An action packed thriller and source of the hit Netflix drama where the only way to survive is to play the game Eighteen year old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life School sucks his love life is a joke and his future feels like impending doom As he struggles to exist in a world that can t be bothered with him Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true But this new world isn t an empty paradise it s a vicious game And the only way to survive is to play The first game starts with a bang but Ryohei manages to beat the clock and save his friends It s a short lived victory however as they discover that winning only earns them a few days grace period If they want to get home they re going to have to start playing a lot harder