and the character models make me appreciate the ones in Zero Time Dilemma.
Another thing - I wasn't a fan of Zero Jr. I found him obnoxious.
I did enjoy it when I first played it, although compared to Zero Time Dilemma, the puzzles were a bit harder for me.
Similarly, having played all three Danganronpa games, I'm a fan of the third game too - technically, it's improved over the previous two, and I liked the plot & ending, but those games were more similar to each other than the games in the Zero Escape series, so it's hard to pick my favourite. In terms of pure content, V3 was vastly superior, but I enjoyed playing all three.
Alas, I can't vote in the poll because I haven't played any of these games on the Switch.
My favorite is definitely virtues last reward.
Those final hours are mind bending, it phisically did things to me. God it was so good!!
Honestly had no idea this game was on the Switch, I just bought the trilogy on PC last year during a Steam sale. I had always wanted to try 999 when it was on the DS, but never got the money saved up at the time to get it.
That being said, I'm interested in the killing game genre (probably weirdly for a Christian, I know), to the point I've watched multiple playthrough of the first Danganronpa and thought about purchasing the collection on Switch. But those games make me extremely anxious so I haven't, even tho a friend gifted me the first two on Steam. Just can't seem to bring myself to play them. :/
TWEWY and NEO:TWEWY tho, now we're talking. TWEWY is my personal favorite game of all time, and its Switch treatment breaks my heart because of how good the game is. The docked controls are just horrendous. NEO fixed it and did it so well, I'm still working on getting 100% in the game.
Gnosia was a very weird game that of course I ended up heavily invested in for a while after it released. Bought it on both my OG Switch and my Lite, but still haven't finished it. I fully intend to go back to it and see what the deal is with the story and everything, but I've made other game promises that I need to finish first.
Anyway, I put my vote to NEO:TWEWY, because of my deep love for the duology. Maybe once I've finish Yakuza 7 I'll use my gaming PC for an actual game and play 999.
@alexybubble Thanks, I appreciate the info. I didn't want to read all the spoilers, but I read the first couple to get a bit more of an informed choice to buy or not.
The first thing sounds annoying as hell but is definitely something I'm used to and can handle.
The second one kind of depends how things are depicted and what the intent is. Is it fanservicey, or is it part of the horror of the characters' situation? It makes all the difference. I love horror. I don't love erotica featuring minors. I'm having a bit of a problem with this in Mary Skelter 2 - for the most part it's been okay, but there is at least one character who is definitely meant to at least suggest a child even if she isn't one technically, and it's skeevy when they get fanservicey with her. I get it, it's acceptable in Japan, etc., but I'm not Japanese.
I'm still a bit on the fence with Danganronpa, but it sounds like it's content I would be okay with. I really appreciate that you took the time to answer, and in a good thorough manner too. Many Internet points heading your way!
@JasmineDragon I've only played the first Danganronpa game but another issue I have with it is a character with a particular mental health condition. It's not something I know a lot about but I think the portrayal of it in the game is unrealistic and possibly offensive to people with the condition. That's probably not an issue that would put you off playing the game though, it's just something to be aware of.
@valharian A physical pack for these three games would be wonderful. I just wait for it (especially since the third is no more on 3ds eshop)
Sadly, World end club is pretty bad.
999 is the only game on this list that I've played because playing through Virtue's Last Reward in my second language sounds tedious at best, but I loved it. I don't love the idea of killing games in general, though, because I want everyone to survive, and I know that especially on TV or in a movie, that's not going to happen. Like Battle Royale or Running Man... great movies, but I always feel terrible for the people who don't make it.
An added side note, I played through to every possible ending in 999, and reading this review reminds me that I kind of forgot most of it, other than that it got pretty weird and confusing by the end.
Wouldn't "escape games" be a better more fitting name for the genre? It fits better with the japanese word for these games and more accurately describes the premise.
Also the Zero Escape games arent currently on the Switch, unless they were announced recently and we just haven't heard it. Otherwise the poll is highly misleading
I played all the zero escape games. While I absolutely loved 999 and thought Zero Time Dilemma was pretty good, I hated Virtue's Last Reward so much that I couldn't do more then one ending (looked the others up online and still hated it).
The danganronpa games have really high highs (almost all murder cases are extremely well thought out) and low lows (most characters rely one one gimmick and keep repeating the same lines over and over throughout the whole game, very rarely there is actual character development).
My order would be:
1. 999
2. Dagonronpa
3. Zero Time Dilemma
4. Dagonronpa 2
5. Dagonronpa 3
6. Virtues Last Reward
999 series is sincere. Amazing games, they are definitely in the must play territory. As soon as AI Somnium Files goes on sale I’ll be getting it. Would love a new entry in the 999 series…they should create escape rooms based off the nonary game!
i feel like a lot of zero escape/infinity fans only really recommend rei jin g lu p/raging loop bc of the timeline mechanic, but honestly? gnosia is sooooo much more in line with uchikoshi works. like i would bet everything i own that the gnosia devs were fans of zero escape and infinity, would absolutely recommend gnosia over any other game (raging loops really good too though!)
Sorry that I mistakenly said 999 and VLR were on Switch, I was sick when I wrote this (but didn't know it yet) 😅
@KateGray Oh, i WISH 999 was on switch. Youtuber whoisthisgit spent an hour and a half on it, and he hooked me
The Zero Escape games are a top 3 series for me (Zelda + Mass Effect). Picking a favourite between the first two is painful but I would maybe say VLR edges it slightly despite 999 being my first love (even though Clover's redesign is horrendous).
Whilst ZTD is a letdown from the heights of the first two the 3rd of the game following the VLR characters is masterfully written.
@JasmineDragon @Dogorilla
That to me was the most egregious issue with Danganronpa1. It felt shockingly poor taste and also ruined any likability for that character to the point I was hoping they died so I didn't have to cringe at them anymore.
I would add that there is a scene in the first game where all the (teenage) male characters spy on the (teenage) female characters changing into swimwear. If I remember correctly the game let's you 'choose' to disapprove of this but your character does it anyway. The accompanying image wasn't graphic but it felt shockingly purile to me and my partner. I guess the characters are all similar ages but
I haven't played the sequels yet but the overall quality of the writing is nowhere near as deep as the Zero Escape games (at least to me) even if it was engaging and moreish.
@AJWolfTill We may be thinking of different characters, because the one I'm talking about didn't die in the first game at least. I would say you should probably use spoiler tags for that first paragraph, but I'm not actually sure what character you mean even though I've played the game, lol.
I agree that scene is in poor taste as well. I didn't actually see it when I played the game (I think you had to obtained a particular item to trigger it?) but I was told about it. If I remember right there were also a few comments made throughout the game about the size of Hina's breasts, which made me a bit uncomfortable too as she's a teenager.
@Dogorilla
Having looked it up that character never died so I imagine we are talking about the same one. I guess I had just been wishing for it rather than relieved.
Oh yeah, I had forgotten the Hina stuff.
@alexybubble Thank you so much for this. And thanks to @Ralizah for teaching us all how to do spoiler quotes. I had no idea. Ralizah is awesome!
I can't believe you haven't listed [Among Us]!
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