Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Both of these games are incredibly well-done and interesting in ways that I wasn't expecting. On the sci-fi side of genre, both 999 and VLR wind up being thought-provoking and encourage interactivity with the story, including trying to connect the pieces of the branching storylines yourself. They offer plenty of replayability as well! Highly recommend for anyone interested in traditional point-and-click adventures as well as visual novels, as they are really a hybrid of the two genres.

One of the best visual novels I've played (or read?). What you get here is actually two games: 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward.

What should you expect? A story loaded with sci-fi references, challenging puzzles, and a memorable cast of characters. Both games rely on these dynamics to deliver one of the most unique experiences out there.

Ignore the playtime, already played the originals way back in the day. While 999 has a good amount of its punch removed due to the original narrative heavily relying on the NDS' dual screens, Virtue's Last Reward remains one of the most brilliant mystery thriller plots ever with no compromises made for the PC port.

What it lacks a bit in characterization it makes up tenfold in the nail bitingly tense narrative that's incredibly satisfying to unravel. Even if 999 was the worst game ever (it's not, it's one of the best VN's ever made), it'd be worth playing just to experience Virtue's Last Reward to the end. Buy it, play it, your life will be that little bit more rich for it.

Half of VLR gameplay is watching map and doors open and close. Why is this even in the game.

999: genuine peak writing, great cast and fantastic plot twists and gameplay.

VLR: please make sure you go in blind(for both of them but ESPECIALLY this game) beyond amazing story, the puzzles are challenging but still doable and once again a great cast, the way these games link in the end is absolute cinema

It's worth it for the English voice acting in 999 alone. If you want to believe that a world where anime dubs aren't awkward and directionless is possible, look no further.

Of course, the writing is also really good.

For puzzle enjoyers this is a must!! Really cool games, great puzzles, nice story, very deep quantum entanglement Schroedinger plot. 10/10

i've heard quite a lot about the zero escape series in the past, so my expectations were decently high going into this (specifically 999). needless to say, these games do NOT disappoint. arguably some of the best vns to date. the blend of gameplay functions and narrative (ESPECIALLY the branching routes) is a genius and engaging mechanic very very few vns are able to pull off. if you like point and click puzzle games, high tension mysteries, who-dunnit murders, and just a sprinkle of deranged, you'll love zero escape.

999 is definitely the stronger of the two. i think it makes for a great standalone title just by itself. right off the bat, the game is absolutely DRIPPING with tension- no matter how much time passed, i was able to spend almost the entirety of my playthrough hanging on the edge of my seat. the mc is charming and relatable, and the supporting cast really really shines. one of the very few times a game made jokes that were consistently making me laugh, and the english vas' performances enhanced the delivery even more. the puzzles are the perfect blend of being satisfying without frustrating, although there were a few times where i got stuck just because i couldn't find something. it was never long enough to really bother me, but i know this might get to some people! the story can be a bit wacky (there's a lot of pseudoscientific jargon) at times, but trust me, you will not be able to tear your face away from the screen. i do however, really recommend using a spoiler-free guide once you've gotten your first couple of endings if you want to see all of them, because there are some very specific paths and decisions you have to follow. overall an utter gem of a game that i truly believe everyone MUST play at some point.

my feelings on VLR are not quite as strong. all in all, it was an enjoyable experience, but i don't think that it was really able to capture my heart the way 999 did. the aesthetics of the main setting didn't resonate as strongly with me, and the characters (while well written) unfortunately take more of a backseat in this game. you will also hear about 10x more pseudoscientific/philosophical monologues this time, so buckle up! the puzzles definitely spike in difficulty, and you'll be going through significantly more here. you also WILL need to write certain clues and such down. the memo pad is alright on pc, but i'd just suggest grabbing some pen and paper. if 999 had a strange premise, VLR is FARRRRR OUT. but weirdly enough, it works? i think the endings of the different routes are also amazing. crazy, but amazing. for a sequel, VLR does a great job, even if i still favored the first game in the end.

despite all the time it took me to unlock all of the flowcharts, i don't regret a single minute spent playing. zero escape will have you rolling in emotions for days, and i couldn't recommend it more.

best puzzle game ive played in a long while, and 999 is an amazing game in general. VLR is good too, but nowhere near the perfection 999 is.

