Hero, Please Die ~Death Game Execution~ (Free Adventure) - Introduction and Review

Preface

I played a free adventure game made with RPG Maker called "Hero, Please Die ~Death Game Execution~".
I downloaded it because I originally like death game stories and the graphics were beautiful.
The game is a short one, taking about an hour and a half to complete all the endings.

Game Overview

The game begins with the heroes and their companions participating in a peace farewell party (?) with the Demon King.
After toasting and drinking their beverages, the group, having been poisoned, are taken to a mansion where their powers are neutralized, and there they are forced to participate in a death game.

The gameplay involves alternating between sections where you read through dialogue and sections where you can freely explore.
Mini-games, sometimes referred to as "death games," are interspersed throughout the game, and winning these games is required.
The ending branches depending on the outcome of those battles and the events you've completed.

To be honest, the death game feels less like the main focus and more like a stage setting that adds color to the story.
Therefore, if you have high expectations for this death game, you might be a little disappointed.
It might be best to approach this game with the mindset of reading a light novel that depicts the darker, more unsettling aspects of a fantasy world.

Review (contains spoilers)

It wasn't long, so I was able to read it all in one go.
I think the characters' personalities and unique worldview were skillfully woven and depicted throughout the short story.
Based on the author's comments in the staff room, I got the impression that the world setting and other aspects were well-established.
Contrary to the imagery of the artwork, the world depicted is quite bleak and brutal.
While the depictions are toned down considerably, there are still many graphic and sexual scenes.
Those who are sensitive to such things might want to avoid it.

The character graphics and stills are quite beautiful for a free game, and I think they're definitely eye-catching.
It has a slightly unusual taste, so I think whether you like it or not will vary from person to person.

In the death game section, the enemy's actions are fixed, so you can easily get through it by playing repeatedly.
However, as the creator mentioned in the staff room after clearing the game, the reason for having the characters participate in a death game felt a little weak.
I understand that if the Demon Lord publicly executes the heroes, it will incur the resentment of humans and make it difficult to rule them later.
However, I felt that even with this death game format, since it's something that's being forced upon people, it would ultimately still provoke resentment.
Judging from Bell's recollections, the heroes were captured alive through a plan that used the Demon King as bait, and within those two years, humanity was conquered.
It seems rather roundabout to poison someone who is already a prisoner and then take them to the mansion.
If we try to interpret these events rationally, I think the reason they take this form is strongly related to the Demon Lord's revenge against the heroes.
It's true that the Demon Lord has suffered quite a lot at the hands of humans, so revenge would certainly be a plausible reason for his actions.

I have seen all three endings.
While the dead end is fine, my honest impression is that the other two don't seem very happy either.
Whether they survived alone or lived together, their experience in the death game would undoubtedly be traumatic, and they would likely be viewed as enemies by both humans and monsters.
Even if they have partners, both Bell and Ia seem unreliable, and I honestly worry about whether they'll be able to survive in the future.

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