Best Anime Games 2023

Want to play a new stylish anime game based on your favorite series? Check out this list of the best anime games on Steam and other platforms.

The best anime games of 2024 are just as varied and unique as the Japanese films, TV, and manga series they’re inspired by.

So whether you’re a fan of anime fighters, visual novels, JRPGs, or any other genre that lends itself to anime adaptations, we’ve got a game you’ll love.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best anime games on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

Make sure to check back in the future to see new anime game recommendations!

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Table of ContentsShow

Kicking off our list of the best anime games, we have One Piece Odyssey, a new RPG based on the popular manga and anime series.

In it, you follow famed pirate Monkey.D.Luffy and his Straw Hat crew as they sail across the New World searching for adventure.

Things come to a halt when they end up shipwrecked on a tropical island teeming with new enemies, treasure, and surprises.

Assuming control of each member of the crew, you’ll explore the island contesting with the forces of nature while planning your escape.

Set in the colorful world of Gamindustri, Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is an anime action RPG with hack n’ slash combat.

The story centers on the Goddess Candidates, four young sisters embarking on a bold new adventure to save their world from evil.

As you navigate through hordes of deadly enemies exploring dungeons, you’ll slowly unravel the mystery behind a strange life-threatening phenomenon.

This game is great is for anime fans who enjoy character customization, dungeon-crawling, and robust JRPG mechanics.

Scarlet Nexus is one of the best anime games for players who crave deep combat and progression systems.

In it, you play as a member of a supernatural task force fighting evil mutants that plan to invade and consume human brains in a futuristic setting.

Story-wise, the game is a bit all over the place but manages to flesh out its sci-fi world using atmospheric environments and eye-catching visual effects.

Additionally, characters can learn new abilities via a skill tree, unlocking new over-the-top combos that not only look cool but feel just as satisfying to pull off.

Anyone who can’t get enough Demon Slayer should pick up The Hinokami Chronicles, a 3D fighter based on the anime adaptation of the hit manga series.

The game closely follows the events of the first season in addition to the movie adaptation of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train.

In it, you assume control of Tanjiro Kamado as he joins the Demon Slayer Corps and battles powerful demons while trying to turn his sister back into a human.

While the story places a big emphasis on exploration, there’s also a multiplayer versus mode where players can battle using a roster of 18 characters.

At first, Doki Doki Literature Club looks like you’re run-of-the-mill cute visual novel dating sim, complete with anime girls in tight-fitting school uniforms.

However, the further you dive into the story, the more you start to realize things aren’t as sweet and cheery as they appear.

Eventually, things get pretty morbid, depending on which characters you get to know intimately, resulting in three different main endings.

If it’s your first time playing, we recommend picking up Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, an expanded version that includes visual upgrades and new content.

Next up on our list of the best anime games is Tales of Arise, an action RPG developed and published by Bandai Namco.

The story follows two different characters that come from opposing worlds, the medieval world of Dahna and the advanced world of Rena.

Together, the pair embarks on a journey to bring both worlds together and stop the Renans from oppressing the Dahnan people.

Like previous Tales games, Arise uses a Linear Motion Battle System that emphasizes evading, countering, and performing destructive attacks with your party.

Genshin Impact has grown its popularity off the strength of its free-to-play structure, satisfying action-driven combat, and roster of compelling characters.

Developer/publisher Mihoyo has also done a fine job supporting the game post-launch with ongoing updates and new unlockable characters.

 While it’s admittingly about as grindy as you’d expect a free game to be, some of that busy work can be bypassed by shelling out a few bucks and a bit of luck.

Lastly, Genshin Impact supports crossplay on PC, console, and mobile, allowing you to try out different combinations and find the best synergies.

Guilty Gear Strive is the latest title to come out of Arc System Works and has quickly set a new standard for the best anime games.

The game’s main draw is its vibrant cel-shaded art style, along with the flashy and technical combat Arc System is known to inject into each title.

If you’ve been following the studio, you’ll recognize familiar faces like Sol Badguy, May, and Ky Kiske, alongside newcomers Happy Chaos and Jack-O’.

Gameplay-wise, Guilty Gear Strive controls and plays just as smoothly as one would hope while introducing new combos and dynamic stage transitions.

Released to celebrate the series’ 30th anniversary, Super Robot Wars 30 is the third entry in the long-running tactical JRPG to receive a Western release.

It features a wide selection of characters and robots based on various mecha anime such as Mobile Suit Gundam and Code Geass.

Battles alternate between ally and enemy phases, with players determining a course of action before carrying out their attacks.

Despite the game’s turn-based design, it does a great job of keeping you engaged with expressive animations, dialogue, and upgrades for your pilots and machines.

