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If you liked Liar Game add

...then you might like Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria add

"A cornered rat will bite the cat" But what if you corner a lion? Human nature is such that when pushed to a tight corner, they terminate all perceptions of fear and focus on eliminating the source of it. That is to say, they would do anything to protect their existence in the least if it were threatened. Liar Game has a genius whose talent is constantly pushed to the limits, while Hakomari puts common folk on the spotlight, except for a single person who displays his full intellectual prowess on Volumes 3&4. I will mostly be focusing on the similarities between Liar game and the 3rd and 4th volumes of Hakomari since they are similar on so many levels, but I'll have you know that these similarities can be extended to whatever volume. The overarching theme for both pieces is of course the mystery, and what's good is readers can participate in it. Red herrings are intrinsic in all mystery stories, but both have different ways of using red herrings. Hakomari is betterin its use of it, meaning all red herrings are true while in Liar Game, I would often encounter red herrings which would have been illogical backtracking from the outcome. The plots are presented as puzzles - the characters are presented with do or die situations that they must overcome in order to return to a semblance of their normal lives. Liar game deals with it directly, its reasoning resembles pure logic while Hakomari deals with it in a more subtle yet intricate way. If it couldn't get more similar, you'll come to a point where you'll come across a game about conquest (alluding to kingdoms) and domination. Both pieces would often feature a cunning play of deception, strategy and counter-strategy. Liar game has a rather naive conception for its premise while Hakomari has a more down-to-earth one. Both have their shares of cliche but you can't help but disregard them because the plot offers way more.

If you liked Gekkou add

...then you might like Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria add

I happened to stumble upon this because it had the same translator, little did I know I was looking at something quite similar to Hakomari, yet complete different. The obvious similarity is of course the mystery aspect, which I'll elaborate on. What we have are uber-normal males who are forcibly dragged inexplicably by a certain beauty into a mystery by mere circumstance. Unlike Death Note where we are most of the time spectators, both Hakomari and Gekkou involve the reader in trying to figure out the plot. Hakomari tries to wrap everything up, leaving no instance unexplained while Gekkou prefers to leave a lot of aspects for the reader to decide (Gekkou is somewhat disappointing due to sudden shifts that sometimes connect poorly). With regards to the theme, Hakomari retains a constant dark ambiance while Gekkou retains it comedic aura throughout the series. At the end of the day, Gekkou remains as quite an odd and interesting read.

If you liked Death Note add

...then you might like Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria add

For those of you who wander aimlessly seeking for something similar to the thrilling story of the Death Note series, well, you're in luck because Hakomari not only fills that void, it expands it. While there are countless dissimilarities between the two, I'll focus on the similarities which I'm sure would cause Death Note fans to try this series. Hakomari captures Death Note's thriller and mystery aspect not through the battle of impeccable prodigies, but through an extremely intricate plot built layer after layer in each volume. Actually, we get a battle of wits in all of the volumes, but this is not what makes Hakomari stand out of the rest of novels/manga, it is the plot (or the premise) through which the characters move, in other words, it is the premises (the universe/world) of the novel. While I have completely no idea how Eiji Mikage composes his plot, reading through the volumes with give you an idea to how the architecture of this novel is constructed. The author lays the framework and a rough conclusion of a volume before filling out the details of the story, that is to give him some sort of guide (a premise if you will) for his plot. He rarely contradicts the premises he set unless you are hairsplitting/nitpicking enthusiast. Every turn or event in a volume is connected to a premise set forth or declared in a previous volume (in other words, everything that would happen, happened for a reason, and isn't of plot convenience) and the conclusions at each volume surprise you as it unravels Mikage's masterful play of plot lines. While the main difference between Death Note and Hakomari is the romance aspect, I'd say that If you liked DN, there's a very high chance of liking Hakomari since every twist leaves you surprised and impressed.