Foreword

Myotosis, or forget-me-nots, as they are often referred to

as, are flowers that have meanings in flower language such as
remembrance during partings and a connection that lasts
through time. Both these meanings are very relevant to Zero
Escape and the emotions fans are surely feeling as the series
ends this summer. Memory is very important in Zero Escape
just as the games characters will not forget what theyve
experienced even across timelines, we wont forget Zero Escape,
nor the hard work put into the series, lasting beyond this parting
and into every possible timeline.
In March of 2016, Kotaro Uchikoshi posted a number of
tweets thanking Zero Escape fans for their support in bringing
Zero Time Dilemma to life. In response to Mr. Uchikoshis moving
tweets, the Thank You Zero Escape project was formed.
Together, a team of fans have worked to collect Zero Escape
fanworks of all kind: art, poetry, fanfiction, cosplay, music and
more, and have compiled them into this book and SD card, as
the fans response to those tweets..
Ultimately, the project surpassed our wildest expectations,
with 227 contributions from fans all over the planet, many with
a personalized thank you message to Mr. Uchikoshi, Spike
Chunsoft, and Aksys, who made Zero Escape and Zero Time
Dilemma a reality.
Thank you. Please enjoy MYOSOTIS.

Graphics taken from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys

Games. No copyright infringement intended.

From the Cradle to the Grave

I wonder... which Santa

I am

by Acey

by Ayriu
He rolls over in his sleep again.
I-Im sorry I swear I got those forms in. I wait, youre not? Gah! He sits
up in a cold sweat only to nail his forehead on something hard. Ow!
He recoils in pain and rolls to his left. The ground beneath him suddenly
vanishes. Son of a! He falls several feet to hit the cold metal surface below.
Ow, ow, ow what was He looks up to see that he fell from the top of
a bunk. What where am I? This oh, no, no, no, no, dont tell me Im in
jail oh god no He scrambles to his feet and surveys the room. No that
window this this isnt jail is this a ship? He jams his hands into his
pockets. His left hand catches something, like a folded piece of paper.

You see that timer? You have 18 minutes to escape this room. If not, well
lets just say your bracelets pack a toxic surprise. But fret not, there is a solution.
Seek a way out. I wish you all the best of luck.
The speaker crackles for a moment and then fell silent.
This cant be happening oh please let this all be some sort of nightmare.
Okay, okay, lets just slow down a moment, Ace, and do a reality check,
yeah
He takes a breath and runs down a list mentally. I am Gentarou Hongou, or
Hongou Gentaroudepending which country Im in. Im 27 years old and I
still need to pay the landlord for this month

Hello, whats this? He pulls it out and reads over it.

Consider yourself lucky.
You have been chosen to participate in the [Nonary Game] as participant
number five. To escape this ship with your life, you must understand the concept
of digital roots. Simply add the digits of a number; should the sum be more than
one digit, repeat the process until there is only one digit. That one digit is the digital
root.
Zero
I welcome you. A speaker suddenly crackles to life. Yes, welcome, lucky
participants, all nine of you, to the Nonary Game. I would love to explain to you
the rules, but our time together is short. If I may, please turn your attention to
your newest, ah, accessory adorning your left wrist.
He looks at his left wrist. There, as the voice mentioned, is the so-called
accessory: a bulky contraption that loosely resembled a watch. But on its face
was not the time but a [5].
Most of you might be wondering what this lovely contraption is. It is your
key to freedom yet also your judge, jury, and executioner. Now, please press
both buttons simultaneously.

Read the full story at: tinyurl.com/FromtheCradletotheGrave

Zero Escape is definitely something beyond special to me. Ive met so many
awesome people, and Ive introduced a lot of my friends to the game. Though
my submission is focused on 999, the Luna ending has a place in my record
books. Ive never cried for anything fictional, like a character death or whatever,
until I got VLR. I was up at 4 in the morning playing VLR, and I just reached the
Luna Ending. I actually cried for 15 minutes straight. But I wouldnt have had it
any other way.
Seriously, these games really do hold a special place in my heart. Thank you
for such a wonderful series. Im so glad to have found Zero Escape and it is
definitely something that will remain with me forever. Heres to another 15
minute sob session at 4 in the morning!

To Mr. Uchikoshi Kotaro and his team,

Thank you so, so much for creating such a great
game that is the Zero Escape trilogy. 999 is one
of my all time favourite video games, and I own
Virtues Last Reward on both the Vita and 3DS, and
I plan to do the same with Zero Time Dilemma. I
still remember seeing 999 in stores when it first
came out; I cant believe its already been 6 years
since then! I am so thankful I decided to give
it a try, being blessed with 2 more just feels like
Im being spoiled. But thank you so much for
releasing the third game, not just me, but many
others were afraid the third installment mightve
never happened, but again, thank you so much
for gifting us this wonderful series. After the
conclusion of ZTD, I hope you and your team will
continue to create more great games!
Also, thank you to Aksys for localizing this
fantastic series for us!

One last thing: I need to give two extra special shout-outs. One to the leadlined receiver and good friend, @Kami_Elma (Twitter). He helped me bounce
ideas, and introduced me to the series. And second to my amazing typist and
friend, @musictheory1001 (Twitter), without her typing skills to help move
along the story while I finished the rough draft this story wouldve simply
remained in my binder, collecting dust for all of eternity.

He does as the voice says and upon the face, instead of a [5], a paused timer
glares back at him in bright LED blue. 18 minutes? 18 hours?

Kurashiki Aoi
by Lizzie

Im a fairly new Zero Escape fan having

played 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors & Virtues
Last Reward earlier this year, however this series
has blown me away. I cant remember the last
time a video game series had me so gripped
by its story and emotionally involved with its
characters.Ivelaughed and cried playing the ZE
games, and I absolutely cannot wait for Zero Time
Dilemma.
Id like to thank Kotaro Uchikoshi and his team
for creating these amazing games. Thank you for
your incredible work! And thank you to the TYZE
team for making this project happen!
Lastly, I hope you enjoy the drawing of Aoi, as
he is one of my favourite characters (hope to see
him in ZTD!)

The Santa clover

by Laia P. vila (Souru)
Thank you for making me despair in a game that, at first, didnt catch my
attention for which I finally succumbed in front of Siplicks recommendations
(and because the Titanic was a great ship!). I admit that, initially, the game
felt slow and boring. But as soon as the rythm caught up, it was frustrating,
distressing and absorbing, to the point that I didnt want to let it go because I
wanted to know what could happen and what options were correct. I wanted
to know if they could survive, or if everyone would die! Thank you for making
a story with so many endings, so many doors, and so many well-coordinated
options! When I grow up, I want to make something that huge! (And I hope it

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wont take me too long to grow up).

So why did I choose Santa? Because he was a surprising and attractive
character, one that looked like one thing and turned out to be another, besides
having values, honor, and a nobility that broke with many steoreotypes. He felt
fantastically built and with a beautiful, clean design that made it clear why it
was so once you got to know him.
So, thank you for this fantastic game, for its wonderful story, and for letting
us navigate through the imposing and extraordinary Titanic.

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A Way with Axes

Bad End [ Clover ]

by Sukinichi

by milkrainn

Ever since the release of 999 for the DS, the

series has kept a special place in my heart. Even
up until now, it amazes me how intricate the story
is and how great the entire premise of the game
is. These games serve as inspirations to me as an
upcoming game developer, as I am an avid fan of
the genre and I hope to be able to create games of
the same caliber.
May this small piece of mine take part in a
ripple of Thank Yous for all the wonderful people
who took part in creating this series, because
they deserve all the thanks going their way. From
the bottom of my heart, and everyone elses,
thank you!

Thank you, Zero Escape, for just about

everything. Id be without the most creative and
amazing friends Ive ever had, and I believe that
my art/writing would be lacking if not for these
wonderful games. Inspirational is too little of a
word to encompass what the series has done for
me and my creativity. Not only have I become a
better artist and writer, Ive also become a locked
room specialist, and (hopefully) could get out of
any situation if I really, REALLY had to! :>
Thank you Mr. Uchikoshi for a fantastic series. I
am so glad to be apart of the swelling fandom. My
excitement at Anime Expo 2015 when Zero Time
Dilemma was announced could not be contained.
I will be sad about the series ending, but I feel that
the entire fandom is very grateful and fortunate to
have a final taste of this awesome series.
This piece is dedicated to Clover, my best friend
that got me into the series, and to every artist,
writer, and creator that had a hand in creating
Zero Escape.

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13

Eternaldecisions

fortune favors the bold

by Anvaen [ty message],

by Jillian

Michel Enrquez [artist]

On behalf of my sister and myself, thank you,
Kotaro Uchikoshi!
This Clover bookmark was a birthday present,
made by my sister since we love the character.
I want to share the experience I had when I first
played VLR.
I decided to follow Alice, the last mystery from
the amazing 999 game. When the time came to
Ally or Betray, I chose Betray since I believed shed
do the same. I felt so guilty when the results came
in (she chose Ally) that I turned off the game and
changed mydecision.
Confident, I selected Ally. The results appeared
and this time Alice had betrayed me. My character
confronts her, angry for an answer.

Two years ago, I saw someone playing

999; my best friend had also played it back
when it first came out, and so with those two
recommendations I decided to pick up the game
and give it a shot. And Im so glad I did. The story,
the characters, the art, the music... Everything
went hand-in-hand to fully immerse me in the
game. I could barely get Virtues Last Reward fast
enough once I was done with it! And when Zero
Time Dilemma was announced last year at Anime
Expo, I was so elated I could barely sit still.
Thank you, Mr. Uchikoshi, Aksys and everyone
else involved in the creation of this series for
working so hard to get these games to us! Thank
you Operation Bluebird, Thank You Zero Escape,
and all the fans who love this series!

I made the most logical choice. Everyone who

think otherwise is, well, an idiot- she says.
But you didnt do that before! - Sigma replies.
At this moment, it hit me. The gameknew. There
was no escaping it. I realized, from here on out,
every choice would always be remembered.
Alice and Phi are curious about why Sigma said
before, but they dont need to. I do.
Thank you, Kotaro Uchikoshi.
I wish you only the best of luck for your future
projects. I love your stories to Infinity, theres
justNo Escapefrom them once they capture you,
and, to be honest, I wouldnt want to.

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15

Leaf words of
good fortune
by Danicky
Zero Escape has surely been one of the best
things I randomly stumbled upon. I hope not too
many other timelines missed out on playing these
beautiful games. Nothing is better than a game
providing an amazing setting, loveable characters,
mindblowing plottwists, and several moments
worth of crying; Zero Escape has that and more
than I could ever wish for.
I have put my faith and trust in Uchikoshi
bringing a wonderful conclusion to Zero Escape.
Im glad to have been one of the many lucky
people to find this story we love.
From this timeline, I will be looking forward
to your future stories, Uchikoshi. Thank you for
everything so far!

Four Years
by jana
For me, Zero Escape isnt only a videogame series, but much more. It has
changed my life in so many ways, I couldnt be grateful to you. It has given me
so special moments, it has helped me make so many new friends that share my
love for Zero Escape, and it gave me a dream, a goal.
Since this project got announced, I knew I had to draw Clover. She means
a lot to me, shes the character who inspires me the most, and the reason
why I kept drawing even when I felt like giving up. For me, shes the strongest
character from the series. She had to deal with so many terrible things, and

16

carry on with them.

And even after all of that, she keeps being optimistic and positive, trying to
help others.
Ever since I first played 999, this series has been inspiring me everyday.
Someday, I wish to create games as fantastic as this series is. Im so grateful
that I got to experience all these moments. Thank you for creating this, thank
you for never giving up on Zero Escape, thank you for believing in the fans and
caring about us. Thank you for everything!

17

Remember These Words

by Aster Opal

Until Zero Escape series, I had never truly felt

connected to video games. I enjoyed them but I
never got heavily into them. Most video games
never gave me a chance to truly put thought into
them. Zero Escape delves into many subjects that
pique my interest such as quantum physics and
psychology. I fell in love instantly with this series
and I replay it over and over. Thank you so much
for showing me how fun games can be.

Quick! Thank Uchikoshi!

Thank you ZE!

by Lan

by lio

I admire your zero escape series, Uchikoshi-san! I really loved the sciencetheme and the puzzles! Im gonna be a game developer, and Id like to learn
from your style!

Thank you for everything, ZE! I was able to discover my hidden interest for
these sort of games, feel so involved in a story like never before, but I was also
able to make new friends and strengthen the bonds of my already known
friends. A friend and I, (their name is khakis) played 999 together. Needless to
say, we had lots of fun. Despite me having school, we stayed up late playing it
or played it all day because it was justthatgood. We cried, laughed and shared
our frustrations because Junpei just seemed like helovedto die. Just kidding
of course.In the end, I created lots of memories thanks to this game! We plan on
playing the next installment together, to feel theseroller coasterof emotions
again. So yea! Thank you!

Graphics taken from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys

Games. No copyright infringement intended.

18

19

Another anagram
by Sam N

In these games, who did it? is usually what we

seek to answer, but the why? is always the most
mind-boggling and unexpected. Ive never played
a game that made me theorize and question
things so much, but also taught me a lot and was
so much fun. Its a great game that can make you
laugh, cry, and teach you something too! Thank
you to everyone who made these awesome
games possible!

Thank you ZE
by Chris S

21

Akane Kuranimation
by Itch-Neesan

I only recently got into the ZE series, but Im already loving it. I am grateful for
getting introduced to it, and what lies ahead!

Seek a way
by Amy S.

22

Four years ago I played Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors on a whim,
and it blew my mind. It was fun, superbly written, thought-provoking on a
grand scale, and tied the dual-screen gameplay to the story in a way Id never
seen before. Truly, I felt it was a masterpiece. To this day its still my favorite
game, and Im always telling people to play the series. Thank you so much
to Mr. Uchikoshi and everyone who has worked hard to make Zero Escape a
reality!

ZERO
by Rainbow Vigilante

23

Akane Kurashiki Fall 2015 Fashion

by Pepper

24

An Impactful Work Not

To Be Forgotten
by Chel

Words or pictures cant really describe how

much I love the zero escape series. Im currently
working at a local game development company
and this game has always been my inspiration
and push to go further in this industry. Sciencefiction is my favorite genre and not many stories
(especially games) can pull it off so well. The
puzzles were great and I absolutely love the climax
of 999 when Junpei made a connection with
Akane. It was really clever, telling a story of two
different events, connected by the dual screen in
a DS. When VLR arrived, I fell in love. The puzzles
was more challenging, the science behind the
time travel made me read more about quantum
physics, and lastly, its the first game to make me
feel so deeply connected and also betrayed to a
point I had to put the game console down to think.

My first experience with the first game in the

Zero Escape series, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine
Doors, will always remain to be one of the most
impactful fictional works (yes, beyond games) Ive
ever encountered. Video games have always been
my favorite medium for storytelling, and 999 has,
in a lot of aspects, set the bar for me. Its innovative
way of using the Nintendo DSs potential at its
fullest deserves all the praise as it should, as it
demonstrates the potential of video games in
storytelling which cannot be done at all in any
other form. This experience really moved me as
I aspire to work in the industry and 999 along
with Virtues Last Reward are great examples
of where video games can go and be proven
to be as respectable pieces of art form beyond
entertainment.

Now that Zero Time Dilemma is near, Im very

excited but also sad that this beautiful series is
coming to an end. but if theres and end, there is
also a beginning. I hope that by the end of the zero
escape series, Uchikoshi-san and team will begin
a new life, where there will always be hope and
success waiting at the end. Thank you so much for
making one of my most favorite (and treasured)
game.

The other half of my strong feelings for the

series encompass my love for the character Akane
Kurashiki, who within the fandom we all know
as the original Zero. It is this identity alone that
has made her become one of my most favorite
female characters in fiction; I am really grateful
to Uchikoshi for creating an incredibly complex
character like her. Morally grey female characters
at the forefront are hard to find not only in games
but also in fictional work in general, and so I
really appreciate the amount of layers Uchikoshi
has woven to her character and her central
significance in the main story of the series.

25

Camellia
by Felix

Everyday Is Great
With June
by nekoibuki

The zero escape series means a lot to me--its

helped me bond with old friends and new alike.
I love the intriguing plot and I cant wait to see
what new twists ZTD is going to bring!

With all the hours I have put into the Zero

Escape series, with over 200 hours on Virtues Last
Reward alone, it obviously means a lot to me.
The interesting storyline, the amazing characters
and the fun escape rooms, it was an amazing
experience every time. Ive cried a lot of times
playing and replaying these games, and each
time Ill keep with the tears. My heart probably
cant take it more, honestly, but Im still really
excited and thankful for this experience. Ive also
made many friends go through the same feeling
of playing the game, and it has always been fun
having them angry at me for the feelings, though
they loved it regardless.
Besides the betrayals (I still feel horrible
afterwards, but a good type of horrible), thank you
for everything, Uchikoshi and Aksys <3 This series
has always been close to my heart, and will always
be so! Ive even made a few friends thanks to this
series, and have had hours worth of talking about
theories and anger with them, it really does mean
a lot to me. Thank you for this experience!!

26

27

I Am Zero

This is my Future

by Snow

by Joypandaah

I cannot even begin to describe the impact that Zero Escape has had on my
life; its me for the better in every regard, from the artwork I make to the friends
I have, and I cant even imagine where I would be without this series.
Ive spent countless hours analyzing, discussing, theorizing, and drawing
fanart for Zero Escape, all with the sole intention of paying tribute to the
videogames that changed my life. Theyve helped me through tough times
and been a source of inspiration and motivation all the while; waiting for Zero
Time Dilemma has been not only a test of my patience, but something to look
forward to for almost a year.

28

These games are masterfully crafted and anyone can clearly see all of the
effort Uchikoshi put into delivering a moving story for his audience. Nothing
can compare to the emotional rollercoaster that is 999, and VLR expands on
the story to set up for our conclusion; collectively, we spent years waiting for
the finale of the series, and although some lost hope, its finally here.
So thank you to Uchikoshi for all he has done for us. He deserves to finish
the story he has invested so much time and effort into, and I am happy beyond
words that he is able to do so. Thank you, Zero Escape!

During the summer of 2011, I picked up a game called Nine Hours, Nine
Persons, Nine Doors at the Aksys Games booth at Anime Expo. I knew nothing
about it other than what was on the cover and the info provided on the back of
the box.To be very honest, I only bought the game because it came with a free
gift (the watch) haha! But little did I know, this game would be a part of one of
my favorite video game series of all time.
To this day, Im so grateful for that purchase, in fact it was probably one of
the best purchases I made that year alone. Since then, Ive introduced my very
best friends to the Zero Escape series and together we bonded over the story,

connected with the characters, and just recently participated in the actual
Zero Escape room in LA! It was such a dream come true and one of the best
experiences of my life!
Thank you so much Kotaro Uchikoshi for creating a work of art that not
only means a lot to me, but to other fans around the world! Thank you to all
the wonderful people who helped bring his story to life! Thank you to the
hardworking fans for making projects like this happen! THANK YOU!

29

Im Grateful.

June

by Clive

by Ashley

When 999 came out in English, my mom worked

at a game store.
She wanted to be able to know the game inside
and out when customers asked about it, so she
bought a copy and took it home with her to play.
She never did get to play it though. The same day
she took it home, I went through her bag and stole
it for myself. Admittedly I was a bit too young to
be playing it, but my mom never took it away from
me, mostly because it was one of the first things
to make me openly happy (Ironic, as I cried three
times while playing it). Id never felt so apart of a
game before. For all the hours I played 999 (as well
as VLR) I honestly felt that I was somewhere else
than the small room me and my family had to live
in, and that was more than enough to brighten my
mood. Mr. Uchikoshi, AKSYS: The feeling of being
completely immersed in a game was a wonderful
and empowering feeling I dont think Ill ever
forget, and that Ill always be grateful to you for.
Thank you for making the Zero Escape series
possible!

30

Last year, I decided to try out Virtues Last

Reward, which I was able to purchase from my
local game store. From the first few lines in the
game, all of the complex puzzles, the engaging
story, and intriguing characters struck me as
completely different to any other video game
series I had ever played. In fact, as I strived to
complete the puzzles and eventually reached the
end of that game, I knew that I needed to read the
whole narrative from the beginning. By playing
through both 999 and then replaying Virtues Last
Reward, the series left a large impression on me. If
it had not been for this series, I would have never
been able to become a part of such a creative and
kind community of gamers who all share the same
passion for the game series that have changed all
of our lives forever. Kotaro Uchikoshi, thank you so
much from the bottom of my heart for all of your
hard work over the years!

31

Zero Escape is truly

amazing! Thank You!
by Soulie
In 2013 I was bored and looking for something to
watch on Youtube. Luckily, i found a walkthrough
of 999. I couldnt stop watching it because it was
such a unique and interesting game! It made me
think about the world with a more open mind
with its charming characters, intruding story, and
the thought provoking topics Junpei is confronted
with throughout the game. It wasnt the horror that
made me scared in 999. It was, as in real life, the
fear of not knowing whats going to happen next,
the fear of what you dont know. Thats probably
why I, like many other people, liked the game so
much. Eventually I also watched a playthrough
of VLR and brought a 3ds specifically to play the
series for myself. The Zero Escape series has made
me so happy, and has kept me motivated through
tough times, in a way i cant explain in words. It
has inspired me to want to eventually join the
game industry one day. I dont want to know who
I would be in the timeline that I hadnt found out
about Zero Escape. And its REALLY great for the
series to have an ending in the next game! So
thank you ZE fandom, everyone who has worked
on the Zero Escape games, and Mr. Uchikoshi for
Zero Escape!!! :>

Incinerate
by Schmede

33

No More Time

Thank you!

by merouses

by danyah

I think my first experience with the series was

unique. I had just gotten 999, and, come the
weekend, I started it up. I did not sleep that night.
I played tirelessly until that sunday, about 9pm,
when I had finaly finished the true ending, while
crying he tears of someone who had just read one
of the most compelling stories of their life.

Dear Mr. Uchikoshi, thank you so much for

creating thisseries! When i was introduced to 999
3 years ago, little did I know that it will end up
being my favorite game of all time! I cannot thank
you enough for working on this amazing series!

I dont believe Ill ever see another game series

do what Zero Escape has done. The characters, the
setting, theyre all organized and carefully placed
to suck you in, abduct you using a white gas, put
you somewhere strange and lock you in with a
bracelet you cant take off. Nothing compared to
my first times playing these games, very few twists
have caught me as off guard as the ones in these
series, and very few other works of fiction have
made me cry actual tears. Nothing can describe
what I feel for this series, and this I knew from the
moment I caught myself chuckling amidst tears
when a sudoku puzzle appeared on-screen that
night all those years ago.
So Thank You. To everyone that has worked on
these titles, thank you so much.

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35

The Flammable Fabric

of Time

Two sides
by Al-Waleed Al-Marikhi

by VikaB
Mr. Uchikoshi, I will be forever amazed by the
Zero Escape series. The games have really changed
my outlook on narratives in video games and made
me fall in love with adventure games and science
fiction all over again. This series is an extreme
inspiration for me, especially towards my thoughts
and ideas on how video games and other media
can deliver and present their plot to the audience.
I bought Virtues Last Reward on a complete whim,
perhaps it was the Morphogenetic Field that
convinced me to play the games. I was extremely
ecstatic when Zero Time Dilemma was announced,
and I thank Aksys Games for translating the series
into English and exposing so many people in the
West to Zero Escape. Thank you very much for all
of your hard work!

Thank you Kotaro Uchikoshi for making 999, a

game so near and dear to my heart that Ill never
forget. this gametaught meperspectives on how
to look at something or someone and be open
minded. This game was forced to me by my best
friend Mubarak and a fellow fan that sent you a
message too and I thank him everyday because
Im now playing VLR, as he made me finish all the
endings in 999. Im doing the same with VLR and
nowIm doing Dios ending. by the time you read
this Ill be done with the game and sobbing. Your
work touches us in a way that can never berepaid
so to show mygratitude I drew aportrait of half
Zero and half Akane to show a 2 side image like
how a coin would have two sides, with a bit of
Zeroscoloursmelting in Akanes worried face. To
show resemblance i made Akanes eye color the
same as Zerosgogglecolour.
Thank you for the bestexperience.

36

37

Lazy Saturday Morning

Im Going Off Ahead Now...

by Lara

by lovirazen

I always wanted to know more about Hazuki

(Lotus), Nona and Ennea before and after their
respective Nonary games. At the end of the day
though, I like to imagine that the girls had fun
throughout their childhood trying out little games
that Hazuki programmed trying to get her girls
into coding and computer sciences. While this is
an off-model depiction of Lotus, being a mother
of identical twins who worked from home, she
might have a more relaxed wardrobe around the
house. You know, higher mobility for kicking the
girls butts at video games.
I got into Zero Escape after some coworkers
heard what a massive nerd for story-driven games
I am, and they lent me their copy of 999. I gave it a
whirl on a 48 hour shift I had, and basically beat it
in a single sitting. The tense atmosphere, the pixel
animations for each of the characters, their voices
and tone, I fell so in love. I picked up VLR basically
a week after I beat 999, and was desperate to
know what happened on Mars not expecting to
have the chance to do so. The fact that the fans,
the developers, and the localization teams were
able come together to make Zero Time Dilemma
is amazing! Thank you Uchikoshi, for bringing it all
together! I cant wait for ZTD!

Zero Escape was introduced to me by my best

friend in 2012. Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine
Doors was the first game of the series that I played;
the first visual novel game I played though I had
had no idea what visual novel is back at that time.
It says its a puzzle game with rich text story and
psychological horror atmosphere, which I refused
to play it at first because of its horror genre.
After beating the first game, my life has changed
since then. I became addicted to it. The characters,
the story, the plot twists, the music and its all
components successfully drove my mind and I
started to have unusual weird obsession with
the overlooked one character, The Ninth Man. He
reminds me of someone that I cant say a word of
why he was so precious to me here in the message.
Zero Escape recovered my bereavement. From it, I
had the chance to befriend with amazing fellow
fans from around the world. It gives me motivation
to move on in life and learn more about mysteries
and scientific related things. It gives me hope.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Mr.
Kotaro Uchikoshi, Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys, and
also for TYZE team. Terimakasih dan sukses selalu!
Best regards,
Citizen from the country where Mr. Uchikoshi
ate nasi goreng in 2001.

38

39

Countdown to Zero
by Lyubo (TheTubich)

I want to say Thank you to everyone who helped in developing

this series of great games. For the nice art direction, cool music,
writing that keeps me on my toes and never fails to catch me off guard
with its twists, and the puzzles that give my mind the much needed
exercise in problem solving. Just a overall wonderful experience!
Thank You!

