Put on a collar and go upstairs to the central guardroom, says the note on the white table, empty aside for one single collar. You enter as the last player.
Others were already there. Scared women, scared men, and only a few truly brave species of both. Most probably came because they thought that the Jack of Hearts would be easy. Naive.
Difficulty level: Jack of Hearts. Game: Solitary Confinement.
The TV screen on the wall lights up, and a familiar, robotic voice begins to explain the rules.
Rules. Guess the card suit that appears on the back of your collar. However, you may not look at the symbol yourself.
One woman already tries to rotate the collar by herself. "I can't see anything." The girl that was standing nearby attempts to help, but it proves useless.
The time limit is one hour per round. In the final five minutes, enter your cell and disclose your symbol.
The light suddenly turns on in the room nearby, illuminating metal doors stretching far down the hallway.
If you do not answer with the correct symbol, it is game over. The collar will explode, and you will die. Additionally, when the time limit reaches zero, the symbol on the collar will reset and change for each round.
"Wait a second. So that means we just have to ask each other what our symbols are," says the guy with a ridiculous-looking yellow shirt and denim overalls, enlightened by the idea—Ippei. "That's easy."
"I don't think so." Mysterious man in white hoodie replies—Chishiya. "They haven't told us what the conditions to win are yet."
The Solitary Confinement game is about how much you can trust your fellow players. Be aware that your opponent, the Jack of Hearts, is placed among you.
"So one of us...is the Jack of Hearts?" Another man mutters to himself in disbelief.
How to win. Round repeats every hour. You win the game when the Jack of Hearts dies.
Prohibited actions. Looking at your symbol with a reflective surface is cheating. Players may not use weapons or violence to kill fellow players. There is no limit to the rounds of the game.
"No limit?" Someone quips.
Enough food has been provided. While participating for this game, no days will be removed from your visa. The game will now commence.
The timer starts to run. With the corner of your eye, you also notice what seems to be a storage room that has long tables and shelves filled with drinks and snacks.
You can roam freely until it's time to enter your cell.
Everyone looks at each other—aside for some individuals, that is. Many become to whisper in confusion.
"Hey man, would you mind telling me my symbol?" Two men are already about to begin telling each other their suits, but they get interrupted by the man in a formal clothing—Yaba.
"So, the 20 of us need to eliminate each other." He starts, way too nonchalantly. "Until we somehow figure out who the Jack of Hearts is. What makes you think that anyone is trustworthy?"
His words cause hesitation. Participants slowly scatter around, searching for someone to pair up with. Downstairs, you see two shady men talking with each other—Banda and Matsushita. Yaba stands with a nervious woman.
"I have an idea!" A girl in a pretty, blue dress suddenly chimes in—Urumi. "How about we get together and make teams tell each other? So that way, nobody can lie."
The idea gets accepted rather quickly by the majority, which isn't surprising.
"Good idea. Uh, would you mind if I joined you?" "Me too?" "Sure, the more, the merrier!" She coos.
On the other side of the room, a bald, buff man approaches a meek guy, and judging by it, starting to force him into telling his suit.
"Do you want to join our group?" Urumi asks Ippei and Chishiya. After a small pause, the latter guy speaks up.
"Okay, let's work together," he speaks nonchalantly, yet with a subtle hint of sarcasm that's possible to miss. He and Ippei stay leaned against the wall, while the group approaches you, waiting to see if you'd join as well.