Being an Extra Actor in an Escape Game

Description

Links are NOT allowed. Format your description nicely so people can easily read them. Please use proper spacing and paragraphs.

Xu Beijin is an extra in the game ‘Escape.’ His usual role is to lie on the floor to be the corpse, while observing how the Missiontakers scratch their heads to figure out a way to survive.

All the other extras work extremely hard as if trying to win the next Oscar’s in order to leave this cruel, despairing world; while Xu Beijin has a simple, monotonous, tedious life.

Until one day, he picked up a streaming system…

Xu Beijin’s life has been entirely upended.

While lying on the floor as a corpse, the audience goes “AAAAAAAH Host what’s that behind you uwuwu…”

While he’s reading the script out loud, the audience goes “Hehehe Beibei’s so cute acting all serious! I want to lick!”

While he’s working hard to figure out the truth about this world, the audience goes “Today our Bei is also the hardworking Bei!”

While he’s… he’s working hard dating Lin Qin, the audience goes “?!?! This isn’t the horror game stream I signed up for!”

Associated Names
One entry per line
在逃生游戏当群演
在逃生遊戲當群演
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Kaleidoscope of Death (4)
The Earth is Online (4)
I Became a God in a Horror Game (3)
Global Examination (3)
Card Room (2)
To Be a Heartthrob in a Horror Movie (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Unlimited Flow BL
  2. Best BL Novels
  3. Horror/Thriller
  4. Apocalypse BL
  5. actually scary/unsettling bl

Latest Release

Date Group Release
10/15/22 Story Seedling v9c156
10/14/22 Story Seedling v9c155
10/13/22 Story Seedling v9c154
10/12/22 Story Seedling v8c153 part4
10/11/22 Story Seedling v8c153 part3
10/10/22 Story Seedling v8c153 part2
10/09/22 Story Seedling v8c153 part1
10/08/22 Story Seedling v8c152 part4
10/07/22 Story Seedling v8c152 part3
10/06/22 Story Seedling v8c152 part2
10/05/22 Story Seedling v8c152 part1
10/04/22 Story Seedling v8c151 part2
10/03/22 Story Seedling v8c151 part1
10/02/22 Story Seedling v8c150 part2
10/01/22 Story Seedling v8c150 part1
Go to Page...
Go to Page...
Write a Review
65 Reviews sorted by


HellaCe
HellaCe rated it
August 25, 2022
Status: v4c70 part3
I wanted to rate it 4 stars but the pacing and the writing make me want to stop reading every two chapters.

The story is interesting but filled with digressions, convoluted explanations and minor plot holes.

Author, if you forget rules you wrote some chapters before about the mysterious Tower and are not detail oriented, don't write conspiracy-style mystery, because if the reader can't follow the clues you scatter it'll frustrate them (me).

The Nightmares don't suffer plot holes and weirdly do because the "detectives" go into it without basic information about the... more>> owner or the goal to reach when it could lead to infinite death. Then they miss the obvious plot but with repeated lengthy convoluted reflexion (that happen during action part, making you want not to read) or well-timed coincidence they progress. BAD pacing, and the first time it made me want to drop a novel.

About the MC and ML relationship, I'm not sure yet but it seems to go towards the cliched trope "someone told me I like you, it must be true; someone told me you liked me, I'll become conscious of your every word".

Plus, the tone of the story is kinda dreary. Bad people, bad conditions, apocalypse, mental weariness, gruesome deaths, betrayals, mental torture... Sure it's the end of the world but then why are people so selfish, lying, irritating,... Deserve a grey front cover.

