Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

The Nonary Games is a fantastic package that has two of the best adventure games of all time in a single package with worthy enhancements to 999 which remains one of my favourite games of all time.

90%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, stability

95% User Score Based on 4,017 reviews

Critic Score 86%Based on 15 reviews

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Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a single player survival action adventure game with horror, mystery, thriller and science fiction themes. It was developed by Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd. and was released on March 24, 2017. It received positive reviews from critics and very positive reviews from players.

"Zero Escape: The Nonary Games" is a collection of two visual novels, "999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors" and "Virtue's Last Reward." Players must solve puzzles and make decisions to escape life-threatening situations, with different story paths and endings based on choices made. The games blend elements of adventure, escape-room, and thriller genres, with a suspenseful narrative centered around nonary games and human experimentation.

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Play Modes

Single-Player

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games screenshot

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,017 reviews

story1.1k positive mentions

grinding74 negative mentions

999 is a masterpiece with an engaging story, memorable characters, and clever puzzles that keep players hooked.
Virtue's Last Reward expands on the first game with more complex puzzles and a deeper narrative, providing a thrilling experience.
The flowchart system allows players to easily navigate through different story branches, enhancing replayability and making it easier to unlock all endings.

The remastered version of 999 loses some of the original's charm due to the lack of dual-screen functionality, which affects the storytelling.
VLR suffers from pacing issues, with repetitive dialogue and long cutscenes that can detract from the overall experience.
Some puzzles in both games can be frustratingly easy or overly complex, leading to moments of tedium and confusion.

