Manga Similar to Liar Game

Manga Similar To Liar Game That You Should Surely Check

By:

Published:

17/07/2018

Updated on: 02/09/2022

Liar Game is a widely praised psychological manga by Shinobu Kaitani. It is probably one of the best manga in the ‘battle of wits’ genre of anime and manga. And those who have read it keep craving for more. So let us serve just that purpose and present our top picks for 5 manga similar to Liar Game. But before that, something about the Liar game.

Liar Game

Status: Finished

Genres: Drama, Game, Psychological, Seinen

Authors: Kaitani, Shinobu (Story & Art)

Synopsis

Wishing she would live up to the ideal, Kanzaki Nao‘s father named her thusly for “honesty.” Nao has more than lived up to her father‘s wishes—even exceeding them and earning the label of “a foolishly honest girl.” This makes Nao the least qualified candidate for the high stakes “Liar Game,” where winning requires deceiving the opponent out of their money and losing means receiving massive debt; however, that doesn’t stop a box containing a hundred million yen in cash and a card informing her of her participation in the game from arriving at her doorstep, nor does it stop her from being promptly tricked out of the entire sum of money.

Upon hearing that a genius swindler, responsible for a major corporation’s bankruptcy, is being released from jail, Nao goes to the swindler, Shinichi Akiyama, to enlist his help. With that, the two are drawn into the dark, greed-filled, and deceptive world of the Liar Game.

Manga Similar to Liar Game

So, here is the list of the picks.

08. Gamblers Parade

Status: Publishing

Genres: Game, School, Shounen, Psychological

Authors: Nakayama, Atsushi (Art), Kodaka, Kazutaka (Story)

Synopsis

On an island somewhere, there is a high school where sly gamblers gather to play. Shinonome Karin, the unlucky protagonist, gets into trouble for being late on the first day of school.

As a transfer student, she ends up getting involved in a rigged gamble. Thankfully, she is saved by her history teacher named Kumode Nagisa. He has an unsettling vibe around him as he hates gambling.

Why Check it out?

The pacing may be slow, but the mysteries and plot make up for it. It adds a supernatural twist, and it’s an edgy manga that will fill up the hole that Liar’s Game left! Surely a must add to your list of manga similar to Liar Game.

07. Kamisama no Iutoori

Status: Finished

Genres: Action, Drama, Horror, School, Shounen, Supernatural, Psychological

Authors: Kaneshiro, Muneyuki (Story), Fujimura, Akeji (Art)

Synopsis

Shun Takahata feels like his life is boring and pathetic. He wishes that something eventful would happen. Well, he comes to realize that you should be careful what you wish for because his teacher’s head explodes. From the corpse’s remains, a Daruma doll comes forth.

This marks the beginning of a sadistic children’s game. Anyone who moves when the Daruma is looking will be murdered. The winner of the game will be the one who pushes the button on the doll’s back. 

Shun manages to keep his sanity while his classmates get slaughtered. He ends up being the only victor from his class.

Unfortunately, he finds that he is forced to go through another hellish game to leave the school. Who is the mastermind behind these games, and will it ever end? Shun tries his best to find other schoolmates who might’ve survived to survive Daruma’s unreasonable tests.

Why check it out?

This survival manga may not be completely original as it follows the typical formula set by other mangas. But it definitely packs some unexpected punches. It’s extremely bizarre and has a lot of cultural references that make it awesome. It’s underrated, but it’ll live up to the hype of Liar Game.

06. Kakegurui 

Status: Publishing

Genres: Mystery, Drama, School, Shounen, Psychological

Authors: Naomura, Tooru (Art), Kawamoto, Homura (Story)

Synopsis

The students of Hyakkaou Private Academy are children of privileged businessmen and politicians. These students don’t care about academic achievement, though. They place more value on the ability to read people with their strategic powers.

After school hours, the campus turns into gambling dens that are regulated by the student council. Students can use this as an opportunity to get higher ranks, more money, and other such rewards. 