Zero-Lantern
by T. Dang

I was having a rough day at a convention several years back when I lost
something and I found out a game I was looking forward to was not going to
be released. I decided to make a purchase on impulse while I was browsing
Aksyss store; I was told the premise to 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors and found
it interesting as I like mystery titles and Im no stranger to visual novels. After I
finished playing, I realize that this was the best impulse purchase I ever made.
I had heard of Ever17 years before but I did not get the chance to play it and
regret not having played it sooner or realize Uchikoshi was one of the writers

40

for that visual novel. I believe video games are a good medium for storytelling
but not many use it to their full potential like Zero Escape did; with its use of
branching plot lines and how the narrative plays with the viewers perspective,
it managed to do something that cant be fully replicated in a movie or novel. I
was able to persuade my friends to play this series and we would like to thank
you for making this stellar story and hope to see more fantastic works like
this. I also suppose I have to thank the random Aksys employee for selling the
premise to me

41

A Thousand Minds,
A Thousand Hearts,
A Thousand Thank Yous
by Yuna
I was first introduced to the series about one
year after the release of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors.
I started playing out of curiosity and was instantly
hooked, and have been proud to call myself a fan
of Zero Escape ever since. 999 is, hands down, one
of my favorite games of all time, and there have
been few things that made me more excited than
keeping track of 4infinity and speculating with
fellow fans about the possibility of Zero Escape 3.
This series has inspired me so much; I even
got back into cosplaying, which I hadnt done in
years. Its so much fun going around conventions
as Zero, running into fellow fans and hopefully
helping create new ones. My friends joke that Im
the Zero Escape Ambassador here in Brazil, and I
must admit, Im a little proud of my pretend title. I
have met a lot of great people thanks to this series.
I am very grateful to both Uchikoshi and Aksys
for bringing this wonderful series to us. It means
more to me than I could have ever expected, and
I hope to someday be able to create a story half
as amazing and moving as this one. You have
captivated a thousand minds and a thousand
hearts, and to you, I send a thousand thank yous.

Validation
by Silvered Fox (Funyarinpa by Epobbp)
I was brought into this series by a friend - Heather, or epobbp who not only
erased her save files so I could experience this game right, but lent me her very
game system since I had not had a 3DS at the time of playing. She is the one
who bought me the artbook both because I loved the games, but also because
she knew it would help inspire me to craft more things from the game and
would help me be able to see how to make them better. She is also the one
who freehand painted the tiny Funyarinpa that is hanging out above the tiny
RED I made her as thanks for introducing me to this wonderful community.

42

Thank you so much for an unforgettable experience. I went into the first
game having no expectations at all, and found myself blown away and utterly
engaged in the fandom. Ive had the pleasure of watching the fandom grow,
and watching the third game come to be and being able to thank you directly
for this experience, and the story you have told has been amazing. Thank you
- for all of your hard work and passion in bringing this series to us all! From the
game itself to the care with which the translation was handled... Thank q and
THANK YOU!

43

Alright in Your Arms

by Sarah Maxwell

the one you care

about the most
by Anna Vogel

I have only known of Zero Escape for a short

time now, but it quickly became one of my favorite
series ever. I wasnt too much into puzzle games,
but when I played Virtues Last Reward, I knew the
series was special. While playing VLR, I found out
about 999 and then played that, and I loved it.
The story for both games made me feel so much
emotion that I was hooked instantly. The story,
the music, the characters and the puzzles were all
really enjoyable and really made me think of the
situations. I look forward to Zero Time Dilemma
and to replay the whole series over and over again
and they will always have a place in my heart.
Thank you Kotaro Uchikoshi and the Zero Escape
team for creating such amazing games!!

I first came across Zero Escape when Virtues

Last Reward was part of the PlayStation Plus roster
back in 2013. At first I didnt know what to expect
of the series but fell in love with it quickly. Since
then Ive played both games multiple times to try
and catch every small detail I missed on the first
playthrough.To this day Zero Escape has the best,
most comprehensible and sensible depiction of
multiple timelines that Ive ever seen or heard of.
And even if some of the puzzles were a pain to get
through I loved every moment in these games.
From the dirty humor up to the almost nauseating
depictions of the corpses in 999. I cant wait to see
what Zero Time Dilemma has in store for us.
Since ZTD was announced last year there wasnt
a day when I wasnt looking forward to it and I
dont even know how many times I jokingly said
that Im glad to live in a timeline where this game
exists
I thank everyone who worked on these games
from the bottom of my heart. You all did a great
job! Just know that theres a lot of people out
there in the world who appreciate your hard
work. Also a big thank you to everyone who
participated in Operation Bluebird for making
yourselves heard and making all of this possible.
And last but not least: Uchikoshi-san, your stories
are amazing. Be it the Infinity Series, Zero Escape
or Punchline. Ive enjoyed all of them immensely,
so thank you!

44

45

Dangerous sudoku
by Detectives
Zero Escape has always been a shared experience for us-- at least, ever since
the wimp in our pair got a bad ending right off when trying 999 and begged
for a playing partner. Were lucky that we automatically have someone to stay
up late hypothesizing with, to gasp over the latest reveal with, to hold hands
with when the plot gets particularly tense. We were thrilled when VLR was
announced, devastated when the third game was trapped in development
hell, cautiously optimistic for 4infinity, and ecstatic when we found out ZE3
was finally going to become reality.

Theres so much that can be said about Zero Escape, about the complex plot
and compelling characters, the references to science and philosophy, the cool
puzzles and the overarching mysteries. We often replay the games together,
looking for tidbits we missed before and enjoying the story like its an old
friend. And weve already blocked out time aroundJune 28th, when well finish
the saga together.
So thank you, Uchikoshi, for making something so amazing. Thank you for
your post-game Q&A sessions, and your fan interactions, and most of all, for
not letting this project end before its time. And thank you, Aksys Games, for
giving us what weve been waiting for these past 3+ years. These detectives
cant wait to Seek A Way Out again!

47

The Snakes Prey

by Juls

I am [ZERO]
by Juls
I heard about 999 for the first time through the internet. At first, it didnt
really strike me for too long. But after hearing about it I noticed that a local
store actually had a copy of it just lying around. I actually visit that store pretty
frequently, so whenever I was there, I couldnt stop myself from glancing at the
game whenever I walked past it. Then I decided to buy it one day, and I dont
want to sound cheesy but - it was one of the best purchases I had ever made. I
immediately played it when I got home and oh dear - I fell in love. Personally, I
really like games with interesting sets of characters, and I mostly still enjoy them
even if the plot is not the best. But Zero Escape just blew my mind right from

48

the start. It is one of those games that you constantly think and theorize about,
even when youre not playing it at that moment. I love complex storytelling,
plot twists and well written, deep characters. And guess what? Zero Escape
has all of that. Im super excited for the third installment, even though it makes
me really sad to say goodbye to such an amazing game series. But I am very
certain that it will end in a grand finale, something every ZE fan dreamed of.
Thank you so so much, Uchikoshi, Aksys, and everyone who made this game
happen, for this amazing experience. And thank you to the people who who
invested their time into making this project into a reality.

49

Music is a Field
by Faithyette

The Best Brother-andSister Team in the World!

by Emily

Ive come across many other series, but nothing

compares to Zero Escape, in particular in the
aspect of being immersive.
And storyboard and game design aside, I felt
that its music contributed just as much to create a
world that I felt magnetically attracted to.
Every track perfectly captures the emotions the
character display, and every escape section theme
blends naturally with the environment. It was
only natural to feel my emotions double at any
turning point, thanks to the masterfully crafted
compositions by Mr. Shinji Hosoe.
Ive discovered ZE in a moment I felt trapped,
but withing my own struggles. This series helped
me seek a way out, sometimes by transporting me
somewhere else, sometimes being so realistic it
taught lessons I follow to this day. In any case, its
melodies were there for me, helping me deal with
my own emotions, via a catharsis not every music
piece is able to evoke in people.
Games are more than just stories. They let you
see new horizons, acting like a morphogenetic
field of its own and allowing us to express and
communicate ideas and feelings. So thank you,
Zero Escape, for making us dream with you.

50

Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors was one

of the most magical video game experiences
I have ever had. Id heard about the game for
years before playing it, but once I did it had me
hooked from the very beginning. I managed to
play through the entire game, every route, every
decision, from the third class cabin to that final,
gut-punching sudoku puzzle, over the course of
three play sessions. Never before have I played
a game that so effectively played with the visual
novel genre, and I think it will be a long time
before another game even comes close to being
as clever as the Zero Escape series.
One of my favorite things about this series has
been the emphasis put on familial relationships,
starting with Akane and Aoi and Snake and
Clover in the first game, and continuing with
Tenmyouji and Quark in the second. As a child I
always wanted to be as close with my brother as
Snake and Clover, and seeing how far Aoi would
go to save Akane really touched my heart. Theres
nothing I wouldnt give to see them all get their
happy ending in Zero Time Dilemma, but no
matter what happens I cant wait to see how all
the loose ends tie up!
Thank you so much for all your hard work!

51

Two and Four

by Jana A.

I discovered Zero Escape during a time when

I thought things wouldnt work out for me
anymore. At that time, a new friend who was into
ZE recommended 999, which I was reluctant to
play, hearing in the past about it being a horrorthriller visual novel (Im too scared for those). With
no new games to play however, I decided to trust
her and play.
I was filled with a sense of dread and fear
throughout my first playthrough. But I was already
so immersed into the game that I put my fears
aside and decided to play to get a better ending,
eventually getting the True end. The best part
about the experience is that not only Ive found
something to hold on and look forward to during
such dark times, but I was also able to mend and
strengthen some of my relationships by letting
them play the game with me as well.
The series has an important place in my heart,
with the relatable and lovable characters, clever
and mindblowing storyline, and its heartwarming
and inspiring messages. The leaf words especially
meant so much to me, and they inspire me to this
day.
Thank you, Mr.Uchikoshi, for creating Zero
Escape! Thank you for this amazing series which
touched mine and other peoples lives. Looking
forward to ZTD!

4 leaf clover
by Clara
When I casually discovered Virtues Last Reward while browsing the demos
from the Nintendo shop I wouldve never imagined that I had discovered one
of the best stories Ive ever read (or rather, played). After trying out the demo,
I ended up purchasing both games, and playing nonstop until I finished both
stories.
A few days later I heard the news about the third game being stopped, and
I felt really sad for that, because I really wanted to keep playing it and keep

52

discovering more about it. Now I feel really grateful to be able to finally play
that third game, and Im sure I will enjoy it just as much I enjoyed the other two
games. These are the kind of games that Ill always go back and play every once
in a while, just to play through that amazing story once again. Thank you again
to everyone that made this possible, thank you for making this happen. I chose
Clover and Snake because its by far my favourite bond in the series, and I really
enjoyed seeing them interact in 999.

53

Time for the Wrap Party!

by Kat

The Escape
by Roberto Ramos, Loryn Rivera,
Vincent Anderson and Ashley Rudolph

Id been debating on buying 999 for a while, and finally a friend of mine
convinced me during a con about a year or so ago that I REALLY needed to
play at least that game, if not the sequel as well (I believe this was before ZTD
was confirmed). So I finally picked up a copy at Gamestop, started it up, and
was immediately drawn into the story and gameplay, as games with puzzle
elements and weird time shenanigans are some of my favorite ones to play.
Since playing it, Ive done a few pieces of fanart, cosplayed Santa multiple
times, got several other friends into the series, and blasted through VLR with

my sister (she sat with me as I played it), and Ive had so much fun along the
way. Along with being highly confused by some parts, but hey, comes with
the series. It takes a lot for me to get this heavily involved in a series, and its
honestly been so worth it, as I love these games to pieces, and cannot wait for
the ZTD release. Thank you so much for giving us this amazing game series,
and while Im sad that its ending, Im very happy that I got to experience it in
the time that it was actively being released. Thank you so much, again!

55

Innocence

Together

by Ariel

by Sara

999 - Hands to the Sky

by Yasmin

The only necessity for success is the willingness

to suffer a thousand failures! Thank you for
the wonderful characters and the exciting
experiences. Ill never forget this series!

Summer Escape
by Joyce
When I think of Zero Escape, I think of summer.
I first played 999 in the summer of 2011. I fell for the game almost
immediately. The story and the character designs were so much to take
in. The puzzles were fun yet challenging. In fact it was so good that
soon, my brothers and I began to play together, huddling around one
DS, suggesting what options to pick, what items to use. That summer,
we were moving houses, but because of 999 I was able to be happy and
moving became manageable.

58

Unfortunately, I still havent played VLR. I didnt get to play my

brothers copy before I moved away for college, but I do plan on
getting my own copy before I play ZTD. I know Im missing a piece of
the story, but I still look forward to when ZTD comes out this summer,
because I know that once I get to play it, it will bring me happiness
just like 999 did.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to say: Thank you Sir Uchikoshi
Kotaro, and all those involved, for giving Zero Escape life. Its a
powerful story that brought happiness, not only to me, but Im sure to
many others. I really do love Zero Escape a lot! I wish you all the
best in your future endeavors!

59

999 characters
by Sari Hankilanoja

Happy Ending
by MamoruBlade

Thank you for making amazing games with brilliant stories and great puzzles.
I chose to draw all the characters from 999, together and happy, as I have
wished to see them all through out the game. I still remember the night I
finished 999; I was so into it, I finished it in 7 hours straight. Its one (if not the
best) game Ive ever played, it gave me so much and still is. I grew attached to
every character a little more, ending by ending. I cannot quite find the words
to express the feelings I have towards these titles, theyre so unique, so much
more than just a game. The community is just gold and Im so proud to be a

60

part of it. I loved every bit of this experience and cannot wait to play the next
(and sadly last) game. Unfold the misteries one more time, live every plotwist
as if I was there. And all of this wouldnt be possible without all the people who
worked on it; just to mention a few: Kinu Nishimura and Rui Tomono for the
amazing art, Shinji Hosose for the splendid music and lastly Kotaro Uchikoshi
for the amazing story. And to say it all in a few words: THANK YOU ZE!

61

Hope, Faith, Love & Luck

Sinking Time

by Fazrin Ren Mhd

by Miiyuni

I first played 999 around the same time I was

into other mystery games like Professor Layton
(by Level-5) and Ace Attorney (by Capcom). I
immediately immersed myself into the game and
it really blew my mind. With the complex storyline
and interesting casts, as well as its complicated
puzzles, 999 was the first game that blew my mind
so hard that its gonna blow.
When I heard that it had a sequel (two to be
exact), I really wanted to play it. Unfortunately I
dont have a PSVita or a 3DS to play them, so when
I heard that they were planning to release it on
PC via Steam, Im so excited to hear about it. And
now that Zero Time Dillemma is coming this end
of June, the excitement goes even more for me.
Id like to thank Uchikoshi-san for making this
awesome game!

62

I picked up the Zero Escape series this year in

May (still indulging with Virtues Last Reward) after
a friend urged me to play it so we could scream
over it together.Im sure its quite obvious to other
fans what happened after that... I fell deep into the
series hard. After finishing 999, the characters and
story still haunted me for days after. The game
was so well-thought, well-illustrated, and wellimplemented that Im astounded. I especially
loved how well various genres were able to
flow so well into one series: mystery, horror,
comedy, history, pop culture, physics, chemistry,
biology etc. Every character had both their flaws
and positive points that I really bonded with
each character, aside from the 9th man, but its
reasonable considering he showed up for only a
brief time. Zero Escape has earned a precious spot
in my heart and will stay as one of my favorite and
most memorable game series. From the bottom of
my humble soul, I thank youUchikoshi and every
single member of Chunsoft for creating such a
masterpiece series. Congratulations on the release
of Zero Time Dilemma, and I genuinely hope you
will continue to create inspiring series. Whenever
times get rough, please remember that the hearts
youve touched through your works will continue
to support you 999%!

63

Who is Zero?
by Flare (1), Vilya (2), Manouk (3),
AkatsukiSky (4, costume by Flanna),
Maxime (5), Vamp-Elanor (6), Michael
(7), Salvi (8), Lunedor (9).
Photo by Lexa ONE
It was this anonymous and overly enthusiastic
review of the game somewhere on the Internet
that made me pick up 999, without knowing what
I was getting into. I played at night, hidden under
my sheets, in the dark, with the music directly
pouring into my ears: I was mesmerized. After a
few days, I knew I had a mission: to let my friends
know about this game. It was the best game EVER.
And I wouldnt let anyone tell me otherwise. There
was no way you could shut me up if you allowed
me to start talking about this game. I became
even more excited once I learned there would be
a sequel.
My friends have good tastes as well: everyone
liked Zero Escape just as much as I did. Our
ambition, two games and a few years later, was to
have a complete 999 cosplay group, and to make
it as perfect as we could. That included making our
own costumes, crafting our bracelets, scouting for
location and having a professional photoshoot.
The dream finally came true in spring 2015: This is
the first published picture.
Thank you, Uchikoshi-san, for the innumerable
sleepless nights when we forgot about the time
because we were too busy listening to the racing
beat of our heart, holding our breath, gasping
in shock or crying in disbelief. Thank you for the
many ways in which you gave us everything from
deep anguish to tender affection, with painful
heartache, blissful laughter and hope sprinkled
in between. Thank you for allowing us to share
memories of your stories like they are a part of our
own lives.
- Vamp-Elanor

64

Escape!
by Thea T.

999 Nail Art

by Cindy

A few years ago, my friend introduced me to

999 and it has been my favorite game since then.
This game is perfection. Words can not describe
how much I love this game and this series. Im very
thankful Zero Time Dilemma is able to be released
because it would be such a shame if it did not.
Thank you Uchikoshi, Aksys, and all the fans for
never giving up!

Truth Had Gone Cross Stitch

by Ruby
First Id like to thank Mr. Uchikoshi and Aksys for their hard work and
dedication!! Youre amazing!
This series has let me connect with some really wonderful and talented
people who have been there for me when life has been hard, Im proud to
call them friends. Im happy to be a member of the fandom that proved that
human will can change reality.

could to play because it was so amazing. The writing made the characters and
the world come alive. It made me laugh, it made me uneasy, it was by turns
delightful and downright eerie. I loved every single moment and could hardly
put it down.
When I learned the sequel was coming out on the 3ds I was determined to
get a copy as soon as possible. Virtues Last Reward was the reason I purchased
a 3DS in the first place, I owned the game before the 3DS! It was such an
amazing adventure just like 999. I know Zero Time Dilemma will provide just
as many hours of brilliant thought provoking writing and I couldnt be more
excited. Thank you again so much!

When I picked up 999 on a whim, I didnt know what to expect. I fell instantly
in love and 999 became one of my favorite games ever. I bugged everyone I

66

67

Clover bed

Through Timelines

by Shirouda

by Mia Minnis

I discovered 999 by chance a few years ago,

thanks to a post in a forum. It was so full of
compliments that I thought, why not give it a try?
At first I didnt know what to expect, with so many
routes and endings, but little by little, door after
door, my love for the game just kept growing. It
took me a while, but when I reached the ending, I
was totally amazed.
I bought VLR the very next day and I literally
couldnt put it down until I finished it. How could
a game that has so many things I love exist?!? And
ZTD will definitely join the list.
I hope that a lot more people have the chance
to enjoy these games and feel the same way I did.
Thank you,Uchikoshi and everyone involved for
this wonderful experience!!

68

I was texting a friend from my college dorm at

1am when she suggested I look into a visual novel
series called Zero Escape. I was bored, so when my
monthly allowance came in I dropped some of it
on a copy of 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors. I didnt
expect much, honestly, it was an old ds game that
Id never heard of, and Id never been a huge fan of
visual novels to begin with. But immediately after
picking it up I realized Id stumbled across nothing
less than a masterpiece. I played it obsessively. I
spent all-nighters getting to the very end of each
timeline. I wept real tears in both the Safe and True
endings. I loved it immensely.
It started effecting my artwork. I found that
all my personal art was centered around the
characters from the series. I would take tropes and
twist them into motifs to use for Akane, Junpei,
Carlos, etc. in all of my pieces. I drew inspiration
from the games and grew more artistically in just
a few months than I ever had. My growth wasnt
gradual it was instantaneous and booming.
Zero Escape gave me a passion and innovation
to create like nothing else ever has. So, thank
you Zero Escape, for now and forever remaining
my inspiration.

69

[1 2] | [2] | [BIRTH OF THE PARADOX GOD]

Promises and Beginnings

by Flannel Chimera

by Choco

Zero Escape has truly had such an incredible impact on my life. The world of
ZE, the characters, and the story pretty much immediately drew me in. I dont
think Ill ever encounter another series with ZEs level of complexity or intricacy.
The characters are beautifully complex in both their characterisation and in the
way they interact with other characters and their world. They honestly feel like
family to me, even the morally rotten ones. I dont think Id still be around today
without these games, or if I was Id be in a much worse place both physically
and mentally. I really cant put into words how much Zero Escape means
to me. Kotaro Uchikoshi, sir, youre a real inspiration to myself and so many

70

others, heres hoping the path youre on in life will lead to your timeline. To
the wonderful people at Aksys and Chunsoft; thank you for helping this series
come to life! Thank you to those who organised this project; rarely do I see a
fanbase get together as a group to do something like this. This series and its
fans are truly one-of-a-kind; Ive met so many of you through this series and
you all mean so much to me. Best wishes to all of you, always!

Zero Escape truly was one heck of a wild ride from the start and to where it
currently is right now! Im sure that the ending wont disappoint as well, too!
Im glad to have been able to play such thought-provoking and tear-inducing
games, and Im even more glad that these games have truly left their mark on
me, as Ill definitely remember the experiences, reactions, and the fun Ive had
while playing the games.
I want to thank everyone involved in the making and translation of these
games, and a special thanks to Kotaro Uchikoshi as well, for being the
mastermind behind the incredible story in this series.

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04/06/15

Zero Escape Themed School Project

by Mick

by Demi

I got this tattoo a day after ZTD was announced at Anime Expo 2015 (in case
you cant read it, it says N0NARY). Its a reminder of why Im still here and how
Ive lived to see this incredible series end. Zero Escape has been a huge part of
my life ever since I fell in love with the story and characters in 2011.

Hope, Faith, Love, Luck

by Blackhole

Despite all the failed attempts, I still have hopes on you.

I have faith on you, no matter how many times you give up.
And with all my love I still commend myself to you, because...
Im lucky just for being by your side.
Thank you

72

I moved schools for the first time in 2012, and because of the shy person I
was, I didnt have any friends in my first year at the new school. I got severely
depressed and relapsed into panic attacks and self harm almost every night
because I had so much trouble making friends. I ended up failing more than
half of my courses because of the change. I dreaded going to school every
day. The only thing thats kept me going was the online community Ive found
through a friend who introduced me to 999, and through drawing fanart
CONSTANTLY. Kinu Nishimuras art has become one of my top art inspirations.
One of the first friends I met at my new school (who i still talk to today) actually
started talking to me because a mutual friend of ours mentioned to them that
I was the only other person they knew who played 999. Theyre the first person
I go to when new ZE info has been released and we end up talking about it for
days.
Thanks to this game, Ive found a community that is a safe space where I can
escape to and be around people I genuinely love being around. Theyre always
so fun to be around and they remind me that everythings not so bad. I owe this
game, Uchikoshi, and Nishimura my life. Thank you for everything, you own my
ass tbh lmao.

Hello, Mr. Kotaro Uchikoshi, my name is Demi. I am a student from British

Columbia, Canada. I wish to thank you deeply from the center of my being for
the Zero Escape series.
Before that I would like say that my favorite character in the series so far is
Tenmyouji. He is a very compelling a character, not because of the reveal of
who he is, but because of his past, and how it affected him. Seeing someone we
know and love be turned rough after such hard times makes for a sympathetic
and well developed character, and you wrote him perfectly.
While Zero Escape as a whole was created by the workers of Spike Chunsoft,
the translators of Aksys Games, and yes, even the fans, you are the starting
branch. You are the one who started this timeline, we just helped you go
down the branching paths to get to the end; And here we are now. We have
all brought this series to this point, and now we must bring it to a close. Thank
you, Mr. Uchikoshi.

Watch Demis project here: youtube.com/watch?v=9NH9FB2LxL4

Artwork taken from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys
Games. No copyright infringement intended.

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EZUOYKNAHT
by Tierney

When I was in school, my least favorite subjects were Math and Science.
I have dyscalculia, which makes it extremely difficult for me to differentiate
between/read numbers in general. Complicated math problems and science
formulas were hard for me to understand, and I had to learn them much more
slowly when compared to my classmates. I also had teachers who simply
werent interested in taking the extra time to focus on me so I could truly learn
the material. It made my entire school experience from when I was a child,
all the way up until I was 18, very difficult. Despite being a person who loved
to learn new things, I quickly grew unmotivated to learn, uninterested in
the subjects being taught, and my depression worsened along with my selfesteem. Throughout my entire educational career, I felt isolated, stupid, and like
a complete nuisance to my peers and teachers who became easily frustrated
with me for not being able to understand as easily as the other students. I
always struggled in my science and math courses, constantly receiving failing
marks, feeling like I was unable to ask for help because of how many times
Id been ignored or brushed aside in the past. My teachers would constantly
ask me why I couldnt be like the other students, as if I was a nuisance. But my
dyscalculia, combined with my depression and ADHD made it so difficult to
focus and understand what I was being taught.
I felt like nobody wanted to help me, that I was just annoying when I asked
questions, or asked for help. And I gradually ended up growing complacent
with the fact that Id always been seen as stupid by the people around me. It
always hurt when other people dismissed me as stupid without giving me a
chance, or taking the time to get to know me, but I told myself that so long as
I knew that I was smart in my own way, I would be okay.

Kurashiki
by Shiroi Raven

I discovered 999 three years ago, and I remember me covered by my sheets

in summer nights, shivering of emotion after solve that difficult puzzle of that
certain room. I reached to see the morning light once or twice, and then I just
could think about how great this game was the whole day. And then, VLR came
to my hands and I felt again that excitement of trying to discover that important
secret again. I always loved visual novels and puzzles, but Zero Escape is even
more than that favorite videogame. It was such a great experience Im sure Ill

74

never forget. It was inspiration, a new way to learn and imagine an story, is
that game you need to play at least once in your life.
Im going to miss them all when ZTD comes out this June, but Ill surely enjoy
it more than anything in a while. Thank you, Uchikoshi, and the whole Aksys
team. Please, never stop doing such awesome games like these.
Watch Kurashikis speedpaint: youtube.com/watch?v=b1RN6bT0P-M

Video games provided an escape for me outside of my harsh school

environment. I loved RPGs, puzzle games, adventure games just about
anything I could get my hands on. Any game that took me on a journey and
made me feel like I was valuable to somebody (even if they were fictional) was
a relief to me. Even if I always felt isolated, I never felt completely lonely. I found
companionship in video game characters, and comfort in the journeys their
stories took me on.
I was seventeen when 999 came out in North America, and had gone into
a game shop to ask if they had any puzzle games like Professor Layton or Ace
Attorney (Ive always loved mysteries and crime dramas in games, television,
and books). The shopkeeper suggested 999, and I liked the art on the box, so
I decided to buy it.

