Hello everyone, how are you? Today we have another anime recommendation list, this time we will go with the theme “Game”. Just as the theme suggests, the animes on this list will contain and involve their plots in games. All of them will be essential animes for anyone looking for animes on this theme. So let’s stop the chit-chat and move on to the list, as that’s what interests us.
Remembering that most of the synopses written in this article were translated from MAL Rewrite. The article got a bit long because we included a detailed review of each anime, so let’s make navigation easier with a summary below:
Sword Art Online (SAO)
To start off right, here is one of the most influential animes of recent years, generating absurd popularity that made it rise to the top position on many sites (including My Anime List) when it comes to Games.
As I like to classify it, this is in my opinion “a super fan collector,” as it managed to attract a huge number of people to become its loyal fans. And not just otakus, this anime managed to attract many people who didn’t even know that our otaku world of animes existed.
Synopsis
“Join ten thousand people in the scenic and elaborate world of Aincrad, filled with fantastic medieval weapons and horrible monsters. However, in a cruel twist of events, players soon realize they cannot log out; the game’s creator has trapped them in his new world until they complete all one hundred levels of the game.
To escape Aincrad, Kirito will have to interact and cooperate with his fellow players. Some are allies, while others are enemies, like Asuna Yuuki, who leads the main group trying to escape the relentless game. To make matters worse, Sword Art Online is not so fun and enjoyable: if they die in Aincrad, they die in real life. Kirito must adapt to his new reality, fight for his survival, and hopefully free himself from his virtual hell.”
Opinion
With its extremely tense plot, it achieved what many tried and failed. I believe that the plot itself was very well developed to never let us forget that they were dying and had to return home, my congratulations to the author of the light novel from which the anime was based. This anime has two seasons, 1 movie, and its third season is set to be released soon.
- My rating for this anime is 8.
No Game No Life
Yes, this one couldn’t be missing. After all, two hikikomori otakus, brilliant and genius gamers, with a thing for cute animal girls, who are transported to another world where there are various other races, can’t go wrong.
Synopsis
This is NGNL, with our genius Sora and Shiro (two siblings, a boy and a loli girl who is on my list of the best lolis in animes) who are invited by a “god of games” to go to another world.
Being another big success, this anime has a comedic and quite complex plot in some parts, with extremely genius protagonists and brilliant gamers. With a legend made just for them in the world of virtual games, where they are known as ” “.
Don’t worry, I didn’t write it wrong; I didn’t write anything because they never had names in the games they played. Anyway, in the other world, they decide to challenge the God of Games, but for that, they need to “conquer the world,” meaning they need to somehow dominate the other races to gain the right to this challenge.
Opinion
This anime currently has 1 single season (if it were up to me, it would already be on the third) and 1 movie with a story of how this other world became the world of games.
I personally love this anime and highly recommend it; there are some complicated parts to understand, but they are all explained throughout the plot. Honestly, the graphics are amazing, fluid scenes, and the character designs are beautiful, in my opinion; if you disagree, just comment below.
- My rating for this anime is 10
Overlord
My acclaimed Overlord, one of the best animes of all time in my opinion. And I believe in thousands of people who, like me, have already watched this anime.
Synopsis
It tells us the story of Suzuki Satoru, known as Momonga, or later, Ainz Ooal Gown. Where he played an extremely popular game in the 22nd century. But the final hour of the popular Virtual Reality Game Yggdrasil has come.
However, Momonga, a powerful wizard and master of the obscure guild Ainz Ooal Gown, decides to spend his last moments in the game as the servers begin to shut down. To his surprise, despite the clock striking midnight, Momonga is still fully aware of his character and, moreover, the non-player characters seem to have developed their own personalities!
Faced with this abnormal situation, Momonga orders his loyal servants to help him investigate and take control of this new world, hoping to discover what caused this development and if there may be others in the same situation.
Opinion
I am a big fan of this anime, besides the character designs being beautiful, like Albedo, who is a succubus, or Shalltear, who is a vampire.
You can already tell that this anime does not have human characters as usual; on the contrary, this rule is completely ignored, and to prove this, we have the fact that the protagonist is a undead skeleton.
This fact causes many problems and impediments for the protagonist; after all, an undead will always be strange, and he has to confirm this problem.
