25 Best Death Game Movies & TV Shows, Ranked Find help us

The best death game movies and TV series have a way of making fans feel as if they’re alongside the players risking their lives. Picture this: You’ve just woken up in a strange room with no clue where you are. A voice comes on through a speaker and announces that the game is officially underway. The object of the game? To make it out alive by any means necessary. It’s a pretty dreadful thought if it were to happen in real life. But to watch this scenario unfold on screen can actually be quite entertaining.

Movie franchises like Saw have made bundles of money with brand-new iterations of the very concept of death games. But are there many best death game options out there? Some films have taken the genre and put a unique spin on it, adding much-needed life to the death games. So which film or TV show will be the last one standing?

25

‘The Hunt’ (2020)

Directed by Craig Zobel

One of the defining films that first made the jump to digital storefronts when its original theatrical release was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Hunt is a wild and hilarious satirical take on the death game concept. The film follows a group of strangers who wake up to realize that they are being hunted down by a group of ruthless elitists who hunt humans for sport. However, when one of the hunted begins to escape and turn the tables, the truth behind their entire operation begins to reveal itself.

The Hunt is very blatant and direct about its satirical angle and over-the-top messages of political discourse, divide, and misinformation, yet its shocking death game premise didn’t stop it from getting a great deal of attention before its release. The film even managed to get banned for a short time, with its shocking story of elitists killing humans for their political views being too shocking for audiences. Still, the film balances its bloodshed with a great deal of comedy, making it a surprisingly underrated hit during the COVID era.

24

‘Nerve’ (2016)

Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

Blending the stakes and concepts of a death game with the nightmarish world of social media, hype culture, and widespread peer pressure, Nerve is one of the most unique takes on a death game out there. The film follows the story of high school senior Vee (Emma Roberts), who finds herself pressured into joining the popular online game Nerve, a wild game of truth or dare consisting of “watchers” and “players.” As the dares prove to get more and more dangerous, Vee suddenly finds her entire livelihood and family at risk when she attempts to stop playing the game.

Coinciding with the darker sides of the internet and its uncanny ability to achieve widespread desensitization to heinous and vile material, Nerve explores a chaotic extension of how far social media can go. While at first glance, combining the worlds of social media and death games wouldn’t make for a compelling match, the film’s genuine worldbuilding and ability to set up genuine stakes makes it an exciting watch. Even if it is far from the most polished film in the world, its attempts to tap into various unexplored themes easily make it commendable in its efforts.

23

‘Gamer’ (2009)

Directed by Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine

Taking a classic death game premise and combining it with the flashy and chaotic directing style of Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine, Gamer is a beautifully over-the-top exploration of manic violence in a bleak virtual dystopia. The film follows Kable (Gerard Butler), an innocent man who finds himself as a prisoner in a vicious future where prisoners can fight as puppets in an online multiplayer game for a chance at freedom. Controlled by elite gamer Simon (Logan Lerman), Kable is determined to escape the prison of the game to return to his wife and child.

Gamer doesn’t shy away from showing a more raunchy and depraved view of what a dystopian death game could be, yet it all comes ahead to help build a distinct and one-of-a-kind world unlike any other death game out there. It’s the type of film that is wholly self-aware of its own absurdity, playing up its most chaotic attributes to a point of full-on comedy, rounded out by an effective lead performance from Butler to ground the whole thing. Especially for fans of Taylor and Neveldine’s other films like the Crank films, Gamer is certainly going to deliver.

22

‘Circle’ (2015)

Directed by Aaron Hann and Mario Miscione

Circle is a death game film that makes the most out of its ingenious premise, allowing the performances and elements of its characters to speak for themselves while maintaining a minuscule budget. The film follows a group of complete strangers who find themselves waking up in a mysterious room with a glowing orb in the center, the strangers find themselves tasked with voting for one among them to be killed, as the group grows smaller and smaller as they plead for their lives.

The premise of Circle is immediately understandable and gets audiences hooked from the very beginning, with the entire experience shrouded in an alluring mystery and existential dread as more and more people die at the hands of being voted off. Even without any of these characters having any names, one gets a sense of their identity and fear as the film goes on, adding to the reliability factor and creative possibilities that make the death game genre work so well. The underrated sci-fi film has proven to be so effective that nearly 10 years later, Circle is receiving a sequel to further explore the world and concept.