story
2,962 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The "Zero Escape: The Nonary Games" collection features a captivating and intricate narrative that intertwines science fiction, philosophy, and psychological themes, with numerous plot twists that keep players engaged throughout. While "999" is praised for its tightly woven story and character development, "Virtue's Last Reward" expands on the complexity of the plot, albeit at the cost of pacing and coherence at times. Overall, both games are celebrated for their storytelling prowess, compelling characters, and the unique way they integrate puzzles into the narrative, making them essential experiences for fans of story-driven games.
- “999 is a masterpiece of visual novel storytelling which deserves to be played by everyone.”
- “The story is thrilling and thought-provoking at the same time.”
- “The story builds suspense with remarkable precision, drawing players into a high-stakes scenario where every decision matters.”
- “Physical pain trying to ignore the stupidity that is the story, the childish back and forth, just to get to and try to enjoy the puzzles.”
- “The plot doesn't fit together as neatly as its predecessor and the player character writing is very inconsistent.”
- “The story is convoluted, filled with plot holes, and often feels like it patches up multiple elements at once just to seem clever.”
gameplay
451 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
71%
4%
The gameplay in the Zero Escape series, particularly in "999" and "Virtue's Last Reward," is a blend of visual novel storytelling and escape room puzzles, offering a unique experience that emphasizes player choice and branching narratives. While the puzzles are generally engaging and well-integrated into the story, some players find the gameplay repetitive and occasionally frustrating due to the need to revisit previous sections for different endings. Overall, the series is praised for its compelling narratives and character development, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of interactive storytelling and puzzle-solving.
- “Fun puzzle gameplay and a riveting, non-linear story that compels you to gather every drop of information and complete every ending.”
- “The gameplay is split between reading story sections and solving 'escape room' puzzles.”
- “The blend of gameplay functions and narrative (especially the branching routes) is a genius and engaging mechanic very few visual novels are able to pull off.”
- “The gameplay loop can feel repetitive and often suffers from bad pacing.”
- “I dropped VLR because it was so long, boring, and repetitive; I also found the mechanics of the safes pretty confusing.”
- “The gameplay is simple, but the characters, graphics, and voice acting are great.”
graphics
324 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
67%
9%
The graphics in the Zero Escape series, particularly between *999* and *Virtue's Last Reward (VLR)*, have received mixed reviews. While *999* is praised for its beautiful 2D art style and remastered visuals, *VLR*'s transition to 3D graphics is often seen as a downgrade, with many players finding the models dated and less expressive. Overall, the aesthetic shift has been jarring for some, but many agree that the engaging story and gameplay can overshadow the graphical shortcomings.
- “The new fully 3D graphics look great and let you explore in a much more intuitive way.”
- “The graphics improvement and the voice acting allowed me to feel more immersed in the story than I did the first time, even though I already knew the main plot points.”
- “999 has beautiful and timeless visuals; VLR's visuals are so bad that they made me laugh out loud multiple times.”
- “The graphics are ugly, the voice acting is bad, and the controls are very frustrating in some puzzles.”
- “I feel like the 3D graphics look a bit dated, but I think it's just a product of its time, so it's okay.”
- “The art style in the second game is much worse than the first one, and the story does seem to drag out a bit too much.”
music
242 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
40%
4%
The music in both "999" and "Virtue's Last Reward" is widely praised for its ability to enhance the immersive storytelling experience, with soundtracks that effectively build tension and atmosphere. While "999" is noted for its memorable tracks, "VLR" features a more expansive and polished soundtrack, though some tracks are reused, which can diminish their impact. Overall, the compositions are described as atmospheric, engaging, and integral to the emotional depth of the games, making them a standout aspect of the series.
- “The music and sound design build tension perfectly — sometimes you’ll sit in silence for a few seconds after a big reveal just trying to process what just happened.”
- “The minimalist UI supports immersion, and the soundtrack—filled with eerie tones, ambient tension, and pulsing urgency—perfectly complements the mood, often heightening suspense during critical moments.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal.”
- “The soundtrack reuses tracks from the first game; some are so overused that it ends up lowering their impact on storytelling.”
- “The only real minus for me was the background music, which became quite tedious after a while (it felt like there were only 3-4 BGM tracks circulated, none of which was really that good).”
- “The music is forgettable besides two tracks, and the graphics are subpar.”
emotional
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
3%
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with players describing it as a profound journey that evokes a range of feelings, from joy to heartbreak. Many reviews highlight the masterful narrative design, complex characters, and impactful voice acting that deepen emotional engagement, often leading to tears and intense investment in the story. Overall, the game is recognized for its ability to intertwine thought-provoking themes with emotional storytelling, making it a memorable experience for players.
- “By the end, I felt like I had been on an interesting, emotional journey with all of the cast, and that's what you want from this kind of story-driven game.”
- “The narrative design is masterful, layering foreshadowing, misdirection, and shocking twists in a way that keeps players theorizing and emotionally invested.”
- “You'll find yourself emotionally invested in their fates, desperate to see them overcome the horrors they face.”
- “The story and characters are so compelling that I became emotionally attached to them.”
- “The emotional depth of the game left a lasting impact on me.”
- “I felt a strong connection to the characters, which made the experience truly memorable.”
humor
91 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in the games is a mixed bag, featuring a blend of witty dialogue, cheesy jokes, and occasionally cringeworthy moments that can be both charming and eye-roll inducing. While some players appreciate the quirky humor and character interactions, others criticize the reliance on outdated and inappropriate jokes, particularly in the English localization. Overall, the humor adds a unique layer to the narrative, balancing the darker themes with moments of levity, though its effectiveness varies widely among players.
- “The characters are great, each serving their purpose for the story - the way they bounce off one another is amusing and I adored the humor; all those small jokes sprinkled here and there with perfect comedic timing made for a really great time.”
- “One of the standout moments is when Junpei humorously misidentifies a dog portrait as a funyarinpa. This quirky term quickly became a beloved in-joke among fans, symbolizing the game’s unique blend of tension and humor.”
- “Despite liking the first game, and finding the third funny enough to warrant completely mastering, I have no motive to finish Virtue's Last Reward.”
- “VLR is peppered with Sigma's terrible sexist jokes, which are not only unfunny but excessively repetitive and sometimes just plain sad.”
- “Besides being anticlimactic, the humor is not funny and kind of spoils the immersiveness of the game.”
grinding
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
3%
96%
The grinding aspect of the games, particularly in "Virtue's Last Reward" (VLR) and "999," is often described as tedious and repetitive, with players frequently needing to replay sections to unlock different endings or to solve puzzles that can feel overly simplistic or frustrating. While some players appreciate the engaging story and character development that motivate them to push through the grind, many express frustration with the slow pacing, repetitive dialogue, and the lack of quality-of-life improvements to streamline the experience. Overall, while the narrative depth can make the grinding worthwhile, it often detracts from the enjoyment due to its tedious nature.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It felt really satisfying to get to the truth behind VLR, but I can walk away saying I'm glad I invested as much time as I did into grinding this game.”
