Alternate Title: Kamigami no Asobi: Ludere Deorum
Visual Novel adaptation by Brain’s Base
Simulcast on Crunchyroll

Premise

The connection between gods and mankind has grown weak in modern times. Zeus summons a normal high school girl to a special academy to help teach the most out-of-touch deities about humans and love.

Jel’s Verdict: God of Competency

With its action-packed introduction, amusing interpretations of famous international gods, and surprisingly solid production values, I can’t deny I enjoyed Gods of Play to a certain extent. It’s still very much an otome game adaptation – a cute, relatable heroine surrounded by a gaggle of cardboard cut-out pretty boys – but it manages to come off more refined and dignified than other, similar series I’ve watched. For one, the heroine herself is not totally lacking in personality and seems to have a little fight in her. And as far the guys go, at least some of them avoid being intolerably abusive. I still don’t think there’s going to be much to see here, beyond sparkly pretty dudes and maybe an occasional cool action scene, but if that’s what you’re into, Gods of Play seems like a keeper.

Lifesong’s Verdict: Amusing Use of Mythology

I need to be honest. I am easily amused by Japanese interpretations of mythology. That said, I still didn’t expect to enjoy this first episode. I found myself liking the heroine, though, and am curious to see how she will go about teaching these gods human manners. I think that is what the premise boils down to. I like these pretty boy characters and want to see how they develop. The animation was solid and the backgrounds pretty. Jel and I are still laughing about the transformation at the beginning. Am I sold on the long haul? No, I can’t say that. But I had fun, and that is more than I expect from otome game adaptations. Who knows, if Gods of Play remains amusing, I just might keep up.

Marlin’s Verdict: Rote Adaptation

I’m sure this’ll be perfect for whoever actually liked this game, but it doesn’t take much time to notice just how much this show goes through the motions. The way the heroine just randomly wanders around the halls and meets her gaggle of pretty boys pretty much felt like watching a VN transition from scene to scene. While I agree that this is no Amnesia and the protagonist is no Sad Sack, she still is a bit too timid to me. While she is somehow able to stand up against Zeus of all things, she prattles about when she finds any guy like she forgot how to speak. Like every other otome game adaptation, either you like shows like Gods of Play and you’ll enjoy it, or you have better taste and will skip it.