21

‘Self Reliance’ (2024)

Directed by Jake Johnson

Using the concept of a deadly game show as a jumping-off point for a chaotic romantic comedy about the pain and destructive tendencies of addiction, Self Reliance is a wildly fun and entertaining time. The film sees writer/director Jake Johnson as Tommy, an average man who is given the opportunity to compete in a dark web game show where hunters attempt to kill him over the course of a month. However, Tommy believes that he’s found a loophole in that the hunters can only kill him if he’s alone, so he is dedicated to spending the next 30 days next to someone, yet none of his friends or family believe the game is real.

Johnson has proven himself to be a comedic force time and time again through his various comedy works, with Self Reliance allowing him to go all out in terms of an instantly engaging premise rife with thematic resonance and depth. The death game itself proves to be much more intricate than its simple rules make it out to be, actively playing into one’s insanity and forcing one to isolate themselves for its potential gains with death at every corner.

Watch on Hulu

20

‘Danganronpa: The Animation’ (2013)

Directed by Seiji Kishi

Adapted from the first in a series of widely beloved visual novel video games, Danganronpa: The Animation sees everyday student Makoto Naegi lucky enough to win a lottery to attend Hope’s Peak Academy, the seemingly perfect school where only the best students attend. However, as soon as he arrives at school, he and the 14 other students find themselves trapped in the confines of the school with no way of escape. To make things worse, a sadistic teddy bear appears, saying that to escape their prison, one student must kill another and get away with it without getting caught.

While many other adaptations of video games make a conceited effort to change and adapt their stories for new mediums, Danganronpa: The Animation does an exceptional job of bringing the first game in the series to life with a beautiful animation style. While it certainly comes with some of the narrative hurdles of translating a 25-hour visual novel into a 5-hour miniseries, it still features a lot of the best death game attributes of the franchise. The miniseries proved to be popular enough that a sequel series, that acted as both a sequel to the miniseries and a sequel to the games, was released soon after.

19

‘Death Race 2000’ (1975)

Directed by Paul Bartel

Another dystopian future, another death game televised for the public’s amusement. Death Race 2000 features a story detailing a TV show created by the rebuilding U.S. government in an attempt to distract citizens from the harsh realities of their country. With zany characters like Frankenstein (David Carradine) and Joe “Machine Gun” Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone), Death Race 2000 leaned into its pulpiness.

What sets Death Race 2000 apart from other death game movies is its over-the-top production and trendsetting approach (not to mention its wacky costumes). Made in 1975, Death Race 2000 was one of the earliest entries into the genre, paving the way for films following a similar path. The entertaining 1970s B-movie never took itself too seriously as it offered interesting commentary on social rebellion.

18

‘Escape Room’ (2019)

Directed by Adam Robitel

Largely touted as one of the best PG-13 entry points for death games to younger audiences and those who can’t stand the more gory, R-rated attributes of many of these films, Escape Room is simple yet effective fun. The film follows six strangers who, after solving a mysterious yet difficult cube puzzle, are invited out to compete in a top-notch escape room with a $10,000 prize. When they arrive, however, they soon realize that the stakes are much higher and that their lives are on the line if they don’t make it through the rooms fast enough.

Combining the classic death game concept with the increased interest and success of escape rooms in recent memory, it was only a matter of time before a film like Escape Room was created. The biggest strength of the film is easily the vast reaches of creativity that went into the different room designs as well as the puzzle solutions for each room, inviting the audience to play along in finding the solutions. While it’s certainly more family-friendly and tame compared to other death games, its vast creativity makes it a must-watch as one of the most effective death game movies.

17

‘Exam’ (2009)

Directed by Stuart Hazeldine

While many other death games find their hook and excitement from the death and destruction as a consequence of losing the game, Exam proves that the same level of dread and terror can be found in the very lack of communication. The film follows a group of talented candidates who have been chosen for the final stage of an exam meant to test them to join a powerful mysterious corporation. As they are left in the room to complete the exam, they are given 80 minutes to answer a single question, yet chaos soon ensues when they realize that they haven’t been told the question.

From the get-go, it’s apparent that Exam is the type of mysterious, confusing death game that will largely be defined by an unexpected twist that recontextualizes the entire film as a whole. Exam certainly does find a way to deliver a masterclass of a twist, yet it’s all the buildup and rising tension that help make Exam a standout among other death game films. More than other death games, Exam is largely elevated by the dynamics and interactions between its characters, acting as a simple yet deeply effective examination of the human psyche and communication under harsh conditions.