Ill never forget the first time I loaded the game; I remember the immediate
sense of foreboding that came with the digital countdown to the explosion
and thinking, This is what Ive been looking for!. It was a game that fully
engaged my attention from the very beginning, and easily drew me into the
story. And to my surprise, it felt fun to work through each puzzle, even when
they were heavy with numbers and science. It took me a long time to really
understand the hexadecimal system, and the concept of a digital root I even
kept a notebook where I wrote down explanations, charts, and diagrams so
I could understand better. And though I had to take my time to process all
of the information about science and math being given to me, I never once
felt uninterested in learning about the theories and history and equations
behind the 999 story. I didnt feel stupid for taking so long to understand the
information. In fact, for what was probably the first time in my life, I had a lot of
fun working with numbers and science. I looked forward to solving one puzzle
after the other.
Looking back on it now, its really sad to realise just how indifferent I had
grown to learning, especially when I had loved it so much when I was younger.
It was playing 999 that rekindled that joy I thought Id lost. I finally felt happy
to dive headlong into difficult subjects, because I regained the motivation to
want to understand. I wanted to embark on the story that 999 told because it
moved me.
I cannot express in words just exactly how thankful I am for the Zero Escape
series. I never thought I would come to enjoy learning again, much less want
to learn more about math and science. To me, the Zero Escape series is a great
source of inspiration, and a constant reminder for me that I dont have to give
up on myself just because everyone else had. Mr. Uchikoshi, Thank you so very
much for this wonderful series, and thank you for helping me to love learning
again.
To the wonderful people at Aksys and Chunsoft, thank you so much for
making this series a reality. I cant wait to play Zero Time Dilemma and see
some familiar faces again, and which of my theories hold true in the games
plot! I appreciate all that youve done more than words can truly describe.
Thank you.

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paths

Thank you so much, Mr. Uchikoshi!

by j.d.

by Abdul/CarnivorousCat

i. Akane Kurashikis world comes crashing down around her in nine boxes of
nine boxes, and Jumpy cannot hear her cry. He hasnt been able to hear her for
a while. Her throat is raw and ruined by the sheer amount of screaming shes
tasking it with. Her hands are sticky with sweat, and when she finally decides to
slam her stubby fingers onto the stubborn keys of the machine in a last minute
attempt to find the solution and get herself out, they slide off and cover it in a
layer of grease.
She cant stop crying.
Her hands root themselves in her hair, and she sinks to her knees, sobbing.
She closes her eyes. In the darkness, she feels someone elses future, someone
elses past, someone elses present, push down on the edges of her mind.
Sometimes it comes clearly, strongly, and other times it fades and flickers, a
dying candle withering into the night. She finds herself whispering his name,
a silent urgency in the movements of her mouth. She tries to remember his
present, their future. She tries to cling onto it, to pull it back to her, but she
doesnt know how. It was natural before. She has no idea how she did it. She
doesnt understand why she cant do it now.
The heat of her panic is cooled by an icy terror that creeps out of her
thoughts and slides down her spine until her toes are curling with a freezing
fear. Her eyes shoot open, but that doesnt stop the memories of all the ways
Jumpy could have been hurt, of all the people who wanted to hurt him. Her
hands find the hem of her skirt and she plays with the fabric, shaking her head.
Akane flares up with a warm, protective feeling, an almost animalistic need
to keep Jumpy safe. She shivers, despite the fire in her bones, as some part of
her takes responsibility for his pain, for his hurt, for putting him in danger. Or
rather, some part of her will take responsibility, when she actually does it.
A lump fills her throat as she stands on shaky legs and comes to terms
with the fact that she might not be an Akane who will ever be able to take
responsibility, that she might not be an Akane who puts anyone in that
position, that she might not be an Akane who saves herself, let alone anyone
else. She backs into the cold, metal machine. Her knees are trembling wisps
of flesh, limp bones and loose muscle. They should not support her weight.
Hands clamp tightly around her mouth - her own hands, her own tiny, sweaty
hands. They smell like summer; long days, pink skies, warm breezes in June

76

that tickle her nose and her eyes and make her blink salty tears to cool down.
Shell never see days like those again. Shell never see any days again.
Akane Kurashiki doesnt understand why this is happening, or what it really
is, but she knows she will. She knows another version of her will. She feels
strangely detached from herself, like her mind is outside her body, like its
resting its hands on her shoulders and chilling her blood with its touch, as she
attempts to come to terms with the fact that she is just another Akanes vision,
another Akanes glimpse at a bad end, something another Akane is going to
try and avoid.
The knowledge that someone else is going to be able to stop it doesnt make
the fact that its happening any easier, and it doesnt make it stop happening.
She hugs herself tightly, eyes the machine once more, and thinks about making
one final attempt. One last escape.
A metallic echo rings through the room and she realises that she found her
resolve far too late. Theres nothing she can do but let herself be seared, roasted,
incinerated. Her brother is still pounding on the door. At least, she thinks he is;
that steady beat could be her own heart thumping in her eardrums.
She swallows, bracing herself. The fact that she knows eventually someone
will change this doesnt make her anguish any less.
0. Akane Kurashikis world comes crashing down around her in the space
between her thoughts. It comes in ghostly hands that grab her fragile wrists
and jerk her around, flinging her to the ground. It comes in flashes of heat
that char her bones and melt her from the inside. It comes in sudden, rasping
breaths, when her lungs clog with smoke and her throat crisps in on itself, a
tunnel of corroded muscle collapsing and closing her off from the dirty air. It
comes when she is alone, it comes when she is surrounded, it comes in dribs
and drabs of other peoples memories, other peoples realities, other peoples
past and present.
She has lived a thousand lives, and she will keep on living them until her
work is done. The fact that she survived in this timeline doesnt mean she can
forget all the ones where she didnt.

Its ironic to think that a series named zero escape would go on to become my
only escape, that i would both lose and find myself in the characters. i started
playing 999 at a very difficult part of my life, and it helped me come to terms
with a lot of things about myself that id never wanted to. seeing beautifully
written characters with their own agendas and their own definitions of right
and wrong, presented in a way that meant sometimes they were right and
other times they were wrong, helped me allow myself to be sometimes right
and sometimes wrong. the way the games present morality, and the idea of
being good or bad, helped me come to terms with the fact that i did not have
to be entirely good or bad. zero escape allowed me to come to terms with my
own morality, with my own future, and allowed me to grow in ways id been
too scared to let myself grow before. im both terrified for the things ill learn
about myself playing zero time dilemma and ecstatic to finally be able to finish
this series, but most of all, im delighted that the series means so much to so
many people, and that its helped them in so many ways, and that i have a
chance to give back to everyone who helped make zero escape what it is, and
say thank you for sharing something this wonderful with me.

Hello Mr. Uchikoshi! I havent been a fan of your works as long as most people
(I first played 999 back in August of 2015) but I played it at a very low time in
my life. I played it and never fell in love with a game so fast before, for the next
week I could only find myself thinking about the game so I purchased Virtues
Last Reward immediately after. After playing that I was feeling the same love
and curiosity I felt when playing 999. I absolutely loved the games so I ended
up playing Ever17 and again was entranced by your work.
I am always amazed at your writing, it is so interesting since I am a big fan
of philosophy and science! When I first played 999 I did not buy the game but
I went out this weekend at an anime convention and finally bought it so now
I feel good! Your games made me think when I felt the worst and made me so
passionate about something, I have never loved a game as much as I love the
Zero Escape series. With the entirety of my heart, thank you. Thank you for the
series and thank you for all you have done.
I hope I can meet you one day where I can hug you and cook for you! I
cant wait for Zero Time Dilemma, Im very anxious to see how you are going
to conclude this but I must be patient. Once again, thank you very much Mr.
Uchikoshi, Zero Escape will always be dear in my heart. Let the shining light of
your ideals guide us to a brighter tomorrow. Good bye!

Knife
by Albetkyoka

Knife. Knife was my first ending in my Nonary Game. I remember that I went
crazy, like Woah, it cant end like this..., then I realized that the game had
different ways to end. It was very funny to see Junpei saying very things all the
time, even when things were getting serious lol. I really loved the ending of
999 and then, when I thought that Id never play a second part, I found Virtues
Last Reward, which was an insta-buy on the e-shop, and I played it for a whole
summer to get all the timelines... Thank you Zero Escape

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999 - END

Graphics taken from Virtues Last Reward Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys Games. No
copyright infringement intended.

Blue Bird Liberation

Bluebird

by Lau

by Cristin L.

Im not usually into videogames, but Zero

Escape is a great example of what I want when Im
looking for a good story and awesome characters.
I really enjoyed 999 and VLR; they were able to
making me laugh and cry, and I will remember
their characters and what they made me feel for a
long time, for sure.
Art, plot, characters design and development...
even the OST is so brilliant and accurate too.
Definitely, Zero Escape is a wonderful piece of art.
Congratulations and thanks for all!

82

I first discovered Zero Escape back in the summer

of 2014. I picked it up used from Gamestop and I
had been interested in the game for quite some
time. The game really helped me through a
difficult time in my life, just a week before we
had to put my dog down. 999 was the first game
that I fell head over heels in love with. I ended up
getting Virtues Last Reward that Christmas. Ive
been obsessed with creating fan art for the series
and just spreading the word about it. Ive even
convinced two of my friends to play the game too.
Im so happy to have become a part of the fandom
of this series; I have found so many amazing
people and gained so many great memories over
the past 2 years. I must say thank you for creating
such a wonderful series! It has brought so much
joy into my life and I know this last game will be
amazing.

83

GTF-DM-L-016
by Amanda Viana a.k.a. Shin

Bluebirds Lamentation
by Amy
I remember the exact time that I bought Virtues Last Reward. I didnt know
about it or 999, so I went in completely blind. What I found was one of the most
intricately put together stories with the most wonderfully flawed yet likeable
characters. Simply put, I loved it and within the first few days of playing Id
clocked in around thirteen hours.
After I played 999, I came to the frankly easy conclusion that Zero Escape is
one of the most unique and underrated video games in recent years. You can
tell that so much love went in to these two games and thats what makes them

84

so special.

I have so much to say about the Zero Escape

series and what it means to me, it made me
laugh, cry, think (a lot), scream (internally,
mostly), question reality and morality, feel a
deep connection to all the incredibly charismatic
characters and spend whole nights immersed in
that fascinating universe until the sun had risen to
remind me that I should probably sleep. Through
it I have strengthened bonds and seen the world
in a different light. My heart was broken when I
knew the third games development had been
put off and ever since its been a long journey
of waiting, hoping, trying to make everyone I
know play the games and expressing my love for
this series in every way I could. All the fans were
brought together by this cause and Im so happy
to have been a part of it. And all of our unfaltering
hope has paid off when our voices reached you
and Zero Time Dilemma was finally announced,
and for that you have my deepest gratitude.
Thank you so much for having listened to us and
congratulations on your extraordinary work, it has
been a mindblowing experience and I cant wait to
see what you have in store for us in this upcoming
title, I know I will enjoy every moment of it.

While in other video games I feel like I am experiencing what the characters
are experiencing, Zero Escape goes beyond that for me. I remember getting
each title and being introduced to the characters for the first time. I remember
when I solved a difficult puzzle and the feeling of relief. I remember the intense
feeling of guilt when you had to betray a character you loved. I remember my
unadulterated joy when Zero Time Dilemma was announced.
No other series have gotten me this invested emotionally and for that I can
only give my sincerest thanks to Kotaro Uchikoshi for putting time and effort
into Zero Escape. It has been a long ride and Im still not quite ready to say
goodbye, but it was a ride that I wont forget.

85

Human

Lunas Love

by Maiko

by Rageo

Zero Escape holds a dear place in my heart. In

more ways it has gripped my heart in the beautiful
writing (I aspire to be able to write stories as
greatly as this), interesting characters (of whom I
never expected to be so attached to), and mindboggling theories (some of which I have even
ended up studying as part of my degree!).
Thank you so much for providing such amazing
games that I have not been able to not think about
over these past few years. Its unbelievable I picked
up the games purely because I needed ds games
and Id heard nice reviews but nice doesnt come
close to the level of emotions and time I have
poured into two games. I dont know if Im ready
to be thrown into the darkness all over again...
Zero Escape is so amazing and my attachment has
run deep.

I knew 999 long before I played it. Some friends

of mine recommended it to me, but I was never
really into VNs. Not that I wasnt interested in the
genre (actually I really wanted to be able to play
some), but it was always hard for me to commit
until the end. 999 was the first exception to
that rule.When I finally decided to try it out, my
attention was held from start to end. The plot
was so well written, the characters felt so real,
it instantly became one of the best games Ive
played in my life.
And then there was Virtues Last Reward. Ive
never felt so eager to play something as I did with
it after I finished the first game in the series. The
game lived to its expectation. A story as deep
as the first one but with an even more polished
gameplay. I didnt knew what to think when I
finished it: There wasnt a next game nor news
about a next game being made. When Zero Time
Dilemma was announced, I felt really happy
about it.
As someone who wants to someday be able to
create works that can act as deep and meaningful
experiences to people, Zero Escape was really
inspiring to me. So thank you Uchikoshi for all your
hard work.

86

87

Tubocurarine
by Tart

Zero Escape has been a phenomenal experience

that came unexpected to me. I first found 999
as an excuse to have something do over the
summer that was still challenging around a
Professor Layton to Ace attorney level. 999 greatly
surpassed my expectations for a cheap DS game
that Ive never heard of. I loved everything about
it; the story, the characters, the setting, the music,
the twists. I could gush about this game for hours.
Nothing satisfied me more than finally getting
the True End of the story. VLR on the other hand,
unfortunately, had parts of it spoiled for me, yet
I was still pleasantly surprised by some of the
other events. This series became my favorite out
of the other puzzle games I have come across.
When the third game was confirmed from fans
outreach, I anticipated nothing more than closure
to something great.Thank you Zero Escape, and
to its fans.

Luna - Afterglow
by Rheine
Hi from Indonesia! Apa kabar?
I know how hard it must be to make something like Zero Escape, with all the
possible timelines that have to be consistent while creating an engaging story,
lovable characters, stylish artwork, and great localization too, so thank you so
much for doing it! Thank you to the designers, programmers, artists, writers,
director, producers, musicians and sound engineers, translators, accounting
and finance, legal, PR staff, marketing, debuggers, test players, and everyone
in the team!

88

I cant wait to see what happens to the cast and the world of Zero Escape
at large. My friends and I love to discuss and speculate about Zero Escape just
because how mindblowing the games are. I especially love Luna, whos the
kindest, gentlest character ever to be trapped in a deadly game. I wonder if
well get to see her again if only for a bit in Zero Time Dilemma.
Please keep doing your best! But dont forget to stay healthy and behappy. :D

89

Thank You
by Feytaline

I never expected your stories to have such an

effect on my life.
It isnt just the absorbing mysteries that throw
us into intense, heart-pounding adventures, but
all the people who I have met that share the love
of this series. I have found so many wonderful
friends from around the world thanks to Zero
Escape, and made great memories with many in
person--escaping rooms, creating cosplay (like my
Luna, pictured), taking photos, discussing theories
on long car rides, and so many, many more.
Many of these relationships have spread beyond
enjoying the fandom together to being lifelong
friends who have helped me through tough times,
and encouraged me to work hard to move beyond
my troubles and to become the best person I can.
The Zero Escape fandom is a place Im happy
to belong to, and one I eagerly welcome others
to. Together, we laugh, we cry, and we create to
celebrate your stories, your characters, and the
messages weve learned from them.

Luna outdoors
by Dewi
I had a friend who mentioned 999 a lot so when I was at my local game
shop I instantly bought it and I dont regret it at all! I was totally hooked from
the beginning and bought Virtues Last Reward short after. All endings had
me totally amazed and I cant wait for the mind blowing events in Zero Time
Dilemma. I also love the sense of humor and the characters in the game of
course. I would recommend this game to anyone. Thank you for the hard work
of everyone involved!

90

For all that youve given to me, I want to say

thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope
someday I can create a story even half as engaging,
and give back to the world even a fraction of the
happiness that Ive been gifted.
Thank you.

91

Im trapped.

The Trash and the Cinnabun

by Emi

Zero Escape has become something very special to me throughout the

years; since the days of 999, Ive made friends (and enemies...!) because of the
series, and its become such a creative outlet for me. My ongoing ZE fanfic,
Electric Sheep, has over 130k words and Ive been working on it for four years.
Its novel-length and I am finally almost done! Id just like to thank all my friends
whove stuck by me through the years, and have seen me transform into a
much better, more mature, and all-around happier person. Basically, I have so
much to thank Zero Escape for, and Im so grateful for these games. Thank you,
ZE!

As far as he knew, he was alone in the room. Was there anyone else around
at all? Had he been left to rot in this place? He couldnt survive long without
food or water; did whoever was behind his current situation intend to slowly
kill him?
But what was this place? Where was he? No, who was he? What was his
name? Panic settled inside him as he realized he couldnt recall right away.
Had he been drugged?
Before he could explore that possibility, his eyes caught on something;
golden embroidered numbers on the inside of his jacket, just below the collar.
They said D-10.
D...10... mumbled, running his free fingers across the thread. The decoding
process took longer than it should have for a man his age, but his mind was
heavily delayed due to... something. Drugs? Alcohol? A one-night stand?
His heart pounded faster. The memories eluded him still, but he was slowly
working towards his name.
D...i...o... he slurred, the sounds at least a little familiar. Dio.
...yeah. Dio. Thats it.
Read the full story at: fanfiction.net/s/8960358/1/Electric-Sheep

92

93

Clover

by Elly

by Michel Enrquez

Even though I only got to know Zero Escape

relatively late, its been an awesome journey! Im
sure that I have never spent as much thought
and emotion on any game, as I did on your series.
Due to its touching, inspiring and clever manner,
it indeed changed my view on the world and
especially on what we perceive as right and good.
It made me feel for the characters, so much that I
even shed tears for them. (Which I almost never do
while I play video games.) The dilemmas presented
in Zero Escape showed me not only that it is never
wise to claim to know whats right, but also that
hope or a way out can be found, if you seek for
it. Kyles, Akanes, Sigmas, Junpeis and the others
choices and mistakes will surely linger in my mind
when I have to make a hard moral decision.

I want to thank you, Kotaro Uchikoshi and your

team, for:
The suspense, the humor, the grieve, the
rollercoaster of emotions, for making me think
until I couldnt take it anymore, for almost making
me have a heart attack when I thought Snake had
died, and most of all, for giving us all an incredible
journey through the No Escape series. I just cant
wait to see what you have in store for us!
Heres my contribution. Clover and Snake are
my favorite characters, I hope you like it.

So, as you see, Zero Escape changed me and

many others and in the end, also brought up a just
as clever, funny and thoughtful fanbase.
Now, I look forward to the last game and hope
to see a happy end for the cast, that I grew so fond
of. Thank you for your hard work and good luck for
your future work

94

95

I Am No Man
by Caitlin Windsor

6. You stand on the roof of the complex, getting one last look at the sun.
Youve waited for this moment for a long time. Everything is just as you saw
it 9 years ago, down to the smallest detail. The vision didnt explicitly say
anything about revenge, but you know its better this way. You breathe in the
dry air, feeling the heat not from the desert, but from your very soul. 9 years.
Youve waited 9 years and a thousand lifetimes. You can wait 9 more hours.
Your brother calls your name and you follow him inside.
~
8. You wake up in a room on a ship and you do not panic. You stay calm and
you find the keys and you do the math and you are the first out of your room.
You snap at the others who start yelling and fighting as soon as they emerge.
Theres no time for confusion. While others argue you remember everything
your girls told you about the game. You start running the equations, crunching
numbers in your head.There is only one door. Only 5 can leave.
You will be the first out that door. Mommas going home.
~
4. When you wake up staring at the ceiling of a warehouse, your first thought
is Not this shit again. Your next thought is to look for your brother. You reach
out through the field searching for him. You remember last time this happened,
being able to feel your brothers comforting presence from two rooms over.
But no matter how much you reaches through the field, all your messages
bounce back, unread. But your brother can take care of himself. Hell be fine.
As you stand and follow your partner, you think to yourself, At least its not
another boat.

Blue Solo. You watch them from the security cameras. Its hard to have
emotions like, hard to do anything. You know that this isnt supposed to be
happening. Before the game the Doctor told you what the correct timeline
you would look like, and you know that this isnt it. This will only end in disaster.
Unless
You were given strict instructions not to interfere. Once you were dead you
had to stay dead.
But if someone were to come back from the dead. Not even to change the
timeline just to try and give a little comfort.
What then?
~
Cyan Pair. Who are you? he asks. This is the seventh time he has asked
you that question. You can see each time mapped out in your mind. They
glow softly, unexplored possibilities nestled among horrific failures, doomed
timelines, bad ends.
Who are you? You know who he is, of course. You know who everyone is. You
know you know. The problem is, the knowledge is locked away, hidden in the
farthest corners
of your brain. Your mind has been padlocked. You try to look beyond the
locks, and all you see are stars.
Who are you?
You are infinite.

by Rachael T.

~
Red Solo. You kick up dust on the road as you walk slowly back to civilization.
Another dead end. Your investigations are leading you in circles. You know
your associates are getting antsy with the lack of results, but none of them
would ever question you. Clever girl. Mind sharp as broken glass, sharp as the
diamonds hanging from your ears. You plod on. You cant rest. Not until you
avenge your fathers death.
From behind you hear the sound of a car. Its full of people, a pink haired girl
at the wheel. You smile.
Room for one more?

96

Thank you Zero Escape Dev-meow-lepers!

I found the Zero Escape series about two or three years ago. As a writer, I was
in awe of the characters and plot. (Some of the VLR plot twists still make me
angry, in a I-cant-believe-all-of-that-made-sense way). But what really inspired
me was my fellow fans. Never have I seen a group of people so dedicated to
a work of fiction before. So, thank you, Kotaro Uchikoshi, and thank you to all
ZE fans everywhere! Heres hoping we can shift this thing to the best timeline
possible!

Congratulations on making ZE3 a reality! I just want to thank all of the Zero
Escape staff for making such a beautiful world for all of us to enjoy. I remember
playing the demo for 999 when it first came out, and the actual game when
I was able to get a copy! I love how this game uses different mathematical
concepts to understand the world better, and it has really gotten me to think
about storytelling in a different way! I have been following the series since
2009, and was super excited when Virtues Last Resort was announced, and
overjoyed when the developers decided to make Zero Time Dilemma happen!
The Zero Escape series is a creative masterpiece, and I cannot wait to see what
the team ends up working on next!Thank you, thank you, thank you! Rachael

97

Zero Escape
Alice cosplay
by Kamikaze Miko
This game is the reason why I got into visual
novels. It opened my world p to a new way of
playing a videogame with a great and in depth
story that can draw you in. I am so thankful for
this game because it was the reason I broke out
of my shell and cosplayed more. After playing the
second game I had to cosplay Alice. I loved her
character and her background reminded me a
little of my past. Cosplaying her gave me so much
confidence to be this strong character and to wear
it proud. This series has such a deep story and with
such interesting characters I am excited for the
next one. I thank you to the creators of this game
for not only making a wonderful rich and vibrant
game but a game that changed my life to gain
confidence in myself and body.

All-Ice
by Mana

99

Tu fui, ego eris

by Gabriela

Hello!
Zero Escape is a trilogy which means a lot to
me. I usually dont play a lot of games, but when
I started to play 999, it was love at first sight as
the game started. The characters, the music,
the history, the arts and all in this game is a true
work of art and excellent taste. It made me feel
happy, intrigued and also evoke strong feelings of
sadness, but some parts made me cry with joy too.
Therfore , say goodbye to Zero Escape will be
hard, but I cant waiting for Zero Time Dilema.
Thank you for creating Zero Escape.

Ill Never Forget You

by Rokushi

Zero Escape is my favourite game series of all time.Iabsolutely love everything

about it: the beautiful and detailed stories, the interesting characters, the jokes
and puns, the fun and frustrating puzzles, the mind-blowing revelations and
so much more.
Iplayed 999 for the very first time in 2011 andIinstantly fell in love with it.
Playing VLR a year later only made my love grow, andIimpatiently waited for
the third game to come out. Like many other fans,Iwas sad to learn that the final

100

instalment might be cancelled. Soyoucan imagine how overjoyedIwas when

ZTD was announced! Words cannot describe how happyIam thatIwill finally
be able to play it very soon, andIam sure it will be a wonderful experience.
During the past few months, thinking about ZTD whenIfelt sad or whenIwas
going through hard times always helped lifting my mood and cheering me up.
No other game has had such an impact on me, and for thatIam very grateful.
Zero Escape will always have a special place in my heart.
Thankyou, Mr Uchikoshi, for creating such amazing games. Thankyoufor
making my life better.

101

Phi

Sigma, Look At This Die

by Daidus

by TheOceanOwl (Holly)

Tu Fui Ego Eris

by Navi

Phi

Paper Lady

by Frida

by QqIdes

This game is a masterpiece. You have no idea how much I love this game
series. Im so happy I got the chance to find these games and take part in this
journey. The characters feels so real and many have inspired me and changed
the way I see the world, in a good way of course. Im really hoping for more
amazing games from you Kotaro Uchikoshi.

104

Zero Escape is so unique, it has changed the way I envision story-telling and
creativity. Ever since 2010,999has been my favourite visual novel and I still
shiver whenever I hearMorphogenetic Sorrow.Thank you for creating a story
that made us reflect on human nature beyond the boundaries of the game.
Thank you for showcasing strong familial bonds, good humour and puns. But
especially, thanks to everybody for your dedication to produce ZTD despite the
obstacles of last years. I wish you the best for future projects. I know I will look
forward to them.

One of the most important things about video

games is their story. And although Zero Escape
isnt as popular as some other games on the
market, what it has going for it is an amazing
story. By the end of 999, I felt betrayed and used
by Akane. I still wanted to help her despite this
though!! Nobody deserves to suffer like that. By
the end of the game, it had become so much more
than a simple visual novel. The characters were
actually alive, and I was so hooked I immediately
ordered Virtues Last Reward. The time I spent
solving those puzzles, listening to their stories, and
solving the big mysteries was magical. Akane is
now one of my favorite people in the series, she is
such a complex character. It wouldnt be a stretch
to call Zero Escape the best DS game series. Thank
you Mr. Uchikoshi, for persevering and making the
final game. I cant wait to play it!

105

Your Will Can

Change History

ThePuppeteer
by Not a Hazard

by Ada
This picture was taken under last Septembers
blood moon! The timing wasnt quite right, but I
hope youll forgive me for not waiting until 2074.
Anyone who knows me could tell you that I
can and have run myself out of breath discussing
how much I love this series. Zero Escape has
made me so many friends and given me so many
stories more than anything else, though, I want
to thank you for helping me grow into a more
curious person.
Zero Escape has challenged my thinking more
than any other work of fiction, and I found myself
beginning to nurture interests I never had before
in order to try to keep pace with it. What started as
an effort to unravel your storys secrets gave way
to a genuine love for the sort of abstract thinking
the series is so well known for.
I played VLR as a young biochemistry student,
and I subsequently became interested in studying
pandemic-level viral threats. Years later, I now
work as a virology researcher professionally. Its a
funny thing, fate if I hadnt read your stories, my
life may have turned out very differently.
And I doubt Im the only one.
Your work has been an avenue for personal
growth for me, as it no doubt has been for
countless other people. I cant thank you enough.

106

I think it is safe to say that Zero Escape changed

me as a person and as a creator.
As an aspiring Game Designer it showed me
how to create a deep and mysterious story with
intricate details that connect at the end, and it
inspired many of our current projects in some way.
As a person the games expanded my outlook
on life and pushed me to research things I
never would.
I learned so much from it and that even helped
me in social situations, where I would discuss
Lockes socks and Morphogenetic field theory
with friends and we would talk for hours.
Not only that, I had an incredible amount
of fun with the game, not only playing it but
recommending it to my friends.
We created a chat where each person would
tell their theories, predictions and reactions
tothegame, and it was so much fun.
So really I can only say Thank You Uchikoshi and
Thank You everyone who worked to make this
series a reality.
You are all amazing, and I will always
holdtheinfluence of this series in my heart.