I only spoke about the bad points of this story, because there are a lot of 5 stars reviews, but, of course, there are good points too. <<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
greenHills
greenHills rated it
July 9, 2022
Status: c57.3
3.4 so far. it's ok, somewhat interesting, makes you wonder about the world itself, but repetition and poor pacing is a problem. the writing isn't super engaging, and neither is the story. it's not a matter of the author starting slowly in order to 'build suspense' or whatever -- the problem is, you have characters analysing, and then side characters analysing, and then viewers analysing, and then more characters analysing, and that's a drag. yes, I appreciate having different perspectives from the side characters, but they don't need to all... more>> be repeating the same content.

moving on, my biggest problem so far is probably low character IQ. like, really low character IQ. not even talking about the 99%-brute-force-only ML here, either. even though some of these characters are 'experienced missiontakers', it doesn't always seem to be the case.

for lone-wolf type characters,
Spoiler

I truly don't understand why even selfish, solo-player types would be so openly disagreeable to co-oping with their team in a low-level map where there aren't factions. if one person figures out the pass, everyone passes in the same way -- there's no uneven point distribution or ranking. characters (on the first floor, at least) are not allowed to openly kill each other, although they can throw others under the bus (towards mu*derous NPCs, etc.). if any person or NPC dies, the entire map starts again from the beginning, but the more times it restarts, the higher the likelihood of things going wrong (and clues being revealed), as well as players not being able to escape from the map, ever.

In the second map, with the little boy NPC/Actor as the story's crux, there's a 'lone-wolf' type dude with prior game knowledge (of a normal end, not a True End) that behaves in an openly hostile, selfish way. This lone-wolf dude (aptly referred to as Selfish, but more aptly named Idiotic and Selfish) is supposed to have a decent amount of experience. His goal is to get a True Ending and ascend to a higher floor, and he's already gone through the map once with a Normal Ending.

despite this, he still behaves in an openly antagonistic and belligerent way, wastes time arguing and delaying the rest of the party, and hides information, all of which actively hinders the group's ability to pass the map and is, effectively, grievious self-harm.

if he intends to be cold and doesn't care about others' lives, fine. if he wants to steal cards from dead players before they respawn, fine. but his behaviour demonstrates no actual motive aside from being a selfish prick, and is counterintuitive to his final goal. it's fine if he's an a**hole, but considering that they're at risk of experiencing a very realistic-feeling axe mu*der from a very violent axe-mu*derer at any given point, I truly cannot understand the reason behind his choices.

obviously, if the point is to steal cards from other players' corpses, it'd be easier to act surrepitiously so that they're not on their guard. it'd also be easier to fake friendliness. but that's not this guy's goal.

so what the hell is the point?

[collapse]

the novel really makes you feel like the characters have massive holes in their brains sometimes. they're able to make some of the slightly more finicky logical jumps, but then lose sight of common sense options.

for example,

Spoiler

the first map ('nightmare') is a dollmaker's shop, with a 'missing' daughter and an apparently heartbroken dollmaking father who curses his ex-wife for not continuing the search for their missing daughter. the father and the mother divorce, and the dollmaker's shop has an extra special creepy little girl doll, as well as the dad, who now sleeps in his daughter's room and has gone insane.

I feel like with horror media logic, they should've tried checking earlier on to see if the doll was the daughter. it's such a special doll, it's obviously there for a reason, and it also disappears when it sees one of its dad's personalities. plus, the wife never shows up, so she's clearly not really the target for solving the nightmare, and there are a limited number of NPC-type characters in the map to begin with. 'the doll was cursed all along' isn't exactly a refreshingly new horror premise. nor is it that hard to think of.

in another map, they show up in a very advanced, tech-heavy apartment complex that's far different from the rather derelict and low-tech server (tower) and most of the maps that missiontakers are familiar with. they seem to see various devices staring at them, and figure out that it's a problem with the electronic devices.

if it's a problem with the electronic devices, why do they need the MC to hint that it's an internet problem? even if shutting off the internet isn't one's first solution, isn't turning off the building's power an option??? and all the missiontakers allegedly are from modern-day earth, even if some seem to have memory problems. paranoia of people using webcams to spy, of smart devices recording, of secret cameras and such spying on one, etc., also isn't anything new.

instead of jiang shuangmei trying to convince her older sister of "it's a great idea to su*cide so that the electronics stop targeting you", again... why not just... shut off the electronics? cause a blackout or power failure??? is that not the most logical way to solve an issue with rampant low-level technology??

and even though shuangmei isn't the brightest bulb in the set, the problem is that the other characters have also figured out that it's an electronics problem, including apparently 'experienced' characters who set up plans for other missiontakers to succeed. their goal isn't a perfect clear (True End), but rather just to get out of this abnormal map. turning the net/electricity off to try is not a decision that should've taken them that long.

