What Is the Liar Game: Every Game and Rules Explained in Chronological Order (2026 Guide)

With the recent release of the new spring 2026 psychological thriller anime series, Liar Game, many of us are already hooked to the intriguing games and rules of every round. While those who have read the original manga by Sinobu Kaitani know how interesting the games get, the anime fans are still quite unaware of them.

For those who already know, this will be a recap and refresher; for those who don’t, this is the epic and uncharted territory of the psychological warfare the Liar Game offers. Without further ado, here is a list of all the games and rules in the anime and manga, arranged chronologically.

TITLE	Liar Game
CREATOR	Shinobu Kaitani
STUDIO	Madhouse
ANIME RELEASE DATE	April 6, 2026
MANGA RELEASE DATE	February 17, 2005
IMDb RATING (As of April 21, 2026)	7.3/10
WHERE TO WATCH	Crunchyroll

1 The 100 Million Yen Game

Round 1, or rather the qualifier round, of the game starts with players being lent 100 million yen in cash, which they return after a month to the LGT office. The catch here is that the players are matched into 1v1 criteria and have the option to steal the other person’s 100 million.

In that case, the LGT official comes and takes back the initial 100 million yen, and the winner is left with the other 100 million as prize money, which they took from the other player. There are no specific restrictions in this round, and the players can do whatever they want. However, if they fail to return the money after one month, they fall into debt with the LGT office.

2 The Minority Rule Game

Round 2, and the currently ongoing round of the anime series, “Minority Rule”, is, as the name suggests, a game of the minority. While in the classic majority rule, you win if more than half of the people vote along with you, it’s the exact opposite in this game. A random number is pulled out of the box by the dealer – the player who is assigned to that number must present a yes or no question.

With each participant voting with YES or NO, the majority are eliminated every round until there is only one player left. There is a 6-hour time limit to cast the votes, and a player cannot vote in both ballots. Furthermore, anyone who doesn’t vote within the time limit is automatically eliminated.

3 The Downsizing Game

The Downsizing Game, also known as a Revival Round, is a round played by the losers of Round 2, giving them a second chance to pass through to Round 3. Each player is given a checkbook worth 100 million yen, which is known as “M Tickets” – they can use it to spend on anything throughout the game, such as food and water from other players.

There are also “L Tickets” that help them pick a loser for the round. Players will vote for five other players every round using L Tickets, and the person with the fewest votes at the end of the game will be eliminated. The voting starts 3 hours after the start of the game and takes place every hour after that for 10 hours.

4 The Contraband/Smuggling Game

In Round 3 of the game, known as the Contraband/Smuggling Game, players are split into two teams – the Northern and Southern Countries. The aim is to use their cards to remove money from their ATM, which is in the other country, and transport it through customs and store it in a neutral third country.

However, each team also elects a “customs officer” whose job is to prevent the money from being transferred. The team with the most amount of money in the end wins, while the players of the losing team have to pay back the 400 million yen loaned to them at the beginning.

5 The Pandemic Game

In the Pandemic Game, also known as the Round 4 qualifier game, all players are given a watch that they can use to contact each other, which will generate vaccines. Two players are marked as “infected” and the others as “healthy”. Infection spreads through interaction, and the goal is to spread or avoid infection (depending on the role).

Players who earn four or more vaccines proceed to Round 4. However, if there are fewer than six players with four or more vaccines, then the top six players with the most vaccines will enter the next round. It is also worth noting that this is the only round without any money involved.

6 The Musical Chairs/Steal-A-Chair Game

The Fourth Round of the Liar Game, the Musical Chairs/Steal-A-Chair Game is just what you are thinking it is, but with some differences. An alarm from the watch used in the qualifier is used in place of music – players must touch a large totem pole before being allowed to find a seat.

Each player is given 23 medals with their names engraved on them, worth 100 million yen each – in total, each player has 2.3 billion yen on them. At the end of the game, only the winner’s medals will be worth 100 million yen; the rest will become worthless or “trash medals”.

7 The Bid Poker Game

The third and final Revival Round of the Liar Game is the Bid Poker Game – the last chance for losers of the previous round to make it into the finals. Each player is given 300 coins, one coin equals 1 million yen, totalling 300 million yen – the players use these coins to bid on card lots. With the cards available in the game, the player must make a viable hand, like in actual poker.

Once all the initial bidding is over, players have 10 minutes to decide which cards they will discard. If two players bid the same amount of coins on the same lot, the player who entered their bid first will win the lot. At the end of the game, players must pay back 100 million yen – the remaining is their prize money.

8 The Human Auction Game/The Record of the Four Kingdoms Game

Round 5 and the final round of the Liar Game Tournament consists of 3 games in quick succession – the Collective Ghostleg Lottery, the Human Auction, and the Records of the Four Kingdoms game. In the Collective Ghostleg Lottery Game, each player must pick 10 places to put a horizontal bar between two vertical bars on an authorized tablet. The computer combines every player’s 10 legs, and they are split into teams of four.

The teams of four are actually achieved through the Human Auction – it’s very simple, each player uses money in their possession to bid on other players they wish to team up with in the final game. The teams then proceed to the last and final round, the Records of the Four Kingdoms Game.

In this game, there are four kingdoms called Shu, Wei, Wu, and Wo that battle each other in a rocky, four-cornered arena. Each kingdom has 100 Live Points, and the game aims to attack other kingdoms and deplete their Live Points down to zero, with only one Kingdom remaining as the ultimate winner.

ROUNDS	GAME NAME
Round 1 (Qualifier)	The 100 Million Yen Game
Round 2	The Minority Rule
Revival Round I	The Downsizing Game
Round 3	The Contraband/Smuggling Game
Round 4 Qualifier	The Pandemic Game
Round 4	The Musical Chairs/Steal-A-Chair Game
Revival Round III	The Bid Poker Game
Round 5	The Human Auction/The Record of the Four Kingdoms Game

Did you know about these games? And which one was your favorite? Let us know your thoughts and opinions on the Liar Game in the comments below.

The Liar Game anime series is available to watch on Crunchyroll.