The short video production death game ADV "BUZZ or DIE" was released on Steam by Kodansha Game Lab today, Friday, October 30, 2026.
This is an adventure game set in a variety show starring death row inmates, each with their own hidden stories. Players are dragged into a death game where failure to go viral results in public execution. To survive, you must investigate and uncover your opponents' unknown pasts, then use these experiences as material to create short videos and compete against them. The character sprites are newly illustrated by manga artist Junji Okada, and the game features a luxurious cast of 11 voice actors providing full voice acting.
To celebrate the official release, a limited-time 20% launch discount is currently available! The regular price is 28 CNY, but during the event, you can purchase it for just 22.4 CNY. The discount will last until Thursday, November 12.
Additionally, the "Original Soundtrack," featuring 35 tracks including unused songs from the main game, and the "Digital Art Setting Collection," containing setting materials and approximately 54 pages of content, are now available on Steam. Take this opportunity to purchase them!
※ This game contains scenes of violence and gore, as well as content that may cause psychological distress.
■ Original Soundtrack & Digital Art Setting Collection now available on Steam!
With the official release of the base game, the Original Soundtrack and Digital Art Setting Collection are now available on Steam. Even after clearing the game, players can continue to immerse themselves in the unique world of this title through these additional contents.
To celebrate the launch, the Original Soundtrack and Digital Art Setting Collection are also available with a limited-time 20% launch discount alongside the base game. Take this opportunity to purchase them!
【BUZZ or DIE Original Soundtrack】 Newly drawn cover revealed for the first time!
A special edition cover featuring the entire cast! It will have a different flavor when viewed after clearing the game
This Original Soundtrack includes 35 tracks, featuring not only the in-game music that enhances the atmosphere of this death reality show but also special tracks unused in the main game. The cover features new artwork specially drawn by the game's creator, Bon.
Price: 15 CNY (tax included) ※ Limited-time 20% launch discount ongoing until Thursday, November 12
【BUZZ or DIE Digital Art Setting Collection】
The Digital Art Setting Collection is approximately 54 pages long and includes various illustrations from the game as well as extensive setting materials. It reveals rare expression variations for characters that appear only briefly in the game, design drafts drawn by the creator Bon, and even displays prototype versions from the development process! Whether you want to learn more about the unknown sides of the death row inmates or are interested in the game's production process, you will find rich content and surprises within.
Price: 13 CNY ※ Limited-time 20% launch discount ongoing until Thursday, November 12
■ Go viral or face immediate execution! Survive to the end in the death row inmates' reality show!
The opponent in the first match is a pair consisting of a feminized android modeled after Sakijima and a cheerful male program staff member
Players take on the role of the protagonist, "Player," and team up with "Sakijima," a death row inmate and former cult leader, to participate in the life-or-death variety show "BUZZ or DIE." The ultimate winner will not only be acquitted but also granted the right to "have any wish fulfilled."
On the other hand, losers are publicly executed on live stream... Not only that, they are chosen as prototypes for slave androids. In other words, slave androids that look exactly like them will spread across the world. What awaits the losers is nothing short of an endless trampling of their dignity.
To survive, players must investigate their opponents' pasts in the "Investigation Phase" and expose their secrets to the national audience, humiliating them in public.
Contestants gain access to their opponents' mental worlds, allowing them to explore hidden pasts, secrets, and true thoughts
The outcome of "BUZZ or DIE" is decided by viewer votes. There is only one way to win—create short videos using your opponents as material to gain more "likes." Identify their weaknesses during the investigation phase and create thumbnails that catch viewers' eyes. Don't worry if you have no experience in video production! Simply create video thumbnails based on your opponents' traits to produce a variety of short videos with different styles.
How you use your opponents' pasts and secrets to turn them into spectacles for viewers depends on the thumbnail images you create
Depending on the direction of the thumbnail—such as outrage-bait, emotional, or trivia-focused—the content of the short video will change
The demo version featured in the previous "Steam Next Fest" included the opening story of the game. In the full release, players can continue to experience subsequent battles against death row inmates, gradually uncovering the truth hidden behind the show until the story reaches its final conclusion. In this death reality show dominated by "likes," can you defeat all your opponents and survive to the end?
After the demo, more death row inmates with secrets capable of sparking controversy await your challenge!
■ A luxurious cast of 11 voice actors with full voice acting! Death row inmates with unique personalities
A group of vile criminals, each with their own hidden stories, weave a dramatic human saga through their intense emotions and conflicts, which is one of the game's major appeals. The death row inmates, brought to life by voice actors, are all dangerous individuals with distinct personalities. They fight in pairs as partners. A genius comedian who blew up a TV station and a genius girl hacker who bankrupted a major bank. The daughter of an arms dealer and her private chef skilled in preparing human meat. And a child sentenced to death for unknown reasons, along with his police officer father. Each pair hides an unknown past, and there are deep connections between different combinations.
Player (CV: Iori Nomizu)
Originally a member of the production staff, but forced to become a contestant
Sho Sakijima (CV: Takaaki Torashima)
The player's partner. A cult leader and also a con artist
Tutorial Sister (CV: Sarah Emi Bridcutt)
Sakijima Sho's "feminized" android
Staff Member (CV: Nozomi Takatsuki)
A program staff member who assists the Tutorial Sister
Shinobu Akiba (CV: Toya Shiraishi)
A former popular comedian who blew up a TV station
Sayuri Utsu (CV: Reina Kawamura)
A genius girl hacker who infiltrated a major bank's system
Manami Jujo (CV: Yurika Hirayama)
The daughter of an arms dealer family that nearly destroyed the country
Sumito Kanibari (CV: Toshinobu Iida)
A top-class chef who calls himself an "expert in human cuisine"
Ina Urakiri (CV: Miu Miyake)
A boy aspiring to become a police officer
Soichi Urakiri (CV: Yuichiro Kuba)
Ina's father, who is also an active-duty police officer
Hame Higashi (CV: Haruka Sato)
The show's producer, who is also the player's boss
Character sprites, key visuals, and event CGs are all newly illustrated by manga artist Junji Okada (known for works such as "Twin Game" and "Tatakiza Side Hustle"). From intense mutual provocations among death row inmates to the wretched expressions of defeated characters, Everythinggj is presented through Okada-sensei's exquisite illustrations with unique aesthetic appeal, along with passionate performances by the voice cast. Stay tuned!