[collapse]
<<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Aachiin0914
Aachiin0914 rated it
November 10, 2021
Status: Completed
I say, this series is really unique in infinite flow category. There's also a bl novel that rainbowturtle once translates--called game, live stream. The MC there also acquire the love streaming as his ability, since he is also a live streamer, but "Being an extra actor in an escape game" is different from it. Because in this series, the MC can't participate in the copy itself. MC is a mob character, but at the same a mob that has "hidden boss" under his extra character name.

MC is a hidden boss,... more>> but at the same time, he didn't have a power himself. This is the reason why kept quite since the beginning.

I read this series straight, and can't almost stop until I read it at the end. It really cruel and the horror the players experienced in the tower were real.

The author really did a great job when it comes to writing every character's psychological and emotional dramas. I was almost drown in their tears and screams.

The apocalyptic settings in this novel too, is unique. Like, when in you're in a horror game, like the players, as a reader you'll think, it's all part of the script. But little did you know, it's all true.

Spoiler

Earth experienced a world wide madness. For a year, the people on earth strive to get on their feet and stand up, only to see the world on fire.

The end of the word they experience is divided into three stage.

  1. the world wide madness that lasted for a year.
  2. the sky fire--the descend of the aliens
  3. the emergence of the narrow building/tower.

If the alien invasion happen in other novel, then it will truly be hilarious.

People tends to laugh at the topic of aliens, but this series ain't funny at all.

[collapse]

I read it mtl, so I'm not really sure about the process, but...

Spoiler

Amidst the battle of AI: Virtual vs bionic bodies... the Virtual AI made a mistakes somehow, resulting to the madness of unknown primitive planet: Earth. Since the earth didn't know about the truth about the universe, they are not part of the Universe something, so the race that discovered them automatically owned them. So no one in the universe care if the earth perishes.

Unlike other novels with organizations that protect primitive planets, this novel, I think tends to be more realistic. After all, Earth is at fault that they didn't know a thing about the universe, and other races in the universe ain't responsible if anything happened to them.

After the one year madness in earth, the sky fire--the descend of the aliens came. Only a few days, astronomer discovered a UFO heading towards the earth.

Then when the skyfire descend happen, the event in of the maze came.

Before the alien came on earth to clean up the mess they did accidentally, they send message on earth a month before the alien begin their plan. But the people on earth didn't want to comply and so they made a plan to imprisoned the aliens. And that is the maze plan.

But in the end they didn't succeeded. And so humanity fell.

After that, the alien build the narrow building/ tower to test/imprison human.

[collapse]

Now I have additional fav author on my list! <<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
qeesa
qeesa rated it
September 21, 2021
Status: Completed
I went into this game expecting an exciting funny comedy and got shook by its wonderful world building and plot twists. My god.

Some trigger warnings: gore, disturbing scenes of the instances (you can really compare it to texas chainsaw massacre and the like), graphic description of deaths. It's really dark honestly.

The romance is more slow-burn, this novel is really more focused on plot and why everything is the way it is. I don't want to spoil you because I think it will ruin the experience once you've uncovered the truth.

Anyway,... more>> 5/5 experience, I will absolutely recommend this for you guys who like action, crime-solving, mysteries, although if you are squimish and can't stand gore, this might not be for you. <<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Infinitymidnight
Infinitymidnight rated it
September 18, 2021
Status: Completed
I will preface this with I read up to v2c38 part 3 of the translated version then I switch to mtl because the story is so good I had to know the rest and I couldn’t wait another year for it to finish translating DX. I will agree with other review stating the mtl is readable. It’s pretty understandable especially if you’ve read the already translated portion.

I also read some spoilers and it did not make me not want to read it which normally spoilers do.