I don't play a lot of visual novel style games, but I knew that this series was very highly regarded and wanted to give it a shot. As of writing this, I have not yet completed the trilogy, just the 2 featured here, but I will still share my thoughts. Overall it was an enjoyable experience to go through, though it definitely lost my interest at points due to the slow burn nature of it and certain stretches of the game where not a lot of new information is being presented to you as you backtrack through the various branching paths. The story however was really engaging and I found myself completely hooked as things finally came together in both games. Here were my intitial thoughts after completing each game.

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999):
Although it took me some time to really get sucked into it, once I was, I couldn't put it down. Watching the story unfold, uncovering the different endings, and finding out how it all fit together was really satisfying. I will say that some of the puzzles in the game felt more like a way to waste time rather than actually engage me though. Rarely did I feel smart for figuring out a puzzle, nor did I find them very rewarding, but thankfully each puzzle goes by pretty quickly so it wasn't a huge deal. The main reason I was here was for the story anyways and I feel as though it delivered. I still have some questions left unanswered, but I believe that will change as I dive into the next game in the series. It's a bit silly, a little convoluted, and maybe even a bit confusing at times, but I can't say I was bored. The experience as a whole left me wanting more and because of that, I give it a thumbs up.

Virtue’s Last Reward:
A much larger endeavor than the previous game that I found myself having more trouble sticking with. Given that this game has far more branching paths, there's obviously more story to consume and read through, but a lot of what transpires in certain paths is largely the same with characters just having slightly different dialogue options. This made going through certain paths feel far more tedious up until you start getting to the endings of each path when the pieces start coming together. This game also wastes a TON of time showing you traversing through the setting of the game. Half of your time is spent watching doors open, seeing yourself move along the map, or flipping levers. There's is no way to speed these moments up (from what I could tell) and it takes up a lot of time making certain parts of the game drag on far more than they should. The puzzles I feel were pretty in line with the first game. There were a few that made me struggle a bit, and some that felt more like a way to slow me down rather than an actual puzzle, but overall they were enjoyable and didn't overstay their welcome. Now with all of that out of the way, the main part of these games is of course the story. And boy what a story it is. Some of it, at least to me, seems a little far-fetched (particularly dealing with the number 6), but beyond that, the amount of twists and reveals once everything finally starts coming together is incredible. I am genuinely impressed with the story that was crafted and how everything tied together and even looped back to things from the first game. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention, or maybe it's partially due to the fact that I was chipping away at the game so slowly, but almost all of the reveals the plot offered me caught me off guard and the ending leaves you on such a cliffhanger that really makes you want to jump in and close out this wild journey with the final game. It just checks all of my favorite boxes when it comes to these types of stories. Genuinely enjoyed it, though some QoL updates to make getting through tedious animations could have greatly helped.

Two very ambitious games, amazing puzzles, great characters, and interesting stories. There is a lot to like about Zero Escape and I heavily recommend it for anyone looking for a fix of puzzles, characters, and intrigue. Though 999 is my favorite for my preferences, ZLR is immensely ambitious and really does pull the rug out from under you constantly, definitely a rollarcoaster.

Amazing games with amazing stories that hooked me instantly, especially 999.

Really well made games with an interesting story and good plot twists. Worth the pay off in the end. I do think the ability to skip dialogue should be better when it's repeated dialogue just from other characters to make doing different lines easier.

Really interesting stories and the puzzles are pretty consistently great. Good blend of escape room puzzling and high concept philosophy stories.

Perfectly respectable puzzle thriller visual novel with a survival game setup. The writing isn't amazing by any means, but the scenarios and puzzles are sensible enough for the kind of game it is. Of the two, 999 stands up better. Playing on a handheld is definitely the way to go, as that's what the games were originally designed for. Playing on a big screen feels a bit clumsy.

I think the flowchart in this port is such a massive QOL improvement to 999 that it outweighs any potential drawbacks. Playing the original DS game is a slog due to the game kicking you back to the very first room of the entire game after each ending (of the 16 endings, by the way, only 3 are not "bad" endings. take notes!). The voice acting is also top notch.
You probably know what you're in for if you're looking to play VLR.