This anime currently has 3 seasons (the third is currently being released), 1 reboot movie of the first season with some extra scenes. There are also some OVAs with totally disconnected stories from the anime, but they are quite funny.
- My rating for this anime is 10
Death Parade
Now think with me, how is it decided if we go to heaven or hell? If you said by our actions here on earth, according to this anime, you are completely mistaken. Death Parade is an anime that shows a very interesting way of deciding our fate, that is, “we decide with a game.”
Synopsis
“After death, there is no heaven or hell, just a bar that lies between reincarnation and oblivion. There, the attendant will, one after another, challenge pairs of the recently deceased to a random game in which their fate of ascending to reincarnation or falling into the void will be wagered.
Whether it’s bowling, darts, air hockey, or anything in between, the true nature of each person will be revealed in a gruesome parade of death and memories, dancing at the whims of the bar’s master. Welcome to Quindecim, where Decim, the arbiter of the afterlife, awaits!”
Opinion
Basically, you go where your skill takes you. Ironically, it doesn’t always depend on whether you are good or not at games, as there are some tricks in between. To know what these tricks are, you need to pay close attention to the plot of this anime. Death Parade also contains romance, psychological elements, drama, etc.
I personally haven’t finished watching it yet, but I’m almost done, and I say that the beginning might be a bit lacking, as it’s boring and slow, but once it picks up its pace, everything gets more interesting. This anime has one season. And I also advise using the three-episode rule for this anime (watch the first 3 episodes and then decide if it’s worth continuing or stopping).
- My rating for this anime is 7
Accel World
The first protagonist, and I think the only one who is short and chubby, is not the worst, extremely selfish and egocentric, cowardly, and in some parts extremely stupid. You can already tell that this is an extremely bad protagonist. However, I like that, as he is not the type of protagonist like most, kind-hearted, thinks of everyone, cheerful, brave, etc.
Synopsis
“Haruyuki Arita is a high school student who suffers from obesity and finds solace in online games. But his life takes a drastic turn one day when he discovers that all his high scores have been topped by Kuroyukihime, the popular vice president of the student council. She then invites him to the student room and introduces him to “Brain Burst,” a program that allows users to accelerate their brain waves to the point where time seems to stop.
The Brain Burst also works as an augmented reality fighting game, and to gain more points to accelerate, users need to win duels against other players. However, if a user loses all their points, they will also lose access to Brain Burst forever.
Kuroyukihime explains that she chose to show the program to Haruyuki because she needs his help. She wants to meet the creator of Brain Burst and discover why it was created, but it’s easier said than done; to do so, she must defeat the “Six Kings of Pure Color,” leaders of powerful factions within the game, and reach level 10, the highest achievable level. After the girl helps Haruyuki overcome the bullies who torment him, he promises to help her achieve her goal, and thus begins the duo’s fight to reach the top.”
Opinion
This protagonist is the representation of reality, that’s right, the naked and raw truth. And that’s why he is successful. I believe some will drop this anime; however, I advise that instead of rejecting the protagonist, I think it’s better to accept his way, just as we accept the ways of the people around us.
I believe this was one of the author’s objectives in a light novel series like Sword Art Online, to create a protagonist like this in his other work. And I also recommend reading the light novel because it has many more details than the anime.
This anime currently has one season, 1 OVA, and 1 spin-off. I believe the chances of a new anime coming out are almost zero. But the light novel helps us a bit.
This anime is very well rated on MAL, but its revenue was very low. This is somewhat ironic. But anyway, I recommend this anime for those who like technology and gaming, and also for those who want to see an anime where the protagonist is “normal,” in terms of personality.
- My rating for this anime is 9
Kakegurui
This anime tells the story of a gambling addict, literally a sadist with a thing for going against the odds. What does that mean? Basically, the protagonist, almost forgetting to mention that she is a female protagonist in this anime.
She takes pleasure in being mentally tortured by the chance of losing in games; it seems crazy, who would take pleasure in feeling that pressure? But anyway, this is Kakegurui, an ecchi with psychological drama.
Synopsis
Unlike many schools, attending Hyakkaou Private Academy prepares students for their time in the real world. As many of the students are children of the richest people in the world, the academy has its peculiarities that set it apart from all others. By day, it is a normal school, educating its students in history, languages, and the like.