Onto the real review, its... more>> sort of like the infinite game stories but instead of going through a ton of “stories”, in this case nightmares, and not advancing the plot at all, each nightmare makes sense and builds on the last. Probably because it’s not traveling through multiple worlds but instead they’re still in one world. I’m a sucker for netizens reacting to the MC and so the live streaming plot point is *chef kiss*. Most of the characters arent 2d and the author is good at building them up for future events. Speaking of future events, the plot progression speed is very even through the entire novel. It’s not go through 30 nightmares and then the last 2 nightmares the plot is revealed and boom it’s done.

For the romance aspect. It’s extremely slow burn. If you like quick relationships, this is not for you but it makes sense. The relationship and development added to the story instead of being just a side story inside the story. The ML is super cute the longer you read and the MC is just being slowly cooked by ML.

The only thing I regret is reading the extras. It brings closure to the entire novel and I’m really f*ing sad the novel is over. 10/10 will read again once it’s completely translated <<less
3 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Ritsuka
Ritsuka rated it
August 16, 2023
Status: Completed
This was one long rollercoaster ride but let me say that this novel is worth your time.

If you are UF fan like me, then I'm sure you'll love this as this novel offers something different, something which I haven't read in any UF so far. Most UFs just copy paste some supernatural horror elements with OP leads, while here you won't find anything supernatural but you'll still end up being chilled to the bone. At first, I thought of this as a typical UF but as I read more and... more>> more arcs, I could piece together the story more and more. The foreshadowing is really well done.i love that the Author clearly had planned the plot before writing as you can see that the past chapters give hints about whats to come and the future chapters explain why the past chapters were like so. Who doesn't like a well planned story! The truth chilled me and saddened me so much.I'll leave the story in the spoilers, but its better if you read and experience it yourself

Spoiler

the first two arcs:The dollmaker and the numbering off one even though still interesting, were just average in enjoyment. The real thrill started from the sentinent electronics arc and then things kicked into gear where I started making theories. Arc 4 just added more to it. And when I read arc 5 and 6, depicting the madness of the humanity after the apocalypse, The raining hellfire.I understood that the earlier arcs weren't just some deranged horror stories but real life events of when the humanity went insane. And it felt so terrifying and yet simply so sad to me. The Author did such a good job with it. The hopelessness I felt coming from my screen while reading about how the humans struggled but failed so miserably was really painful. Combining UF with apocalypse, I loved the idea but then even though I do know that it can't be explained any other way but the reveal that the some high and mighty aliens were behind it and also the execution from then on felt kind of dull. And lets not forget there were some plot holes too, like the reason for the sentinent electronics was never revealed! And also where did XBJ's mysterious strength to throw out the missiontaker come from? But well regardless of these I loved it overall

[collapse]

If you want to try reading it but have trouble deciding whether to continue or not, I'd suggest reading till arc 3 before deciding on anything further. Because that arc is really different (anyway I haven't read about such plot in other danmei) and also marks the start of the good part of the novel and reveal of what actually happened and is going on!

The romance is good.I liked it quite a lot despite a lot of people not liking it. Ofc it could've been a lot better but I'm just happy with this.I needed something sweet and cute to dampen the sad and dreary feelings while I read on about the whole background and plot twists of the novel.I have a good imagination and believe me when you think deeply about the revealed plot, you just end up feeling really down. So I took the the little precious fluff we get in the novel with a grateful heart.

The MC is someone you could call an unreliable narrator but its just that when we're reading from his perspective, nothing more than hints are revealed. And honestly, when everything was revealed by him and about him layer by layer, I actually felt really dumb... like seriously? No way I didn't even think of that! But it makes sense!He is someone I want to give headpats and hugs to. Damn how difficult and painful it must have been for him for all theses years that he can never count. Thats why I'm happy with the romance, I loved how the ML, Lin Qin, just loved him straightforwardly, stubbornly and unconditionally. He just needed that. Plus like the MC, I also think Lin Qin is super cute! Btw the MC is the gong here~ Tho too bad we don't even get fade to black or vague snippets! Its just implied here!!!! But the kisses are super cute so its okay. Their relationship is like the only sunshine in the dark setting.

