In the beginning, it was awesome. Sure, some of the "mysteries" were simple, but the episodic feel and pacing felt right. Most of all, with rapid-fire dialogue and a tinge of dark humor every other conversation, the show was intriguing. The attempt to explore the extent to which human emotion can become twisted was cheesy, but thrilling enough to keep me wanting for more.
The momentum builds up every episode, and I waited for the turning point, slowly reaching the peak of the roller coaster...
... And it somehow stops, and stays stalled.
The whole show quickly becomes a mess of plot elements over the last few episodes. Many parts were rushed to the point where it was hurting the story, and the psychological thriller sees a bit of melodramatic teenage angst creeping in. All the elements and potential were there, and it was frustrating to see them thrown in not to make a point, but (my thoughts) just to put it in there before the anime ends. This in itself wasn't too bad, but the problem was in how strong of an impression the first few episodes left me, compared to how mediocre the final 2-3 episodes were.
One thing that this anime does well is with its themes within its artwork. The ominous skull, silhouetted people, spotlights showcasing thought processes: all of it contributed to the overall atmosphere of Game of Laplace. It's easy to tell that it was a somewhat budget anime, but akin to Bakemonogatari, uses its constraints to create something a bit different and interesting.
The main characters are very unchanging and one-dimensional; by themselves, they're boring as hell. However, most of my enjoyment came in the various interactions between the characters philosophies, rather than the (non-existent) growth of the characters.
There's a reason why I would and wouldn't recommend this anime: it totally betrays your expectations and settles for a rushed, over-simplified ending. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED the show. If the plot was done well, I would have it crowned in my top 10 personal anime favorites.
