10 Best Games Like Genshin Impact: Anime-Style RPGs in 2025
As something of a gacha enjoyer myself, I’ve spent years trying to find the best games like Genshin Impact to see if I can capture that same feeling of wonder and excitement I had when I first arrived at Mondstadt back in 2020. This wasn’t easy, of course, considering how truly special and addictive this game was – even for me, who’d already gone through several gachas at the time of its release.
However, despite dominating the anime gacha scene and topping revenue charts for live-service mobile games for years, I can confidently say that Genshin Impact now has some very solid competition amongst online anime-style gachas. And for those of you who want to experience Genshin’s vibes minus the microtransactions, I’ve also prepared some great single-player alternatives you should look into right away.
Every game you’ll see here features at least two traits that made Genshin Impact the awesome game it is today; a vast, interactive open world, gorgeous anime aesthetics, flashy characters, an intense party-centric combat system, thrilling gacha mechanics, and a strong, overarching narrative that’ll keep you on your toes.
I’ll also give you some pointers on spotting good Genshin-likes yourself, so don’t forget to take notes!
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Our Top Picks for Games Like Genshin Impact
Here are our team’s top picks for the games we think all Genshin Impact players looking for an alternative would love to play, ranging from online games where you can collect characters you like via in-game currencies to the best single-player game that closely resembles Genshin thematically, even without a gacha system.
- Wuthering Waves (2020) – the closest game to Genshin Impact in terms of story, characters, combat, exploration, visuals, and overall gameplay feel. It’s by far the best Genshin-like not made by miHoYo to be released yet.
- Honkai: Star Rail (2023) – a turn-based, anime-style gacha by mihoYo that’s set in the same universe as Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd.
- Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (2022) – a single-player JRPG that features team-based, real-time combat and beautifully-crafted, anime-style visuals and storytelling that’s reminiscent of Genshin’s.
These games are the best of the best and certainly won’t disappoint both casual and veteran Genshin fans, but in case you’ve already tried these games and didn’t like any of them, don’t fret. I have seven other terrific Genshin-likes for you to look at below, a few of which may just be the game you’re looking for.
10 Fantastic Games Like Genshin Impact You’ll Get Hooked On
Listed below are the highest-tier Genshin-like games I’ve come across throughout my many years of searching for excellent alternatives.
If you’re a massive gacha gaming enthusiast or if you just like anime-style visuals and storytelling on your games, you should definitely try these ASAP!
1. Wuthering Waves [Best Genshin Impact Alternative]
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, macOS |
| Release Year | 2024 |
| Developer | Kuro Games |
Wuthering Waves boasts significantly more similarities to Genshin Impact than any other title on this list. It features 3D anime visuals, patch-by-patch story, event, and character releases, a vast world you can explore freely, intense character-swap combat, tons of side content, and a gacha system that allows players to collect new characters via in-game currency.
It’s not a 1-for-1 copy of Genshin, however. Wuthering Waves separates itself quite nicely by having a darker main plot, farmable “Echoes” that allow you to transform into monsters you encounter in combat, as well as a generally more F2P-friendly approach when it comes to the gacha and freebies.
Now I’m no Kurobot, but this game does more than a few things better than Genshin Impact, too. For instance, it has smoother exploration and movement physics, higher skill ceilings for techs on individual characters, not to mention better graphics thanks to Unreal Engine 4. Simply put, it’s one of the best open-world games that’s also a free-to-play gacha, rivalling even Genshin Impact in its own category.
2. Honkai: Star Rail [Best Turn-Based Gacha Game]
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, iOS, Android, PlayStation 5 |
| Release Year | 2023 |
| Developer | miHoYo |
Honkai: Star Rail is one of miHoYo’s current top three earners, along with Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, with HSR in particular shooting way past $1,000,000,000 in total revenue as of this writing. These numbers reflect this game’s quality accurately, I think, considering how much better it is than most other turn-based RPGs in terms of game mechanics and visual appeal.