There are a bunch of side characters here that the author developed really well like in the case of making us familiar with their past, thinking process, motivations and how they each played their own unique part in the story but the Author also never got us deeply involved with them. By the end they still felt familiar yet unfamiliar to me.I liked them but also I couldn't bring myself to care more about them. While they got their screentimes and limelights but the author never managed to connect them with us which is such a pity!

Finally the reason for my removing one star from the rating, actually this one is very important but well I just couldn't stop myself from gushing so this segment ended up pushed here. So here goes nothing:i actually even wanted to remove two stars from the rating. Why? Because even tho the plot is well done, its not a well written novel! You'll get my point when you start arc 2 and the author keeps going on and on about the same thing over and over with different words like trying to force spoon feed you! Don't get fooled by the 156 chapters! The word count of this novel is over a million words all packed in these chapters! Well if only that was the case, I wouldn't have minded it, rather I would have loved it even more because not only I like long novels but also wordy ones! But that is only the case if the novel is not filled with redundant explanations, lengthy thoughts of different characters over the same thing and then finally the facts laid out but repeated again and again. And this novel has all of that! My eyes would glaze over by reading the lines which have the same idea but written in different words from time to time. My brain would hurt from reading all the theories each different character has. First the character would make one theory, but then would gather some new info and then deny that previous theory, rinse and repeat. It made it hard to follow the logic when all the characters did it again and again, nearly every chapter!

The translator did such a good job though and kudos to them for translating this cause if the translation was not up to par then this novel would have been unreadable as its still such a chore to read with such good TL. Anyway, I took note of how despite the bad writing, the plot is still quite good to be a novel of just 3 star rating and my heart just couldn't accept it despite all my frustrations reading the redundant text in it, so 4 stars it is.

The ending is a happy one but not the magical everyone lives happily ever after one but one with sad undertones. It did sting my heart but it feels realistic and I'm happy for them! They did achieve what they they were happy for and thats all that matter.

In the end, i'll suggest this novel to you if you are a big fan of UF genre and also can get past the redundancy of the text, because all in all, it is a novel worth your time. Even tho I did and still do get frustrated thinking about the useless repeating text, now that I have finished it I can say I enjoyed it and I'm glad I read it. Tho its a really tough choice for a reread 😮‍💨 <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
sakirol
sakirol rated it
June 12, 2023
Status: --
Unique infinite flow storyline which gets wrapped up neatly by the end of the novel. Worth reading.

I wouldn't really categorize it strongly as horror, more-so mystery. There was only 1 arc that was somewhat scary, but all arcs are dreary and dark.

The story is interesting and definitely different from the vast array of infinite flow stories out there, but the execution is mid-level. Early chapters reiterated the same events too often but got better with time. Despite spending a lot of time with different characters, I didn't feel attached to... more>> many of them by the end because the time spent characterizing them was very little. They functioned mostly as plot-moving devices rather than as a supporting cast. I honestly didn't feel attached to the ML either and found the romance pretty mediocre. The strong points in comparison is more generally the storyline and the ideas the author had for the story.

Because of the nature of the story being repetition, the first two arcs are a little grueling to get through. After that, the story picks up at a very good pace. Like most series, the ending was predictable and fell a little flat but still neatly wraps everything up. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
En-Jay99
En-Jay99 rated it
May 8, 2023
Status: Completed
The slowest of slow burns in both plot and romance, but I can’t help but give it 5 stars for the resolution and world building.
I feel like the beginning arcs could’ve been shorter, and some exposition less, but nothing else.

The novel starts off slow, introducing both the characters and world setting gradually. Each arcs ups the tension so about half-way it can feel a little frustrating, but like a roller coaster, going downhill you will be screaming.

tw: depression, gore, dissociation, and mental instability. Our heroes in the tower are... more>> not having a good time, so if you’re in a fragile state I’d recommend waiting before starting this. This novel starts with humanity having given up almost, so the mental state for many is not the best and it’s an uphill struggle to even try for hope.