Great game, ended up being one of my favorite franchised games of all time.
the gameplay is complex and entertaining and the story is very captivating, truly a work of art.
would recommend to everyone I know in a heartbeat.

If you're interested in this series, please buy this bundle to support it but do yourself a favour and find a way to PLAY THE SUPERIOR DS VERSION OF 999.

The Steam version simply WILL NOT offer the same experience.

Go in blindly and trust me (and others in the review section) on this.

I 100%'d the trilogy on 3DS and only purchased the Steam version to support the games and write a review.
All spoiler-free:
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999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

Arguably the best in the series. While I recommend viewing all 3 games as one complete story, 999 works well as a standalone title.
There’s something inherently terrifying about being trapped in an unknown, confined place. Right from the start, the game masterfully builds a sense of dread, helplessness, and mystery. Compared to the other 2 games, it has a special charm to it.
Narratively, 999 is difficult to describe. It delves into multiple interesting themes, motifs and concepts both philosophical and (pseudo)scientific. It's detailed, complex, logical, unpredictable and absolutely brilliant. The original DS version brilliantly utilizes the dual screens for both storytelling and gameplay, one of the reasons the Steam remaster is heavily criticized.


The cast is great. Unlike VLR, 999 integrates story segments into the escape rooms sections. This creates a good balance of gameplay-character development, the way the characters' unique personalities and backstories unfold feels natural and well-paced. There isn't a single character that feels out of place, uninteresting or forced.


The art direction is top notch across the trilogy, but 999’s 2D artwork stands above the rest. The original sprites have tons of charm, thanks to the LEGENDARY Kinu Nishimura (best known for their work on Street Fighter).


The soundtrack is phenomenal. Sadly, while it shines here, the other 2 games in the series reuses it and often to the point of overuse. One of my biggest beefs with the other games is the way they severely overuse the track 'Trepidation' lowering its impact. In 999, the track is treated with the weight it deserves, reserved for the most intense, chilling and perfect moments... it is memorable and you'll never forget the first time you'll hear it.

One last thing: This series is best experienced blind. If after 999’s True Ending you're still unsure, please keep going. IT IS worth it.

The game knows exactly what it wants to be, and what kind of story it wants to tell you, but you don't. You will have to figure it out and find out.

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Virtue Last Reward

My favorite from the trilogy! It's by far one of the most intriguing experiences I've ever played. No other game has managed to grab me quite like VRL has. The mysteries and intertwining story elements are fantastic. The game won’t hold your hand when it comes to knowing and remembering critical information - which feels really rewarding. It also features the hardest puzzles in the series.


VLR is ugly. It took me a while to get used to the 3D models, I was shocked at how bad they looked at first. Kinu Nishimura delivered some stunning artwork for the game, but sadly, the 3D models don't reflect that quality.
The setting is an empty, cold warehouse type of facility... which may feel more unnerving than 999’s ship, depending on taste of course.


The soundtrack reuses tracks from the first game, some are SO overused that it ends up lowering their impact on storytelling. It’s worth noting that because the game is much longer than 999, it’s only natural to hear the same tracks more often.


Despite VLR making full use of being a sequel to 999, the nature of its narrative is pretty much a double edged sword:
❌ The gameplay loop can feel repetitive and often suffers from bad pacing.
Unlike 999/ZTD, the character development is barely there during routes. Instead, you're infodumped towards/at the very end of specific routes, as if you were following a trail of bread crumbs that sometimes leads to a delicious loaf, but sometimes just a slice. As a result, getting to know the chracaters and their background and motives feels a tad forced than either of the other 2 games, where - as I mentioned before - you learn this information during the escape room sections. Additionally, some routes feel a bit more soulless than others.
✅ It delivers a brilliant story with incredible twists and payoffs.
Since it’s the second game, you’re already invested and have certain expectations. After playing the first game, your perception shifts, therefore the game doesn't need to constantly hold your attention. While a lot of the complaints go to the game's pacing, I’d argue that it’s at least partly intentional: a bigger setup for a bigger twist, with more information to analyze and theorize about. You might think it can’t possibly one up 999, but somehow it does. At least, it did for me.


