Joe Verger

Joe Verger is the second character introduced in The Human Game. He is one of the eight players.

Personality
A former successful writer who is the second character introduced. Occasionally slips into long monologues about prose. He is only depressed when he can't lift anyone else's spirits, but he thinks that it means he has to try harder.

He always looks on the sunny side of life. Happy, perky, and ready to rise with each day, he's equally ready and willing to help others.

Role in the story
Joe is introduced second, by Kate Greenwood following the sound of his whistling. It is the confirmation for her she is not in the facility alone and there is at least one other person. She is relieved of this fact, however, his tendency to ramble on using poetic metaphors and analogies kind of annoys her. They are approached by Seth Turner Sato, who they both dislike.

The group gets to the first meeting, where he is paired up with Kate and Camilla Lloyd to seek out the two people who were not present at the second meeting. The group takes Daniel Nox back and also meet Abigail Faust, who Joe recalls as being the youngest spirit medium ever. While he is a firm believer in her ability, others are more skeptical about it.

From the moment the group flees from a nullified Seth, his mental state starts detoriating as well in a stark downward spiral. His headaches get worse and worse to the point even Connor Cavanagh worries about him when he shrugs it of as just being his age. Glitches all over him start appearing, blocking his eyes or accompanying him with strange writing at times. It reaches a pinnacle when he lashes out at Daniel.

In the library, he has a conversation with Kate about a doppelganger that has been following him all his life, and how the masks have been setting of a train of thought in him. He finds a copy of Ash Hearts and is outraged by it being defaced.

He is sent to the Bridge of Sighs, together with Thalia and Camilla, whose healing hands he thinks are interesting. While the other two worry about getting safely to the other side carrying the chest, Joe notices something in the void for a brief second. He once again shrugs it off.

Abigail Faust
Abigail is fond of this voice, and they recognize eachother from that one time they were both guests in the Nancy Claire Show.

Daniel Nox
Daniel is highly fond of the poems Joe wrote.