content material warning: Delicate fan service

What’s it about? In a world the place gods spend their time, persons are pressured to play: play brainteasers! Solely… there is a catch. Each human who defeats a god ten occasions triumphs over these gods from above, whereas three losses imply that gods can now not problem humanity to play. Will Fay, a younger man decided to defy divinity, double down and do exactly that? Or is he simply one other loser within the making?


You already know, I get the attraction of issues like God’s video games that we play: I feel it is in dialog with individuals who prefer it Mendacity recreation and even No recreation, no life. Mainly, individuals who benefit from the ‘outsmarting some type of larger energy or stronger power’ facet. And I discover it convincing: in spite of everything, I’m a tastemaker who loves Kakegurui primarily as a result of I take pleasure in seeing Jabami Yumeko brimming over different folks along with her thirst for video games and her real prowess.

And in addition for queer studying. Principally for odd studying.

However that is not why you are right here, proper? No no no! You are right here to search out out if God’s video games that we play it is value it. Effectively, buckle up, fellow man: it is time to play some video games towards the gods!

Fay and a gay man play a memory game.

Episode 1 begins in medias re with a gaggle of individuals within the tundra encountering a red-haired god trapped within the ice and instantly demanding that the perfect participant on the earth be her match. It is not stunning that this can be a teenager in Japan, due to course it’s.

Past that, we transition to a Japan set one 12 months sooner or later: a future the place humanity has the flexibility to channel the ability of the gods, however gods have the flexibility to manifest on Earth and totally destroy people of their video games, though fortunately they solely dissolve into cool pixels when defeated. Nonetheless, this opening does a reasonably good job of building what’s what: this can be a world the place threat (and threat) could be lethal.

Right here we meet Fay, a well-known – and notorious – participant within the god video games. He is been gone for six months. Why? To seek out the lady who taught him to play video games as a baby, who occurs to be a redhead. Hey, what a coincidence…

(Okay, yeah, you possibly can see the place that is going instantly.)

Fay and Leoleshea enter the realm of the gods.

I need to give one factor God’s video games instantly is that the dub is admittedly strong and was accessible from day one. And that is not an April Idiot’s joke: it actually provides to this story, as a result of truthfully: God’s video games is kind of predictable. That mentioned, I did prefer it as a result of it was what it’s. This positively will not be an anime of the 12 months for me, however… it is fairly okay.

The identical goes for the animation: it is type of a well-recognized model from the late 2010s/now 2020s that I personally see all too usually in anime as of late. It is like a baked potato with simply bitter cream and chives: that is actually attainable, however the place’s the flavour? The place is the thoughts? It is not unhealthy animation, however it’s not stylized or distinctive: I’ve seen this ten occasions since 2020. I want to see one thing totally different.

There’s additionally some delicate fanservice surrounding Leoleshea (our feminine protag and former god) which, whereas nipped within the bud, remains to be a little bit of a sigh. You imply. to inform me {that a} god does not perceive the human idea of bras? Look, I feel they’re there too, however like… GIRL. Actually, anime studio: we did not want a flash of the dobanhonkeros and the tuchus to grasp that she is a stupendous god. It is already there. Simply please: do not do it once more!

Leoleshea stands before the gate to the gods.

Actually, I will most likely hold watching this as a result of I am somewhat intrigued: it is the proper type of present to place straight into my “It is Monday and I am drained” slot. That does not imply it is unhealthy, however moderately that it isn’t significantly life-changing or making an attempt to say something large in the mean time. It is an anime about taking part in video games towards the gods that positively has a little bit of fanservice with its feminine lead, who’s a fish out of water in humanity.

I feel typically it is simple to get caught up in each anime that stands out ultimately, and as a reviewer and critic, I fully fall into that lure: I need reveals to have an effect in episode one, so I really feel compelled to look at them, so I am unable to employees however watch them. God’s video games that we play Is not that vital, however I nonetheless need to watch?

Why? As a result of I am actually beginning to reframe my ideas round reveals that have to have an instantaneous goal. Typically a present is simply one thing that brings you a nice quantity of leisure. On this case, God’s video games do. It is not groundbreaking, it is most likely not going to be feminist, and truthfully I do not see it having the “darkish horse of the season” taste. However I nonetheless take pleasure in it in its simplicity, and I feel that is okay.

So right here I encourage you to check out this premiere and see what you suppose: for me it is strong b-minus materials, which is ideal for simply throwing on to look at whereas crafting or simply stress-free to come back. With a day-one dub (one thing I’d argue for as a result of it made this overview soooo far more accessible for me) you actually cannot be beat on this present. Simply do not count on it to be one of many high performers this season.