I liked the MC, his personality fits the situation. He’s awkward and introverted and his situation only makes it worse. The novel starts off a little confusing but explains the situation plenty of times so the reader doesn’t get lost.

All in all, this is a novel that you can read slowly and savour. It’s a mystery novel wrapped in multiple layers of mystery and the clues don’t start coming together until towards the end. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Crystalesdog
Crystalesdog
March 12, 2023
Status: Completed
This book, is a chore to get through.

Not only because it's 400+ chapters long— no, that's the last of my problem and in normal circumstances I would even welcome it. The problems starts when I notice that a lot of the plot and characters seems to go absolutely nowhere.

Now, it might just be me, but after ... more>>
Spoiler

the MC (Xu Beijin) thought about opening his instance/dream

[collapse]
the plot starts to get really really rushed.

Of course, when I first read that part I was super stocked and can't wait to read 50 more chapters with appropriate pacing and enough hints drops until
Spoiler

our MC's mysterious "nightmare" opens

[collapse]
— and imagine my disapointment when it happens a few chapters later.

The premise was interesting, but after the aforementioned scenario, everything devolves into long winded rants about the world's mechanic, the truth behind the tower and so on and so on.

Spoiler

I especially disliked it when the author dropped the bomb of it being alien because come on, atleast give us some sort hint before that to butter us up to the idea first

[collapse]

While the ending is bittersweet, and unsatisfying (not the good oh well that's life I tell ya one, like, lackadaisical storytelling kind of unsatisfying)

I suspect this might be because China is extremely against horror stories and 'demand' authors to give a 'scientific' explanations to the ghosts and stuff which is why the author decided to use the oldest trick in the book
Spoiler

aLiEnS

[collapse]
but damn is it so unsatisfying.

And even if the author's intention from the start was to have
Spoiler

aliens

[collapse]
as the reason, they should have atleast give hints way before the reveal. The whole thing feels forced after MC decided to do that thing, (you can really tell I'm trying to avoid mentioning too much spoilers).

There was no foreshadowing, teasers, or even a satisfying oh no wonder! moment. The novel bassically teases you with long long promising arcs in the beginning, making you think that it's gonna be a flag catching story where you run all over the place like the crazy guy with the blackboard with all the pinned up pictures slowly making sense of things then have your suspicion confirmed in a satisfying way in the end when it's really just a dark room and a guy outside of the room (not under your control) will randomly turn on the light so you can see a line of bolded words on the wall.

I guess a well-known and great example of what I expected of this novel is MDZS, what if with all of the foreshadowing and cheeky teasers the novel had. Minus all of the zombies and amputated dismembered torsos ofcourse. Kind of dissapointed, but leaving 4 stars because I kinde see where the author wanted to go with it.

I feel like there's definitely some sort of outside force that forced the author to give up with their initial idea because if this is really what they had initially in mind— I'd retract all the stars, leaving 1 for the translations. Kudos to the translator btw.

Anyway, all in all, if you DONT mind the abrupt change of pace, I'd recommend it. Definitely require not much braincells because there's practically zero related clues until MC decides to drop the bomb. 4 stars for nostalgia sake though, haven't known when I've last read this novel.

Anyway, peace. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
SayMrrp
SayMrrp rated it
May 16, 2022
Status: v6c94 part1
One of the best!

It's very high IQ, so most of the time I just wait for the final explanation of the arc.

The characters are realistic and interesting, even the side characters.

The novel is very psychological/philosophical, but there are exciting action moments.

The mysteries are very juicy, and I can't wait to find out the secret behind the game!
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Nanya
Nanya rated it
March 10, 2022
Status: Completed
One of my new favorite novels! At first I thought it'd be a typical "extra in a ____" but its actually really thought out with interesting lore behind the setting. I love the mystery aspect that the author laid out with us also exploring the various settings/their meanings. I also loved the philosophic/ introspective nature on humanity and their actions. Very satisfying and pleasing read.
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Kassandra
Kassandra rated it
January 7, 2022
Status: Completed
The brain stuff was really not my type cauz I'm not into things using my brain powders. But still a good unlimited flow novel. [Thumbs_up. Jpg]

The whole mystery when revealed in the end was quite exciting. Though, some of it was foreshadowed before, which was noticed earlier.

