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Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table Anime Reveals January 2026 Debut, Main Staff, Character Design

The staff for the anime of writer Yūshi Ukai and artist Nekometal's Playing Death Games to Put Food on the Table (Shibō Yūgi de Meshi o Kuu) light novel series announced on Saturday the anime's main staff and January 2026 debut. The staff also unveiled the character design for Yuuki in a maid outfit.

Takehiro Ueno (Days With My Stepsister) is directing the anime at Studio DEEN. Rintarou Ikeda (The Seven Deadly Sins: Dragon's Judgement) is in charge of series composition. Eri Osada (Blade & Soul) is designing the characters. Noriyoshi Konuma (The Dangers in My Heart) is the sound director.

Yuuki wakes up to find herself wearing a maid's uniform in a strange manor. After wandering into the dining room, she comes across five other girls, each in the exact same outfit. Soon, the girls learn that the manor is brimming with lethal weapons and an array of deadly traps…and that they can only escape by playing the most gruesome of games. As the terrifying truth sets in, each girl's face goes pale—except Yuuki's. Why? Because this isn't her first go-round. That's right—Yuuki is a professional death game player who lives off the prize money she collects from winning brutal killing competitions, and she's not about to let this chance pass her by.

Kadokawa's MF Bunko J imprint published the light novel series' first volume in November 2022, after it won the Excellence Award at the 18th MF Bunko J Light Novel Newcomer Award that same year. The novels' eighth volume will ship in Japan on February 25.

The light novel series also ranked #1 in the New Title category of Takarajimasha's 2024 Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi! (This Light Novel Is Amazing!) rankings.

Banzai Kotobuki Daienkai launched a manga adaptation in Kadokawa's Comp Ace magazine in April 2023. Kadokawa published the manga's second compiled book volume on December 26. The third volume will release on February 26.

Source: Press release