But at night, it transforms into a gambling den, educating them in the art of handling money and manipulating people. Money is power; those who come out on top of the games are at the top of the school.
Yumeko Jabami, an apparently naive and beautiful transfer student, is ready to try her hand at Hyakkaou’s special curriculum. Unlike the rest, she doesn’t play to win, but for the thrill of the game, and her insane way of betting can bring many new cards to the table.
Opinion
Honestly, my opinion about the protagonist is quite low, perhaps because there isn’t a romance that I expected to have. But the plot itself is top-notch; all the tricks and strategies used in the games are shown and explained here. I believe the author had to research a lot to develop such an intriguing and complex plot.
This anime currently has one season released, and another is set to be released soon. I hope it comes out soon; I want to see if the protagonist’s romance is with another character who is also important in the plot.
I recommend this anime mainly for people who enjoy psychological pressure and complex plots with many secrets. However, I advise against jumping to conclusions about it with just 1 or 2 episodes; just like Death Parade, let’s go with the three-episode rule.
- My rating for this anime is 8
Net-juu no Susume
Have you ever played a game with an avatar of the opposite sex? For example, a man playing with a female avatar, or a woman playing with a male avatar. If so, you will relate a lot and understand what I couldn’t.
This anime shows a woman who just quit her job and decided to become a NEET, or hikikomori; if you don’t know what that is (and even if you do), we have an article exclusively on the site explaining what a hikikomori is, I recommend taking a look; it’s quite interesting.
Synopsis
For the first time since graduating from high school, Moriko Morioka, 30 years old, is unemployed – and she couldn’t be happier. Having left her long job of over 11 years, Moriko quickly turns to online games to spend her now abundant free time, reinventing herself as the handsome and vigorous male hero “Hayashi” in the MMO Fruits de Mer.
With the annoying social obligations of the real world out of the way, she happily dives headfirst into the game realm, where she promptly meets the gentle and lovely healer Lily. Creating a bond almost instantly, the two become inseparable as Moriko becomes more and more absorbed in her new “life” as Hayashi. Eventually, Moriko fully adopts the reclusive lifestyle,
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Moriko, a shy 28-year-old corporate employee named Yuuta Sakurai has also accessed Fruits de Mer from across town. Coincidentally bumping into each other at a convenience store one night, both dismiss the meeting as nothing more than just another awkward encounter with a stranger – however, fate has more in store for them than they realize.
Opinion
Honestly, this anime has very funny parts, and I liked the protagonist a lot. That’s right, another anime with a female protagonist. However, this anime is simpler than the previous one, or should I say, lighter. Despite involving the gaming genre, it doesn’t have much action, or rather, it has practically no action. But that’s not mandatory; after all, what it lacks in action, it makes up for in romance and comedy.
Net-juu basically has two main points; the first is its very charismatic and friendly protagonist; she is one of my favorite waifus (if you don’t know what waifus are, or even if you do but want to know more, we have another article talking about waifus here on the site). And the second is its romance. Honestly, I don’t like one-sided romances, or those where one likes the other but says nothing; the romance genre needs more animes like Net-juu, where the romance is clear right in the first half of the anime; of course, there are obstacles along the way, but that only makes the romance even cooler.
This anime currently has only one season and 1 OVA, which only left the plot confusing, which is a huge shame for me, after all, it left an incredibly open ending. The second season should be announced soon.
- My rating for this anime is 9
Netoge no Yome wa
To not stop talking about romance, here we have another one; however, this is the typical romance that leans more towards friendship than dating. Basically, it’s the story of a player who marries in an online game and meets the girl in the real world. The plot revolves around how he deals with this girl and her problems, which are a bit eccentric.
Synopsis
After gathering the courage to propose to a girl in an online game, the naive otaku Hideki “Rusian” Nishimura is devastated when she rejects him. To make matters worse, the girl reveals that she is actually an older man in real life. With his dreams crushed and his heart broken, Rusian comes to an abrupt decision in the midst of his furious attack: he will never trust another girl in an online game again.
Years later, Rusian is now in a guild with three other players, one of whom has a female avatar named “Ako.” Ako is deeply in love with Rusian and wants to marry him. Although he considers the possibility that she might be a guy, Rusian accepts her proposal, claiming that her gender doesn’t matter as long as she is cute in the game.