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Zero Time Dilemma

This a good but heavily flawed final act. Definitely the trilogy's weakest game. It's best appreciated if you're already invested in the ZE story AND you accept its circumstances: the game was canceled, uncanceled, given <2 years of development and a small staff & virtually no budget. The final game, sadly, isn’t even what Uchikoshi originally envisioned, but it’s a miracle it actually released.


ZTD is uglier than VLR. It makes VLR look good. The character design is not as good as 999/VLR, due to Rui Tomono taking the artistic lead (probably due to budget.) but it's not bad. Unfortunately, the 3D models ARE BAD. On top of that, the characters constantly make comically exaggerated expressions, and the camera often zooms in on them in a distorted, awkward way. Some characters do look better than others, but in the end they all look pretty rough. Ironically, the only character who looks good is the NIER Emil-looking kid… cause you can’t see his face...


It really saddens me to say that the setting and characters often feel like they’re just a means to an end and not very well developed. The game clearly suffers from having a smaller script, though on the plus side, it cuts back a lot and is a shorter game with virtually no repeated content. (A big improvement compared to VLR.)
Another major drawback when it comes to the characters, is that splitting them into separate groups in ZTD meant far fewer opportunities for meaningful interactions between the different teams.


Like VLR, the storytelling has pros and cons. This time the "routes" are split in the Fragment System, which is narratively brilliant, as it REALLY reflects the core nature of the story, asking you to literally piece together the plot like a puzzle. However, it can be confusing and/or even off putting for some as keeping track of what’s actually happening takes more effort from the player.
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Conclusion...

I can’t recommend this series enough, not just to VN fans, but even to those who don’t usually play/like VNs, just because the storytelling is so incredible that anyone who loves a great mystery should experience it at least once in their life.
It’s a perfect example of how video games can be just as powerful a storytelling medium as any other form of art.


This is a series you’ll remember forever. Its narrative has the power to shape you. It’s truly a gem.


Sadly, it didn’t get the recognition it deserved on release, likely due to a mix of factors: horror VNs’ lack of popularity in Japan, the negative association with the number 9, incoherent art direction, character designs struggling to appeal to the eastern audience (looking at you, Danganronpa), and the more complex story.


Life is unfair. But this series is one of my favorites, so maybe this timeline isn’t so bad after all.

this is without a doubt my favorite visual novel series of all time hands down nothing can change that, not even a certain other installment that may or may not have ruined everything.. but that's besides the point if you're reading this, buy and play zero escape right now don't look anything up about it just play it ***right now***

Absolutely fantastic game. Honestly for puzzle lovers and escape room lovers, there's no other game quite like this one. The puzzles are well thought out and the storyline is as thrilling as it is immersive. As they hand you pieces of the puzzle, each progression raises the stakes higher. Every new piece of information learned unlocks more important clues, which leads to even more mind-bending puzzles. It's like you're slowly building a tower of Jenga, and as you anticipate for that final, inevitable piece that topples the grand tower to the floor, it's a satisfying conclusion that provides both relief and a yearning for more.

Highly recommend, plus a wonderful community if you're a streamer looking for a fun game to stream on twitch!

I've only play 999 so far but I have to say it was crazy good, seriously this is a must play game.

Only thing I can fault it on is the fact that it is a very slow burner but it's still a 10/10 game.

Straight up one of the best visual novel series I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
Also ain't no way VLR has both the best supporting character and the worst supporting character ever put in a video game. 9/9

Best story+puzzle game I've played. 10/10

I was very excited to get this game for my steam deck, as I loved it on my 3DS back in the day. However, in the short time I've played it, I have experienced multiple crashes. It's hard to get invested in a game when I am constantly worried about losing my progress. I got it on such a significant discount that I don't regret it and will probably try it out on my PC to see if that's more stable, but if you're planning on playing this on steam deck, I'm not sure I can recommend it.

Absolutely love this game. Awesome characters great story and some amazing puzzles.