Watch on AMC+

16

‘The Most Dangerous Game’ (1932)

Directed by Irving Pichel and Ernest B. Schoedsack

One of the first true examples of a death game in the realm of cinema, The Most Dangerous Game adapts the legendary short story of wealth and a destructive abuse of man’s power over another. The film follows a legendary hunter who finds himself shipwrecked on the reefs of a mysterious island before being taken in by the reclusive and eccentric Count Zaroff. While initially friendly, Zaroff quickly reveals his intentions as he forces the survivors of the shipwreck to participate in a sadistic game where he treats them like prey and hunts them for sport.

The influence and legacy of The Most Dangerous Game is still greatly felt within death games and horror thrillers of the modern era, whether it be through other direct adaptations of the story or variations on this classic premise. Even under a modern lens, the execution and precise storytelling of the film still hold up to the standards and conventions of today, telling a great story of hubris and humanity itself.

15

‘The Running Man’ (1987)

Directed by Paul Michael Glaser

Based on Stephen King’s novel, The Running Man follows Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a police helicopter pilot who has been accused of committing a massacre. After he is sent to prison, he escapes with the help of two men, but is eventually caught. Richards is then given the option to appear on a sadistic TV show in which he must flee from armed mercenaries in an attempt to win a pardon.

The Running Man received a lukewarm from both critics and audiences alike upon its release. The movie does leave a lot to be desired, but the film’s influence and impact on future works is undeniable. The Running Man also delivers the typical Arnold experience that every movie fan can enjoy.

14

‘As the Gods Will’ (2014)

Directed by Takashi Miike

One of many legendary live-action adaptations by Japanese director Takashi Miike, As the Gods Will adapts the first arc of the beloved manga series with its story of bloodshed and destruction. The film follows a group of high school students forced to play various deadly versions of classic children’s games like “Red Light, Green Light”, with the punishment for losing being death. As his classmates all begin to die around him, jaded Shun Takahata is forced to keep fighting if he wants to survive the deadly games.

Miike has always had an exceptional ability to bring to life the greatest strengths and core of the material that he’s adapting, with As the Gods Will perfectly featuring the strengths and dreadful nature of the original manga series. While it goes about it in a wild and chaotic way, the film’s core thesis about the ways that people take the simplicities of boring everyday life for granted makes for a compelling and emotionally poignant death game experience.

Watch on Amazon Prime

13

‘The Platform’ (2019)

Directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

A movie that aims to leave more of an impression with its social commentary rather than its sheer brutality, The Platform‘s story is rather simple. In the near future, prisoners are sent to a tiered facility where they are assigned one cellmate in a single room. The only catch? Their only food source is a buffet style that sits on a platform that lowers into the room from the top and continues down to the next level below. The table only has a certain amount of food. So if a prisoner is assigned a cell on the very bottom, they will starve.

There is more than enough food to go around for each of the prisoners. But the mindset of “I’ve paid my dues” strikes true for many of the prisoners, feeling like they have already suffered enough and deserve to be rewarded. The film does a solid job of sharing its worldview without hitting it being too hamfisted. The Platform offers a unique take on the genre and should be a must-watch for any horror fan.

12

‘Ready or Not’ (2019)

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

While death games normally see themselves revolving around a large group of people each fighting to survive dangerous circumstances, Ready or Not condenses the death game action onto the quest of a singular player. The film follows Grace (Samara Weaving), who, on the night of her wedding, has her new in-laws spin a wheel to decide which children’s game will induct her into the family. After it lands on Hide and Seek, it quickly becomes apparent that the stakes are insurmountably high, as the rest of the family has until sunrise to hunt her down and kill her.

Ready or Not takes the divides and complications of dealing with new in-laws and amps it up to chaotic, death-game extremes, telling a hilarious story of bloodshed, betrayal, and fighting to stay alive. What makes the film work as exceptionally well as it does is the leading performance from Weaving, who does a great job at embodying the wrath and unending will to live as she fights through hell and back to make it to sunrise unscathed.

11

‘The Belko Experiment’ (2016)

Directed by Greg McLean

A deeply memorable and satisfying horror thriller that takes the death game concept to the world and hierarchy of white-collar business, The Belko Experiment provides the perfect mixture of social commentary and relentless bloodshed. The film follows a group of American workers who find themselves locked inside their office building, with an ominous voice forcing the workers to compete and kill each other in a sadistic game of survival. With the risk of death to those who don’t compete in the game, the workers soon turn on one another as they search for ways to escape.

