Kodansha Game Creators’ Lab will publish BUZZ or DIE, a sci-fi visual novel from Japan-based solo developer Bon, for PC via Steam in 2026. The game centers on a televised competition where prisoners dig through each other’s pasts and compete for audience votes, with freedom awaiting the winner and execution awaiting the loser.
Bon previously developed EgoMixer and Twelve Angry Boyfriends. BUZZ or DIE will support English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese.
The game puts two inmates against each other in a deadly popularity contest. Players search through old conversations and memories to find compromising material on their opponent, then package those findings into a video and thumbnail designed to pull in as many likes as possible.
The contestant with the most likes is released with a clean record and granted one wish. The loser is executed on stream, while an android made in their likeness is condemned to permanent labor.
The cast includes a former comedian turned bomber, a genius hacker, a revolutionary, and a cannibalistic chef. Their criminal histories and personal memories form the material players can use against them during each match.
BUZZ or DIE is planned for PC via Steam in 2026, with English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese support.
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