So far I’ve only played the first game but it was amazing. I can’t recommend it enough. The puzzles are fun and a decent challenge. Characters are charming and the story goes to some really interesting places.

Second game uses a different art style and 2 hours in I’m still trying to get used to it. But I’m not really in position to say much more considering how far in I am

The first game is definitely worth playing with a very complete story with escape room-esque game play. The sequels have more of the same game play but the story is flimsier.

A warm blanket of gory nostalgia, super glad to be able to replay some of my favorite games. I played both of the games (999 and VLR) on DS nearly a decade ago and was thrilled to see them here on steam! Highly satisfied that a flowchart was added to enable players to jump to different parts of the story in 999 because this feature was not on the DS version.

999 and VLR was pretty good compared to the 3rd game. Memorable characters, good storyline and somewhat fun puzzles, I think "3D" attempt killed the spirit of it.

this is actually the best game ive ever played i bought this after playing 999 for the first time and now im gonna play vlr after replaying 999

If Virtue's Last Reward doesn't end with Sigma and Alice having the most primal, feral sex alive it's the worst game of all time

Perfect. Perfection storytelling, Peak music, Peak voice acting.

ZTD is great, interest visual novel. Needs a few quality of life improvements such as faster skipping of text, and a better explanation of the flowchart which doesnt make much sense at first glance.

VLR seems like it hasn't been fixed up as well for PC - it's clearly designed for a handheld. The notepad would be a great idea if i could type in it - very clunky to try to write things with a mouse. It also crashes all the time for seemingly no reason, so i've had to go through dialogue more than once which is tedious. as. hell. I am now trying to save every five minutes or so so I don't have to.

Both have great voice acting and seemingly pretty interesting characters with mysterious backstories.

Originally I didn't recommend this game because of the jarring finale of 999, but VLR handled its mechanics so much better that I would recommend this game simply to play VLR.

999 and VLR are both fantastic games. It feels like watching a movie and occasionally you solve a puzzle here and there. The writing and puzzle design is good most of the time but there are the occasional turds like the infamous elevator scene.

I tried to keep spoilers to a minimum.

999:
The game has a truly unique and interesting setting, you are trapped on an antique sinking ship with a bunch of strangers and you have only 9 hours to escape from a jigsaw-esque nightmare. In my opinion the game only really starts after you get your first bad ending. At that point I was paranoid and it felt like I couldn’t trust anyone. The game is perfectly designed for this, the bad endings give you small clues towards the story but they don’t reveal too much to keep you guessing.
What I don’t like about 999 is the canon ending, not only is the final puzzle one of the worst in the entire trilogy but also the weird story twist really doesn’t fit into the rest of the writing and don’t even get me started on the awful post-credit scene that reveals the villains motive.


VLR:
The setting of this game has more of a sci-fi feel but really you are just trapped in a warehouse which is kinda boring. However this game has more interesting puzzle rooms because each room has 2 solutions and there is just a lot more variety. Another thing that is new to this game is that after each round you have to survive in a prisoners dilemma situation. VLR managed to truly surprise me a couple of times because you think you know something only to find out that you actually don’t know anything.
A big problem of the game is that it has so many timelines that are really similar and you often only play 1/3 of a timeline that it is really hard to keep track of the current story.
I also think this games true ending is kinda meh better than in 999 but they hamfisted in another weird twist and when things don’t make sense they just handwave it away with a load of nonsense.

this game makes my brain explode in a good way when trying to explain the lore, i love it

This is a beautiful game that I played, and I have never seen such a complex storyline before. At first, I thought it was just a typical detective visual novel, but I was mistaken.

The game has a deeply intertwined plot. The characters are not as simple as they seem at first glance—each one is hiding something. I was especially captivated by the game's intricate lore—I have rarely seen anything like this. In particular, I was amazed by the backstories of June and Sigma. What they were hiding truly shocked me.

In fact, every character in this game is far more complex than they initially appear, just like the story itself. That’s one of the reasons I love Japanese games.