However, after a discussion among the guild members that led them all to have an offline meeting, Rusian discovers that Ako, along with the other members, are not just girls, but also his schoolmates.
Opinion
Honestly, this anime didn’t excite me. My rating for it wasn’t high, perhaps because the game theme wasn’t compensated; it felt more like a slice of life anime, and the romance could also be better. Overall, I expected the protagonist to have more attitude. And that’s all I can comment.
- My rating for this anime is 6
Btooom
When I talk about romance, I hope it’s as good as Net-juu or this anime. Btooom, besides having a well-developed romance, has an incredible theme. After all, how would you feel if you were kidnapped and thrown onto an island to participate in a battle royale based on an extremely popular virtual game?
Now reduce that with the fact that you are the best player in the world at this game. Always remembering that the game is based solely on your strategic skill. If you think this is a good plot, I agree with you.
Synopsis
Ryouta Sakamoto is unemployed and lives with his mother; his only achievement is that he is the top player of the popular online video game in Japan, “Btooom!” However, his peaceful life is about to change when he finds himself trapped on an island in the middle of nowhere, with a small green crystal embedded in his left hand and no memory of how he got there. To his astonishment, someone decided to recreate the game he loves so much in real life, with the stakes being life or death.
Armed with a bag full of unique bombs known as “BIM,” players are tasked with killing seven of their fellow participants to obtain their green crystals, used as proof of their victory, in order to return home.
Initially condemning any form of violence, Ryouta is forced to fight when he realizes that many of the other players are not as welcoming as they seem. Joining Himiko, a fellow Btooom! player who turns out to be his wife in the game, they try to escape the island together, slowly getting closer to the truth behind this death competition.
Opinion
Although the romance takes a while to happen, the action and psychological pressure of this anime will not let you notice the passing hours. Leaving you completely immersed, this is based solely on my own experience; there will always be different tastes.
But in my opinion, this is a highly recommendable anime; its plot events are very interesting, especially in the character development part, most characters have some backstory.
This anime currently has only one season; this is because it didn’t have much audience, but I faithfully hope there will be a second season.
- My rating for this anime is 9
Quanzhi Gaoshou
This anime tells the story of a professional gamer, who is the best player in the world’s most popular game. However, he is expelled from his company and his account is taken from him. Nevertheless, he will make a comeback and show everyone in the world why he is considered the best player in the world. Despite being a Chinese anime, its action scenes and character design compete equally with the Japanese, and this is an exception to the rule. The only thing that bothered me at first was the dubbing; after all, the languages are different.
Synopsis
Widely regarded as a pioneer and top professional player in the multiplayer online game Glory, Ye Xiu is nicknamed “Battle God” for his skills and contributions to the game over the years. However, when forced to retire from the team and leave his player career behind, he finds work at a nearby cyber café. There, when Glory launches its tenth server, he throws himself into the game once again using a new character named “Lord Grim.”
Ye Xiu’s early achievements on the new server immediately catch the attention of many players, as well as the major guilds, leaving them wondering about the identity of this exceptional player. However, while he has ten years of experience and in-depth knowledge, starting over without sponsors or a team in a game that has changed over the years presents numerous challenges. Along with new and talented companions, Ye Xiu once again dedicates himself to the path to the top of Glory!
Opinion
To begin with, this anime is Chinese, so if you analyze the plot closely, you will notice several disjointed and nonsensical parts; moreover, in my opinion, it was too compressed, which makes it quite difficult to understand.
However, these shortcomings are compensated by its action scenes and fluidity. Amazing graphics; this is my comment for this anime. And it also features a badass protagonist. Currently, this anime has one season and some extra episodes, in addition to its second season being announced for the summer season of 2019.
- My rating for this anime is 8
List of Animes and Final Opinions
As we can see, the game theme can be mixed with various other types and create a good combination; despite having many other animes with this theme, I couldn’t include them here as it would get extremely long. Comment below your opinions about the animes above and which others you recommend.
We will be reading the comments and answering questions. For today, that’s all; thank you, dear reader, for reading this far. Until next time. Before we finish, I would like to leave a list of games genre animes for you to research at your own risk:
- Gamers (very comedic);
- Log Horizon;
- New Game!
- .hack;
- Kaiji!
- Chihayafuru;
- Phi Brain;
- Shichisei no Subaru;
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