Alice in Borderland is a Netflix live-action adapted Japanese thriller series that came out in 2020. The third season of this show came out recently on September 25. Alice in Borderland follows main character Arisu, a young man who finds himself in a deserted parallel version of Tokyo. He and his friends must play an array of deadly games that come with physical and mental challenges which could be surpassed with teamwork and psychological manipulation along the way for a certain part of the players to properly excel and execute these survival games. 

There are a variety of games presented in the series, leading fans to debate on which games are best. Most would agree with the following:

Best Games of the Series

1. Boiling Death – This game traps players in a deadly environment, making it hard to escape, heightening the suspense which performs a good role in portraying every decision as urgent and dangerous, illustrating desperation and putting in practice their skill of quick thinking.
2. Checkmate – It blends strategy with emotion, forcing every player to choose a side with a risk being taken, with their life on the line and with constant fear and pressure to recruit or resist. In addition, this game also involves a lot of persuasion and trust which outlines the importance of battle and confrontation.
3. Tag – The setup of being hunted while trying to find the hidden “it” builds up tension in the game escalating the levels of anxiety and stress the audience experiences. This game also portrays the importance of teamwork and reliance on one another to accomplish it successfully.
4. Survival – There are nonstop survival battles that turn the entire city into a deadly survival war zone. The constant gunfire and explosion makes it one of the most chaotic and adrenaline-filled games in the series. This game also does a good job of pushing every character to their limits while forcing them to endure in a pure life-or-death combat.
5. Hide and Seek – It turns a childhood classic into a terrifying fight for survival with deadly consequences. The setting of this game makes every movement seen as a risky take. This game combines fear, strategy and suspense catching the audience’s curiosity for what is about to happen.
6. Secret Fortune – This game focuses the players’ attention to one task that requires mathematical problem solving while the clues to easily survive stay hidden and not discovered by the others.
7. Balancing Scale – This is a game that tests logic, fairness and the weight of moral decision making under extreme pressure. This game forces everyone to directly confront justice and sacrifice by using not only mathematical skills but profound thinking and comprehension.
8. Witch Hunt – The massive chaos this game suffuses compels the mistrust among many of the survivors. The mystery of discovering who the real witch is causes mistrust and questioning among all. This game clearly depicts the way loyalty, fear and human nature can make people turn into each other without doubt nor remorse when survival is on the line.
9. Osmosis– This game is a thrilling test of observation and intuition requiring players to decipher hidden rules within a certain time frame which combines mental sharpness with fear of sudden death portraying every action as a risk.
10. Solitary Confinement – A masterclass in psychological tension, it forces players to confront isolation for them to survive. The eerie, confined space makes every moment feel suffocating. This game also makes everyone step out of their comfort zone to stay standing while also giving the opportunity for players to psychological play with others.

In addition to debating which games are the most preeminent, viewers have also discussed what characters are considered superior according to their survival skills:

Top 10 characters with Game Clearing Ability

10. Akane Heiya – Bow, physical

9. Rizuna Ann – Analytical thinking, calmness

8. Kuina Hikari – Karate skills, quick reaction

7. Mira Kano – Manipulation

6. Aguni Morizono – Physical strength

5. Keiichi Kuzuryu – Intelligence, judgmental state of mind

4. Usagi Yuzuha – Agility, stamina, climbing skills

3. Isao Shirabi – Combat skill, tactical movement, weapon usage, durability (great villain)

2. Chishiya Shuntaro – Deductive reasoning, strategic calculation and observational

1. Arisu Ryosei – Intelligence, logical thinking, planning, situational judgment

Best Season

Season two is considered the best season out of the three seasons that have come out. This is due to the fact that it presents more complex and thought-provoking games that test the characters’ physical and emotional limits. In addition, it also further explores the relationship between the two characters, Arisu and Usagi, which adds depth to the story. Moreover season 2 sets the beginning of showcasing Chisiya’s strategic thinking and character growth which keeps the audience intrigued into that specific role, building complexity in their reaction towards his decisions and strategic self-presentation, in other words, aura farming.

Overall Opinion

Alice in Borderland is an intriguing series that mixes philosophical themes, plot twists and complex settings that keeps the viewers engaged while also finding themselves invested in the characters’ struggles adding emotional depth and mystery to the show, mixing a variety of emotions while also purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way they do. On the whole, this magnificent show explores mature themes such as morality and hopelessness which adds depth and more intensity to the narrative making it stand out not only for the general theme but also its genre.