However, I didn’t really like the way the game handles its endings. I tried my best to get a good ending on my first playthrough, but the game decided otherwise just because I chose the "wrong" door. The Flowchart system also confused me—I often couldn’t understand why I didn’t reach a certain ending. After my first run, I struggled to access other story branches. The flowchart showed some locks and keys on the icons, but I had no clue how to unlock them. I kept replaying sections, hoping to progress, but nothing changed. In the end, I had to check a guide to figure out that I needed to approach the choices in a completely different way.

This made the experience frustrating at times. If the game were a fully interactive movie, it would have been much more immersive and engaging.

That being said, the deep and complex storyline completely won me over. I highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys stories that explore profound and thought-provoking themes.

Definitely was fun to revisit after a long while since playing on the DS. They did have to make some caveats on the 999 game's twist, missing a fair bit of environmental foreshadowing if played in 'adventure mode', but still enjoyable for puzzles and narrative.

VLR was a wild ride, though dialog does feel a little repetitive, even with the skip function. Part and parcel of the many paths one can take through the game, I suppose!

Enjoy the funyarinpa!

The first game of the duology, 999, in my opinion, is insanely good. Mind-bending, great mysteries are sown throughout the game to be slowly answered in different routes of the VN as you try to follow the main characters. I think all characters were pretty well-written too. The ending took a bit for me to understand and I didn't like the grand reveal as much as I thought I would, but the main game itself and the way it goes about dropping hints is just really really good. It does have, however, a lot of repetitive text at times due to its adaptation from DS (as I've heard, I never played the original), where the same details might be repeated over and over without particular reason and one might find that annoying.

VLR, the sequel, I did not like as much. I thought most of the twists were great, but the game ultimately dragged on for too long for me to like it. 999 revealed a bit about each character completely out of the blue in different parts of the story, but as for VLR's endings, each character gets their own, so it felt too...deliberate and somewhat inorganic to me. It felt like a tickbox exercise, trying to get through each person's ending before going for the grand reveal. Some of the endings were really good, but they also felt like a huge exposition dump a lot of the time too. The way the endings were split up as well, through a binary decision, just felt very meh to me. In 999, a slightly more nuanced decision was taken when being cooped into an ending and more choices were provided, so it felt slightly more mysterious.

The transitions and movement between rooms in VLR is also in 3D, and you cannot skip them unless you literally have traversed that route - so if you have gone from point A to point B, but point C was perfectly between them and you went C -> B in the same way, you could not skip that transition. Even though you had been treading that exact ground before. And these transitions all added up. It felt very frustrating to me :( as it felt like I was wasting time rather than playing the game and making progress.

Overall, I think both games are still worth playing, but as an adult with other things to do, VLR made the experience very frustrating and required a lot of patience. Meanwhile, I feel 999 was of perfect length and was never boring. The music in both was very good and really supported the suspenseful moments.

I've been trying visual novels lately, and generally finding I don't like them. I thought I might enjoy The Nonary Games because of the escape room puzzles, but after solving one early on in 999, I was faced with a long section of tedious, repetitive and basic dialogue, and realised I was only going to feel my time was being wasted if I kept going. It's full of filler. Book lovers like me may also feel they are wasting their time on something poorly written. I also disliked the character design. I have no interest in seeing huge cartoon boobs spilling out of a bra top (at all times, not in a relevant scene where it works in context). I'm all for some plot relevant, equal opportunities sexiness in media. But it's so tacky when it's just sexualization of a female character.

Greatest work of fiction out there. Completeley engaged in this trauma of events and the science behind it

(Copy from my Reddit's post.)

Context: So I am completely new to this series. I have recently bought the bundle. I do have some experience with the bugginess of Spike Chunsoft port. But damn boy, I don't think this game is this annoying to debug compared to Danganronpa V3 nasty unresponsive input.

So it turns out that Zero Escape has in-game video that use non-default supported codec. What does that mean? That means the game can't be opened because the first video, the intro movie, can't be opened by Windows.

The fix is simple: install codec package. I don't know what codec Zero Escape use (because I don't want to risk open the video folder and get spoiled by the video thumbnail), but the surefire way to have a good list of codec is to install k-lite codec pack.

