Lisse is a teenage girl living in a dystopian 2154 where most jobs are automated. Raised in a Government School without her parents, she enjoys reading but feels she lacks a distinctive practical skill compared to her peers. Upon being designated as unemployed, she attempts to survive the bleak reality of a designated city area while trying to find meaning and purpose in a tightly controlled society.

Benta is Lisse's intelligent and caring best friend. Unlike most of her peers, Benta initially avoids unemployment by securing a job on her family's farm due to her family connections. She possesses valuable agricultural knowledge and has strong family ties that contrast with Lisse's orphan status. When she eventually loses her job to mechanization, she relies on her friends for support.

Rich is a privileged, slightly arrogant former classmate of Lisse's who initially secures a job training as a psychiatrist. He tends to be pessimistic, abrasive, and primarily interested in money and status. He views the plight of the unemployed with a clinical, detached perspective until he too is laid off and forced into the designated area.

The Game Manager is a mysterious official who facilitates the activities known as The Game. He personifies the authoritarian government's control over the unemployed, speaking in scientific jargon and treating the participants like subjects in an experiment focused on cooperation.

Brad is a handsome jack-of-all-trades who is assigned to the same run-down city neighborhood as Lisse. He is physically capable and willing to defend the group during their night excursions. He serves as an early crush for Lisse as the group attempts to establish a safe living situation in their dangerous environment.

Alden is a skilled chemist and one of the unemployed teens in Lisse's group. His expertise makes him a target for a local crime boss. His principled refusal to participate in illegal activities brings the group closer together as they rally to protect him from gang retaliation.

Scylla is a young artist who forms part of Lisse's core group of unemployed friends. She acts as a motherly figure to the others, providing emotional support and pragmatic advice as they try to survive the grim reality of the city.

Trent is a political scientist in Lisse's group who is sharply critical of the authoritarian government. He recognizes the designated areas as essentially prisons and brings a reform-minded, analytical perspective to the group's discussions regarding their status.

Paul is a musician and astronomy expert in Lisse's group. He frequently quarrels with Trent but contributes a philosophical perspective to the group. He uses parables to help the group ponder the nature of reality versus illusion.

Karen is a historian who is part of Lisse's tight-knit group. She relies on the public library and the group's shared resources to cope with the boredom and lack of purpose in their daily lives.

Katie is a geologist in Lisse's group. She uses her scientific background to help the group evaluate their surroundings when they begin participating in mysterious activities.

Charlie is a local crime boss operating in the city's nightlife scene. He views the government's programs as mere propaganda and attempts to recruit unemployed individuals with valuable skills into his gang.

Barb is an intoxicated woman at a city café. She becomes angry with Brad when he refuses to buy her a drink. Her behavior prompts bystanders to explain that she was rejected from participating in The Game, providing the teens with their first clue about the program.