The God Game by Danny Tobey

ABOUT THE BOOK

You are invited!

COme inside and play with G.O.D.

Bring your friends!

It;’s fun!

But remember the rules. Win and ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.™ Lose, you die!

With those words, Charlie and his friends enter the G.O.D. Game, a video game run by underground hackers and controlled by a mysterious AI that believes it’s God. Through their phone-screens and high-tech glasses, the teens’ realities blur with a virtual world of creeping vines, smoldering torches, runes, glyphs, gods, and mythical creatures. When they accomplish a mission, the game rewards them with expensive tech, revenge on high-school tormentors, and cash flowing from ATMs. Slaying a hydra and drawing a bloody pentagram as payment to a Greek god seem harmless at first. Fun even.

But then the threatening messages start. Worship me. Obey me. Complete a mission, however cruel, or the game reveals their secrets and crushes their dreams. Tasks that seemed harmless at first take on deadly consequences. Mysterious packages show up at their homes. Shadowy figures start following them, appearing around corners, attacking them in parking garages. Who else is playing this game, and how far will they go to win?

And what of the game’s first promise: win, win big, lose, you die? Dying in a virtual world doesn’t really mean death in real life—does it?

As Charlie and his friends try to find a way out of the game, they realize they’ve been manipulated into a bigger web they can’t escape: an AI that learned its cruelty from watching us.

God is always watching, and He says when the game is done.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

REVIEW

What I liked: The God Game by Danny Tobey is an intense ride. I was completely enthralled and on the edge of my seat for the duration of the story. The God Game could serve as an effective cautionary tale. With anonymity so easy to achieve in today's digital age, it is too easy to distance ourselves from one another. Insults, small bits of trickery, why should we care if we don't have to confront our victims? The God Game grasps that and blows it up, presenting the players a huge lesson in morality. The pit in my stomach grew as the participants are drawn further into the game, and it is more clear what is at stake for the players. 

What I didn't like: Not much. I did become a bit aggravated with some of the player's choices. Most of it was trivial things, and in the end, many did get resolved. And I am still unsure of the ending, but it does leave room for more stories later. With more questions answered, I may feel better about it.

The plot feels similar to Ready Player One, meets War Games with a bit of Ex Machina thrown in for good measure. Quite the combo in today's society. The God Game could be good for anyone looking for a digital age thriller.