What I like the most was Beibei and Little Apple's interaction. [Laughs. Gif] Like every time! They just made the novel more sweet, in a sense.

... more>> Add the live broadcast, their comments are so cute.

Though, I have a question for my fellow readers who determined Beibei is the seme.

How did you know? I didn't even get a hint from the novel. [Miserable_cry. Jpg]

That's it.

Bye bye, Beibei and Little Apple. [Waves. Gif]

Live your remaining long life fully.

I'll be watching you from here. [Smile. Jpg]

Wishing you two, eternal happiness. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
ShadowAscetic
ShadowAscetic rated it
November 11, 2021
Status: Completed
This novel is a bit too dark and full of negativity (from characters' monologue), but it's a happy ending so I think it's okay? MC is more like a bridge between readers and the novel's characters, he was a pessimist before he accidentally got a bug (?) for live-streaming the nightmare games and it gave him hope for the future. ML is also super cute and straightforward guy, he's one of the reason why MC started to open his heart and believe that they can escape the game.

It's slow-paced and... more>> full of mysteries, so if you're easily got impatient then I don't recommend to read this one. But for me personally, I'm giving it 5 stars for the plot and world building, 4 stars for MC & ML characteristics, and 5 for the ending. <<less
2 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
apparentlyangel
apparentlyangel rated it
October 24, 2023
Status: v7c117 part3
The premise is good, but it gets very boring.

I held this novel in high favors for a while because I was very infatuated with the plot. But up until the reveal of MC's nightmare, I realized that most of the time I was reading this, I was daydreaming about what would happen next in the plot. I would be like, 'Wow, when [this] happens, after this arc, the story will get very good, I'm so excited!" I spent most of the book reading it like this, and evidently, it did... more>> not pick up.

It is also likely due to the writing style as well. I don't know if it was due to the translator, but if people are talking back to back, it becomes this huge mass of a text box with no organization or separation of thoughts and ideas. I'd bet the novel wouldn't feel so tedious to read, had there been some level of organization.

Back to the plot, it's good, don't get me wrong. Ignoring the writing style, it's very easy to follow and *most* of the solutions can be inferred by the reader. But... each arc is so long... for no reason! Each chapter is broken up into around three parts, but each part is thousands of words long, it's too much! The explanations can also take up an entire part, so it makes the story very boring to read. Additionally, the horror aspect is lacking or non existent altogether. It should instead be changed to psychological. I guess there are some points that could be labeled as scary, or thriller, but the author does not make an effort to build atmosphere, so it falls flat in execution.

This is most definitely NOT the kind of novel you can binge, and I'm likely dropping it here. I waited so long for the reveal of his Nightmare and it's so anticlimactic...

To put it simply, it's just boring. Not that it's bad or egregious or anything, it just doesn't hold the reader's attention.

I started this book over a year ago, and I've been reading it off and on whenever I remember it exist. Maybe I'll finish it later, maybe I won't. <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
GhostFlute
GhostFlute
June 7, 2023
Status: Completed
Our MC is the impassive, seemingly apathetic Xu Beijin, an extra actor in a horror, tower-climbing, puzzle-solving game. During the day, he mans a dusty, old bookstore on the bottom floor of the Tower, and during the night he's s**ked into one of his colleagues, one of the actors', Nightmare (name of the game instance) which the players need to solve in order to ascend to higher floors of the Tower and win the game. Sounds easy enough? Because reality is anything but! What is a Nightmare? What are Actors... more>> and Players? What are the higher floors? What's the Tower? What's winning the game? This novel will make you question *everything* sooner or later. At some point I was even asking myself "what's the bookstore"!!!!

Xu Beijin is a very unreliable narrator, he gives information as if his words and thoughts are pence and they're not to be squandered. You'll probably find yourself getting frustrated with being drip-fed the plot so slowly, but I assure you it pays off big time. I seriously think the last time I was so hooked into a horror novel, reading every single line, was back when I read Kaleidoscope of Death, or Global Examination. (This sould tell you a lot about the quality of this novel already!) You'll also be rewarded for reading along carefully due to the drip-feeding nature of the plot, as as some plot twists are foreshadowed very subtly a lot of chapters before the twist is eventually fully explained. Personally, I felt very accomplished once I reached the end.

