Kaname Sudou, a high‑schooler, receives an invitation from a classmate to try out Darwin"s Game, a mobile title he has never heard of. When he taps the icon, a green serpent erupts from his phone"s display and bites his neck, rendering him unconscious. He awakens in the infirmary with no visible evidence of a snake bite, and the school told him to take the day off for safety and rest. Though perplexed by the incident, he dismisses it as a hallucination and rides the train home.
Curiosity soon overcomes him, so he opens the app again. The interface looks like any other competitive game, and Kaname exhales a sigh of relief before launching his match. The momentary calm is shattered when an in‑game adversary materializes beside him and lunges with a knife. He feels danger creeping over his shoulders, and panic rises in his chest.
Running for his life, Kaname pieces together the truth: Darwin"s Game is not merely a virtual contest but a ruthless battle for survival. He realizes that every decision he makes could mean the difference between life and death, and the stakes are far higher than any ordinary challenge.