As the Gods Will (2014) Plot Summary Explained

High school student Shun Takahata lives an ordinary life that he finds boring. At school he is suddenly forced to participate in a deadly game of daruma san ga koronda. When the Daruma doll turns toward the blackboard, it exposes a button on its back that the students can attempt to press to end the game. But, if the doll spins back around and sees anyone moving, then those students' heads will explode. Everyone in the class except Shun dies in this first game.

After the game, Shun finds his childhood friend Ichika and they make their way to the school gym. There they play Maneki Neko, where students attempt to throw a basketball-sized bell into a hoop attached to the collar of a giant cat doll. Those who miss are killed. Shun and Ichika devise a plan to trick the cat, which they pull off with the help of Takeru Amaya. However, after winning the challenge, Amaya kills the remaining students that did not help them win, stating that the unworthy do not deserve to live. Amaya and Shun fight but are knocked out by sleeping gas released by the giant cat doll.

It is revealed that high schools all over the world are experiencing similar tests. Shun wakes up in a giant cube hovering over Tokyo with several other students, but Ichika is not there. Shun meets another student, Takase, who forms an immediate attachment to him.

The next game is Kagome Kagome, in which the students are blindfolded and forced to guess which of four floating Kokeshi wooden dolls is behind them. Several classmates fail and are killed before Shun tricks the Kokeshi into prematurely revealing who is behind him, winning the game. One of the Kokeshi turns into a key which opens the door to the next level. Shun is reunited with Amaya and Ichika.

The next game is Shirou Kuma, where a giant polar bear asks questions that each student must answer truthfully. If someone lies, the group must choose who they believe to be the liar, who is then killed by the white bear. In answer to one of the bear's questions, Ichika, Takase, and Amaya all reveal that they like Shun. The bear claims that someone amongst the group of students is trying to get every other player killed. Takase and another student are killed before Shun realizes that the bear is the liar and there is no traitor.

The final game is matryoshoka. The remaining five students draw lots to see who is the "demon." The students who are not the demon must hide, as whoever's face is seen by the demon will be "captured." The demon must also retrieve a can and set it within a circle. If the can is kicked over before the demon can capture at least three players, the can will explode and save everyone except the one who kicked it, who will die.

Amaya is chosen as the demon. All players except Shun are captured. Shun puts on a suit of armor and a helmet to stop Amaya from seeing his face, but Amaya pulls the helmet off and captures him. However, Shun uses this proximity to chain Amaya long enough to allow him to kick the can. The can fails to explode; the matroyshka dolls claim that all players get to survive and give the remaining players ice cream, saying that the players may leave after finishing it.

However, it is revealed that the ice cream is actually a random draw, with all but Amaya and Shun receiving ice cream with "you die" written on the stick inside. Ichika and the other two students are killed.

Amaya and Shun appear standing atop the giant cube while the citizens of Tokyo chant "God's children." Shun claims there is no god. The Matroyshka doll lists each of the hosts of the games as gods, then says "and God" as a man is revealed. Shun turns around to look at him.