Ryouta Suzui is a student who is placed at the bottom of the ranks. As a result, he is forced to be a servant or a ‘house pet.’ However, when a mysterious transfer student named Yumeko Jabami arrives, his circumstances change.

Yumeko quickly familiarises herself with the school’s gambling set up and wastes no time facing strong opponents. This attracts attention from the student council members, who begin to meddle in her affairs.

Why check it out?

This is an extremely popular and almost genre-defining manga that is at the same level as Liar Game. The manga is so good at grabbing your attention that you may end up finishing it one night. The characters are unique, and it’s interesting to see how their personality crumbles slowly. You can’t miss out on this one if you like psychological stories. Do check out this manga similar to Liar Game.

Doubt Manga Cover

05. Doubt

Status: Finished

Genres: Mystery, Seinen, Psychological , Horror

Authors: Tonogai, Yoshiki (Story & Art)

Synopsis

Rabbit Doubt has become one of the most famous cell phone survival game in Tokyo. In this simple game, several players form a team where each member is a “rabbit” and try to hunt down the “wolf” hidden among them in rabbit’s clothing. The wolf will keep devouring a rabbit until either all rabbits have been killed or the wolf has been spotted.

Players of the game often meet in real life, exactly how Yuu Aikawa does when he meets Rei Hazama, Haruka Akechi, and Eiji Hoshi. Together with Yuu’s longtime friend, Mitsuki Houyama, the bunch decides to spend their time in a lively karaoke bar. During their time at the bar, Yuu leaves to check on one of his inebriated friends but is suddenly knocked out by the unknown person wearing a shabby rabbit mask. After regaining consciousness, he finds himself in an abandoned psychiatric hospital, sharing a cell with a mysterious boy. Though the two soon manage to locate the others, their reunion is interrupted by a spine-chilling message on a cellphone: “Rabbit Doubt, Start!”

In Doubt, six high schoolers are thrust into a life-or-death survival game that will test their integrity and trust. With their lives at stake, they must quickly uncover the identity of the wolf that infiltrated their group—or be hunted down like prey.

Why Check it out?

If you liked the psychological battles in Liar Game, then there are similar elements in Doubt, just with a hint of horror and mystery! Doubt is less focused on mind games and battles of wit and more on the eerie and mystery vibes—a great addition to the list of manga similar to Lair Game.

Akagi Manga Cover

04. Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai

Status: Finished

Genres: Action, Drama, Game, Psychological

Authors: Fukumoto, Nobuyuki (Story & Art)

Synopsis

While mahjong is a game that is often played with family and friends, it is also a game played in the darkest corners of society. Nangou is a compulsive gambler who has accumulated debt of over three million yen. In a last-ditch attempt to clear his record, he decides to wager his life on a game of mahjong with the mafia. Unfortunately, as the game progresses, Nangou only moves further from the prize and closer to death.

When all hope seems lost, the game parlor is suddenly intruded upon by Shigeru Akagi, a young boy on the run from the police. Desperate to turn the game around, Nangou hands the game over to Akagi after teaching him a few rules. The mafia can only smirk as Akagi sits down to play. However, they soon come to learn that Akagi is a natural-born gambler. An imposing figure who does not fear death. One who is destined to become a legend.

Why Check it out?

Akagi is a manga similar to Liar Game in terms of the main character, psychological battles, and gambling. However, instead of having new original games each time, Akagi’s gambles only deal with the game of Mahjong. But that doesn’t make it any less interesting to read!

One Outs Manga Cover

03. One Outs

Status: Finished

Genres: Sports, Psychological, Seinen

Authors: Kaitani, Shinobu (Story & Art)

Synopsis

Toua Tokuchi, a master of gambling and mind games, holds the remarkable record of 499 wins and zero losses in “One Outs,” a simplified form of baseball that consists of only a batter and a pitcher. Visiting Okinawa, Tokuchi’s hometown, is Hiromichi Kojima, the star batter of the Saikyou Saitama Lycaons, the weakest team in the Japanese baseball league. Dreaming of leading the Lycaons to win the championship, and in dire need of a replacement for their injured pitcher during a training camp, Kojima involves himself in a game of One Outs, only to lose to a normal fastball from the seemingly invincible Tokuchi.