107

Free The Soul

Go Comedy

by pachompy

by Biscuit

Even though I only got to know Zero Escape

relatively late, its been an awesome journey! Im
sure that I have never spent as much thought
and emotion on any game, as I did on your series.
Due to its touching, inspiring and clever manner,
it indeed changed my view on the world and
especially on what we perceive as right and good.
It made me feel for the characters, so much that I
even shed tears for them. (Which I almost never do
while I play video games.) The dilemmas presented
in Zero Escape showed me not only that it is never
wise to claim to know whats right, but also that
hope or a way out can be found, if you seek for
it. Kyles, Akanes, Sigmas, Junpeis and the others
choices and mistakes will surely linger in my mind
when I have to make a hard moral decision.
So, as you see, Zero Escape changed me and
many others and in the end, also brought up a just
as clever, funny and thoughtful fanbase.
Now, I look forward to the last game and hope
to see a happy end for the cast, that I grew so fond
of. Thank you for your hard work and good luck for
your future work

I first discovered the Zero Escape series when

999 was continuously recommended to me on
shopping websites based on other games I had
purchased. Because I had never heard of the game,
I didnt expect much from it. Though curious, I
decided to give the game a shot.
It turned out to be the best outcome of a
gamble I could have ever dreamed.
Almost instantly, I was attached to the series.
I fell in love with everything about it. The story,
the characters, the art, music, fan community...
Everything. I have never grown so attached to a
series the same way I have with Zero Escape. I have
persistently tried to share the experience with
many people close to me, even my own mother.
Get them to play the games... Just so I could
have someone to share it with. Zero Escape has a
smaller community than it deserves, but it shines
brighter than anything else in my eyes.
Both 999 and Virtues Last Reward have
completely changed my life. The series opened
my eyes up to this fascinating genre of games,
and will often compare real-life situations to it. No
other franchise has impacted me in such a way.
Made me fall in love so hard.
Thank you, Zero Escape. I never imagined
myself loving an AI rabbit the way I now do.

108

109

Have a Nice Tragedy!

Lullaby

by Kuma

by Strawbanna

Have a niiiiice Lagomorph!

by M. I. Satsuki

Once upon a time, I found a very special

crossword:

Time. In Zero Escape series, its all about time.

There are no seconds to lose, maybe there are
some lives to safe...
Hesitation. So many hoptions, which
alternative will be the correct one? These doors,
these actions...
Ally. Trusting other strange people isnt wrong,
right? Loyalty is one of the most safe and friendly
things Except if you are Dio, then youll never
choose to be gentle.
Nine. Such a curious number. The biggest one
with a single digit, it gives you an advantatge if
you need a person for the digital root. What a pity
lefting that bracelet behind...
Knife. A weapon. But is it simply a weapon or
a way of changing the evolution of the universe?
Yesterday. A relative word. We cannot be sure
of where we were, or what we ate, or even what
was our condition.
Operation. Each era has its own heros, Junpei,
that mysterious doctor... Who will save us now
from apocalypse?
Uchikoshi. As someone said search happiness
wherever you can, because the search itself is
what will make you happy, so dont forget it. If you
are happy, we are happy.
After having completed that, I realize I was being
part of the game, the decisions, the responsability
from the early beginning. And now, I just cant wait
to see the end of this story, the end (or the new
beginning?) of mankind.

112

Zero III miniature

by Clara Flix

Partners in Space
and Crime
by Chaz
I discovered 999 just under 2 years ago, I went
on to spend these two years falling in love with
your games; the unique twists, the cerebral
hardcore sci-fi bent, heartfelt and memorable
characters, the tight, challenging logic of their
puzzles and setting and the amazing atmosphere
set by its presentation and unforgettable music
score. Youve created a true masterpiece that
has bought together a creative, positive and
passionate community. Cosplaying Zero Escape at
conventions has been some of the best times of my
life! Interacting with this small but intensely driven
fanbase has meant a huge deal to me and its all
because of your games. With this series you have
brought people together with a unique fusion of
complex science fiction logic and moving, intense
narrative; something no other videogame has
ever managed to do. Your work has changed all
our lives for the better, inspired us all to be better
at what we do and who we are. Its heartbreaking
that it has to end, but it brings me so much joy
to know you got to make it your way and finish it
your way, and Im sure Zero Time Dilemma is going
to be an epic finale to this marvellous saga youve
created! Thank you Mr Uchikoshi! I look forward to
whatever else you have in store for us!

VIRTUE
by Pluto
Just wanted to say thanks to the creators for this amazing games and to
everyone support it to make the last and final installment happen.

Glad I picked em up and even more glad that community came together to
help make this game a reality. super stoked for this.

When I first played 999. I was a bit confused on what I got. I thought it was a
puzzle platforming game for some reason. Im sure I have read the description
wrong XD (looking at the box now idk how I even thought that) But none the
less I got instantly hood and beatit over and over again even completing the
story fully. then I play VLR and was more amazing then the last. Those games
made top3 of my all time fav games ever in a matter of hours when playing em.

114

115

SigmaandPhi
by Sophia (Mof ie) Brown

Phi and Sigma

by Emi

Dear Mr. Uchikoshi and all of the Zero Escape team, I need to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for this wonderful and engaging story, and all of its
characters. If it werent for Akane, Sigma, Junpei, Aoi, Phi, Clover, Alice, Kyle,
Quarkand all of the other wonderful characters then I wouldnt be the happy
person that I am today. These games introduced me to Morphogenetic field
theory and taught me so much about quantum physics that I owe Zero Escape
as much as I do my parents or any teacher Ive come across. Youve set me on
my path. THANK YOU ZERO!!!

117

AllyOr Betray?
by Kaleigh Maxwell

I always liked to play puzzle games, but the Zero

Escape series is by far my most favorite. I love the
storyline and the way that the game makes me
think. I also really loved the character development
throughout the story. I would stay up late playing it
till5amjust so I can see what happens next. I really
enjoyed playing both 999 and Virtues Last Reward
because of this. There were so many times when
I really felt for the characters when events would
happen to them. I felt like I was there experiencing
what was happening myself. At times in the game
I would laugh at the jokes that were made or
being ready to cry when something happened
to a character that I liked. Even after playing both
games there is still so many questions that I have
about it and that is what makes me love it so
much. Thank you so much for creating this game
Uchikochi Kotaro. I have enjoyed every minute of
playing it! I am really looking forward to playing
Zero Time Dilemma!

Thank You Uchikoshi!

by YBBB

119

Virtues Last Quotes

Virtues Last Reward characters

by Jac Ting Lim

by Leiskander

Blue Bird Lamentation -lyrical verison-

Blue Bird Lamentation

by Oktavia

by Marion Linardou

Happiness is closer than you think, my dear,

so dont you worry, theres no need for those tears.
Over and over their words repeat in my mind
Opening these blue eyes again, what is it Ill find?
Born with a cold iron heart, but warmed with love from the start
But if I crumble, I will not be missed.
Taking orders to exist
But there is someone I can risk all for, someone Id give all and more.
I found it
Happiness is knowing that you werent made in vain
Happiness is loving someone through all pain
Though I am caged in, though I cannot fly away
I only need you, and by your side I will stay.

Both 999 and Virtues Last Reward have influenced me in such a beautiful
way, its been by far the best game Ive ever come across. Then again, the term
best is far off when it comes to describing what you created and came up with.
I have never witnessed anything else catch up with all this brilliance youve
created during all these years, and Im extremely grateful for being given the
chance to experience these two masterpieces of yours after suggestion of a
friend of mine whos been a fan of yours for so much longer and introduced
me to this mind blowing universe. I honestly cannot wait to play the last one!
I decided to send along a piano cover of Blue Bird Lamentation, since Lunas
story had captivated me to such an extent that I felt I had to go ahead and
learn it no matter what! Thank you for all the amazing memories, your games
are something Ill always love and never forget.
Listen to Blue Bird Lamentation on: tinyurl.com/BlueBirdLamentation

Happiness is closer than you think, my dear,

so dont you worry, theres no need for those tears.
Over and over their words repeat in my heart
Let me smile one last time before I fall apart...
Listen to Blue Bird Lamentation -lyrical ver.- on: tinyurl.com/BlueBird-lyricalver

My sister was the one who introduced me to the Zero Escape series, and
as soon as I started playing 999, I had a feeling I was in for an adventure. I
found myself laughing, yelling and even crying at the DS screen. Virtues Last
Reward only strengthened my fondness for the series, and introduced me to
who is now one of my all-time favorite characters, Luna. Im anxiously awaiting
forJune 28thas we speak. This series has brought me so much joy, and while
Im sad to see it come to a close, Im so thankful I ever had the experience of
playing these amazing games.

Game Start!
by TOFU

123

TU FUI, EGO ERIS

Piercing through time

Find of a Lifetime

by Marcos Young B.

At the horizon I see the light

by Colby

Although fate still keeps

Waking up in a cracky room
Keen pain drills in my skull
In a flashback I remember
Blinding gas and a masked reaper
A death watch on my wrist
I am now playing a game with a deadly twist
Too many questions, a thought clears my head
Seek a way out, before time ends
Nine strangers with their lives at stake
Shall work together to make an escape
But how can you trust
With a murderer among us?
Ally or betray
That is the choice I must make
Whatever button I press
I am going to carry that weight
Why did I know?
Answers strike in my psyche
Yet the source is unknown
Am I the key after all?

One last trick in its sleeves

Frenetic, I kneel on the pond
Heart hammering, chest bursting off
I see the eyes of a man
That just could not being mine
Tu fui, ego eris
How cruel destiny is
As the author of this dream
This whole time has been me
My future determined my past

And also Thank You Aksys for making possible for us to enjoy not just these
games, but also the ones you continualy bring us.
No ZE fan will ever forget that stream on July 3th, 2015. Thank You Mr.
Uchikoshi and Aksys because on that day I learned that we have the power to
change timelines.
-Marcos Young B.

And my past converges my future

Starting as a random title I saw for free on PlayStation Plus one day, I thought
nothing of Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward. However, I chose to keep it in my
downloads list, you know, in case I ever had nothing to play one day. Little
did I know, this would be one of the best decisions Ive ever made. Almost
immediately into my first playthrough of the title, I felt a connection to it.
Whether it be the beautiful visuals and compelling voice acting, the incredible
mystique surrounding everything involved, or the straight up pure genius of
the writing, I was transfixed instantaneously. I couldnt put the game down.
Any small opportunity I had to play, I took. This title changed my opinion of
what a game should be. It raised the bar. No longer would a phoned in plot so
the developers could focus on multiplayer just, do the trick! This game made
me feel a connection to each and every character throughout the whole story,
something few games can really ever do. Kotaro Uchikosh, I cannot thank
you enough for creating one of the most astounding game series I have ever
played. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Watch Colbys review for Virtues Last Reward here: youtu.be/-bku7dJnvGg

As the old woman attacks

With a sharp look and a razor knife

Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest

Iuppiter reprehendere

Waking up in a cracky room

by Myles

Keen pain drills in my skull

It seems I am back in my time
Is this the end, or is it the beginning?
I come back to reality
As I witness the lasts of humanity
With the choices I made, I swear to myself
I will change history

124

When I think about Zero Escape, I remember all the emotions that this
series has put me throught. I laughed and I cried from sadness and happiness.
The fear, anxiety and joy of solving a puzzle and finding a way out. And the
indescriptable feeling when the plot surprised me and blew my mind. I
remember the music and, characters I will cherish in my heart forever. For these
and the ones about to come, I just want to say Thank You Mr. Uchikoshi. Thanks
to these games I got introduced in a gender I didnt even know it existed, and
now there is no time in which I am not playing a visual novel. This includes the
amazing Infinity series, for which I also Thank You.

Two doors
Pick one
Wait
Youre a locksmith
Can you teach me to pick locks?
Thats sick,
Man

First off, thank you so much for creating my favourite game series of all
time. My friend asked me if I could write some bad poems for the school
newspaper, so I wrote this one. It was meant to be a joke but I think it actually
encapsulates the series pretty well, people are given choices but can see
beyond the scope of choosing one or the other. I love how this series plays
with choice and free will, so Im super excited to see that at work in zero time
dilemma. I love 999 and virtues last reward so much, these games have some
of the most interesting narratives of all time. They had me crying, screaming,
laughing, all while leaving me with a sense of hope. Theyare nothing short of
brilliant and I cant thank you enough for them.

125

A Great Impact
by Mubarak Al-Sulaiti

I was introduced to the Zero Escape series 3

years ago by my best friend, he was always telling
me about this amazing game that is about you
being trapped in a sinking ship that will sink in
9 hours alongside 9 people.. i thought the idea
was cool but wasnt really interested.. anyway as
time moved on he kept telling me to get it and i
wasnt really feeling it so i got it to shut him up..
so at first i was kind of forced into the series.. but
when i actually played the game i immediately fell
in love with the characters most notably Clover
and Akane.. so i kept playing and when i finished
it my friend told me that there was a sequel and
i immediately bought it.. and that game.. Virtues
Last Reward.. might be one of my favorite games
of all time right now.. i fell in love with it and i
couldnt stop thinking about it no matter where i
go.. when i finished it i couldnt wait for the third
one until my friend told me about the state ZE3
was in and Operation Bluebird. i was extremely
devastated so i kind of wanted to forget about
the series since a third game was never happening
but i just couldnt the events and characters
wouldnt leave my head for years until #4infinity
popped up.. and hope was finally back! and on
July 3rd, 2015 when ZE3 was finally announced I
knew that everything was going to be fine after
all.
Im not much of a drawer myself but when i
heard about this project i was all onboard.. so I
drew the characters that impacted me the most
from the series

Clover: she taught me to stay strong if Ive ever lost the person i depend on
Light: showed me that when you are not blessed with something you are
rewarded with something equal . he also had one of my favorite scenes in 999
when he had to get revenge on Gentarou for killing Clover and no matter how
many times Gentaoru shoots him he just didnt die.
Phi: taught me to be loyal and that its not wrong to think of the consequences
Luna: saved the best for last. my favorite character to ever be in a video
game. Luna taught me that happiness is much closer than you think and that
you dont have to really be human tobe human.
I recently read in an interview that Uchikoshi has a phobia of speaking in
public then i remembered the July reveal.. this man seriously doesnt get the
appreciation he deserves! so i just want to say from the bottom of my heart
Thank You, Uchikoshi-san for making such inspiring games! and thank you
for building this world for us.. Thank you.

Reddish Blue
by Vackarash

Last summer I accidently bought Virtues Last Reward. And this happenstance
changed all my life. After a while, I played 999. And this game changed my life
as VLR had done. Now ZTD is coming. I have never been hyped for anything
as much as Im hyped for ZTD. Zero Escape is a true masterpiece.Thank you,
Uchikoshi, Aksys and all fans... Actually, I am from Russia. You should just know
that fans of this game areeverywhere... I will never be the same again.
Listen to Vackarashs covers of Bluebird Lamentation in the following links:
Piano: youtube.com/watch?v=Eba36Gr9HKA
Accordion: youtube.com/watch?v=yfGpO0tp0fA
Clear Version Mix: youtube.com/watch?v=ezgJxeJfJ-Q

Akane: showed me that theres always two sides

and that those who you trust the most might the
ones who hurt you the most.
Aoi: showed me that appearances and behavior
dont show the real person.

126

127

Thank you for Zero Escape!

by kralle777

Simple Thanks
by Sirmat
Im very glad to have found Zero Escape. The premise is pretty interesting
alone, but the direction the plot eventually takes is what I loved most. A
Pseudoscience-y, time travel based, mystery puzzle visual novel? Well, it
combines a lot of my interests is what Im trying to say.
But obviously those reading know what Zero Escape is.
I want to thank you, Uchikoshi, for the characters and their interaction, and
hell, the story that comes along with them. There arent many Escape The Room
games out there (at least, that I know of ), so this may be a narrow compliment,
but Zero Escape are probably the best ones Ive played.
This came out a little more like rambling than I had hoped, so I hope I got the
point across. Anyway, I leave you with this, remember, +1.
SGZMJ XNT YDQN DRBZOD!

I bought 999 a few years ago because I love Visual Novels and many people
said that it was one of the best and that the story is amazing and full of plottwists. It sounded like something that I would really like, so I bought the game
and wow, I was blown away by it. This game had such smart story-telling, a very
thrilling story and a really likeable cast of characters. And it was full of details,
full of good ideas, I enjoyed it so immensely that it quickly became my favorite
game ever. When I finished it, I thought a long time about the story and read
many discussions about the plot on the internet and also realized, that this
series has a very dedicated fanbase. Virtues Last Reward was also right around
the corner and I was full of anticipation. When I finished that game too, I felt
as good as with 999 and my favorite game evolved to my favorite game series.
Now with Zero Time Dilemma which comes out very soon, I am feeling that
same hype again. I am so excited for that game, I think Ive never been more
excited before. We all know how hard it was to make ZTD a reality and I am
often wondering how sad I would be if it would never release. But luckily this
isnt the case and we wont have to wait much longer anymore. With all that
said, I want to know how the story finishes so badly and about the fate of my
very beloved characters. Just a few more weeks until I can finally lay my hands
on the final part of this amazing trilogy!
Thank you Uchikoshi, thank you for the Zero Escape series! It means a lot to
me!

128

Nonary Game Quiz

by Parrexion
It started whan I was looking for a new game to play by browsing the 3DS
demos. There I found VLR which combined the mystery of Ace Attorney and
had Room Escape. And I really like room escape game as Ive played countless
room escape games on the internet. After finally picking up the full game
on sale I started to play it. But it took over a year to finally finish it. I can still
remember it today. I played the last 5 hours on my birthday two years ago and
its one of my best birthdays ever. Needless to say, it didnt take long before
I got around playing 999. It didnt disappoint me the least. I even got the
Japanese version as well!

But when I heard that the third game wasnt coming out I, for the first time,
joined the Zero Escape community online and started contributing to it. Thanks
to that I got some new friends know a lot of new interesting games to play.
Unfortunately, there is a drawback with these games, a lot of people have
said the same thing. Almost all other games stories pales in comparison so
now its hard to find new games to play.
Still, thank you so much for forever changing my view on how a good story
should be told. Play the Nonary Game Quiz here: tinyurl.com/NonaryQuiz

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About bluebirds and cats

by Warayumi

Her phantom head

by Juno G
For the four years that Ive loved Zero Escape Ive been unable to capture the
immensity of this story or my feelings for it, and I dont think I ever will. But an
important factor of the impact it had on me, is that in the end it hinges on two
people. I could say how important these two people are in relation to me, how
they helped me deal with a strong sense of loss and misdirection I felt when
these games came into my life, but it doesnt feel fair. Im still only a spectator
in this story, a mere player.

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The end approaches, and whether its the end of the world or the end of
a series things once set in stone change under the unwavering will of a few
people. This is true for us on this side of the console: though we changed the
will of many, in the end its just a couple of friends and a team of creators; your
amazing story and our way of saying thank you.
In the end its two kids sitting on a hill, saying goodbye.
So thank you to everyone whos made this story come alive, for giving us all
a chance to say goodbye.

When I saw 999, it was only with the title and a picture, the first thought
was like Looks nice, why not play it?. I ended up in confusion, wondering,
theorizing, overtaxing and finally crying, cause I never ever played a game
so deep, somehow realistic and tragic like this. How could a game be so
touching? I played many games but this one was so surprising in its content
and so realizable like no other game could. Id liked Junpeis puns and all the
theories about all-ice, the timelines the most. And also VLR was great! Is a story
unchangable? Do we want to do as we do or are we blindly representing our
environment? All these topics left traces. Now posters from the games hang in
my room, fanart pops up like mushrooms and the hunger for such intelligent,
deep and overbearing stories just grows.
So many thanks for those incredible pieces of gaming-history!

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Alice/Hazuki
by (Ngoc Minh) Duc Nguyen

The series has had quite an impact on my

life as a gamer. For the first time ever, I enjoyed
reading hours of (really interesting) dialogues,
and I was curious to learn as well as to understand
new things that are beyond my normal ability to
comprehend. Thanks to the series, I started loving
the visual novel and puzzle games, which led me
to trying other amazing titles of the same genre.
However, Zero Escape is still my most favorite, and
999 is undoubtedly on my top 5 all-time favorite
games. I would like to thank the team behind
this series, for your passion and hard work, and
for having ignited my love for an incredible video
game genre!

No title
by Aka Maple (Ryan and Liza)

We have picked up both 999 and Virtues Last

Reward at about the same time, around summer
2012. Both of us really enjoy mystery and puzzle
games, so Zero Escape series was a perfect fit. We
absolutely loved the story and the characters and
the challenge of the escape the room puzzles. AS
we were playing through he games, we would
often stay up way to late unable to put the DS
down, without finding out what happens next. As
cosplayers and cosplay photographers we wanted
to contribute some of our favourite photos of our
cosplays from the series.
We would like to thank Mr. Uchikoshi and
everybody else, who have worked on the series,
from the bottom of our hearts, for bringing those
fantastic games to us. Thank you Zero Escape!

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133

Untitled
by Fred / meganewitch

Zero Escape has been a really important part of

my life and Im really grateful. I remember 2013 me
going inside a game shop and randomly picking
up Virtues Last Reward because I liked the boxart,
and was not expecting it to became so important
to me. I made some great friends thanks to it, it
helped me grow interest in many, new, different
subjects. Ive been waiting for the third game to
come out for three years now and I know that I will
never be disappointed from such a great series. To
the creators, to Uchikoshi, to the localization team
who allowed me and many other people to play
these games, thank you.

Thank you!
by Saw and Fred
No words can describe how much were grateful for Zero Escape. Thank you,
Uchikoshi-san! Thank you, Aksys! Thanks, everyone!

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135

Seeking a way out of

Expomanga!
by Erweyn, Lowell, Kepo, Spike, Tif
and Tsuki.
We want to thank Uchikoshi and his team for
their amazing work with the Zero Escape saga,
making a cosplay group and hanging out with
our costumes was a really fun experience! We are
really hyped to play the new game and whatever
Uchikoshi makes next after finishing the saga.
From the botton of our hearts, thank you!

136

137

From the bottom of my heart

by Jinger, D

138

DJinger
JingerD
DJingerHello!
OK!Jinger

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INFINITE TIME
by Wan Naru
I want to say thank you to Uchikoshi-san and Zero Escape team for creating
such a wonderful game series! Both 999 and VLR leave me with the impression
that I will never forget!
I first got into Zero Escape from listening to an SMT podcast and the hosts
were discussing what game has the best story and one of them mentioned
999. So I decided to give the visual novel version on ios a try and got totally
blown away once I finished the game!!
I started VLR on PSVita right after I got the chance and spent 3 whole days

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straight playing the game non-stop. I could not stop! The game felt so real and
kept me excited all the way through.
Phi is my favorite character. I grew attached to her after playing VLR and
always feel like I will always have her by my side no matter how many times
I jump through the timelines as Sigma. Even though I dont know who she is
until the end of the game but I always have the feeling that I can trust Phi.
I absolutely enjoy experiencing the game from both Junpei and Sigmas
perspective and cant wait to play as CQD protagonists in ZTD!

But the Akane Kurashiki I know...

by Janelle

A Moment of Rest &

The Way Out is Up
by Nevada-DeNada
Recently, there havent been many new games that really excite me, that
really make me want to spend hours and hours looking up teasers and trailers,
and figuring out what the characters are going to do to and what their goals
might be. In fact, I can only name two games that Im currently waiting for;
waiting for in the truest sense of the word anticipation, and Zero Time
Dilemma is one of them. To put it bluntly... Im really excited to play this game.
So thank you for making some truly amazing games, but even more so,
thank you for the kick-ass females in these games. Power-mom Lotus, quirky
and passionate Clover, mysterious Alice, quick-witted and rational Phi, caring
and gentle but strong Luna... and my personal favourite, June. I cant tell you
how much I have loved Junes story and I cant wait to see the missing pieces
in ZTD.
Thank you for these characters that inspire me to create.

Gears of Time
by Sigma
Im very grateful to have chosen the nickname that now I have because
thanks to it it was recommended to me a game where someone appears with
that same name.
Not knowing what I would find, I ended discovering a saga where not
only you get caught for the fact that your own actions/decisions show their
consequences for eachcharacter and plot or the curiosity to know what will
happen or want to know all the characters but also from the first second the
game environment itself envelops you.

142

Feeling that is unique and that gives life to Zero Escape. I loved this and how
you have thought everything in detail to generate more and more questions
and then surprisewith such elaborate plots. I have come to put my hands in
the head by surprise, cry, laugh and even have a headache for wanting to know
more. That is why I love Zero Escape and I have so much affection towards
it. So, thank you, thank youKotaro Uchikoshi and team for this entire project
which I will be delighted to play again.
As Sigma would say: Its purrrrfect how each yarn, every character, every
story behind them and every end have been joined shaping the skein of Zeros
world.
And of course, like a kitty, it has been a pleasure to unravel.

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A Field of Feelings
by Saw

I cannot say things like Ive liked this series since

it came out because it would be a lie. It has been
more or less a year since I first played 999, but I
can assure you I am no less passionate about this
series than older fans. I will never thank enough
the friends who pushed me to play it, and I think
that the friends that played it under my advice feel
the same. I have never been good with words, but
thank you. Thank you. No words can describe how
happy I am to have found out this amazing series.
Thank you. Thank you for your hard work. Please,
never stop doing what you do, because you do
it GREAT!

H2O
by Ciwi
I picked up 999 after being recommended it by a friend, and man, I loved it!
Ive since picked up Virtues Last Reward, too! The style, music, and storytelling
are all lovely, but I really love all the interesting concepts that come up in the
games. I always feel that I learn some fun facts while playingmaybe Ill beat
Akane one day and become the next queen of useless knowledge

one). Ah, I could go on and on, but overall Id just like to say thank you so much
for these games, and all the hours of amusement that I (and many others) got
out of them! Im definitely looking forward to the new game, and seeing some
of the old characters again!
Please keep up the great work!

The characters are all so lovable too, you really get to know them! Their
interactions are so entertaining (especially the elevator scene, you know the

144

145

Countdown
by Kaity Moy

The Zero Escape series has always been an inspiration to me. The story, characters, and just every
bit of content in the game impacts me just in my
everyday life. I find myself referencing the game
and talking about it to everyone. Heck, I even
wrote my final paper for one of my classes on it!
Its just a series that I cant get out of my head and
I cherish every moment that its one my mind!
When the Zero Time Dilemma wasannounced,Iliterally leap for joy and had to tell everyone and
anything about it! This series will forever always
hold an incredibly special place in my heart!
Uchikoshi, you are a remarkable person, and everyone involved in the creation of all Zero Escape
games, you all have done such an amazing job!
Thank you so much for this wondrous series!