In terms of romance there's very little substance, none of the chemistry found in Global Examination, but more of the comedy relief of Kaleidoscope of Death. Not my favourite, but many people love it, so don't be discouraged from my words. It's not a romance novel for me, it's a horror, puzzle story and it's beautifully done, that's what counts. I agree with what someone said in one of my FB groups about danmei subgenres, that we wouldn't read them without the appeal of gay romance in it, and it's true I wouldn't have picked up this book otherwise, but it's not what makes the story shine, so don't feel bad about the romance elements being underdeveloped, all right? This book is so much more than a couple of "I love you"s, this is a story about very deep and intriguing existential dilemmas. Insider vs outsider, human vs non-human, hope vs despair, known safety vs unknown dangers. If you think about glossing over this novel because you heard that the romance doesn't feature prominently, please come back and read this, you won't regret it. <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
human
human rated it
May 25, 2023
Status: Completed
Incredible. Probably a top 5 novel for me. This is the most complex and complete “trapped in a game with horror instances” story I’ve read. Sure, there are loose ends regarding characters and events, but overall the “truth” and the conclusion were very well done. The process of learning the truth and escaping, and the truth itself, was sometimes difficult to understand, but this just made me feel more immersed in the monumental nature of this story. In fact, this is the rare mystery story where the plot was so... more>> interesting I also tried to figure out the truth, without just waiting for the story to do it. Incredible read and would 100% recommend. <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
SophieLovenOr
SophieLovenOr rated it
May 22, 2023
Status: Completed
First of all, I would like to thanks the translator without who I wouldn't have been able to read this book.

I have really liked this book for its well build characters and environment. Even the side characters were so well written! It was a big plus! Their stories were really interesting and through the novel we came to see their evolution and I have appreciated it.

The story of each escape games were so great. I loved them.

The MC is also really refreshing as he is not the type of protagonist... more>> that we will come across often. The ML was also interesting. I liked the chemistry between the two of them, between the MC and side characters, and between side characters themselves. All of them were not build to enhance others characters and it showed. We did like some of them and despise others.

However, they were some issues with the incoherences around the Tower as it was pointed out through the progression by the translator. It did not disturb me but when you read it you can not just forget about them. Also, they were too much repetitions through the story. The author didn't want to wrap things and sometimes it got quite bothering, especially at the end. I had to force myself to read the last chapters.

Hence, the book is a good one and you should read it if you like escape games and horror with some humour. (I laughed a lot through the book). <<less
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
ishanir
ishanir rated it
February 21, 2023
Status: --
Good book worth reading

Couple is super cute

Start is very interesting but the starts to drag on after some time, especially when the whole apocalypse concept comes into play- more talking and less action

Great Mystery
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Qiaoyishanren
Qiaoyishanren rated it
February 11, 2023
Status: Completed
This novel takes a lot of patience and Braincells to be able to read it in a way that you would really as in 100% going to absorb the full details. It's challenging itself to take it in entirely but I enjoy the whole journey nevertheless. It actually gave me a feeling that I'm reading The Earth is Online, Little Mushroom, Global examination at the same time. And I probably forgot some novels that could remind any of you some beautifully written novels but I can assure you, you will enjoy reading this one. So please do so, and have fun. Thank you Author-nim, thank you Translators, have a nice day and please admire the wonderful nature that earth has while we you still can. I mean... Who knows.. 😎 what "strange creature" might future bring. Lol
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Anxin
Anxin rated it
January 31, 2023
Status: v9c156
Just finished it and really enjoyed it. The instances are very interesting and there are many unique characters. If I had to compare it with something I'd say the idea of the tower is a bit similar to TOG but with more horror and sci-fi elements.
1 Likes · Like Permalink | Report
Leave a Review (Guidelines)
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.