- “The process of getting all the endings was tedious for me, as you would have to replay some parts way too many times with only minor changes in the dialogue.”
- “The final room of VLR is particularly tedious, right when you're impatiently waiting for the plot to explain its many mysteries.”
atmosphere
72 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
49%
4%
The atmosphere in both "999" and "Virtue's Last Reward" is widely praised for its ability to create tension and immerse players in a gripping narrative, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack and well-designed environments. While some players note a decline in atmospheric intensity in the sequel compared to the original, the overall experience remains engaging, with clever puzzles and strong character development contributing to the unique ambiance. However, certain design choices and technical limitations in the ports have been criticized for detracting from the intended atmosphere.
- “The puzzles are engaging and imaginative, blending seamlessly with the game’s tense atmosphere.”
- “999 has an excellent atmosphere, great characters, and a story that's both insane and reasonably digestible.”
- “The music adds amazing amounts of atmosphere; they really did a bang-up job on the soundtrack.”
- “This affects every single scene in the entire game and completely ruins any sense of pacing or atmosphere.”
- “It's too bad you never get a chance to immerse yourself in it because a particular character flirts (agonizingly badly) with you after every item you inspect, completely destroying the atmosphere.”
- “On the topic of visuals, the general atmosphere itself of the new settings in basically everything including visuals loses most of the tenseness of the first game.”
character development
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
Character development in the series is noted for its inconsistency across different games, with some players feeling that character arcs are underdeveloped or overshadowed by excessive exposition. While the character designs vary in quality and appeal, many reviews highlight that the depth of character personalities and backstories can create a rewarding narrative experience, particularly when player choices significantly impact the story. However, criticisms also arise regarding the reliance on visual tropes and the effectiveness of character design in conveying meaningful development.
- “These themes are not just window dressing but are tightly interwoven with character development and player choice, making each decision feel consequential in both mechanical and existential terms.”
- “The story and character development in both games is so rich and rewarding.”
- “While the main aim of the game seems to be the puzzle aspect, the true enjoyment comes from the story and the character development that we experience along the way.”
- “Unlike 999/ZTD, the character development is barely there during routes.”
- “When explaining plot elements, both games tend to use 3-4 more lines than they need, and they waste a lot of opportunities for character development along the way.”
- “Some fanboys would scream that you should not play this mode because it does not have proper character development and story details, and you know what, I played original 999 and I can certainly say that absolutely zero value was lost.”
replayability
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
60%
7%
The game offers significant replayability, featuring multiple endings and branching paths that encourage players to explore different choices. Many users appreciate the dialog skipping system and flow chart mechanics, which enhance the experience by making it easier to revisit the story. However, some players note that once all endings are achieved, the replay value diminishes, as the core content has been fully experienced.
- “Huge replay value — tons of endings to discover.”
- “With a complex story that evolves over 3 games, this game has huge replay value with multiple endings and every choice you make matters, changing the story drastically.”
- “There's a good amount of replay value by playing through alternate paths, and the game does have a map to give a general hint of which to take for certain endings.”
- “Sadly, after you beat both games, there is zero replayability.”
- “The games are fun, although, as a combination of visual novels and room escapes, once you've seen the (fairly numerous) endings, you've pretty much seen everything the game has to offer, limiting replay value.”
- “Once you finish all the routes in the game and complete the story, there is little replay value.”
optimization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
58%
18%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players appreciate the graphical overhaul and smooth performance on HD displays, others have noted issues such as unoptimized text display speeds, stuttering, and lag, particularly in the PC version. Despite these concerns, many still find the voice acting and storytelling compelling enough to overlook the optimization flaws.
- “Performance-wise, the ports run smoothly.”
- “Since this is the first time either of these games have been released on a platform other than a handheld, they have been adequately optimized for multiple types of HD displays.”
- “That said, again, I do enjoy the voice acting performance and the graphical overhaul, so this would be my preferred way to play and my platform to recommend to others regardless.”
- “I wanted to enjoy the game, yes, but I definitely think they should have optimized everything for PC before releasing such a version for PC.”
- “I mean, it's a visual novel, it's not like performance is really important, but I swear at least to me it started really getting in the way; the text would display in completely wonky speeds, animations would somewhat freeze and it looked weird.”
- “I do have my criticism -- VLR's characters being not very likable, Zero Jr's voice actor being annoying, the aforementioned repetition, the constant use of ellipses tiring my finger trying to click through, some stuttering and lagging from a game that totally shouldn't... but in the end the mind-explosion-level story was enough to have me overlook those things.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
8%
67%
The stability of the games varies significantly among users. While "999" is praised for its smooth performance on Linux, "Virtue's Last Reward" is criticized for being plagued with bugs, frequent crashes, and audio issues, making it a poor port overall. Some players report no glitches, but many others experience severe stability problems, including freezing and crashes during gameplay.
- “The game was not buggy, and I did not encounter any glitches.”
- “There were no glitches, translation/dialog issues, or anything.”
- “Virtue's Last Reward runs great in the port, and I have no qualms about it.”
- “The game content is good but it's so buggy it's not worth it; it crashes every 5 seconds and the audio doesn't work properly. Get it on the original consoles instead.”
- “Sadly, it's very poorly ported; no sound works except during cutscenes, it freezes randomly during conversation parts, and it crashes on loading a save state.”
- “Won't recommend it because it's a very bad port, with all sorts of nuisances, like bugs, freezes, and crashes.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect has received mixed feedback, with some users feeling that the game employs misleading advertising practices, leading to a perception of value that doesn't align with the actual experience. Overall, it appears to be a point of contention among players.
- “8/10 fake advertisement”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative and heavily favors players who spend money.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many features locked behind paywalls, making it hard to enjoy the game fully without spending.”

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86%Critics’ scoreBased on 15 critic reviews

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25h Median play time

28h Average play time

10-44h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 27 analyzed playthroughs

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Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a survival action adventure game with horror, mystery, thriller and science fiction themes.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 28 hours playing Zero Escape: The Nonary Games.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games was released on March 24, 2017.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games was developed by Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd..

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its grinding.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a single player game.

Similar games include Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Nirvana Initiative, Raging Loop and others.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

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