Seek A Way Out!

by Elle
I remember randomly seeing the first game online one day, and for whatever
reason I decided to buy it on a whim. I had no idea what I was getting myself
into, but I am so happy I found it that day. The zero escape series remains one
of the most interesting stories Ive ever come to know. There are so many
things to love about it, the characters are fun and realistic, the music goes from
eerie to touching, these games have made me laugh and cry so many times. I
wasnt even very familiar with visual novels or puzzle games when I first played

146

999, but that definitely changed afterwards. I recommend this game to people
whenever I get the chance. And the upcoming third game- I couldnt be more
relieved and excited that its finally happening! So thank you Uchikoshi, Aksys,
and everyone that had a part in creating this crazy, wonderful, heart-wrenching
game. Thank you so much.

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ZERO ESCAPE: 1 12 12 6 1 9 20 8
by Ryan Derede McCarthy

2027 - 2074 - [2028] - THANK YOU

by stepde2014

148

I didnt know what to expect when I decided to getVirtues Last Rewardfor

free off of PSN. I had always been a fan of theAce Attorneyseries, but I have
never truly appreciated the powerful storytelling that the visual novel genre
can provide. What threw me for a loop with Virtues Last Reward was the
immersion. I still remember when I made Sigma betray Alice, fully expecting
her to pick betray, only for her suddenly to pick ally instead. Both Sigma and I
responded with:
Huh? That didnt happen last time.

It was then I realized what was going on. This gamefound a way to create
a thrilling meta-narrative. It wasnt just me that was exploring the flowchart;
Sigma was traveling with me too. It was then that I spent countless days
playing the game late into the night to see where this story was going. When
I finally met the mysterious old woman at the (technical) beginning of the
game, I was hit with a huge sense relief. Just like the heroes, I had gone on an
inconceivable adventure.
So I went out and found a copy of999to see what I missed. And I choked up
at a Sudoku puzzle. Your games are one of the pillars that have shown me the
strength of the gaming medium.

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ZERO ESCAPE
by Siplick

When my eyes first came across the cover art of 999 in a list of recommended
NDS games, it instantly caught my attention: a game that combined visual
novel parts with escape-the-room puzzles, that had such an interesting story
and a gorgeous art style it was something I was bound to like.
When I found myself weeping at an upside-down sudoku at three in the
morning just a few weeks after, I knew that picking up 999 was one of the best
decisions I had ever made.
The days after that, 999 was all I could think about. The moment when we
found a dead body in the shower room, when Junpei got stabbed in the back,
when Seven told the story about the first Nonary Game, when Snake (who
since then became my favourite videogame character ever) went berserk and
withstood Aces gunshots, when we found the Q door and everything just
made sense... It just kept resonating within my brain.
I recommended the game to so many friends, and every single one of them
ended up liking it as much as I did. Whenever we talked while they were
playing the game, they were always so surprised by all the plot twists and yet
they were so amazed about it. And even after years have passed since that, we
still get so excited talking about Zero Escape when we meet.

can also tell life-changing stories and make you feel things youd never expect
to feel by playing on two tiny little screens. That one day, I will be able to write
stories as good as that one, Ill be able to breathe life into my own characters,
create scenarios that will someday inspire somebody as much as Zero Escape
inspired me.
Thank you, to every single person who was part of ZE to Uchikoshi for
creating such a masterpiece thanks to his brilliant writing, to the artists, Kinu
Nishimura and Rui Tomono, who brought the characters to life, to Shinji Hosoe
for the tracks that made us tear up, to everyone at Aksys that worked on the
translation and localization, and to every single person that put their work on
the games that will forever be my favourite THANK YOU.
Watch Siplick's speedpaint here: youtube.com/watch?v=kCzt-aYKaDY

Whenever I replay it or talk about the best moments from the games with
fellow fans, I feel as excited as I did when I played them for the first time. And
no matter the amount of times you go through the different scenes, you always
catch something you hadnt noticed before, you begin tying loose threads,
you start theorizing on so many things... Theyre the kind of games that you
can play as many times as you like youll never get tired of them. Not only
because of that, but because they have some of the most well-thought writing
and plot, as well as the most lovable characters I have ever come across.
The day in which Zero Escape 3 was confirmed to be under development was
just incredible. Many of us thought the day would never come, but 4infinity
gave us hope for a third and final game. I wish I had been in that room when
it happened, but unfortunately I was on the other side of the ocean, staring
at thousands of other fans tweets, flashing repeatedly in front of me. In that
moment, I felt so fulfilled. I felt so happy that my favourite videogames were
going to get the final game they deserved. That the fans love and support
pushed the game this far.
Zero Escape changed me so much as a person and as an artist. It made me
realize that videogames are so much more than just kids games, that they

151

999 + VLR Collab

Junpei:kiichu.tumblr.com

Quark: seikoshinohara.tumblr.com

by the following Tumblr users:

Nijisaki: kubotateruaki.tumblr.com

Dr. Klim and Luna: twergo.tumblr.com

Sigma and 999 Clover:anhedoniia.tumblr.com

K (color) & Seven:lady-noremon.tumblr.com

Alice and 9th Man:vamp-elanor.tumblr.com

Zero III:ba-mot.tumblr.com

VLR Clover and Phi:mamacars.tumblr.com

Tenmyouji (lines), K (lines), June, Snake, Lotus, & Musashidou:

braidcut.tumblr.com
Ace: charmingviolence.tumblr.com

152

Santa: mampha.tumblr.com
VLR Akane and Dio:orange-triangle.tumblr.com
Tenmyouji (color):schrodingerslion.tumblr.com

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VLR - END

Graphics taken from Zero Time Dilemma Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys Games. No
copyright infringement intended.

Phi - No Escape
by Char M

Thank you for all the years of Zero Escape! Its been a blast!

Thank youUchikoshi-san!
by Ryuugu

158

An Orchestrated Escape
by Masher

The Zero Escape series is unlike any

of the other mystery games Ive played.
My 14 year old self lost a lot of sleep after
discovering 999! I loved and still love the
story, characters, animations, the puzzles
and the quite literal big bang at the start.
Despite having hated math, the engaging way
the game presented it made me appreciate
it more and all the puzzles were fun to solve.
The concepts and theories that the game featured,
like morphogenetic fields, always made me pause
and philosophize about them. Once I finished
each game I felt sad there was nothing else like it,
I was overjoyed when VLR was announced and it
was the reason I bought a 3DS. It was a wonderful
choice. Now once again I am filled with excitement
for the new game, I cant wait to play it!
To give some context to the work, it was
for the EU/AU ZTD contest, its based on the
Dutch humanist Hugo Grotiuss escape from his
imprisonment. By hiding in the book chest that
was used to deliver books to him, and take books
that had been read away, he managed to escape.
Its a well-known story in the Netherlands, as it was
quite a great escape.

A Vector Fan Escape

by Advaita

161

Sunset biker
by Fedubeat

I heard about 999 and vlr a long time ago,

but I played it one year ago because some
close friends recommended it. I really loved
the game and its unpredictability along with
the characters and the development of the
story and didnt think that its sequel could be
any better than999, but i was wrong. Im really
looking forward to playing ZTD andknow how
the series will end and all this will be possible
because of the efforts of the ZE team.Thank
you all for letting us enjoy this great saga.

[Luck]
by Erina

Zero Escape is a series I hold dear to my heart.I was very close to not playing
it at all - Im a wimp and thought the game might be too scary for me. But once
I started playing I could not stop - the music, story and characters dragged me
in. It was as wild ride, but one I dont think I will forget.
Thank you so much Mr. Uchikoshi for creating such wonderful series, and
thank you Aksys for localising them! I wish you luck in whatever you undertake
in the future!

162

163

Akane

by Sy

by Jane Redd

Its hard to convey all the emotion and fun that

playing Zero Escape has brought me. Thank you
to everybody who was involved in making this
awesome series possible and good luck for all
your future work. I hope to see more inspiring and
breath-taking games like this series in the future.
All the best and greetings from Germany. Thank
you!

The Zero Escape series was introduced to me

by a good friend, maybe a year or two years ago.
Since then, it had made for fun experiences
from engrossing conversations over the story
and motivations of the characters to amusing
theory bouncing, a number of jokes and
laughs, and even a late night Skype call or two
going through part of the first game, voicing
characters for fun as two of us relied on the
cues on a third.
It shows that you put a lot of love and care
into the games, and we, as the players, are
very grateful for it all. To Mr. Uchikoshi and
everyone at Aksys Games, thank you for your
hard work and dedication.

164

165

The Growth of Akane

by Kayla Dempster

I think I appreciate Akanes character so much

because of her strong will and intelligence.
Nothing about her life was fair; she did nothing
to deserve to be thrown into the Nonary games,
but instead of turning herself into a victim she
was intelligent enough to think up a plan to save
not only herself, but countless others as well. She
might play the role of the villain sometimes, but
shes really only making the hard decisions that
have to be made in order to benefit the entire
world. I now always try to remember to live my
life like Akane. If something happens in my life
that I see as unfair, instead of asking why me I
try to focus positive energy towards solving the
problem. So thank you for creating such a strong,
intelligent character like Akane, because from her
and Junpei, Seven, Santa, Luna, Phi, Clover, Sigma,
and so many others I have learned so many things
and learned to look at the world differently. I never
thought that your characters and the world you
created around them would be able to affect my
life so much. I truly found myself so immersed in
the story line that I couldnt concentrate on much
anything else while I was playing the games.
And most importantly, thank you so much to not
giving up on the Zero Escape story. Thank you for
listening to all of us fans and thank you for finally
bringing this beloved story to a close after all of the
time we all spent waiting. After all, while searching
for happiness, youre sure to find happiness during
the journey.
Thank you!

June
by Amara Kay

167

You can change history

by Hayley

The Zero Escape series has raised the bar on

my expectations for storytelling in games. Im a
fan of visual novels; strength of plot is a key factor
in my decision whether or not to buy a game. As
such, as you can probably guess, Ive played a lot
of games with good stories since I first picked up
Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors in my local
game shop. Despite this, I dont think it has ever
been bested. Both 999 and VLR are so engaging
and the characters are so multifaceted that Ive
not really been able to get them out of my head
since. There is an incredible amount of love out
there for this series: a love Ive seen not only in
myself or the friends Ive persuaded to play it
but in the wider world. Zero Escape has brought
together people who might have otherwise never
met and inspired so many.
Thank you to Aksys and to Kotaro Uchikoshi for
making these wonderful games happen. I have
absolute confidence that Zero Time Dilemma will
be just as emotionally devastating, and I cant wait!

Enkindle
by Prelas

The Zero Escape series has a special place in my heart. Its story, characters,
and music are so memorable and unique that they have imprinted a lasting
impression on me. And I am incredibly grateful that I will be able to experience
their charm once again! Thank you very much Kotaro Uchikoshi for never
giving up on Zero Escape and making Zero Time Dilemma a reality.Thank
you to everyone at Aksys and Chunsoft who work very hard in making these

168

fantastic games as well. And also to the Zero Escape community for helping in
achieving the closure for the franchise!

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For the Thank You ZE

by Reyna / Rey

So.. I guess it all started the first time i played

999, Back then i was so busy that i dont have
time to play game, there was this one game that i
always wanted to play but i was too busy with my
own stuffs. Several months passed, and i actually
GET to play the game, at first i thought the game
was probably just like the other game that i played
Its good and all but i was wrong, its actually
more than that.
I fell in love with the game, I learned a lot
of things from it. The story is really beautiful
Im actually grateful that i decided to play the
game because if that time i didnt try it i would
really regret it. and so, I wanted to thank Kotaro
Uchikoshi and Aksys for making this game, Im
really bad at words but i wanted you to know that
i thank you from the bottom of my heart. thank
you for making such an amazing game.
And i also wanted to thank everyone who
supported Uchikoshi until the end, I know that
Zero Escape 3 was postponed because of the
low budget before but thanks to you guys who
support them really hard, they received your
hope, your warmth and knowing that were all in
this together.

What would you decide?

by Pixelyte
By the time you are reading this, Ill probably be locked in my room playing
ZTD, and it wouldnt be possible without the efforts of the whole Zero Escape

170

team all these past years. My heart broke into pieces when I found out ZE3 was
stuck in development hell, but 4Infinity brought us hope, and the waiting had
its reward. I also want to thank Aksys Games for bringing the opportunity to
the west to enjoy this simply OUT OF THE WORLD saga. Im trembling to see
the future upcoming projects! Thank you all.

171

ZTD - Diana Cosplay

by Aquapainter

Zero Escape is my favorite game series. I

remember playing 999 for the very first time, and
being absolutely hooked by all the mysteries in
it. I had never played a game quite like it before,
and when I finished the true ending, I was in awe.
The game had managed to surprise and move
me heavily, and I had never seen storytelling in a
game that took advantage of its medium and the
DS format like 999 did before. It opened my eyes
to what a games story could be. When I played
Virtues Last Reward, I was completely drawn in
again. For every answer one ending gave me, I
had five new questions! I couldnt stop playing. All
I could think once I finished Virtues Last Reward
was I need to know what happens next! I have to
play the third game as soon as it comes out!
So, of course, I was completely heartbroken
when we were told that a third Zero Escape game
would not happen. But now, I will be able to play
it, which is an amazing gift. Im thankful for this
fandom that fought to revive the series, and to
those who created these games, and allowed me
to experience this world and these characters I
love. To Uchikoshi, Spike Chunsoft, and Aksys, Im
forever grateful. Thank you.

Futile Cycle
by World

172

Its difficult to overstate how important Uchikoshis games are to me. I was
first introduced to his work at 13, when Ever17 was released in the west.

was released as I was deciding what to do with my degree. When I reached the
end, I knew Id made the right choice. I wanted to study infectious diseases and
do whatever I could to stop their spread.

The outbreak central to Ever17s plot made me realize how curious I was
about microbiology. It was the first time Id thought, Hey, this really fascinates
me. Maybe I should go into science? 999 came out a few years later, and I
remember going into the first year of my bachelor of science absolutely
addicted to it. Prosopagnosia, the crystallization of glycerin... these were
topics I became familiar with over the course of my undergraduate, too. VLR

Zero Time Dilemma will be released shortly, and Im now on the road towards
my Doctorate in infectious disease Epidemiology - I was just accepted into the
program! Thank you, Uchikoshi, for helping me realize how much I love this
field. Zero Escape has made a deep and profound impression on me. Its said
that science is why we live, but art makes it worth it, and I couldnt agree more.
Thank you for your art, Uchikoshi. Ill always remember it.

173

Sigma Klim
by Gin

Thanks to Uchikoshi, the team behind him,

and the people who planned this projectits all your fault that my neck hurts after
Ive had to sit for at least 8 hours straight,
working on this thing! Fortunately, it was very
fun to do, and I appreciate this opportunity.
Heres what I love about Zero Escape; besides the
immensely interesting story and characters, I love
that Zero Escape makes you experience a wide
variety of emotions. Emotional impact is something
I value with videogames in general, but not many
can make me feel, for example, genuine anxiety.
After I had played 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors
and Virtues Last Reward, I kept these wonderful
memories of moments in the games that I can
just look back on and feel happy and nostalgic
about. I cant wait to play Zero Time Dilemmato experience the mysterious Zero Escape
universe again.

Sigma Klim Parametric Sketching

by Felix Situ

Thank you so much Uchikoshi for this amazing franchise. And thank you
Thank You Zero Escape for giving me this opportunity to share my work to the
series creator and the fans.

Youve created something that people really

love, and I hope that youre proud of yourself,
Uchikoshi! I also hope you continue to stay in
touch with the Zero Escape community for a good
while. So thank you, and your cool Team, for this
beautiful series. And thank you, passionate Zero
Escape fans, who got this project going.

Watch Felix Situs Parametric Sketching here: youtu.be/QYg34SqDmB4

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175

Third Act
by Jess Mac

Decisions
by Werseri

It has been a long way... I remember the first time I played 999, it was a
few years ago. I had played a lot of games but nothing compared with it. The
feeling of being inside of the game (and to be part of it) is unique. It makes you
grow fond of the characters so much that they become a part of you.

So, Mr. Uchikoshi, thanks (from the bottom of my heart) for creating this
amazing series. There are no words for describing how thankful I am with you.
Definitely, this experience will stay with me until I die. Thank you for giving me
the best memories ever!

It was the same for VLR. I think its my favourite volume of Zero Escape so
far. Its incredible how these games have changed my life. They were a light in
the middle of the darkness. It could sound... ridiculous, but these games make
me feel important, like it was the first time that somebody cares of me and
my opinion.

And, of course, thanks to Aksys Games (and all the team behind of it) for
spread the word this series. Thanks to you, these games are able to reach every
part of the world. Im looking forward Zero Time Dilemma!

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CQD
by Lia

As many timelines as
it takes
by Lara

Id always heard great things about the Zero

Escape series, and when I finally got around to
playing it I was not disappointed. Both 999 and
VLR made me laugh, made me cry, gave me
nightmares, touched my heart And quickly
became some of my favourite video games ever.
The stories are full of intrigue and meaningful
messages, messages that struck a chord with me
and made me realise that even at the darkest times,
people never give up on those they love. Of course
the humour was perfect too, and I often see it in
the friends I made through Zero Escape. Theres
nothing quite like staying up until2AMdiscussing
increasingly more ridiculous theories over social
media, culminating in someone proclaiming
Sigma is definitely Pepsiman in disguise, and
everyone finally deciding that just maybe we all
just need to go to sleep.

I stumbled upon 999 around the time it came

out, and bought it because I was sick and had
nothing to do. I had no idea it would end up as
my favourite game series that is still making me
lose sleep over the suspense! I have such close
and great friends that share the love for this series,
and while the games make me cry, they also make
me really happy. I love so many of the characters,
especially Akane and Junpei. I really hope they can
have a happy ending. Its been so, so long since
Ive been so excited for something, and I really
cannot wait for ZTD.
This series has kept me happy through so
much. I really, really appreciate everything that
Uchikoshi and all those involved in the making of
this series have done. Thank you so much for such
an emotional and beautiful series!

Thank you so much to Mr Uchikoshi, to Spike

Chunsoft, to Aksys Games, and to everyone else
who had any part in making this possible. Thank
you for all the great memories weve already had,
and for all the new ones were most certainly
going to make when ZTD is released. Out of all the
timelines and universes that might exist out there,
Im so glad that I got to exist in the same one as
you and as Zero Escape.

178

179

Time and Time Again

by toriily

180

I had always heard that 999 was a good game but little did I know just how
amazing of a game it would be. On a whim I picked it up and then from that
point on I couldnt put it down until I had finished both 999 and VLR. From the
very first moment till the very end of the game, I felt a real fear and a real weight
on my every choice. Playing these games was thrilling and unpredictable, and
being able to follow these characters on their journey and watch how all the
puzzle pieces came together was pure joy. From the story, to the characters, to
the music, to the art, I have loved every part of these games. Thank you Kotaro
Uchikoshi and to everyone who worked so hard to bring this brilliant series
to life!!

As virus arose, nine have to nest

Virtue atones sin, heavens soars
Even the saviours are no saints
by pqur
I picked up 999 a bit at random to be honest. I didnt expect it to be a
novel game full of puns, puzzles and gore! I didnt expect to get engrossed in
conspiracy theories involving quantum physics either. But here I am, here we
are all, awaiting the conclusion to it all.

I wanted to honor those three characters because it feels to me like they are
the red-thread of this series. Its getting rare to see a wide and varied range of
powerful female figures but Zero Escape doesnt lack of it. Theyre all trapped
in a creepy game with heavy consequences and yet that doesnt bring their
inner damsel in distress out. Whether its Clovers loyalty, Lunas kindness or
Phis total lack of tact, Ive always had someone to look up to while being
completely mindfucked by the narrative and thats something I am grateful for.
Its been a wonderful ride. Thank you.

181

More Than Zero, A Lost Opportunity

by Maureen Momo
First of all, THANK YOU DANNY for being the absolute best when I showed
up crying for twenty whole minutes. Thank you Taka, thank you Karen, thank
you everyone at Aksys for being so sweet. Thank you Uchikoshi-san for taking
a picture with me, and even giving me an autograph (I am learning Japanese
now so I wont be embarrassed next time, haha!)
Thank you for not only making what Zero Escape is today, but also for
personally being such inspiring people. As a budding game developer/
programmer myself, you all give me the inspiration to work just as hard on
making games! Thank you!!

182

Nine and Seven

by Klim and Carianne

The Zero Escape games have just about

everything that the two of us adore about visual
novels; characters that we love (and a few that
we absolutely love to hate), stories that kept us
theorizing for months on end, and key moments
that make us misty-eyed just thinking about them.
If you measure a storys success by how much you
just keep on talking on and on about them after
youre finished, then 999 and VLR were some of
the most successful stories weve had the pleasure
of experiencing! Of course, we also just cant stop
recommending them to just about everyone we
know. Thank you for creating these characters
and stories that gripped us so tightly, and sharing
them with the world. Were incredibly excited
(and slightly terrified) to experience the storys
conclusion soon.
P.S. from Carianne: Thank you for making me
cry at 3am, holding my DS upside down, over a
sudoku puzzle.
P.S. from Klim: Thank you for Sigma Klim, who is
quite probably the only video game character that
will ever share my name!

Sealed Summer
by Elli H.
In 2012, I saw 999 on a secondhand onlinestore and had this intense feeling
that I MUST get that game. I have never been sucked into a game so deeply
that I played it through the night. Soon later I bought VLR after struggling that
either game wasnt officially available in my country. When 999 had changed
my expectations and standards for games, VLR doubled it all. VLR made me
insane to know more and an awesome game series like ZE deserves its closure.
I joined Operation Bluebird even when others were saying that a resurrection
project by fans doesnt usually succeed. I remember bursting into a loud roar
in the middle of internship when ZTD release was confirmed.

184

I have never been so excited about a game before. Both 999 and VLR kept
me on my toes and surprised me in every corner. They taught me to speculate,
to look things from other perspective, and every choice made me fear for
the characters. ZE is a perfect combination of gameplay, facts and fiction,
mystery, story, puzzles, art and music that make me want to play it again and
recommend it to others.
Thank you Uchikoshi and whole Zero Escape Team, for creating this mindblowing experience that will keep Zero Escape as my favorite forever. Thank
you for not giving up!
Elli H.

185

Sigma and Phi

Team D

by TimTam13

by Monica Zabicki

Hope
by Citlalic Garcia-Martinez

Ever since I found about the Zero Escape

series I looked around every store to buy 999
and Virtues Last Reward, but to no avail. After
some time I finally bought Virtues Last Reward,
and it was such a great experience! I became
attached with the characters and the story. The
game has become one of my great inspirations in
creating stories and characters. Thank youKotaro
Uchikoshi and the Zero Escape team for creating
such beautiful masterpiece.

Zero Escape- Team D

by Reivolutionary-penguin
I have known of the zero escape series for a good number of years but I
havent gotten a chance to play it until last year. It was definitely one of the
best decisions I have ever made. The story 999 and VLR supremely crafted
was always suspenseful with its brilliant twists and turns and its one of the
few stories that legitimately made my heart race. This game also encouraged
me to figure out the solutions to the escape rooms by my own and I (mostly
managed to do it). I still remember the night where I sat in my bed and solved
the final sudoku puzzle and how emotionally satisfying it was.

188

And now that Zero Time Dilemma is almost a month away I cannot wait to
experience the long awaited conclusion (and probably cry my eyes out)
I dedicate this drawing of Sigma, Phi and Diana to Mr.Uchikoshi and the rest
of the staff who worked on this series. I spent 5 days working on this tribute
and I poured my heart and soul into it. Thank you creating such a fantastic
series!

189

55 Hours, 1 Person, 1 Door

by Ryan Geever

Certain.

Good people die

Question.

their eyes up to the sky

Death.

wondering
Why?

How? The stain among us.

The cure that we trust.

The moon bleeds

How? A fallen hero.

as it sows its seeds.

Chance of escape? Zero.

A crack, a break
shakes our hearts awake.

When? To when the bombs fall.

To when the shells explode and

CQD

our hearts fall into the sand.

An alarm stroked with brevity.

Someone please help.

Why? To save the world.

TWO MILKMEN GO COMEDY.

To save love.
To save the girl.

No Lost Opportunity
by Dani (Diana)
with Lara (Akane), @ecozay (Junpei), @oatmealberry (Carlos)
Photo by Ailes Noire Cosplay Photography

I first stumbled upon Virtues Last Reward by mistake, and after playing
through the demo I was hooked. Escape games were a brand new concept to
me, but I played through the entire game obsessively until I had completed
every room. After realizing it was a part of a series, I quickly hunted down a
copy of 999 and repeated the process. However- even more than the puzzles-

190

I was drawn to the amazing storytelling of the games. Uchikoshi-sensei is a

master of suspense, and I found myself needing to know what was going
to happen next. When I heard that a third sequel was unlikely due to poor
sales, I was nearly distraught. What happened at the Mars mission test site?
Who or what exactly is Free the Soul? Who is Phi, really? Realizing that I
may never know these things, I was quite upset- so when I heard about the
development of ZTD, I think I might have cried with happiness. I want to
thank Uchikoshi-sensei for pushing through against the odds and delivering
closure to the many unanswered questions that have been nagging me.
I cant wait to play the game! Im most looking forward to learning more
about Phi and Diana, as she and Luna are my favorite characters of the series!

Who? She with no borders.

She with no death,
yet whose death began it all
We who follow her orders.
Six are dead. Three survive.
But for all to live

Thank you, KotaroUchikoshi and the entire Zero Escape team for creating
such a brilliantly beautiful story that has been one of the biggest inspirations
on me and my writing. I found out about 999 a little late into the game, about
a year before Virtues Last Reward came out, but Im so glad that I found it as it
simply blew my mind and filled it with such a wonderful tale full of wonderful
characters. This series has a very close place in my heart, and I frequently go
back to the Zero Time Dilemma announcement video to reexperience the
amount of joy that erupted from the room when the teaser started playing.
This poem is something special to me and I hope all of you enjoy it!

all must die.

Thank you, Zero Escape!

191

bittersweet memories

Something very special to me

by mag

by Safa

How many times Junpei has seen Akane crying.

First.
When we were little brats, no more than 12 years old. We used to go to the
same elementary school, where we kept some rabbits I liked them, I enjoyed
looking after them with Kanny but I knew she really loved them. We didnt
have many, just like four or five, but they were more than enough. I wanted
to get closer to her, so this was the best idea to do it. We had to look after
them one day, but we soon discovered they had been killed. Kanny cried a lot,
even shouted a little. I stood there, angry, trying to come up with something
to make her feel any better, so I decided to hug her, hoping that it would mean
something to her. I was angry and I felt horrible because I could see clearly how
bad Akane had been hurt.
Second.
When I gave her that doll. We found the rabbits killers they pretended to
kill a little kitten, though Akane and I got there on time. We stopped them and
while she ran with the kitty in her arms looking for a police man, I tried to face
them. I got beaten up. I looked honestly horrible. After that, we saw the sunset
together, like really close. I took her hand, she was embarrassed, so was I but
it was nice. It was comfortable, if I were to say the truth; I felt at home when
Akane was around. She told me she was leaving soon, so I decided to give her
a little doll she called Jumpy. She cried a lot again, but I didnt cry as much
myself, because I had the hope that we would meet again. She was my dearest
friend, so I was sure we would see each other again someday!
Third.
When we met again. I woke up in a ship, exactly, in a cabin, after having
been kidnapped. I didnt remember much, I had got home and somebody was
already there with a mask gas, after that, everything got blurry. I finally woke
up here. After solving some puzzles, I could step outside, seeing a group of
people, deciding to join them. Soon after, Akane appeared. It just took me a
couple of seconds to recognize her, and the same happened to her. Jumpy!,
she shouted, tripping over and falling over me. My heart skipped a beat.
Then, a couple of things happened - we learned that we were trapped there,
we were 9 people and we had exactly 9 hours to get the fuck out of here by
finding a door which had a 9 on it; then, the 9th man exploded. In front of us.
Akane shouted, terrified, and started to cry. I hugged her while she continued
weeping, hanging onto my shirt. I wanted this fucking nightmare to end, and I
wanted that both of us would get out of here alive.

