The Best Video Game Anime for Gamers & Otakus

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Anime expert Inferno Jae shares his favorite video game-inspired anime
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There’s a pretty big overlap between anime fans and gamers, so it’s no surprise that there are a ton of video game-themed anime. Whether you’re looking for anime based on real-life video games or anime involving fictional games, you’ve come to the right place. We interviewed anime and gaming experts to compile a list of some of the most popular video game anime out there.

Anime for Video Game Lovers

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Video Game Anime Summary

Anime expert Inferno Jae says Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is one of the best anime based on a video game. Other popular anime based on video games include Persona 5, Castlevania, and Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Popular series about video games include Sword Art Online and Log Horizon.

Section 1 of 2:

Anime Based on Video Games

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  1. Step 1 Persona 5
    While many Persona games have been adapted into anime, Persona 5 seems to be the fan-favorite. It follows high school student Ren Amamiya, better known as Joker, as he discovers a mysterious phone app that gives him and his friends powers known as Personas. Together, they form a group called the Phantom Thieves of Heart and set out to reform the hearts of the corrupted.[1]

    Meet the wikiHow Experts

    Inferno Jae is an anime expert and gamer based in Los Angeles, CA. He shares anime and gaming content to an audience of over 2M across social media platforms.

    Brandon Riley is an anime and manga enthusiast based in Australia. He shares video essays and analyses about anime online as @BrandonRTalks.

    Preston Hargrove is an anime expert based in Charlotte, NC. He has over 20 years of experience with anime culture.

    Richard Moore is an anime expert based in Dayton, OH. He’s been watching anime for nearly his entire life and shares anime content online as @ohayokage.