My Hero Academia is one of the most successful anime properties and has already seen several video game adaptations released since becoming popular in the West.

It makes a lot of sense considering the potential of a shonen about people with superpowers that go around looking for reasons to fight one another.

My Hero One’s Justice 2 is a sequel to the original 3D fighter and introduces an even bigger roster of recognizable characters from the anime/manga.

Battle animations are top-notch, controls are easy to learn but tough to master, and the 2 story modes let you see both the hero’s and villain’s perspectives.

There have been a significant number of Naruto games released throughout the years, resulting in some of the best anime games as well as a few stinkers.

However, the franchise has been on a streak recently, dropping back-to-back hits with Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 and Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker.

The second game is the one we’ve chosen to include here simply for the fact it’s more recent and features a unique stylized look not found in any of its predecessors.

In it, teams of up to four can join to compete against other players online using ninja-based weapons and attacks with room for personalized playstyles.

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is a third-person shooter/action RPG based on the popular Sword Art Online light novel series and anime.

Presented as a successor to 2016’s Hollow Realization, it takes place in a future world where people have become fully immersed in video games.

The story follows a group of characters as they become obsessed with the latest hit virtual reality MMORPG called Gun Gale Online.

Unlike previous installments, Fatal Bullet allows you to customize your character and wield a variety of upgradeable firearms and melee weapons.

Also developed by Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ adapts the iconic anime franchise into a frenetic 2D fighter worthy of the series’ namesake.

As expected, this contains all the visual features of the DBZ world, along with the unique visual style that the Arc Systems studio is famous for.

Characters are rendered in 3D with overlaid 2D sprite textures, giving them a unique hand-drawn look that looks stunning in motion.

Pulling off combos is equally as dramatic and mesmerizing as players assemble teams of three fighters before heading into battle against the CPU and other players.

Dragon Quest XI is the most recent installment in the long-running JRPG franchise and casts players as a young man who discovers he’s a reincarnated hero.

Armed with this knowledge, he embarks on a magical adventure to strange lands where he’ll encounter a host of characters and mysteries from his past.

While the story mostly centers on the hero’s journey, players also spend time with their party, honing skills, and crafting new equipment.

The game offers an astonishing number of side quests, mini-games, and other side content that will keep you occupied for upwards of a hundred hours.

Another popular anime that needs no introduction, Attack on Titan has been well represented in gaming, with the latest release being Attack on Titan 2.

The story follows after the hack-and-slash title Attack on Titan: Wings of Freedom, which was first released in Japan back in February 2016.

Players take on the role of a nameless hero joining humanity’s ongoing fight to exterminate the terrifying titans once and for all.

The game features several refinements over the original, including more polished gameplay that’s sure to appeal to both newcomers and existing fans.

The Psycho-Pass series is worth looking into if you like anime set in dystopian worlds where people struggle to hold onto their precious freedoms.

Mandatory Happiness is set in 22nd-century Japan where the government has implemented software to monitor every aspect of citizens’ lives.

You play as a police inspector who harnesses this technology to track down criminals and solve cases based on the original anime.

While fans will enjoy all the references to the series, newcomers may feel at ease knowing it features completely new characters.

Afterward, we have Battle Chef Brigade, a game that takes inspiration from anime and merges side-scrolling action with cooking puzzles that involve matching tiles.

Players take on the role of an aspiring chef named Mina as she enters a cooking competition to prove her worth and wow judges with delicious meals.

Gameplay is split between platforming levels where you hunt for ingredients to incorporate into dishes and tile-matching cooking mini-games.

The game provides a lot of room to experiment with different flavors to satisfy each food judge’s distinct palette.

Ace Attorney is regarded as one of the best anime game series around, and you can pick up the first three entries in a remastered collection.

The story follows the titular lawyer Phoenix Wright along with his various peers, as they investigate legal cases and defend clients in court.

Every case functions like a multi-layered puzzle that can only be solved by collecting evidence, cross-examining witnesses, and analyzing their testimonies.

While the series is best known for its eccentric cast of characters and witty writing, it also does a great job of executing its detective gameplay.

The final best anime game we’d like to highlight is Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, a standout entry in the visual novel adventure series.

In it, you control Hajime Hinata, a prospective student with dreams of attending the prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy and becoming one of its ultimate pupils.

However, soon after his arrival, Hajime finds himself entangled in a murder mystery after his classroom transforms into a tropical island his teacher a pink bunny.

Anyone familiar with the franchise will know just how zany Dangonronpa stories can get while still finding ways to keep players engaged.

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Justin Fernandez

As a fan of both indie and triple-A games, Justin finds joy in discovering and sharing hidden gems with other passionate gamers. In addition to reporting on the latest and greatest titles, he manages GamingScan’s social media channels.

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