192

Fourth.
When I saved her. Lots of things happened afterwards. Throughout this crazy
game we had to play, I learn about almost anyone and everything their pasts,
the relation they had with the previous Nonary Game and other stuff. The most
important thing, though, was that Akane was one of the masterminds of this
game, along with her brother, Aoi; and this fucking Nonary Game was the only
way we, no, I had to save her. I learned that, in another timeline, she died in the
first Nonary Game, so to prevent this, I had to enter the morphogenetic field.
I did. I saw through her eyes, as she had been doing all these time. We had to
resolve a sudoku, a sudoku! She cried, hell she cried. We made it, we won. She
would leave with the rest of the children, and therefore, she would live.
Fifth.
When we miserably failed. We met again in the Mars mission test site, who
would have said so? We did, after a whole year. She didnt even look me in the
eye, it was okay, I guess; after all, she didnt care at all did she? We learned about
Radical 6 there, and the 9 of us had to prevent it from spreading. We failed,
some of us were killed, others were severely injured. She cried, as I knew she
would, out of hopelessness. Once again, I stood there, asking myself where we
went wrong, why we failed and how easily mankinds fate was condemned.
It was our fault, I guess. She cried, and I really wondered why for her or for
the whole world? She disappeared again after that, so there wasnt any point
in bothering with it. She wasnt the Akane I once knew. And I cried too when I
accepted that truth. Akane Kurashiki was gone.
Sixth.
When Sigma, Phi and I saw that hologram. She had planned it from before,
it was obvious she explained why all of this was made and its purpose but it
was not enough, not at all. She explained everything and then she truly talked
especially for me. She asked me how I had been doing all these years and she
even apologized. She cried all the time, such a crybaby she was. She asked
me if I still remember and crying me too, I wondered how in the world I could
forget her.
Seventh.
When we talked after she got out of Ks armor. A couple of things happened
but we still had some time to talk. I asked her how she had been doing, if
she thought giving up her life for the rest of the world was the correct path
to choose and I told her that I had been waiting for her those 45 years. She

nodded, while some tears streamed down her face and she took my hand. If I
could, Junpei, I would have chosen you, I would always choose you, she said.
I could feel her warmth, trying to fight back my own tears, but I had to do it, I
had to save the world. Before even letting me reply, she turned back. I looked
down at my own hand. It was wet with Akanes tears.
Eighth.
When Quark and I said goodbye. There werent any reasons left for us to stay
on Rizhome 9, so we would go back to Earth, back to our lives. We said goodbye
to everyone, wishing them the best. Quark insisted on saying goodbye to
Akane, so we did. She wasnt surprised at all, she even expected us to leave. We
didnt say much, though but I could see the hurt in her eyes she saw Quark
as our own son, she saw the family we couldnt be. She cried a little when he
hugged her, and then she looked at me. I saw the tears in her eyes but I looked
away. She wasnt Akane, not anymore. There was no going back now.
Ninth.
In the infinite timelines she has lived. Loss of count. Maybe well find one in
which we can be happy, in which Radical 6 is not released, in which she doesnt
disappear, in which there is no more hurt or fear. One in which I will see her
cry again but now her tears will be from happiness. Things, just as they always
should have been. I wont wish for that timeline to come, Ill fight for it.

Since I was young, I have enjoyed solving puzzles and reading interesting
stories, some that would take me days to fully understand. When I got my DS
in 2011, I came across 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors. I think it totally changed my
life. Soon, I fell in love with Zero Escape, the music, the characters, the story, the
theories, and started to respect Uchikoshi-san so much. Hey, I even made my
very own Funyarinpa to put on my shelf! I had been dealing with depression
for a while now, and when I saw Uchikoshi-sans tweets about the 3rd game
not being made, it made me so sad and it was all I could think about. But I told
all of my friends to play the games, and I had found a community that loved
this series as much as I did. The fanbase grew and grew, and I had realized that
these games had given me hope, and a new reason to live, you could say. All of
us made the third game, Zero Time Dilemma, a reality. I really do think that Zero
Escape helped change my life and made it better in so many ways. I think....this
series is the reason why Im alive today, and it means the world to me. I would
like to thank Uchikoshi-san and the team at Aksys for these absolutely amazing
games! Some of us have been waiting for ZTD for so many years, and we cant
wait to play it. Thank you so much, from the very bottom of my heart!

A haiku for my main man

by Rony Henriquez
I wonder how many times I have cried, laughed, got angry or even frustrated
or how many hours I havent slept for playing these games. But every one of
them was worthy. I got to know 999 on twitter, where people told me to play
it, and I did. Im so, so, so happy I did. After it, I played VLR and the experience
was as great as it was with 999. I could say lots of things about how Zero Escape
has changed me, always for better, but I dont have enough words to express
myself. Im sure ZTD will be even greater.

Thanks Uchikoshi
For the Zero Escape games
and Pepsiman, too

Thank you, Uchikoshi, Aksys and everyone involved, for fighting for this
timeline. There are not enough words to express how grateful I am. Thanks
to Thank You ZE for giving us this opportunity, too.

Muchsimas gracias!

193

thef iref ly lamp

Uchikoshi-san, I dont believe that words could fully express my profound
admiration and highest level of respect for you. I first started 999 without
knowing what to expect and I ended up playing it straight for 2 days without
sleeping to get all the endings. I can honestly say that I loved every aspect of
the game and that it changed my view on gaming. It quickly became one of my
favourite games of all times.

Ciphers Silence: Zero Escape Remixes

by Michael Lam, happy30, and thef iref lylamp

Michael Lam
I actually started playing 999 because I was bored, but towards the end I was
hooked and stayed up all night to finish it. I remember the true ending being
so long, but I just had to know how the story ends. Same thing happened with
VLR, I think that game has the most twists Ive experienced in any video game
ending. Its rare to see a series with so much ideas, plot twists, and still have
every character be so likable (except Dio).
I like to draw, I also really like robots, so I drew a very memorable scene from
VLR.

194

happy30
One of the most memorable nights were those during that one christmas
break, in which I couldnt wait for the nights to fall because it meant that it was
time to continue playing 999 on the DS. It really moved me and motivated me
become a writer that transmits stories through games myself. I always played
with headphones to enjoy the full immersion of the game with the music. I
loved the music so much that I taught myself to write and remix music for video
games. I hope you enjoy the remix album I created. Big thanks for Michael and
thefireflylamp for creating their wonderful art! Thank you for creating this
great series, I truly cannot wait to play ZTD.

I followed the Zero Escape series enthusiastically, raving about it to any

friends and family that would listen to me, and after finishing VLR I was waiting
with anticipation as to when we would get the final game. However that
Valentines day my heart shattered along with yours and the rest of your fans
when we heard that the third game might not happen Your words were so
sad and we can feel your pain behind them, but even then you didnt give up! It
might sound like I am exaggerating but the day I saw the 0303 on the website
is truly one of the happiest days of my life! Even when nothing was confirmed
and we didnt know if it was to do with ZE at all it was still hope!

Download Ciphers Silence: Zero Escape Remixes here:

jordivdh.bandcamp.com/

Im deeply impressed by and grateful of all the fans of ZE for banding

together and making ZE3 happen! Uchikoshi-san, you also involved us and
communicated with us extensively! I know that the games are not the work
of just one person, but to not only create amazing games, but also cultivate
a warm and supportive community as well as trying your best to reach out
to us, I truly believe that you are an amazing person. To me ZE3 is the fruit of
everyones passion and love towards your games and I feel extremely proud
to be part of the community and to be a fan of you and the series. Thank you
for the experience and even after the ZE series end I will always continue to
support you!

195

DEADline
Hour nine arrives and mocks.
No person can escape
the numbered doors, key and lock.

DEADline - Lunar Lament - CQD-SOS

by Taylor Skibbe

Like animals, we fight and run.

Something always sinks the ship:
A knife, an axe, a gun
a box, a flame, a crime.
They bring about the end.
Were running out of time.
Lunar Lament
Beginning with a solemn song,
the music plays its notes along.
The frozen bluebird of this verse,
in her cage she sings her curse.
To witness death she cant prevent,
the bluebird weeps her last lament.

Zero Escape has always been close to my heart, and has changed my life
in a very positive way. Back in high school (five years ago, yikes!), a friend
recommended 999 to me and lent me his copy. I was intrigued by the premise,
so I decided to give it a try. Several sleepless nights later, I found myself crying
over an upside-down sudoku puzzle, enthralled by a complex story and
wonderful characters. I was thrilled when Virtues Last Reward got released a
few years later and I got to experience the whole thing all over again!
This series gave me something to be passionate and excited about during
the darkest periods of my life. It made me think of storytelling and narrative in
a completely new way, and Ive spent hours talking about it with my sister and
closest friends. Zero Escape inspires me daily in my writing and my approach
to life. My world would not be the same without it or the wonderful fans who
keep that passion alive. Im forever grateful that these games became a part
of my life.
With Zero Time Dilemma on the horizon, I feel both happy and bittersweet
to see such a great series come to an end. Thank you so much to Uchikoshi, the
amazing fans, and everyone who helped make Zero Escape a reality!

Luna fades and is undone.

The moon is dark, farewell the Sun.
Nine lives lost, we see an end.
CQD-SOS
Six billion lives sit on the edge
of a knife.
CQD our SOS.
All it takes is six
To keep the end at bay.
Who will you choose
when the coin is in the air?
Minutes tick down til 90 pass,
fragments scatter in the wind.

196

Have A Niiiiiiice Reading

by Los Tonnet

Ive heard about 999 for the first time on a French website about videogames.
It was a review, and it got a very high ranking (19/20, 20 being the best). I was
already an Ace Attorney fan at the time, so I wasnt scared of reading text, but
I wasnt good at English back then. A few years later, (after becoming fluent
in English (^: ), I suddenly remembered about this game and decided to give
it a shot. I really really really loved it. I loved the ambience, the characters, the
puzzles, the stories/scientific theories etc (I actually used the Chinese Room,
from VLR, as a basis for an English presentation. I found it great how the
game gave a completely different interpretation to the experiment than the
philosopher who emitted it). It only took me 3 days to go through all 6 endings,
and the final twist really got me. And I loved the final scene, upside-down. And
I also loved how knowing everything completely changes your perception of
the story. The tiniest word at the corner of a sentence can suddenly takes a

Zero Time Dilemma Haiku

completely different meaning. There are a lot of things I love about this game. I
thought it was the best story I had ever seen, I loved it. But thats it, I just loved
it. Something happened a year and a half later, something that I would never
have imagined.

by Leonora

A few months after finishing 999, I bought a 3DS. I knew 999 got a sequel, but
I didnt paid much attention to it. I have to confess, I thought 999 didnt need a
sequel, and they just made it to get more money. Months later (again), I was
bored and had little money, but wanted a new game. So I bought VLR, cause
it was cheap on the e-shop. It just took me a few seconds ingame to wonder
why I didnt buy it sooner. I completely loved it, everything felt better than
999. I loved the flowchart, I loved the characters (Sigma, particularly), I loved
everything, just like I did back then with 999. And then, I finished the game.

Zero has trapped them

At stake are six billion lives
What will they decide?
Burning red team C
A past grievance may hinder

And suddenly, this love felt really dull compared to what I had been
feeling until now. I was completely speechless. I couldnt express myself about
the game. I couldnt let out a single word about it, because I was in front of
something better than the best had ever seen, better than the best I could
imagine, and I dont know any word to express something like that.

A blonde fireman leads

Apple green team Q
Our new shoots may grow too wild

Theres one thing I could say though, one thing that never left my mind
since then: I NEED THE SEQUEL. Thats when I heard about Operation Bluebird.
However, I was a bit late for the Operation, since ZTD had been announced
already. Since then, I havent spent a single day without checking their
Facebook page, (sometimes even yours), to check if there had been a new
announcement about ZTD. And I can say I loved the teasing. The way the
participants were revealed, one by one, was like a sweet torture. And its not
just the teasing. The GAME itself seems great. I have no doubt Im gonna love
it even more than VLR.
Following the news about ZTD also allowed me to catch some informations
about the guy who wrote Zero Escape. And I wasnt disappointed. You seem
really dedicated to your work, and to your fans, and thats something I really
admire. Knowing the one who created these games is someone like you, it just
makes me love the series even more. If I could, I would read this right in front of
you, but thats not possible (^: Ive read recently that you felt awkward in front
of fans, and you have no reason to. The world needs more people like you :)

A hidden child guides

Icy blue team D
Tears of the future seek change
A young nurse chooses

Dear Kotaro Uchikoshi

Thank you so much for making Zero Time Dilemma. I greatly look forward to
playing the conclusion of this epic trillogy and look forward to solving all the
mysteries.
Leonora

197

Forever9 - The Beginning of Inf inity

by Lari Liuhamo, AKA Diapolo10
It all started on November 26th, 2012. I was returning home from a long trip
to Lapland, and once we got back home it was already 1AM. Before going to
bed, however, I checked for new demo versions for games on my 3DS - and
found Virtues Last Reward. It seemed interesting, so I downloaded it overnight.
After trying it out the next morning, the puzzles felt very interesting. At the time
I wasnt really paying attention to the story, but it seemed okay nevertheless.
After a bit of thinking, I finally decided to purchase the full game. And after
playing for a little while, the story cranked its way into my brain. It was at
that moment when I started to play not just because of the puzzles, but to
understand the story and seek for the answers hidden inside. It took me a little
while, probably a week or so, until I had all the endings and gold files. At first, I
was really happy for having played through such an incredible story (and very
intriguing puzzles!), but then came sadness - what if I could never experience
that feeling again? I started to search for a similiar masterpiece, discovering
999 and Ever17 in the process. Since Ever17 seemed to be very difficult to
obtain due to a ridiculously low amount of English copies, I decided to order
999 from the US. It seemed odd that it had never been released in Europe, but
I ultimately let that slide.
A copy of 999 appeared in the mail a couple weeks later, and that fact alone
made me extremely happy. Unlike VLR, 999 took me two weeks to finish
because I didnt want to use guides for the endings. And, once again, the true
ending blew my mind. So this is the reason for those references in VLR!, I
thought, and my mind filled with the same feeling of joy and happiness as
before. But that was ultimately forced to come to and end as well, because I
found myself addicted to visual novels like these two. I couldnt get enough.
And, to tell you the truth, I still cant.
I started to do some research regarding the games, especially the series
main writer, Kotaro Uchikoshi. This is how I discovered the Infinity series (and
Pepsiman, to this day Ive wanted to play it just for the sake of it!). While the
games in that series, Never7, Ever17 and Remember11, were very difficult to
obtain at the time, I resolved myself. I would read through them, no matter
what. Im against pirating games, so even with this resolve I wasnt willing to
do that, but I ultimately watched non-narrated lets plays on YouTube of the
Infinity series. While it does feel kind of bad, I couldnt stop myself. It was either
that or buying copies on Ebay from scalpers for terribly high prices. Their
endings didnt give me the same feelings as Zero Escape did, but Ever17 and
Remember11 were especially great nevertheless!

198

When Spike Chunsoft and mr. Uchikoshi announced that the third ZE
game, now titled Zero Time Dilemma, was at risk of never being made, my
heart shattered. The fact that people werent buying the games because they
thought they werent interesting probably made something snap in my head,
and I began an attempt to bring these works to people through essays, book
reviews, by recommending them to friends and family as well as by starting a
rather ambitious new project - recreating Virtues Last Reward in Minecraft! To
this day, that map has been under near-constant development, and I believe it
to finally be ready for the world.
Titled Minecrafts Last Reward, the map is basically a multiplayer version of
VLR with puzzles of my own creation. The map is made to resemble the look of
VLR in as much detail as I possibly could add, and I even went as far as to make
custom textures for it. The map is still not perfect, but it is complete enough
for me to showcase it here. While the released versions didnt seem to get
much attention, one day I got a message from a person who was working on
a similiar project. At the time I didnt know they were sort of neighbors to me
(the person being Swedish), but we became friends. He and his brother found
my map to be a perfect template for their project, which became known as
Minecrafts Last Reward 2.
One day, I saw a tweet about 4infinity.co. At first, I just thought it was
a rather strange website, but the numbers on the page reminded me of
the ones in 999s suitcases. So, I decided to keep an eye on the site. As time
passed, I made numerous theories of the words that appeared and I became
increasingly confident that this was a message of hope: Zero Escape 3 was
coming. Unfortunately I could not attend the Aksys panel held in LA back then
due to the sheer distance between our countries and the cost of plane tickets
for a mere high school student, but I waited for the promised live stream. The
tweets that appeared on my Twitter page shortly after confirmed and steeled
my hope - ZE3 is a thing, and its really coming!
As soon as I heard about this fan project, Thank You Zero Escape, I couldnt
refuse to participate. Originally my plan was to remake the Grand staircase from
999 in Unreal Engine 4, but that project failed at its final stage - my 3D models
wouldnt import properly, making them look like a real mess. My nect idea was
to make a new video regarding the Minecraft VLR map I made, but ultimately I
ran out of time to make the video look good enough. As a last resort, I decided
to execute plan C. That would be this article, and some screenshots of both the
Minecraft map I created and a few regarding the models I made for the original
project - including a model of Junpei! While this isnt as grand as what I hoped
for, I would say I did my part nevertheless.

If I hadnt played that demo of VLR back in 2012, I would not have all these
friends I got thanks to Zero Escape, not to mention know what a visual novel
is. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Kotaro Uchikoshi for making
my life what it is today. I want to thank him for my newfound interest towards
writing stories. I also want to thank him for inspiring me to start making video
games. Let his future be one with hope!

You can check out a collection of images of Diapolo10s Zero Escape-inspired

Minecraft and UE4 projects here: tinyurl.com/ZeroEscapeProject-Diapolo10

Sincerely, Lari Liuhamo, also known as Diapolo10 28.5.2016

P.S. You and Nakazawa should start working together again at some point. I
love you guys!

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In Perpetuum et Unum Diem

Thank You for Zero Escape, for Everything

by Lulu

by Natalie

In Perpetuum et Unum Diem - Luna Plena

In Perpetuum et Unum Diem - Luna Nova

A girl with cold skin and a sad mechanical heart,

A girl with warm skin and a heavy human heart,

Is sitting in the ruins of a love that was torn apart.

Is standing in the middle of a fatal spectacle.

The hope of a new world, a better next chapter,

The Russian roulette, the cycle of life and death,

Begins while leaving her behind in a silver birdcage.

Begins while shes blindfolded in the Roman coliseum.

Looking on with melancholy at remnants of Saturns tricks,

Unknowingly holding the star-crossed fate of mankind,

Wishing escape from the hourglass to fly, fly, fly away.

Watching every participant die, die, die away.

Feeling alone, insecure, artificial - life simply unjust...

Frightened of reducing everyone to particles of dust...

A pacifist, romanticist, under the tyranny of Fortuna.

A pacifist, romanticist, under the tyranny of Fortuna.

The music box plays a melody of woe and sorrow,

The blue bird has flown away and may never return,

The sad little machine laments and cries a few tears...

The battle is now between Scylla and Charybdis...

Lost love, questionable ethics, and sacrifice....

A trial of love, an ethical dilemma, and sacrifice...

Fears of the past, six ill-fated souls - will it ever suffice?

Tears of blood, six billion souls - is it worth the price?

I just want to thank Uchikoshi and Aksys from the bottom of my heart for
creating an unforgettable game... This beautiful and complex story with its
dynamic characterswill be held onto dearly and stay with me for a long time...
Thank you so so much.

I grew up playing video games, especially visual novels. Id wake up early and
play until the long hours of the night as my lonely summer days passed as a kid,
never growing bored of reading walls of text for hours upon hours. Through all
the visual novels I read, I eventually came upon Ever17 and Remember11, and
upon completion felt like I was introduced to a magical brand new world of
storytelling. I had no idea that such complex stories could exist and get written
by an actual human being, and thus I quickly became a huge fan of Uchikoshisan and his work.
Around five years ago, I sought out Uchikoshi-sans other works and saw
that 999 had recently come out in North America on the DS. Excited at the
prospect of indulging in another of his magnificent works and playing a visual
novel on one of my handheld consoles, I rushed to buy it. The experience was
a blur - a wonderful blur of adrenaline, of excitement and wonder and mystery.
This game had everything that I loved in a game - an engrossing mystery that
always made me think, fantastic characters (especially the female characters!),
and an amazingly complex story with so many twists and turns that quickly
captured my heart. It became the first game that I would recommend to
everyone when they asked for recommendations, and from the day Virtues
Last Reward came out, Zero Escape became the first series I would recommend
to everyone without them even asking for a recommendation.

revelations that wait; nervous because I dont know whats in store for my
favorite characters: Akane, Diana, Junpei, Alice, and Sigma; and sad because
this is the end. I dont know what Ill do now that there will be no more Zero
Escape installments to wait for. Its the end of an era, but I know that this will
be one of the most amazing experiences that I will ever have in my life - both
as a gamer and as a person. I know that I can look forward to all of the equally
amazing and brilliant things that Uchikoshi-san will write. I know that despite
all the games I have played and will play in the future, no story will ever come
close to the brilliance of Zero Escape.I know that I have grown up and will go
forward with this series in my heart, mind, and soul, and that I am here because
its one of the things that have helped me get through the difficult times in my
life.
And most of all, I know that I will never - through words, equations, puzzles,
or any other humanly possible medium - be able to truly convey how much I
love Zero Escape.
Thank you, Uchikoshi-san and the team, for Zero Escape, for everything.

I grew up playing Zero Escape since I was fourteen, and when news broke
out that Uchikoshi-san was not able to finish the series for reasons outside of
his control, I was utterly heartbroken. I thought I would never see the end to the
best story I had ever experienced - to the characters that I grew so incredibly
attached to. I would never see the fate of one of my favorite characters in the
entire world, Akane Kurashiki. I watched and hoped and dreamed as Operation
BlueBird picked up, and prayed that Uchikoshi-san and all the higher-ups could
see the overwhelming love that we had for this series and its characters.
Now, several years later, I realize this series is special in more ways than I
could have ever imagined at the time. There is so much love for this series that
it was able to move hearts and minds, and bring about a new reality, one in
which we can finally see the conclusion to this wonderful and brilliant tale that
has captured so many across the world. Its a new timeline.
Now, Zero Time Dilemma, the finale to this story that I have grown up with,
is upon us.
I am thrilled, nervous, and sad - thrilled because of all the mysteries and

200

201

Thank you | Thank q | Thank

by Jenkat

My first encounter with Zero Escape was the gameNine Hours, Nine Persons,
Nine Doors. Im pretty sure I came across it when I was looking through the
game selection on Amazon (North America). The cover art, the description,
and the M rating all caught my eyes especially the M rating. That game might
very well have been my first M-rated game. I loved playing all the puzzles in
the first game. I loved the complexity of the storyline, and the integration of
philosophy, science, and real-life occurrences.
When the second game Zennin Shibou Desu (Virtues Last Reward) came
out in Japan, I was too impatient to wait for the localized version to come out
in the U.S. and bought the Japanese one right away. As if999werent complex
enough, I felt the second game was even more complex than the first game.
But that just meant I fell even deeper in love with the game and the series.
When the game included information about the blood moon, I thought, Oh,
thats kind of cool! But when there really was a lunar eclipse and blood moon
in real life on the date in 2015 mentioned in the game, I was really amazed.
That kind of depth of research beforehand is very awe-inspiring. (Of course,
I went outside in the middle of the night to watch the eclipse and view the
blood moon!)
With the upcoming third game, I am really looking forward to being able to
have both Japanese and English available. I love the Japanese voices, and at
the same time, I love the localizations work with the wordplay and puns that
carry over from the Japanese version.
I am really grateful to have chanced upon this game when I did. It has given
me insight into fascinating things I wouldnt have otherwise known existed.
Ive met many wonderful people because of theses games. My mind has
definitely been worked out by these puzzles.
Thank you, Uchikoshi-san and Aksys, for making everything possible!

You Dont Know Me

by roseputter

The Release of ZE3

by Max West

Over 5 years ago, I saw a little preview of a game called 9 hours, 9 persons, 9
doors. It could not have been longer than 50 words, but I had kept the memory
of this very weird name in the back of my mind for many years.
Years later, I saw the game pop up online, and after asking a friend, I decided
to play it. I went in with no expectations, knowing nothing about the game
that I was about to play. It was one of the best decisions of my life. I can look
back at the past few years now, in which I have found not only 999, not only
VLR, not only ZTD, not only my first ever crush in Akane, but more importantly
the games and people around it. Thank you to everyone that made 999, VLR
and ZTD a reality. You touched many lives, including mine.
As a thank you, I made a little game called The Release of ZE3, which is
about Junpei and the 999 cast trying to make ZE3 a reality. It is my token
of appreciation for the many hours of fun I have had in the last few years.
Thank you.
Play Maxs The Release of ZE3 here: tinyurl.com/TheReleaseOfZE3

202

Uchi, you are someone who was impacted my life with such a special sense of
amaze that I have never experienced before. I must admit that this video I have
made is a bit sloppy and I could made it all look better. Lately in my life, however,
I have suffered from a lot of feelings of not being able to do what I want and not
being able to find where my truest interests of creation lies. The LEAST I could do
was to leave you with this. Even more than my dreams of becoming a successful
musician right now is my dream is to get to play this game. Virtues Last Reward
was written into such an insane cliffhanger that it was simply torture; it really
is miraculous how the you and the fanbase brought hope back into this game
and got it coming out. I wasnt in on it until less than a year ago, but I still feel it
and discuss so much about it with people who I know are into this series as well.
The way I got into this series was June of last year, when I was on a fun vacation
where I suddenly decided to play 999 since I always had it and my DS. As soon
as I got one ending (Submarine) I downloaded an ending guide and became
MEGA hooked. I wasnt even thinking about whether I liked this game or
anything; something inside of me was just THRILLED to unravel the mysteries
of the story. Even in the middle of conversations with family members that
we went on vacation for, I still kept playing the game! Every single moment
you could think of! Before I knew it, after a few days and restless nights
playing through, I had beaten it felt a sense of euphoria. I have never even
binge watched or binge played anything before, but with your game I did it

like crazy, not to mention got Virtues Last Reward almost instantly after. I still
remember the shocking night at the motel where I got to the Safe Ending and
Ace revealed his true colors. The moment it showed that sprite of him with his
eyes so evil, I was SHOCKED! If I didnt happen to be sleeping with others in
the room that night, Im pretty sure I would have cried. Even knowing that Ace
was the killer, the personality hidden behind him was just so horrific and so
satisfying. And the soundtrack I shouldnt even get myself started on how
much I loved that and how great it made the vacation listening to that stuff.
Imaginary, Morphogenetic Sorrow, and Recollection might by my very favorites.
My experience with Virtues Last Reward varied, definitely taking much longer,
and a very enjoyable ride, but by the end I was very.. well I just wanted to
play Zero Time Dilemma like all hell! One of my favorite things about this
series is that each game is completely tied into the story of each other;
I was afraid at first that Zero would be somebody you never learn about
and that Virtues Last Reward was just another gruesome story of people
being trapped. When I finally played 999 though, I learned to stop judging!
Ive also started reading the Infinity series, trying to start with Never 7 which
is very fun and can already tell that Ever 17 looks even better.. You really
do have a genius personality, Uchi. An open minded, spiritual one. I dont
know if you really believe in all the theories expressed in Zero Escape, but I
actually do. I am spiritual and I have found for myself that many aspects
of life are more than what they seem, and higher dimensions, ESP, I have
come to view reality in a way which includes such things as possibilities.
Well, I hope the most that my music video is something that you will be able to
enjoy. By the end it may have looked a bit cheap, but a fun video! Please enjoy.
Watch roseputters video here: youtube.com/watch?v=prdrwrsTEMs
Images taken from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors and Virtue s Last Reward, and Zero
Time Dilemma Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys Games. No copyright infringement
intended. Music by Ben Folds.