  2. Step 2 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
    “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is one of my favorites,” says Inferno Jae. “It’s probably one of the best video game adaptations out, in my opinion.”[2] The story follows a kid named David Martinez as he becomes a mercenary known as an “edgerunner” in an attempt to survive in a dystopian, technology-obsessed world.[3]
    • Anime and manga enthusiast Brandon Riley adds that while the game itself had mixed reviews, the anime is highly respected: “It got a lot of people interested in the Cyberpunk universe.”[4]
    • Video game it’s based on: Cyberpunk 2077
    • Where to watch: Netflix
    • Where to play: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
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  3. Step 3 Pokémon
    Pokémon began as a video game in 1996 and was adapted into an anime the following year. We probably don’t need to tell you what this iconic series is about, but we will anyway. It follows Ash Ketchum, a boy who seeks to become a Pokémon Master. The series follows him and his loyal pal Pikachu as they travel across lands, battle Gym Leaders, and thwart Team Rocket’s schemes.[5]
    • Video game it’s based on: Pokémon
    • Where to watch: Netflix
    • Where to play: There are a ton of Pokémon games, so it depends on which you want to play. Most games are available on Nintendo platforms, with newer games being available on the Nintendo Switch, and classic games on the Game Boy.
  4. Step 4 Castlevania
    Technically, Castlevania isn’t an anime since it was produced in the U.S., but it’s classified as an anime on streaming platforms, and it’s too good not to include. After Dracula massacres an entire village following the murder of his wife, Trevor Belmont—the last surviving member of a clan of monster hunters—sets out to stop him from destroying humanity altogether.[6]
    • Video game it’s based on: Castlevania
    • Where to watch: Netflix
    • Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
  5. Step 5 Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
    Despite the potentially misleading title, Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie isn’t a sequel. It’s a standalone movie that is based on the video game Street Fighter II. It follows Japanese fighter Ryu as he sets out to save his best friend, Ken Masters, from M. Bison, the leader of the Shadowlaw crime syndicate. M. Bison wants to brainwash the world’s best martial artists, including Ryu, and he’s using Masters as bait.[7]
    • Video game it’s based on: Street Fighter II
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
    • Where to play: Retro consoles, like SNES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and PlayStation
  6. Step 6 NieR: Automata Ver1.1.a
    In this post-apocalyptic anime, Earth has been taken over by aliens and their army of Machine Lifeforms. In response, humans created androids to battle the Machine Lifeforms. The plot follows the newest android fighting force, YoRHa, as they investigate the Machines and help the Resistance.[8]
    • Video game it’s based on: NieR: Automata
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
    • Where to play: PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
  7. Step 7 Tales of the Abyss
    Set in a fantasy world, Tales of the Abyss follows a swordsman named Luke fon Fabre, whose life goes into chaos when a military-religious group known as the Order of Lorelei begins hunting him, believing him to be the key to an ancient prophecy. Now, Luke must uncover the truth about himself and the prophecy.[9]
    • Video game it’s based on: Tales of the Abyss
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
    • Where to play: PS2, Nintendo 3DS
  8. Step 8 Sonic X
    Sonic X is an adaptation of everyone’s favorite blue hedgehog. In this series, Sonic and his friends are transported from their world to Earth. Sonic then meets a boy named Chris Thorndyke, and they work together to protect the Chaos Emeralds from Dr. Eggman and the military.[10]
    • Video game it’s based on: Sonic the Hedgehog
    • Where to watch: Netflix, Disney+, Hulu
    • Where to play: It depends on the game, but many are available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC
    • Take our quiz to find out which Sonic character you’re most like!
  9. Step 9 Valkyria Chronicles
    Valkyria Chronicles takes place during the fictional Second Europan War and follows Welkin Gunther, the son of the First Europan War hero General Belgen Gunther. When the Imperials invade Gallia, Welkin joins Squad 7 of the Gallian Militia to fight for his country.[11]
    • Video game it’s based on: Valkyria Chronicles
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
    • Where to play: PS3, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One
  10. Step 10 Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV
    Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV serves as a prequel to the Final Fantasy XV game. It focuses on the friendship between Prince Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto as they go on a road trip to meet Lady Lunafreya.[12]
    • Video game it’s based on: Final Fantasy XV
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming, but can be found on YouTube
    • Where to play: PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
  11. Step 11 Ace Attorney
    In Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright is a rookie defense attorney. He teams up with his assistant, Maya Fey, to solve strange murder cases and defend their clients’ innocence in court.[13] Anime and manga expert Cedric Han adds that there's also another game version with Miles Edgeworth in it.[14]
    • Video game it’s based on: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Trials and Tribulations
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
    • Where to play: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo DS/3DS, iOS, Android, Wii, Game Boy Advance
  12. Step 12 .hack//SIGN
    .hack//SIGN serves as the prequel for the video game .hack//INFECTION. It follows Tsukasa, a Wavemaster (mage) who gets trapped in the video game The World. Tsukasa doesn’t remember who he is, and the story revolves around his interactions with other players in an attempt to regain his memories.[15]
    • Video game it’s based on: .hack//INFECTION
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
    • Where to play: PS2
  13. Step 13 Danganronpa
    Anime expert Preston Hargrove explains that Danganronpa revolves around a death game.[16] An evil, robotic bear locks a group of elite high schoolers in their school and declares the only way they can leave is by killing one of their classmates and getting away with the murder. When someone is killed, the remaining students must gather and try to figure out who did it. If they guess correctly, the murderer is killed. If they don’t, the murderer gets to leave and the others will die.
    • Video game it’s based on: Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll
    • Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, iOS, Android
  14. Step 14 Devil May Cry
    Devil May Cry follows Dante, a half-demon mercenary who runs Devil May Cry, a devil-hunting business. The series follows him as he takes on different bounty contracts and seeks to protect the innocent from demons.[17]
    • Video game it’s based on: Devil May Cry
    • Where to watch: Crunchyroll, Netflix
    • Where to play: The original game and its sequels are available across platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo.
    • Which Devil May Cry character are you most like? Take our quiz to find out!
  15. Step 15 Mega Man
    Inspired by the classic video game, Mega Man follows the titular robot Mega Man and his dog Rush as they fight robots that were originally created by Mega Man’s father, Dr. Light, but were corrupted by the evil Dr. Wily.[18]
    • Video game it’s based on: Mega Man
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
    • Where to play: Modern games are available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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Section 2 of 2:

Anime About Video Games

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  1. Step 1 Sword Art Online
    According to anime expert Richard Moore, Sword Art Online takes place in a world in which people can actually enter video games through VR, and that world becomes their reality—where they can live and die.[19] The series follows Kirito as he and other beta players get trapped inside the game. The only way to escape is to win.
  2. Step 2 Log Horizon
    If you like Sword Art Online, you’ll probably like Log Horizon, too. When thousands of gamers get trapped in the online game Elder Tales, veteran gamer Shiroe forms a guild called Log Horizon to maintain order in this new, chaotic world.[21]
  3. Step 3 No Game No Life
    No Game No Life follows Sora and Shiro, a pair of step-siblings who are both highly-skilled gamers. When the God of Games summons them to a fantasy world, they must compete in various games to save humanity.[22]
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
  4. Step 4 Shangri-La Frontier
    Shangri-La Frontier follows high school student Rakurou Hizutome, who loves playing bad video games. For a change of pace, he decides to play Shangri-La Frontier, a new, popular VR game. Playing as Sunraku, a character wearing nothing but boxers and a bird mask, he uses his video game experience to plow through the levels.[23]
  5. Step 5 BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense
    BOFURI follows Kaede Jonjou, a noob gamer who is terrified of her character getting hurt. She then decides to focus solely on upgrading her defense while ignoring her other stats. This makes her virtually unkillable, and the plot revolves around her exploring the video game and achieving game-breaking skills.[24]
  6. Step 6 The King’s Avatar
    This Chinese anime follows Ye Xiu, who was once one of the best players of Glory, an online multiplayer game. After being forced to retire, he begins playing on a new server and is determined to reclaim his spot at the top.[25]
  7. Step 7 Recovery of an MMO Junkie
    In this romantic comedy, Moriko Morioka is a 30-year-old woman who is obsessed with the online game Fruits de Mer. She plays as a man named Hayashi and befriends a healer named Lily. Unbeknownst to her, Lily is played by a man named Yuuta, and the two run into each other without realizing they’re online friends.[26]
  8. Step 8 New Game!
    New Game! is a slice-of-life anime that follows Aoba Suzukaze, a recent graduate who lands her dream job at Eagle Jump, a gaming studio. The plot centers on her daily life as she deals with workplace struggles, bonds with her coworkers, and learns the ins and outs of the gaming industry.[27]
  9. Step 9 Good Night World
    In Good Night World, the dysfunctional Arima family avoids each other in real life, but unknowingly builds a VR family together in the game Planet, where they don’t know each other’s true identities. But when the game starts to bleed into reality, they must resolve their traumas and work together to save the world.[28]
  10. Step 10 My Love Story with Yamada-kun at LV999
    If you’re a fan of video games and love stories, this is the anime for you. It follows a college student named Akane after her boyfriend leaves her for a woman he met in an MMO. When she sees her ex at a gaming convention, she falsely claims that she’s dating Yamada, a grumpy pro gamer. As the two pretend to date, they may just develop real feelings along the way.[29]
  11. Step 11 Skeleton Knight in Another World
    When an unnamed gamer falls asleep playing a video game, he wakes up as his avatar, a skeleton knight named Arc. He sets out to adapt to life in this new fantasy world, but his plans go awry when he encounters an elven warrior named Ariane and sets out to free elves from a slave trade.[30]
  12. Step 12 Hi Score Girl
    Set in the ‘90s, this coming-of-age love story follows Haruo Yaguchi and Akira Oono, two 6th graders who are completely different except for their shared love of fighting games at the arcade. What begins as a rivalry slowly develops into something more, as the two develop secret crushes on each other as they age into teenagers.[31]
  13. Step 13 Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku
    This romantic comedy centers on Narumi, an office worker who is secretly a yaoi fangirl. When she begins a new job, she runs into her childhood friend Hirotaka, who happens to be a huge gamer. The two decide to start dating, but because they’re both nerds, things are pretty awkward.[32]
