To not play the game you have to stay out of everything God gives you, and you cannot sin, otherwise you automatically are entered in. i am truly sorry that it has to be such a black and white choice, but God really does not want to send you anywhere but paradise. I am willing to go so far that God will not even be happy when he finally throws satan in the lake of fire. God probably still feels pain from the day Lucifer(satan) went and sinned, if I recall that was one of God's angels.
God is not being conceited by asking for forgiveness, He is being righteous. It is the only way, we are not perfect, He is. We need to want to be forgiven for it, otherwise we are being evil in our heart. If you went and stabbed a good friend in the back and you lost that friend, is it conceited for that friend to want you to ask for forgiveness before rebuilding that relationship? I think it is understandable that the friend wants to know you want to rebuild the relationship that you had.
God is not being conceited by asking for forgiveness, He is being righteous. It is the only way, we are not perfect, He is. We need to want to be forgiven for it, otherwise we are being evil in our heart. If you went and stabbed a good friend in the back and you lost that friend, is it conceited for that friend to want you to ask for forgiveness before rebuilding that relationship? I think it is understandable that the friend wants to know you want to rebuild the relationship that you had.