203

Zero Escape Mario Maker Level

by Lord Thantus

ZEN - Zero Escape Nonograms

by Lauri Hankilanoja
Play Lauris Nonograms here: tinyurl.com/ZeroEscapeNonograms

204

To Kotaro Uchikoshi (and anyone else that reads this), I have made thisSuper
Mario Makerlevel based on a very iconic part of the game. I planned on making
one for the 2nd Class Cabin as well, but the idea to submit to this fan project
didnt occur to me until the last week of submission. That week was very busy
for me, but this series is very important to me, so I set aside as much time as
possible to make this level.
Despite barely touching my copy for about 2 years, I retained almost
everything that happens in this series to memory. This level in particular
was recreated almost entirely out of memory (excluding the passwords). Its

nothing too special, since this happens with so many works of fiction that I
really, really like, but that really, really like part is crucial, especially sinceZero
Escapeis essentially at the top of that list.
I dont know if its too much of a stretch to say that this series has changed my
way of thinking, the way I perceive reality, and (maybe soon) my philosophy,
but just the fact that Im considering these thoughts should say something
about what your work has impacted. Not just in me, but no doubtfully in many,
many more people out there.
I mean, isnt that what this Thank You Zero Escape project is all about?
Play Lord Thantuss Mario Maker level: [ID: 8DD5-0000-024C-73ED]

205

Zero Escape Fangame

by Ell

Zero Escape is an innovative series. I say

this as an aspiring game designer. Its touched
and influenced me on many levels. I found it
emotionally engaging, I enjoy talking to other
people about these games, and I feel that it has
inspired me for the future. I suppose, in a way,
Zero Escape created a new timeline for me, and
thats one I will gladly walk down. I created a game
for this project as a way of saying thanks. This
entire series is a labour of love, and it makes me
very happy to see something like that come to
fruition. Its thanks to the efforts of many different
people that I have been able to experience these
wonderful games. I cant even begin to show my
thanks, but I have no hesitation when I declare my
love for the Zero Escape games. To everyone who
has been involved, I can only say thank you. Ill say
it over and over, and those words will always be
sincere. If theres one thing I wish I can take away
from what I have learned by playing the Zero
Escape games, its the memories and emotions
that I will hold onto for many years to come.

The participants dilemma

by Alistair Robinson

Its been fun! The Zero Escape series has not only been a blast to play
through, but it also introduced me to one of the best online communities Ive
ever encountered (namely, /r/zeroescape). And now, the series is coming to a
close.
Honestly, Im not sure Ill like all of the changes made in ZTD - but I know that
Ill love the story and the characters just as much as ever. Thank you, Uchi, for
everything. -A.
P.S. If you kill off Light, Aoi, Junpei, Akane, Sigma, Phi or Diana in the true
ending I will find you and I will slap you. Also please make the PC port good.

206

207

All our family together

ZTD Bae Wallpaper

by Dani

by Maysam Rezaei

The 2D design of 999 has fascinated me from the moment I started playing
but that was nothing compared the excellent storyline. Then came the 3D
with the VLR and with it new characters that will make you feel thousands of
different emotions from love to hate but never left indifferent. So I know the
ZTD will not be different from them, I wont be able to sleep until I finish it, I
will continue to suffer whenever something good or bad happens, I wont stop
being in love with Akane although she is the organizer of everything and I will
never stop bothering my friend with these games. So for this and more, thank
you very much Uchikoshi, thank you very much Aksys games and THANK YOU
ZERO ESCAPE. Muchsimasgracias por todo!!

208

Illustrations taken from 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, Virtues Last Reward,

and Zero Time Dilemma Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys Games. No copyright
infringement intended.

The Zero Escape series is a video game series that I hold very dear to my
heart. Im sure its been said over a million times, but the Zero Escape series is
nothing less than an absolute masterpiece that has changed the lives of many.
As the entire fandom is, I cannot wait till I can get my hands on Zero Time
Dilemma and Im incredibly excited to see what this new entry has to offer.
Im sure minds will be blown and many tears will be shed. Just wanted to end
this message showing my huge appreciation for everyone who made ZE and
especially ZTD possible. Spike Chunsoft, Aksys Games, Kotaro Uchikoshi, the
entire fandom, review websites spreading the word of this series with positivity

and everyone else who has contributed, thank you so much. The Zero Escape
series is one of the greatest video game sagas in the world and it already has
left such a great impact on the hearts of many. Once again, thank you. Also
want to show huge appreciation for the team behind MYOSOTIS - Thank You
Zero Escape for making it possible to contribute back to such a great series.
I hope you enjoy the shady image I put together last minute, showcasing the
sexy characters from Zero Time Dilemma, with my three favourites (for now)
at the front!
Illustrations taken from Zero Time Dilemma Spike-Chunsoft and Aksys Games.
No copyright infringement intended.

209

Inspiration
by epobbp
I discovered 9 hours 9 persons 9 doors 5 years ago from a review I read. I
wouldnt have thought I would enjoy as much as I did and still do, as it was
not a genre I normally played. However, the story was intriguing. I wanted
to know what happened next. I became invested in the characters and I was
so moved by the story, the music, the characters, and everything about it. It
became my favorite game, one I have often recommended and will continue
to recommend.

Zero Escape is my inspiration. I have learned so many things and met so

many amazing people through a shared love of this game. My inspiration for
learning how to cross stitch, for learning how to crochet, for learning how to
make patterns for my cross stitch, and for improving my cosplay making and
drawing abilities have all been because of Zero Escape.
When the announcement came that there may not be a third game, I was
devastated.
But we had Hope. We had Faith. We had Love. And we had Luck. And that
brought us Zero Time Dilemma.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this story and these
characters with us.
-Heather/epobbp

210

Zero Time Cross-stitching

by Eleanore
Ifirst bought 999 back in 2011 on the recommendation of an Italian friend
of mine. I finished it just in time for the hype for VLR and now five years later
were in the hype for the final. These five years have been amazing, through the
good and bad, and Zero Escape has gotten fans from all over the world to join
together. Im from Sweden and Ive talked to people in the US, Thailand, Japan,
England, Canada and many other about the series. So I just want to say thank
you Mr Uchikoshi and everyone else who have worked on the series and lets
hope the final is a smashing success!

211

Zero Escape:
A Representation Through the Years
by Urmom
I first came across Zero Escape through the internet in early 2011. Despite
only meeting the age requirements to play the game this year, I fell in love with
the series. Zero Escape: proving the game rating system is absolutely rubbish
for an amazing life changing story. I thought at the very least that a thank you
was in order for everyone who worked on these marvelous games. A haiku to
commemorate this event: So thank you kindly, developers of this game; let a
new dawn rise.

212

Beware of Zero
by suzubi

Operation Bluebird
by the Operation Bluebird team

Operation Bluebird was originally made with

the goal of showing the Zero Escape developers
and publishers that fans needed a sequel to
Virtues Last Reward. Over the past year or two
since our conception we have undertaken a
number of projects (some successful, some less
so) and have gone through multiple changes in
administrative team. When Zero Escape 3 was
announced at Anime Expo 2015 a number of
new admins were brought onto the Operation
Bluebird team. Operation Bluebird is now run by
both admins from Zero Escape 3 Project and Save
Zero Escape. Weve all written our own individual
paragraphs for this letter about our experiences
with Zero Escape and the community.
My name is Emily, however, most of you probably
know me as Admin Luna. Being a part of the Zero
Escape Community has been, and will always be
a wonderful experience. The storyline, characters,
and music are truly amazing and memorable in
Zero Escape. Ive met so many friends because of
Zero Escape 3 Project, and Operation Bluebird. We
have such a strong fan community, and the fact
that were finally getting Zero Escape 3 proves
that. For those reasons, I am extremely thankful for
Zero Escape, and all the people who made Zero
Time Dilemma a reality.
My name is Nickolas, though most of you know
me as Admin Neptune from Operation Bluebird
and Save Zero Escape. Its both an honor and a
pleasure being part of the community; every day
Im impressed by how large and far-reaching the
Zero Escape fanbase is. Ive met some great friends
whilst being a part of the page Save Zero Escape
and since joining our friends from Zero Escape 3
Project to become a part of Operation Bluebird.
The games are magnificent, the story, visuals,

214

puzzles, characters, music; everything is very well done. I am thankful for Zero
Escape; both the series so far and the upcoming finale Zero Time Dilemma,
which you, the fans, helped get made. Thank you to all of you. - Nick (Admin
Neptune)

Im Brendan, Admin Saturn from OpBB. I saw 999 mentioned in a
Nintendo Power magazine years ago, and I ended up ordering it on a whim.
I was pretty sad when Uchi ended up stepping forward to announce ZE3s
dilemma, but the fan reaction gave me hope! OpBB ended up going silent after
a while though, and it seemed like ZE3 would never happen. After reading
some Fukumoto works though, I was infuriated! Was I going to just do nothing?
No! I scouted out Admin Jupiter when I checked the visitor posts on OpBB; he
had a steady amount of posts, and they reaffirmed my beliefs that people still
cared about the series. We created a page called Save Zero Escape, and while I
dont have the space to talk about every step of it, I can confidently say that just
following Zero Escape has taken me on a pretty big journey through life, as silly
as it may sound. Uchi said it best, that human will can change reality, that the
passions of people can make a miracle happen! When you put a foot forward
and try, no matter how impossible it may be, you can inspire others to stand by
your side, and together, you CAN make a difference! - Admin Saturn
I am Adam, otherwise known as Admin Jupiter from Operation Bluebird or
Admin Zero of Save Zero Escape. When I first saw 999 on a shelf I picked it up
on a whim; to say it changed my life is not an exaggeration. Zero Escape as a
series is full of engaging topics, many of which to this day I discuss with great
enthusiasm. More importantly, it put meaning and definition to something I
believed but couldnt quite put my finger on. I believe in the field. Perhaps
not to the extent that the games go into; but I believe that each of us effect
one another through our empathetic connections to one another, and that
our thoughts have the power to shape the world around us. Being part of
Operation Bluebird and Save Zero Escape only proved this to me further; that
tens of thousands of people, all over the world, from all walks of life, could
come together to maintain a community and literally change the mind of the
powers that be to see to the release of the third instalment. It couldnt have
been done without each and every one of our desires, or the beautiful mind of
Uchikoshi for planting the seed into our lives in the first place. This series has
impacted me immensely and I hope it has for the majority of you too. Let us
rejoice! For soon, the longest night will have an end.

because it has brought so much joy to my life. Upon finishing VLR, I rushed to
find a copy of 999 (it proved somewhat strenuous due to the games lack of
release in the UK) to fuel my need for absurd humour, kidnapped espers and
brilliant puzzles. When I discovered that Zero Escape 3 was in development
hell, I was honestly devastated; Id spent so much time with the amazing
characters, travelling through the twists and turns of the amazing plotlines
and I just needed to know what would happen next! The moment I found out
that ZTD had been announced was one of pure joy. I feel lucky to be a part of
such a fantastic fandom in which I have made many friends and I have become
a a better person because of it - I willingly read a trilogy of somewhat mediocre
childrens novels in order to bribe a friend to play the games! If that doesnt
show how much I love the series, then I guess Ill be striving for a long time to
find something that does! Thank you Uchikoshi-san!
Im Martin; my admin name is Mercury. Ive been a Zero Escape fan since I
first got 999 shortly after its release. Operation Bluebird was like a miracle back
when it started. I was deeply impressed by how many people were willing to
try to make Zero Time Dilemma a reality considering the low likelihood of its
release. You rarely see this much unity in the fanbase of Triple A games. Zero
Escape is amazing when it comes to storytelling and of course I cant wait to
see the big finale. Its awesome to be able to say that I - no, WE - were here and
made it happen together. Thank you for every piece of fan-art, good review,
news article, Lets Play or other video, theory or fanfic, and uplifting message
to Uchikoshi or the other creators at Spike Chunsoft! Another big thanks to
everyone who bought the games and preordered ZTD. Youre the the reason
that we all get to experience our last escape.
Zero Escape has certainly had a huge impact on all our lives. We would all
like to thank the amazing Kotaro Uchikoshi, the director and scenario writer
of Zero Escape, as well as Spike Chunsoft and Aksys Games, the wonderful
developers and publishers of Zero Escape. Lastly, thank you to everyone who
has supported Operation Bluebird, Zero Escape, Save Zero Escape, Zero Escape
3 Project, and every other fan project throughout the years. We cant wait to
play Zero Time Dilemma!

Im Serena, AKA Admin Sol of Operation Bluebird. The decision to pick up

Virtues Last Reward a couple of years ago was something I am so thankful for

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Absolute Zero

bigma has bigmarms

by Nick S.

by Jo

I was first introduced to Zero Escape by some

new acquaintances Id made about two years ago.
One of those acquaintances insisted for over a year
that I play 999. Eventually a separate friend sent
me her copy from France so i could play it last year,
and I regret not playing it sooner. I fell in love with
the story and characters, Ive made some of the
best friends I could know thanks to these games.
Ive honestly had most other games ruined simply
because theyre no longer comparable. So thank
you for the Zero Escape series. I cant imagine my
life without it.

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I almost didnt play 999 because I thought the

blood would be too much for me but I am so so
glad I did. Over the 6 or so years since first playing
999 Ive met all sorts of great people (some of who
became my friends!) who I would just not have
met otherwise. Ive had a great time talking about
the characters and situations in zero escape and
making theories about what could happen next.
Zero escape is a big part of who Ive become so I
cant imagine what Id be like without it.
Thank you so much for such an amazing story
and one of the best gaming experiences Ive ever
had. Virtues last reward kept me captivated for 12
hours straight the day I got it and I cant wait for
zero time dilemma to do the same.

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<0
by Mul / Jintor

One of the things I love most about Zero

Escape is the way it subverts your unthinking
expectations, the beliefs and assumptions you
arent even aware you have. The narrators identity,
or the true location of the ship, or your own
appearance any number of things you never
bother to even question can be ripped from you
at any moment. Its truly an experience unlike any
other.
Thank you, Spike Chunsoft, for making Zero
Escape. Thank you, Aksys Games, for bringing it
to the West. And thank you, Kotaro Uchikoshi, for
choosing this timeline.

Junes Rabbits
by Karaiel

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One of a Kind(?)
by Yowri
I had such a hard time deciding what to draw because there were so many
captivating aspects from both 999 and VLR that inspired me to contribute. I
eventually decided that I had to address the similarities between Santa and
Phis character designs because the character designs in both games have
always stuck out to me (in a good way). I love how bright colours are used for
a lot of characters - it really contrasts the dark atmosphere of the series, and
when two characters look so similar, theres immediate speculations over how
they may or may not be related to each other, which automatically adds a layer
of mystery to the story.

220

These games have also inspired me in writing. The narration created such
vivid imagery and certain scenes still leave a powerful impression on me even
today, such as the description of Kubotas remains and the remains in the
shower room. VLR was just as amazing, if not more. Id run out of space if I got
into details, so Ill just say that I felt like throwing my Vita out the window when
I discovered the secret ending because of how clever I thought it was, and how
brilliant all the plot twists were. (This is a good thing, I promise!)
Thank you to everybody who created this series!
VLR

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to experience a part of your world
by Neoqueenhoneybee

blue birds melody

by Wynona Z.

I first remember seeing the zero escape games

when I was casually watching YouTube videos years
ago. I was extremely attracted to the beautiful
design, amazing story, and stunning game play.
After I had finished watching the zero escape
games I was obsessed with everything related
to the series. I drew numerous amounts of art,
created stories inspired by the games, and even
created costumes. You can say that zero escape
took over my life.
When I first heard that the series was not going
to continue I was very heartbroken, feeling sad
that an amazing story would never be brought to
a conclusion. But when I saw the announcement
for zero time dilemma I was so happy, going as far
as to tear up a little bit.
I am very grateful that I was able to experience
this story in my life. From the bottom of my heart I
would like to thank Kotaro Uchikoshi and everyone
working on this amazing project. These games
have been a huge inspiration on my creative and
overall life and I cant even imagine what I would
be like now without it. Looking forward to the
continuation of this amazing story and to all of
your future endeavors.
I cant wait to hear the blue bird sing once more.

Diana and Luna

by You

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Ex Luna Scientia
by yakuzaf ish
When I first got my 3DS I was looking for new games to play, so I skimmed
through forums and threads and most of the time people recommended a
whole bunch of games, but every now and then there were comments which
singled out one particular title: Play Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors! Its
the best.
I was intrigued but also a little skeptical since the game wasnt
available in my country. But then again, the art looked great and the

224

My thank you
premise sounded incredible, so after a while I gave in and ordered it.
And now, with notebooks full of attempts to solve the puzzles, I find myself
nagging other people to finally play 999, because it is the best.
So, thank you, Uchikochi Kotaro and thank you Zero Escape Team for giving
us an incredible and unique game series that keeps you on your toes every
second you play it and stays with you long after the credits roll.
And a thank you to all the fans who keep voicing their love for Zero Escape
relentlessly! Im so so glad that once again, we all get to be excited for ZTD and
the emotional turmoil thatll most definitely ensue!

by Ven

My life has been pretty hard for me for a quite long time. Video games have
always made me happy, when I otherwise wouldnt be. However theres only
one game series I can say is my absolutefavorite. Zero Escape.
When I started playing 999 for the first time, I did not have any expectations.
I had no idea how special it would become for me. I ended up loving it so

much, that I had to buy VLR as soon as possible. After finishing it, I just knew
Zero Escape was myfavoritegame series. It has already been over two years
since I played them, but they still remain as special. Maybe even more special
in fact.
I want to thank everyone involved making these wonderful games. Thank
you so much for making such inspiring and unique games. Thank you Mr.
Uchikoshi, Zero Escape is a masterpiece for me. And it always will be.
Thank you.

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Thank You so Much

Zero Escape!
by sdmarquez
I was really happy that Operation Bluebird
started this project. Even though I wasnt able
to participate in the fan messages that led to
thecontinuity of the game, because I entered the
ZE world in 2015. I know I would have participated
without seconds thoughts!
I loooove this franchise; its fascinating, scary, it
has great music, one of the best stories Ive ever
read, the characters add so much to the game and
you want them to success!
Kotarou Uchikoshi, I want to thank you from
the bottom of my heart for creating this amazing
franchise. Im so happy I got it in my hands one
year ago, it helped me through hard times, and it
inspired me to startstudying English at university
because of the great job Aksys Games did with the
English version in Virtues Last Reward. Before ZE
appeared I didnt know what to do with my life,
but now Im doing really good with my studies
and Im focused on my personal goals, and its in
great part thanksto this franchise.
Thank you so much Zero Escape! Today I raise a
glass for you and I wish nothing but the bestfor
Uchikoshi!

The bird and the cage

by Pilot
I discovered this wonderful series at a very important time in my life, and
during my formative teenage years. Id never come across anything like it!
The thrills and puzzles and plot twists were enough to grip me right from
the start. But I think what I love most about the series is its characters. The
characters of Zero Escape gave me a whole new appreciation for the good,
evil and especially the morally ambiguous characters! The depth and heart
put into every character changed the way I looked at just about every video
game, movie, book or tv show, trying to find the same connection Id had with
Junpei all those years ago when Id unwittingly stumbled upon Nine Hours,

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Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Zero Escape has, and always will, inspire me to create
better stories!
There arent any words to express how happy I am that were finally going to
be able to experience the last chapter of the Zero Escape series. I cant wait to
reunite with some of my favorite friends, for better or worse!
Wholeheartedly, Id like to thank Uchikoshi, and everyone involved in
making the series for creating something that inspires me, and most of all
makes me happy!Thank you!

227

La Luna
by Misja

I found out about the zero escape series when

i was twelve, but only got round to actually
experiencing the game at the age of fifteen. It
quickly became my absolute favourite videogame
series and I have been in love with it for almost two
years now. This game also really motivates and
inspires me to draw and paint. Im super excited
for Zero time dilemma and cant wait to play it and
I want to thankKotaro Uchikoshi and all the other
lovely people who worked on this game from the
bottom of my heart for creating such a beautiful
game.

Phi and Diana

by Carter

228

Ive had a ton of games come and go, but the Zero Escape is one of the only
game series that has struck me so personally. I still remember playing Lunas
ending in Virtues Last Reward and crying like a baby on my bed. This huge
cast of characters has had such an impact on my young adult life, and I dont
know the person I would be right now if it wasnt for Zero Escape. Thank you for
everything youve done with this series!

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Bunnies on the Moon

by Agui-chan

Thank you, Zero Escape, thanks for give us so

many moments, so many laughs, tears, joy It
was an amazing trip to be together on it, we wont
be able to thank you enough for all your job and
the love you used to make these games. We wont
forget these characters; well never do it since they
are now a part of our friends, our family
Both Luna and Chiaki (Dangan Ronpa 2)
are really similar characters overall and lovely
(they have more things on common but I dont
want to make spoilers ;D), and also their games
have mascot rabbit characters: Usami and Zero III
(well, they are not so similar as the girls though).
I just wanted to do a pure piece, as pure as they
are, to thank you for this. It doesnt mind if youre
from the Earth, from the Moon, a human or not
so human well never forget you, well never
escape from you

Inf inity and Eternity

by Rin

I bought Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors when I was fourteen years
old. That was six years ago. I cant remember how I got my parents to buy me
a mature rated game, but Im so thankful that past me did. I immediately fell in
love with the game. Akane is one of my all-time favorite characters.
I wanted to read and play more of what you had written. I wanted to
experience the same feeling I had playing 999. In the wait for Virtues Last
Reward to come out, I read all of the Infinity series: Never7, Ever17, and

230

Remember11. I love these games, and hold them as close to my heart as I do

the Zero Escape games. I look forward to Zero Time Dilemma with the same
eagerness and anticipation as I had while waiting for VLR.
All your games inspired me. They inspired me to make art, they inspired me
to write, and they inspired me to connect with others. I have made so many
precious friends through the shared love for your work. One man making
games can bring strangers across the globe together as friends and make one
young girl very happy. For this, I am infinitely and eternally grateful to you.

231

Jump(y)ing Through Time

by Vun
999 was a game I tried out on a whim and I loved it so much that I had to go
and get the sequel immediately. When I learned that the third game was on
hiatus I was baffled. Why would such a great series not sell well? Then when
4inifity started I got so excited, as if I were playing the games again. I mean, at
the time I knew that there was only a chance it was ZE3, but thanks to following
Junpeis advice to Clover, I guess things turned out to be lucky enough for all
of us to finally see the finale to this wonderful series. I still remember when I
found out about ZTD: I was on my way home from a camping trip and checked
Facebook. I only had one notification, from one of the Zero Escape groups I

232

followed. As you may have guessed, that lead me to the announcement that
the third and final installment of the franchise was finally under development.
I swear I have never acted so much like an excited kid as I did when I saw that.
Thank you Uchikoshi-san and everyone at Aksys for creating one of the best
series in the history of fiction!

Seek A Way Out!

by Mellie

Thank You ZE <3!

by LATTE

I actually found out about Zero Escape by

accident while looking for a new game to play.
After reading as many spoiler-free reviews for
both series as I could (they were all full of nothing
but praise for both games), I decided to pick up
999 and give it a shot. I went in with no prior
knowledge except for Escape the Room Game,
Visual Novel, and Lotus (because shes pretty
hard to forget once you lay eyes on her... at least
she was for me). I was not prepared fall head
over heels in love with the game, the amazing
storytelling, and (almost) all of the quirky
characters. I was constantly gripping my DS,
anxious to see what happened every time a new
door was opened. After finishing 999, I rushed
to buy Virtues Last reward. I was blown away yet
again with the characters, new and returning, the
expanding universe, and the fun puzzles (and the
fact that no one commented on the fact that Alice
is not wearing a shirt...). Thank you Zero Escape for
creating this wonderful universe and introducing
a diverse cast of unique characters. Thank you for
weaving together this beautiful story thats full
of suspense and heartbreak, but isnt afraid to
poke fun and make jokes, even in the bleakest of
moments. Cant wait for ZE3!

THANK YOU!!
by Nas
Zero Escape is one of those rare series that latched onto my heart and never
let go. Its no exaggeration to say Ive babbled myself blue theorizing and
joking about Zero Escape with all the people Ive dragged into the series with
me.I keep thinking about how heartbreakingit wasknowing for a long time
that wed never see the series conclusion... but now that Zero Time Dilemma is
at our doorstep, actually knowing that we will know everything -- and so SOON
-- and that there wont be any more Zero Escape after that... that is its own kind
of heartbreak too!I have never been so happy to be so sad... Zero Escape is
truly mysterious.

234

So, heres a big, heartfelt Thank You to Uchikoshi,Spike Chunsoft, Aksys, and
everyone else involved in bringing the heartbreak! <3

235

Uchikoshis
Swimsuit Dream
by balanime
The Zero Escape series has been an absolute
joy to play through! Ive followed it since 999 first
released in English, and its the type of series I can
really get into, as its filled with so much mystery
and intrigue, all carried by the wonderful cast of
characters! As for my art piece here, I thought
about what to draw by envisioning what would
please Uchikoshi. This is mainly a gift for him, after
all. Virtues Last Reward gave several tips regarding
the mans interest in swimsuits, so I went with that
and created a nice piece featuring the series three
main girls in swimsuit wear! One girl to represent
each game! Zero Time Dilemma is just around the
corner, so Ill look forward to learning even more
about these three girls as they all work together
with their teams in the deadly Decision Game. So,
Uchikoshi-san, thank you very much for creating
this series! And to those of you at Aksys Games,
thank you very much for bringing it to us in
English, Id never have discovered it without you!
Hmm... I hope someone at Aksys Games really
loves swimsuits too.

furry escape
by Ember

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Fates Intertwined
by Naf

Oh goodness where to begin. The Zero Escape

franchise just has so much that appeals to me. A
strong mystery, lots of thought provoking ideas
and a plethora of interesting trivia. All thatanda
wonderful plot. I really couldnt ask for more!
Needless to say, words cannot express how
excited I am to finally see the conclusion to the
fantastic setup VLR left us with. Thank you so
much for giving us the opportunity to experience
something so amazing!