    • Where to watch: Not available on streaming
  14. Step 14 Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs
    This anime is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. When Leon is reincarnated into an otome (dating sim) game, all he wants is to live life in the background to avoid an unwanted marriage. When he keeps being forced into the spotlight, however, he uses his retained knowledge of the game to start a revolution.[33]
  15. Step 15 Endo and Kobayashi Live! The Latest on Tsundere Villainess Lieselotte
    Aoto Endo and Shihono Kobayashi are members of their high school’s Broadcasting Club. When they decide to play the otome game MagiKoi, Kobayashi is determined to save the villainess, Lieselotte. Meanwhile, in the world of the game, Prince Siegward hears their commentary and believes them to be gods. They then guide the prince through different decisions to try to keep Lieselotte alive.[34]
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/10-best-anime-to-watch-for-gamers
  2. ↑ Inferno Jae. Anime Expert & Gamer. Expert Interview
  3. ↑ https://cyberpunk.fandom.com/wiki/Cyberpunk:_Edgerunners
  4. ↑ Brandon Riley. Anime and Manga Enthusiast. Expert Interview
  5. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/10-best-anime-to-watch-for-gamers
  6. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/10-best-anime-to-watch-for-gamers
  7. ↑ https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Street_Fighter_II:_The_Animated_Movie
  8. ↑ https://nier.fandom.com/wiki/NieR:Automata_Ver1.1a
  9. ↑ https://aselia.fandom.com/wiki/Tales_of_the_Abyss_(anime)
  1. ↑ https://comicbook.com/anime/list/7-video-game-anime-adaptations-you-should-watch-next-where-to-find-them/
  2. ↑ https://valkyria.fandom.com/wiki/Valkyria_Chronicles_Anime
  3. ↑ https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Brotherhood_Final_Fantasy_XV
  4. ↑ https://aceattorney.fandom.com/wiki/Ace_Attorney_(anime)
  5. ↑ Cedric Han. Anime and Manga Expert. Expert Interview
  6. ↑ https://dothack.fandom.com/wiki/SIGN
  7. ↑ Preston Hargrove. Anime Expert. Expert Interview
  8. ↑ https://comicbook.com/anime/list/7-video-game-anime-adaptations-you-should-watch-next-where-to-find-them/
  9. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165046/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl
  10. ↑ Richard Moore. Anime Expert. Expert Interview
  11. ↑ Richard Moore. Anime Expert. Expert Interview
  12. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/10-best-anime-to-watch-for-gamers
  13. ↑ https://no-game-no-life.fandom.com/wiki/No_Game_No_Life_(Series)
  14. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  15. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  16. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  17. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  18. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  19. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  20. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/10-best-anime-to-watch-for-gamers
  21. ↑ https://skeleton-knight-in-another-world.fandom.com/wiki/Skeleton_Knight_In_Another_World_Wiki
  22. ↑ https://www.thegamer.com/best-anime-about-gaming-list/
  23. ↑ https://wotaku-ni-koi-wa-muzukashii.fandom.com/wiki/Wotaku_ni_Koi_wa_Muzukashii_(Anime)
  24. ↑ https://mobuseka.fandom.com/wiki/The_World_of_Otome_Games_is_Tough_for_Mobs_Anime
  25. ↑ https://endo-and-kobayashi-live.fandom.com/wiki/Anime

About This Article

Inferno Jae
Co-authored by:
Inferno Jae
Anime Expert & Gamer
This article was co-authored by Inferno Jae and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA. Inferno Jae is a pop culture and entertainment content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. He specializes in a variety of content spanning anime, screen media, gaming, and internet culture. Focusing on an entertaining commentary approach to cover these topics, he blends storytelling, reactions, and comedic elements. Some of his most well-known content includes breaking down wild moments in fiction, reacting to viral trends, and connecting directly with his audience. Inferno Jae has over 2 million followers across social media platforms and has worked with brand partners including WEBTOON, Sony, Gamer Supps, and more.
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Updated: August 26, 2026
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