Its eye-catching, strategic turn-based combat aside, the number one selling point Honkai: Star Rail has is its phenomenal story and cinematics. There are lots of great movies based on video games already out there, but I think a film based on the Trailblazer’s adventures as they travel aboard the Astral Express has the potential to blow them all away.
If you think you’d be up for a turn-based anime RPG with a fantastic, lengthy narrative, then you’ll absolutely LOVE this game.
3. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 [Best Story-Driven Anime Game With Party Combat]
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch |
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Developer | Monolith Soft |
Now that we’ve covered a couple of live-service gacha games, how about a single-player action RPG game with anime-style graphics, incredible voice acting, and a party-centric combat system – all without tempting microtransactions?
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 will scratch that Genshin itch for those of you who’d like to limit your monthly purchases, as gachas can get quite expensive real fast. Its previous installment, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, does have a gacha system in the form of the Blade Resonance mechanic, so you may consider playing that before this one if you still need your gacha fix.
The lack of a gacha system aside, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is every bit as enjoyable as its predecessors and even Genshin Impact, rocking cool 3D anime graphics and action-packed, real-time party combat – both of which it does significantly better than the previous games.
4. Persona 5 [Best Anime Game With Captivating Characters]
| Platforms | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Release Year | 2016 |
| Developer | P-Studio |
Persona 5 is a traditional JRPG that combines dungeon crawler, turn-based combat, and social simulation mechanics into one, outstanding package, making it distinctly unique compared to other games similar to Genshin Impact. It’s also one of the best-selling RPGs of all time, surpassing 10,000,000 copies back in 2024.
While other RPGs mainly focus on monster battles and such, in Persona 5, you get to take part-time jobs, go out on dates with other characters, and do schoolwork – all while a grand, well-written main plot slowly unfolds as you play along. All of that is in addition to the monster-slaying, of course, as this game does have an engaging party-based combat system to go along with its slice-of-life elements.
If you’re into dungeon crawler games and see yourself enjoying social-sim mechanics that’ll let you connect with several Genshin-esque, vibrant characters, then heads up – you’ve just found your next favorite game!
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Best Game for Open World Exploration]
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Nintendo Switch 2 |
| Release Year | 2017 |
| Developer | Nintendo EPD |
Who would’ve known that the game Genshin Impact was accused of being a “clone” of would be on this list? Sarcasm aside, it’s not really that hard to see why the well-regarded gacha game has drawn plenty of comparisons with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
From its implementation of stimulating, creative puzzles to its breathtaking open world aesthetics, this game had such an influence on Genshin Impact that miHoYo developers themselves admitted that they were inspired by it.
Offering hours of quality story, a dynamic combat system, and an excellently interactive open world, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild showcased the bright future of the series at the time. Preferences aside, it’ll be a breath of fresh, yet familiar air for gacha players who want to experience a game so good that it inspired one of the most popular titles in their favorite genre.
6. Tales of Arise [Best Action JRPG Like Genshin Impact]
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Release Year | 2021 |
| Developer | Bandai Namco Studios |
Tales of Arise stands out as one of the best JRPG games released this decade, thanks to its incredible story about revolution, top-notch anime graphics, and a combat system that’s centered around elemental combos and team synergies.
Despite not being fully open-world, this game has several large maps with unique biomes and lots of sub-quests, which is just fantastic if you like completing quests and exploring content that are largely unrelated to the main plot, yet expand the game’s lore and world-building just as well.
Moreover, just like how it is for most games in the Tales franchise, the well-written characters in Tales of Arise really sell the game for me. I just love how fleshed out they are compared to your run-of-the-mill JRPGs, which is always a huge plus.
7. Tower of Fantasy [Best Gacha MMORPG]
| Platforms | Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 |
| Release Year | 2022 |
| Developer | Hotta Studio |
In Tower of Fantasy, players explore a massive open world with other players visible on the map, effectively making this title a gacha MMORPG. This was quite a welcome surprise in the anime gacha genre upon its release date, as even Genshin Impact only has co-op support and can’t really be considered a true MMO.