The f irst step is always

the hardest
by Hussein Hayek
Im so glad that I stumbled over 999 for the DS back then. The cover and
the story somehow called my attention and I was not disappoitend. It was the
first time for me playing a visual novel and I am so glad I picked a masterpiece
and with Virtues Last Reward it got even better. I cannot thank you enough
Mr. Uchikoshi for the Zero Escape series it is such a thrilling, turning twisted
and heartbreaking moments packed adventure. This could not be achieved
without a unique team which is behind you. I really thank every single person
for his effort and passion working on the zero escape series and it is for me
a real honor to play the grand final Zero Time Dilemma and it was the right
decision to go on with its production *thumbs up*. I wish you all the best
for you and your familiy and hope for more genius visual novels or maybe
something despite visual novels awaits us, it doesnt matter I am really excited
anyway. Best wishes, Hussein ! :)

238

239

Recollection
by Slvia

A Better Year
by Brynna (Haurvatat)

I first found the Zero Escape series two or three years ago, and its helped
me through some of the most difficult times in my life. There were some days
(still are) where, when I need to find something worth living for, the first thing
that comes to mind is Zero Escape, and thats what keeps me going. I cant
thank Aksys and Mr. Uchikoshi enough for bringing the series back for its final
installment. It feels like Im being welcomed home.
You know, if home involved puzzles and grisly murders.

240

Since I first played 999, Ive been recommending Zero Escape to each
one of my friends. Because everybody deserves to know this mindblowing story and fall in love with its great cast of characters as I did.
Zero Time Dilemmas announcement was a dream come true. I never lost
hope of seeing the series finale. I cant wait to play it, to see again some of my
favourite characters, to meet the new ones, to be surprised once again by its
plot, and to bawl over the ending. Zero Escape is so good and I love it so much,

I know it wont disappoint me at all.

Thank you very much for everything, Uchikoshi-san. Thank you too, Aksys,
for showing these games to us and making ZTD real. And of course, thanks to
the fandom for being so wonderful and making a project like this one possible.

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[[Mission Success]]

Thank you, for everything!

by Clover

by Anna S.

I first discovered Zero Escape when I played the online English demo for 999,
back before it released. I remember being so fascinated by the puzzles and the
mysteries of the game; I just HAD to know what happened next! When I finally
bought the game when I was older, it was everything I had hoped for and
more; I got so attached to all of the characters, and I had a lot of fun creating
theories and trying to figure out the big plot twists.
Zero Escape has been a huge inspiration to me over the years, and its taught
me to think about storytelling in ways I had never thought of before. Its

242

brought me closer to many people, and Ive spent countless hours discussing
plot details with friends and family. Now that Zero Time Dilemma is almost
here, I cant wait to experience a brand new story and relive the joy, excitement,
and (sometimes) pain alongside the rest of the Zero Escape community.
Thank you, Kotaro Uchikoshi, and all the development teams who have
worked so hard to bring us these fantastic games, for the wonderful memories!
I cant wait to see what youll create next!

I discovered 999 with someone who now is one of my greatest friends,

and we both still talk about it all the time. I had never heard about Zero
Escape before I played 999, actually, I didnt even know it was part of a
series. I wasnt expecting much, just a game with escape rooms and puns!
I was dead wrong.
Zero Escape made me cry, laugh, angry, frustrated, relieved, happy and so
much more. It inspired me to improve myself. I fell in love with the story, the
characters, just everything. It changed my views on so many things and really
contributed to who I am as a person today. I can even solve sudokus now.

Im so happy that we finally get a finale to this wonderful series, even it

means that it has to end. So, for bringing to life such a amazing story, I have to
thank Chunsoft, Aksys, and obviously, Kotaro Uchikoshi, even if I know that all
the words could not express my gratitude.
Thank you! For everything!

243

Morphogenetic-Sorrow
by AppleMoonTea and Rome M
Yes, sorrow would be the right term for my sentiment. I am sad that Zero
Escape will come to an end, but in spite of everything, I am so happy and glad
that I couldnt even contain my feelings because of what I had experienced in
playing the whole Zero Escape series. If I would have the opportunity to meet
Mr. Kotaro Uchikoshi in person, I would give him all the thanks he deserves.
Though, for sure I would be speechless at that moment because I just cant
express how wonderful and grateful I am to experience his masterpiece. He is
truly a great and inspirational person, enough said.

244

My friend (who drew the art above) introduced the whole series to me. At
first, I was a little sceptical about it since Im really not into Visual Novels. But
alas, I gave it a try and was flabbergasted to have played it. The storyline, the
plot twists, the characters and everything about the series. I. Loved. It. It was
the best storytelling in a game I had ever experienced. Words cannot express
how I feel right now, Im glad to have known the Zero Escape series. My love
towards the game will never cease.
Thank you Mr. Kotaro and everyone who worked on Zero Escape! I hope
therell be more!
By Rome M.

Thank you
by purinjin
Im so glad to have stumbled upon 999 a few years back, as Zero Escape has
come to be one of my favourite games of all time. Its one of those little things
that makes me happy, knowing that a friend, or a stranger has played Zero
Escape. One more thing to bond over HAHA And for that, I am really grateful
for all the people that have invested their time on this game.

And thank you, to all the fans for supporting the series and allowing this trilogy
to be complete.
Thank you for all your hardwork!
!

Thank you, Mr. Uchikoshi, for creating this game. Thank you to the team that
helped realise this game. Thank you, Aksys, for giving us an excellent translation.

245

Celebration!

Remember

by Cee

by Alessandro Meliau Criado

I want to say that the Zero Escape series is possibly the best games I have
played. I love everything about them from characters, the story, the gameplay,
the art...I remember curiously starting 999 on iOS with my younger sister and
wasnt expecting much. Boy, was I wrong. Immediately after finishing the
game, my sister and I begged our parents to buy us Virtues Last Reward. Never
have I seen a story that gave me so much surprises and interesting turns. It also
inspired me to continue on with my stories and not be afraid of sharing wild
ideas. We cant wait to play Zero Time Dilemma and we look forward to any
games youll make in the future! Thank you Uchikoshi and keep on seeking a
way out.

To Kotaro Uchikoshi, from a fan:

Ive been thinking for days on what I could tell you, knowing that you will go
over these lines while you enjoy this nice gift, and thinking of what could I tell
to a man to make him feel special a way of making him aware of its worth.
And Ive reached the conclusion that I wont be able to surpass the feeling you
will be processing right now, at least during the first time youll be reading
me. For that reason, I have chosen to make this a message for your future self
if, for any reason, you feel yourself in a dead end, if you dont trust your own
worth, you think that youre stuck or you have been rejected or, to add even
more, in the remote possibility that you decide to read me again, I want you
to revive the same feeling you had when you picked this book up for the first
time, and know that everyone who wrote their ideas here are grateful, and will
be there for you.
Thank you for the effort you put into your work so that we can enjoy it.
Thanks for letting it leave a mark on us because with us it will stay. Thank you
to everyone who worked withi you, because their support was essential to let
us come to you, and thank you for lending us a part of your own self to make us
feel more complete. Your work is not just the few hours we spent to entertain
ourselves its a story that will accompany us ever since we played it, and until
god knows when. And for that, I say thank you so much, I hope that you will
remember this message to your future you in your bad moments, and I hope
it will help you in case of problems.
Sincerely, one of your many fans. Alessandro Melaiu Criado

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Zero Escape ArtCollab2016

Organized by Kiichu & Rypeltajaroll

248

249

Zero Escape ArtCollab2016

Artists (by tumblr blog)

9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors

Virtues Last Reward

Zero Time Dilemma

Extracharacters

Ace (Gentarou Hongou) -@charmingviolence

Sigma (younger) -@beastamorphous

Sigma (ZTD version) -@nightfrostbite

Young Ace (Gentarou Hongou)-@1amz3r0

Snake (Light Field) -@braidcut

Phi-@kiyotakamine

Diana -Brynna (Haurvatat)

Young Light Field -@starshiningtail

Santa (Aoi Kurashiki) -@crashxkeys

Dio -@kiichu

Phi (ZTD version) -@ktabeau

Young Aoi Kurashiki -@ellianwarner

Clover (Clover Field) -@hendere

Luna -@rypeltajaroll

Carlos -@choco-maize

Young Clover Field -@rypeltajaroll

Junpei -@ninethleon

Clover (VLR version) -@stickyfireworks

Q -@tentokki

Young Junpei -@laurocks

June (Akane Kurashiki) -@zana-kun

Alice -@8lotuses

Akane (ZTD version) - @dispenserbox

Young Akane Kurashiki -@arohoratio

Seven -@purinjin

K -@tofuproductionz

Junpei (ZTD version) - @oicha

1st Nonary Game kids - @crashxkeys

Lotus (Hazuki Kashiwabara) -@merouses

Tenmyouji -@eatingfireflies

Mira -@kurt-is-cry

YoungSeven -@daftlyn (Siplick)

Ninth Man (Teruaki Kubota)-@kubotateruaki

Quark -@stepde2014

Eric -@nekoibuki

Young Lotus (Hazuki Kashiwabara) -@joypandaah

Nagisa Nijisaki -@qqideest

Dr. Klim (older Sigma) - @drklim

Zero (ZTD version) -@bananadumbledore

Young 9th Man (Teruaki Kubota) -@qqideest

Kagechiku Musashidou -@kurt-is-cry

Akane Kurashiki (older) -@celicasgale

Gab -@spoopy-suzuya

Nona -@rypeltajaroll

Zero -@muldraws

Zero III -@daftlynx (Siplick)

Alice (999 version) -@ktabeau

G-OLM -@bananadumbledore

Snake (Free the Soul robes version) -@wreckerpanda

Akane (Free the Soul robes version) - @dispenserbox
Phi (swimsuit version) -@kurt-is-cry
Luna (swimsuit version)-@makiichan
Clover (swimsuit version) -@ktabeau
Clover (cheerleader version) -@ccantiny
Dio (butler version) -@eatingfireflies
Phi (alternate swimsuit) -@kiichu
Clover (VLR + 999 Clothes) -@kurt-is-cry
Apple & Banana - @lanhikari22
Uchikoshi -@lookinlikeaking

250

251

ZTD - END

254

255

THANK
YOU
ZERO
ESCAPE
Fan appreciation project

Itch-Neesan

Soulie

Tumblr: unforgivable-human

021

Rainbow Vigilante
021
Twitter: @peachiivii
Tumblr: peachiivii

Collaboration Portfolio

Pepper
013

Jana
Tumblr: unxi 014

Acey
Twitter: @corpseshadow118
Tumblr: corpseshadow

Danicky
006

Ayriu
007

Lizzie
008

Twitter: @sovereignflaw

Twitter: @isouru

009

Sunikichi

Tumblr: milkrainn

010

Tumblr: toxicalbarf

256

Tumblr: sovereignflaw

Twitter: @sukinichi
Tumblr: sukinichi

011

017

018

019

Amy S
012

024

Tumblr: nekoabuki

025

Tumblr: keycrash 026

Tumblr: joypandaah

DA: purpllamas 020

Tumblr: abk00aam

035

Tumblr: uchlaraai
036
Twitter: @lovirazen
Tumblr: kubotateruaki

037

Lyubo (TheTubich)
027

Tumblr: leviiath

028

Ashley
Tumblr: queenofarcana

029

Schmede
Tumblr: schmede

Twitter: @abk00aam

lovirazen

Twitter: @crashkies

Twitter: @joypandaah

Tumblr: vikab 034

Lara

Clive

Tumblr: driftwoodwolf

Twitter: @NekoAbuki

033

Al-Waleed Al-Marikhi

joypandaah

Sam N

Anvaen/Michel Enrquez
Twitter: @Anvaen

016

Chris S

milkrainn
Twitter: @milkrainn

Tumblr: townfutaba

023

Tumblr: eltonjolteon

Tumblr: colonelowl

VikaB

Twitter: @dissasterrific

Twitter: @nicessickmemes

032

Twitter: @neimango

Snow

Aster Opal

Laia P. vila (Souru)

Tumblr: sukinichi

016
Twitter: @rapsberrypal

022

nekoibuki

Tumblr: lanhikari22

lio

Twitter: @swoobat

Twitter: @sukinichi

015

Lan

Tumblr: ayriu

Tumblr: pepperart

Felix

Twitter: @Danicky98

Tumblr: merouses

danyah

Chel

Twitter: @unxxi

031

merouses

Jillian

Twitter: @1amz3r0

030

Twitter: @TheTubich

038

T. Dang

038

Yuna
Twitter: @Nyunss

Tumblr: nyuns 040

Validation
Twitter: @Silvered_Fox
Tumblr: silveredfoxxeh

041

257

Sarah Maxwell
Tumblr: sarahmaxwellart

042

Anna Vogel
Twitter: @flappingduster
Tumblr: flappingduster

043

044

Juls
Tumblr: julskee 046

Faithyette
048

Emily

050

Clara
Tumblr: smearglesart

051

Roberto Ramos / Loryn Rivera

Tumblr: rockmantrigger / sillydile

052

Kat
Tumblr: theeyeofthetigger

053

Ariel
Tumblr: smaskvxn

054

258

058

MamoruBlade

Tumblr: mamorublade

Fazrin Ren Mhd

Tumblr: renshideout

Tumblr: g-enkiberry

063

064
Twitter: @Prosecutor-1412
Tumblr: prosecutor-1412

Tumblr: miiyuni 061

Twitter: @Shirouda
Tumblr: shiroudachan

Flannel Chimera

Vilya

AkatsukiSky
FB: AkatsukiSkyCosplay

Flanna
FB: /Flanna-593561507411330/

Maxime
Vamp-Elanor
FB: VampElanorCosplay

Tumblr: retsuunohana

073

Twitter: @runicshield
Tumblr: megidolaon

074

Twitter: @ CarnivorousCat
Tumblr: thecarnivorouscat

075

Albertkyoka
Twitter: @Albertkyoka

075

Lau

Tumblr: hyliani 067

Tumblr: fulguriteblades / fulguritechimera

Manouk

066

Twitter: @miavern

Twitter: @Fulguridae

FB: vilyacosplay

065

Mia Minnis

Flare

Twitter: @hyapporankan

CarnivorousCat

Shirouda
060

072

j.d.

Tumblr: tangovontussel

Ruby
059

Twitter: @Shiroi_Raven

Tierney

Cindy

Twitter: @STMH98

Miiyuni

Jana A.
Tumblr: yamiakuzetsu

057

Shiroi Raven

Tumblr: shiroi-raven

Thea T.

DA: kawaiikoneko97

Twitter: @randomly_ren09

049

062

Tumblr: joysuu 056

Twitter: @UltraGiulia

Twitter: @Faithyette

Twitter: @yamiakuzetsu

Lunedor

Twitter: @joysaiyo

Tumblr: demi-spirit
071

FB: SalviCosplay
FB:unedor41

Sari Hankilanoja

Twitter: @guardev0ir

Tumblr: stellasystem

055

Yasmin

Twitter: @nonary

Demi

Salvi

Tumblr: satelliteinasupernova

Joyce

Detectives

Twitter: @Kourinmorichika

Michael

Sara

Twitter: @Laurockss

080

Cristin L.
068

Choco

Twitter: @AkanBae
Tumblr: russianmango

081

Amy

Tumblr: choco-maize

069

Blackhole

Tumblr: spoopy-suzuya

082

Amanda Viana

Twitter: @BeaBlackHole

070

083

Twitter: @ mickevoli

Twitter: @radical6_

Mick

Tumblr: mil-kev-oli

071

Maiko

Tumblr: maikoyo 084

259

Rageo
Tumblr: rageonitz

085

Rheine
086

Tart

Tumblr: tartcookie

087

Tumblr: satelliteinasupernova

088
Tumblr: feytaline 089

Twitter: @rokushishi

098

Tumblr: kiichu 091

Twitter: @Gaby_WWolf

099

Twitter: @ Strawbanna
Tumblr: strawbanna

FB: daidus 100

101

M. I. Satsuki

092

102

110
DA: claire-fellix

FB: ClayForClaire 111

Twitter: @naivchan

Tumblr: toxicalbarf

093

Caitlin Windsor

Tumblr: naivchan

112

Tumblr: chazzels 113

094

Twitter:@ aenigmatum
Tumblr: endless-nine

Rachael T.

Not a Hazard

Tumblr: onii-sen

Tumblr: not-a-hazard

114

095

Mana

pachompy
096

Twitter: @paracosmos_
Tumblr: pachompy

115

YBBB

105

Tumblr: adeleinewouldyouaddaline

106

Marcos Young B.
122

Colby
Tumblr: colbytor 123

Tumblr: syntheticmemes

123

Twitter: @ Mubarak2507
Tumblr: mubarak2507

124

Vackarash
116

Kaleigh Maxwell
Tumblr: phantom12

121

Mubarak Al-Sulaiti

Twitter: @addingadeleine

Myles

Sophia (Mofie) Brown

104

Marion Linardou

Twitter: @ realasgore

Twitter: @ emiali96

Ada

Tumblr: windsorgirllove

121

Twitter: @ kolbykooz

Twitter: @chazzlets

Emi
103

Oktavia

Tumblr: go-boy

Navi

Michel Enrquez

120
Tumblr: utsugi-kotoko

Twitter: @IibanDreu54

Chaz

Tumblr: qqideest

Tumblr: chessy051

109

Pluto

102

119
Twitter: @ tofuproductionz

Clara Flix

Twitter: @TheOceanOwl

Twitter: @Leiskander

TOFU

Strawbanna

Qqldes

Elly

Tumblr: tsundernova

108

Gabriela

Tumblr: soniamasadr

Twitter: @ purtail

118

Leiskander

Tumblr: destinybonds

Frida

Emi

Twitter: @ jactinglim

Kuma

TheOceanOwl

Feytaline

Twitter: Tsundernova

097

107

Tumblr: daidus

Tumblr: irl-nanami

Jac Ting Lim

Tumblr: busycuit

Daidus

Dewi

260

Twitter: @KamikazeMiko

Rokushi

Tumblr: rheine

Twitter: @tartpioca

Biscuit

Kamikaze Miko

117

Twitter: @Vackarash
Tumblr: vackarash

125

Sirmat
Tumblr: sirmat

126

261

Nevada-DeNada

kralle777

Tumblr: nevada-denada

Twitter:@kralle777

126

Parrexion
127

Juno G

Tumblr: dispenserbox

128

129

130

Aka Maple
131

142

Twitter: @ciwi_faith
143

144

Kaity Moy

145

132

Erwyn, Lowell, Kepo, Spike, Tif, Tsuki

FB: luscofuscocosplayteam

134

Jinger, D

146

Ryan Derede McCarthy

Tumblr: rmprod 147

136

Wan Naru

Tumblr: daftlynx 148

Char M
138

Janelle

Twitter: @Espsilverfire2

160

Erina

Tumblr: wingedasarath

156

Tumblr: ryuu-gu

157

Tumblr: science-doyourstuff

171

Felix Situ
Tumblr: felixsitu

Tumblr: starshiningtail

161

172

Gin
Twitter: @gin605

Tumblr: 15ichigo27

162

Jane Redd

173

Werseri
Twitter: @werseri

163

Twitter: @b_orsoso

164
Tumblr: aylak2468

165

Tumblr: celicasgale

166

Prelas

Ryuugu
139

Twitter: @Fedubeat

Hayley

Twitter: @Siplick

170

World

Kayla Dempster

Twitter: @RyantheDerede

Tumblr: aquapainter

Twitter: @TheScienceCrow

Amara Kay

Siplick

Tumblr: electric016, eatingfireflies

Aquapainter

159

Twitter: @ redasatomato

Tumblr: pixelyte 169

Twitter: @ theaquapainter

Twitter: @ArchDutchess

Tumblr: redasatomato
Tumblr: stepde2014

Twitter: @xRagnell / @grimdxrk

158

Sy

Tumblr: paramourxlights

Tumblr: happehcakesmakesart

Twitte: @AlanTissier

Fedubeat

stepde2014

Saw and Fred

262

Tumblr: ateliesta-ruins

Twitter: @_kaitymoy

akamaple.com

Tumblr: hazakurain

Twitter: @xRagnell

Elle

Duc Nguyen

Twitter: @ maesketch

141

Ciwi

Tumblr: warayumi

Tumblr: wannaru17

Tumblr: shellyscard

Twitter: @Pixelyte

Masher

Saw

Warayumi

Twitter: @ wannaru17

140

Sigma
Twitter: @SigmaSDB

Twitter: @Parrexion

Twitter: @choicemtn

theeyeofthetigger / spottedpigmyemo

Pixelyte

Advaita

Tumblr: prelasart

167

Reyna / Rey
Tumblr: lunefreya
168

Tumblr: werseri 174

Jess Mac.
Twitter: @JessLight_HS

175

Lia
Twitter: @kougyokurens
Tumblr: yuukitachimukai

176

Lara
Twitter: @asanoyaa

Tumblr: juniiper 177

toriily
Twitter: @ cuppatoriily

Tumblr: toriily 178

pqur
Twitter: @_pqur

Tumblr: pqur 179

263

Rony Henriquez

Maureen Momo Wang

Twitter:@maurwang

Tumblr: niaori 180

Twitter: @freakinasheet and @zomrombone

182

Elli H.

DA: thunderbeer 183

184

Citlalic Garcia-Martinez
186

Twitter: @funkylune

187

Lara, ecozay, oatmealberry, Dani

Twitter: @asanoyaa, @ecozay, @oatmealberry, @monjiimoo

188

189

mag

198

Natalie
199

190

191

Tumblr: maxyohnson

204
Twitter: @ thenekro3

205
Twitter: @dani_5991

206

Maysam Rezaei
Twitter: @maysamrezaei

207

Tumblr: epobbp

208
Tumblr: whenyousayrun

209

Tumblr: urmomisaboss

210

suzubi
200

Roseputter
roseputter.me

Twitter: @EllLinoone

Urmom

200

Twitter: @moox_west

203

Eleanore

Twitter: @heartimecia

Max West

Safa

264

Tumblr: monstrosi--tea

Twitter: @Lord_Thantus

Heather

Twitter: @jen_kat

Twitter: @TheDangledorf

Twitter: @virtueslastmeme

196

Jenkat

Ryan Geever

Tumblr: getinthef-ckingrobot

Lari Liuhamo (Diapolo10)

Lulu

Tumblr: reivolutionary-penguin

Lord Thantus

Dani

195

Tumblr: diapolo10

202

Alistair Robinson

194

Twitter: @Diapolo101

Reivolutionary-penguin

Twitter: @ cxrpseparty

194

Twitter: @ LeonoraSaunder3

185

Twitte: @NinLate

Ell

Tumblr: terramythos

Leonora

Monica Zabicki

FB: AilesNoiresCP

192

Twitter: @TimTam133

Tumblr: dreamondog

Tumblr: thefireflylamp

Los Tonnet

TimTam13

Twitter: @hammy_star

DA:mechaellam YouTube:user/happy30

Taylor Skibbe

Twitter: @KayzerFlame

Tumblr: zabka-zee

191

Michael Lam, happy30, thefireflylamp

Klim and Carianne

Twiter: @zabka_zee

Lauri Hankilanoja

201

Tumblr: suzubi

211

Operation Bluebird
FB: operationbluebirdze3
212

Nick S
Twitter: @bananadumbledor
Tumblr: bananadumbledore

214

Jo
Tumblr: eightwholebreads

215

Mul / Jintor
Tumblr: science-doyourstuff

216

Karaiel
Twitter: @karaiel_mo

217

Yowri

Twitter: @kirikeno
Tumblr: youridiotwriter

218

Neoqueenhoneybee
Twitter: @dear_mo
FB: Neoqueenhoneybee

219

Wynona Z.
Tumblr: nonachan9

220

You
Tumblr: scribbledabble

221

yakuzafish
Tumblr: yakuzafish

222

Ven
Tumblr: venunculus

223

sdmarquez
Twitter: @Santikunkun

224

265

Naaf

Pilot
Twitter:@heypilot
Tumblr: heypilot

Tumblr: thepurpleofdoom

225

Misja
226

Carter

Tumblr: twinkgami

227

Agui-chan
228

Rin
Tumblr: braidcut 229

Vun

Tumblr: starcandypanic

230

231

Tumblr: lapistie 240

Anna S.
Tumblr: laiteevee

241

DA: applemoontea

242

purinjin
Tumblr: purinjin 243

Cee

Nas

Tumblr: yuunomi

233

balanime
Twitter: @balanime

234

Ember
235

266

239

Twitter: @kewlrow

232

Tumblr: zana-kun

AppleMoonTea

Tumblr: pidpigeon

Slvia

Twitter: @SaranghAepple

LATTE

Twitter: @naslevy

238

Twitter: @apoptoxine

Mellie
Twitter: @SweetsParade

Brynna (Haurvatat)
Tumblr: error-404-fuck-not-found

Clover

Twiter: @braidcut

Tumblr: vunyarinpa

237

Twitter: @xmerun

Tumblr: agui-chart

Twitter: @vegatomoshibi

Hussein Hayek
Twitter: @BtotheA64

Tumblr: participant4q

Twitter: @frecklestxt

236

244

Alessandro Melaiu
Twitter: @somaxilvolpe

245

And as this book finishes, we hope that youve enjoyed this project as much
as we enjoyed the last 7 years of Zero Escape. Once again, congratulations to
the Zero Escape team for their hard work, for achieving the impossible, for their
trust in the fans, and congratulations on making Zero Time Dilemma a reality
that we all wished for for so long. Thank you for bringing us new interests,
for creating so many of our most incredible memories, and thank you to the
localization team for preserving the original work so perfectly. We will never
forget Zero Escape even if it has come to an end - well be looking forward to
your future work, and we wish you the best of luck with it.


PS: We hope the puzzle wasnt too hard, but thats our payback for the hard puzzles in ZE

STAFF

Project organizer and coordinator

DONORS
Abdul / CarnivorousCat

Siplick

Agui-chan

Book art and design staff

Albert Torres Raya

Laia P. vila layout and design advice

Alberto Salazar

Pixelyte book layout, foreword illustration

flappingduster

Shiroi-Raven anagram, contributors list, project theme

happy30

Siplick cover art, contribution dumping

Huseein Hayek

TOFU Productionz world map

Haurvatat
Jason Lock

Social media staff

Jenkat

Aquapainter

Juanvi

Haurvatat

Lara R.

Jumpy-jumpy-doll

Lauri Hankilanoja

nekoibuki

Maikay

Pachompy

Max West

Sh1ku

Natalie

Uchlaraai

nekoibuki
Rehgeist

Advisers and collaborators

Saija Pernu

Braidcut

Siplick

Eatingfireflies

And 11 anonymous donors

Feytaline-loves
Ichijouji

Jenkat
Mitsukouchiha

SPECIAL THANKS

More-than-tits
Ninethleon

To every person who spread the word about this project and made it successful

Peachiivii

To everyone who collaborated and shared their stories and creations with all the fans

Purinjin
Stepde2014