The Belko Experiment includes all the classic hallmarks that make death game stories so satisfying and impactful, from the simple and engaging premise riddled with themes and symbolism to the beautifully stylish execution of on-screen deaths. The white-collar setting also provides a perfect twist on the death game formula, from the intricacies and dynamics between its characters to the iconography and usage of various office job staples for weapons, hiding places, and complications.

10

‘Cube’ (1997)

Directed by Vincenzo Natali

Cube follows a simple story. Five people enter a room with no knowledge of how they got there. They soon realize that they are trapped in an elaborate maze with several rooms that appear to be booby-trapped. After failing to find a way out of their newfound prison, the five people slowly begin to turn on each other.

Despite its seemingly bare-bones story, Cube offers a tense and wild journey in the film that is wrapped in thrilling mystery. The movie is filled with a sense of dread as the players in the Cube‘s game slowly lose hope of ever returning to their everyday lives. Even its very first scene, where a clueless player is quietly but brutally killed, is more than enough to send a chill down any viewer’s spine and sets the tone for the rest of the film.

Watch on Pluto

9

‘3%’ (2016–2020)

Created by Pedro Aguilera

Set in a dystopian future where people are impoverished and struggling to survive in the Inland, 3% depicts the spine-chilling tradition of choosing 20-year-old individuals who compete in “The Process” for a chance of moving to virtual paradise, “Offshore.” Each candidate goes through grueling and dangerous tests – in the end, only 3% remain.

The show made history by being the first Portuguese-language Netflix original, and offers a fun (and often terrifying) story full of well-written characters. Its death game is unsurprisingly inextricably linked with social commentary about the consequences of the widening gap between the rich and poor, as well as the lengths the elite will go to in order to maintain the status quo. It’s a great pick for audiences willing to explore international entries on Netflix.

Watch on Netflix

8

‘Would You Rather’ (2012)

Directed by David Guy Levy

While many death games are quick to have an increased emphasis on either the game at hand or the deadly results, Would You Rather intelligently places its focus on the human psyche and the psychopathic nature of its game. The film sees a desperate young woman, looking to find funds for her ill brother, choosing to compete in a deadly game of Would You Rather, hosted by a sadistic philanthropist who enjoys seeing the suffering of others. The game sees people going against their ethics and committing painful acts in the name of money, as this ringleader embellishes his power over the poor.

Would You Rather‘s greatest strengths are easily its quandaries and themes of capitalistic greed and abuse of power, acting as an incredibly ahead-of-its-time take on the death game genre. A good reason why the film’s themes and effectively abhorrent nature are expressed so well is the brilliant performance from Jeffrey Combs as the main villain and host of the game, Shepard Lambrick. His combination of glee, charm, and toxicity make him one of the most compelling yet despicable characters in fiction, as he does a perfect job playing up the worst aspects of capitalism in a singular character.

7

‘The 8 Show’ (2024–)

Created by Bae Jin Soo

A topical and scathing black comedy satire about the corrupting strength and greed present within class struggles, The 8 Show proves to be a South Korean death game show just as hilarious as it is exceptional in its messaging. The film sees a group of eight strangers competing in a game in which they are locked inside a building and earn money for each minute that the game continues, at night in different rooms on 8 different floors. While initially ready to collaborate to make sure they earn as much money as possible, deception begins to rise as they realize that the higher floors earn significantly more money than the lower floors.

While it isn’t a game of constant and frequently occurring deaths like other death games, the game present within The 8 Show is built to seed deception and chaos among its players until reaching a breaking point of death. As its characters are developed and the absurdity and chaos of these contrasting personalities clash more and more, the series quickly grows into an interesting twist on the classic death game genre, trading the bloodshed for more satirical wit and social maneuvering.

6

‘The Hunger Games’ (2012)

Directed by Gary Ross

Based on the popular book series by author, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games helped introduce the death game genre to an entirely new generation. Starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games tells the story of a dystopian future where young people participate in a televised set of twisted games that test their ability to survive whatever deadly challenge is thrown their way.

The Hunger Games grossed just under $700 million worldwide, making it one of the most profitable movies of 2012. The movie also cemented Lawrence as a bona fide movie star. The Hunger Games gave the genre one of its most accessible entries, while still staying true to its roots. The film was brutal, but in a blockbuster kind of way.