Reminder: you need to let k-lite codec pack install the package for both itself and Windows. If you have installed K-lite codec since a long time ago, you may forgot this option. The key issue is that if you install codec package for only the MPC-HC (the default media player for K-lite codec pack), then Windows can't process Zero Escape's video because those videos are opened in-game, not in the media player.

what the fuck. fuck this game. fuck these games. do you enjoy spiraling? do you enjoy being gaslit, maimed, and exploded over and over? IM NINE. YOURE NINE. WE ARE ALL NINE!!! MIKU DIDNT SAY THE WORLD IS MINE SHE SAID THE WORLD IS NINE!!!! BUY THIS GAME RIGHT NOW!!!

A very good story with nice narratives. Highly recommend for players who are into puzzle-solving games with rich text (especially when there is a discount -w-). The underlying context and relationships between characters make this whole thing a lot more interesting.
For people who are not so fond of puzzles (like me), finding the way out of rooms may be a little bit demanding. But anyway they are not difficult, so it's fine for me.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

is a solid experience, but only if you enjoy a game that guides you into its story with many very long dialogues. The fact that is mostly dubbed in English makes the dialogues more enjoyable, and the voice acting is superb. The first time I played the game, I didn't even know that it's narrative focus, and I was impatient to "do stuff", but that changed as I got deeper into the story. My suggestion is to tolerate the first 15 minutes, and you'll likely get hooked by the story and its actors.

The Good:

- Most puzzles are interesting and well designed.
- The characters are interesting and quite genuine. I felt connected to them.
- The story is rich and interesting.
- Multiple endings! I just finished and I can't wait to play it again to get to know more.

The Bad:

- The game was originally made for Nintendo DS, and despite the good porting, some puzzles clearly had double-screen and touch pen in mind. Moving the cursor around them with a game pad or the mouse is annoying.
- The graphic is quite minimal, but its understandable.
- The game's recurring theme is the "digital root" of numbers, and I'm not a fan of that.

Overall:

[b]8.5/10

The structure of the how the twists turn out in the story is fantastic. I loved the quantum theory concepts that really makes you think the sublimity of the game.

Something something Titanic, something something glycerin, something something digital root. Bam, that's the game, now go play it yourself.

This collection includes the first and second installments of the Zero Escape series, known for its intense suspense and unique escape room puzzles. It features Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (999) and Virtue’s Last Reward (VLR). As a fan of story-driven games that blend mystery, puzzles, and compelling narratives, I found it incredibly captivating—an experience that will stay with me for a long time.

No shit this game is deep as hell.
Initially, I thought the gimmicks and puzzles are for kids with some very simple maths, but soon I realize that there is so much cunning schemes involved in all the characters.
I won't spoil any plot here but I just want to say this:
You really need to understand the puzzles to appreciate the dialogues of NPCs, the secret meanings between their lines, and some choices the game forces you to make.

Btw, I didn't know this game before but from the look of it it's probably some remake of a Nintendo DS game. Not complaining anything. Archiving of classics is always welcome.

Recommend to anyone who enjoy exercising your brain and take patience to appreciate the puzzles, as well as though who want to add more retrogaming to your collection.

前期氛围感都拉满，有些反转和理论也很有意思；后面有点圆不上，刻意忽略了很多矛盾的点（比如 存在2个2号腕表；茜和santa腕表真实数字到底是多少；茜到底是否存在于9年后；santa一个人是怎么把2号运到9号门房间的棺材里的 ），剧情前后也有很多降智操作（比如 主角一开始去5号房就硬是不拿腕表，后面看见手枪就硬是留在原地，生怕关键道具没被坏人拿走；茜都能跨越时空连接意识了，就硬是解不出来一道小学逻辑题，硬是要等男主救她 ），其实最无语的地方是 女主人设太烂了，好像个机器人就三种模式：恋爱脑、哭/吓得腿软、发烧休息；剧情细节男凝味拉满，到处塞一些颜色段子
虽然吐槽了很多，但剧情设定还是可圈可点的，解谜难度不高，沉浸感强，惊艳到我的一个设定是 有两扇9号门，这个反转我真没想到，我甚至从游戏一开始就在算如果我要和茜一起出去需要拉拢谁当队友，想着一周目先保个7不死就跟着7去了舱底，没想到直接进BE，笑死