Please Follow the Rules of the Game Review
Please Follow the Rules of the Game by Green Plum Sauce
The Story
When Chi Ting wakes up the first thing he does is grab the neck of the person who had dared to approach him. He stops as soon as he realizes that he’s not actually being attacked. Readers don’t have to wait long to find out why he had such an extreme reaction. It turns out that he’s from a post-apocalyptic world where mankind is on its last days due to an alien invasion. He was once a soldier on the front lines battling these creatures. He abruptly goes from that dangerous crumbling world to this seemingly idyllic place.
However, it’s not that simple as Chi Ting has found himself in a game world. One where he’ll need to constantly compete to survive. Luckily, he's so accustomed to the harsh life of the battlefield that learning this information doesn’t phase him.
Chi Ting may look like a delicate young man, but he’s got the attitude of a warrior on vacation. He’s willing to relax and take in the sights but he’s quick to react when necessary. As he heads into his first game in the love apartments he’s eager to explore and learn the rules of the game.
Who’s it for?
This is an infinite flow novel. The type of story where the characters go from one world or game to the next continuously competing in order to survive. It has game elements and many of the game instances involve genres like; mystery, sci-fi and horror. Anyone who’s a fan of those genres might enjoy this.
This story would be best for readers who don’t mind overpowered characters because Chi Ting is powerful from the start. Since you’re never sure how much his past experiences can prepare him for these nightmarish scenarios there’s still some suspense over his ability to survive. However, there are other powerhouses in this novel. It’s to the point where it’s sometimes obvious who’s going to win in a particular face-off.
There are several cool characters. I found Chi Ting to be pretty likable. He does the hero gig well. Where he comes from humans are in short supply so he often tries to help other people as much as possible. He acts as if it’s his duty to protect the “cute humans”. It’s a little funny because it’s almost like he’s treating them as if they’re his pets. It’s also rare to have an infinite flow novel where there’s a valid reason for the character being so calm. There are a lot of stories where the protagonist is just weirdly unbothered by the situation. In Chi Ting’s case there’s a good reason for him being so nonchalant. He’s overpowered and the games are less perilous than the world he came from.
The Downsides
I’ve already mentioned the overpowered issue. Besides that this novel also contains a psycho male lead. He gives you the feeling that he might go off on a killing spree at any moment so make of that what you will. The romance still works, but that will obviously depend on your tast, so I’d recommend giving it a try.