Mesmerized by his prowess, Kojima recruits Tokuchi to the team after narrowly avoiding defeat in a rematch, believing he might be their key to victory. However, the greedy owner of the Lycaons refuses to give him a decent salary, leading Tokuchi to suggest an unusual contract. Every out he pitches will gain him five million yen, but every run he gives up will lose him fifty million yen. With his fate now tied to that of the team, Tokuchi’s fight to bring the Lycaons to victory becomes yet another gamble—the very thing that he does best.

Why Check it out?

Yet another masterpiece by the author of Liar Game. Do not be fooled by the genres and synopsis; this manga has much more to it than baseball. To a point where one can say this is less about sports and more about the world of gambling, underground and dirty mind games. Containing similar psychological games to Liar Game, One Outs has baseball based gambles instead of the usual poker. To add to that, the lead character is a total badass and much more ruthless than Akiyama. Surely this is a manga similar to Lair Game.

Tomodachi Game Manga Cover

02. Tomodachi Game

Status: Publishing

Genres: Game, Shounen, Psychological

Authors: Yamaguchi, Mikoto (Story), Satou, Yuuki (Art)

Synopsis

Katagiri Yuuichi believes that friends are more important than money, but he also knows the hardships of not having enough funds. He works hard to save up to go on the high school trip because he has promised his four best friends that they will all go together. However, after the class’ money is all collected, it’s stolen! Suspicion falls on two of Yuuichi’s friends, Sawaragi Shiho and Shibe Makoto.

Soon afterward, the five are kidnapped and wake up in a strange room with a character from a short-lived anime. Apparently, one of them has entered into a “friendship game” to take care of their massive debt. But who was it, and why did they have such a debt? Could they have stolen the money from class to pay for entry into the game? Yuuichi and his best friends will have to succeed in psychological games that will test or destroy their faith in one another.

Why Check it out?

Tomodachi Game comes very close as a manga similar to Liar Game in terms of its original gambling Ideas, Badass lead male, amazing twists, amazing battle of wits, and suspense. If you liked Liar Game, then this is a must-read! And it has a much better art style as a bonus!

Kaiji Manga Volume 1 Cover

01. Kaiji

Status: Ongoing.

Genres: Drama, Game, Seinen, Psychological

Authors: Fukumoto, Nobuyuki (Story & Art)

Synopsis

Itou Kaiji is a bum who steals car emblems and slashes tires on what seems to be a regular basis. This routine changes one day when he is paid a visit by a man in a trench-coat. Once the two get talking, it seems that the visitor (Calling himself Endou) is a debt collector. The reason for his visit is an unpaid loan, which kaiji had previously co-signed for a work-mate (Furuhata Takeshi). The original loan was 30000 yen, and once Takeshi had disappeared, the loan then fell on Kaiji.

Kaiji is then told of a way to clear the interest compounded debt (which stood at 3,850,000 yen), which involved getting on a boat with others in his position. Once on the boat, the debtors would have to gamble with loaned money, which would end with a few winning and others getting into deeper debt and worked to pay off their debts. After some coercing, kaiji accepts a position on the boat to clear himself and make a bit of money as well…

Why Check it out?

If you loved everything about Liar Game, then there is nothing to not love about Kaiji! Original Gambling concepts, intense battle of wits, high stakes gambles, you name it! Kaiji has it all and much more. Unlike Liar Game, Kaiji also stares deep into the human psyche, explores a new side of the underground, and brings many psychological concepts to light. So, Kaiji is another manga similar to Liar Game that is worth a read. The only setback to Kaiji is the art style, but we already had to put up with that in Liar Game, now didn’t we? All in all, Kaiji is a spectacular gambling manga and probably the best to exist in the genre.

Kaiji spinoff manga Chūkan Kanriroku Tonegawa (Middle Management Chronicle Tonegawa) is getting an anime adaptation this summer, so surely check it out.

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