It has a real-time combat system focusing on weapon swaps instead of Genshin’s character switching, as you only control one unit and pull for weapons in this game. You do get the character model that a specific weapon you pulled belongs to, but it’s just mostly cosmetics. You can ignore them entirely and play as your customizable main character with any weapon.
In case you’re looking for a more “social” alternative to Genshin Impact that has seamless multiplayer modes and PVP, Tower of Fantasy will certainly fill that void for you.
8. Zenless Zone Zero [Best Hoyoverse Game With Deep Combat Mechanics]
| Platforms | Windows, iOS, Android, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Release Year | 2024 |
| Developer | miHoYo |
For those of you who like HoYo’s brand of storytelling, art style, and production value for gacha games, then you’re bound to enjoy this urban-themed action RPG just as much as the players who stuck with it despite its lukewarm reception – present company included.
Unlike Genshin Impact and all other similar games, Zenless Zone Zero is a lot more respectful of your time. I, for one, can vouch for it being less grindy and more generous with pull currencies than most other gacha games, and I’ve played a lot.
Ultimately, this is the gacha I’d recommend to those of you who prefer challenging combat, impactful counterplays, and strategic team-building, but don’t have much time for extensive open-world games. It has a well-written main story and lots of side quests, too, not to mention a whole host of expressive characters that you’ll get to socialize with through ZZZ’s Quality Time social-sim feature.
9. Final Fantasy XIV [Best MMORPG Like Genshin Impact]
| Platforms | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, macOS |
| Release Year | 2010 |
| Developer | Square Enix |
Want to play a Genshin-like, non-gacha multiplayer game with your friends? If so, then Final Fantasy XIV is your best bet, considering that it’s the biggest MMO that rocks that similar anime feel and (mostly) light-hearted narrative that Genshin has.
You’ll especially like Final Fantasy XIV if you prefer a more “hardcore” level of co-op, as FFXIV has a pretty steep learning curve due to how many macros and combat mechanics you’ll have to familiarize yourself with compared to other games on this list.
Nevertheless, I highly recommend trying this one out due to its terrific storyline alone, which spans across multiple expansions. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of fun with this one, especially considering just how much content you’ll have ahead of you if you start playing now.
10. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom [Best Anime Game with Outstanding Visuals]
| Platforms | Nintendo Switch, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X/S |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Developer | Level-5 |
Games inspired by Studio Ghibli’s art style generally excel in terms of anime visuals (no surprise there), and while Level-5 didn’t collaborate directly with the studio as they did in the first game, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is still an impressive sequel that sports that classic, Ghibli-style graphics that’s just a treat to look at.
Here, instead of pulling for characters through a gacha system, you collect cute little Higgledies that use elemental attacks in combat by discovering them as you explore the huge open world or via crafting. No elemental reactions here, I’m afraid, but their incorporation definitely adds some strategic depth to NNK II’s character-swapping combat style.
This game is a must-play if you’re a fan of Genshin’s vibrant 3D anime visuals. I’m sure you’ll enjoy Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack here, too, which really brings out that whimsical, fairy tale-esque vibe that Genshin Impact also has.
How To Choose a Genshin Impact Alternative?
Want to see if a game will satisfy your cravings as a Genshin Impact fan? Here are all the elements that you should keep an eye on if you want to find good titles that are similar to it:
1. Open-World Exploration
Genshin Impact has a massive open world with tons of exploration features such as gliding, puzzles, combat challenges, chests, world bosses, side quests, and more. Hence, open-world games full of things you can actually interact with and explore freely should likely pique your interest.
Here are five open-world games that didn’t quite make my list, but are very solid titles that you should consider trying out as a Genshin enjoyer:
- Infinity Nikki
- Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Azur Promilia [UPCOMING]
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
- Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
2. Action Combat
One of the best features Genshin has is how dynamic its combat is, despite having the typical Hypercarry/Sub-DPS/Support setup. For the most part, this is due to characters having different kits and the Elemental Reaction system, which incentivizes players to optimize their rotations, teambuilding, and micros.
On that note, if you enjoy Genshin Impact’s brand of combat, you should look for games that feature:
- Strategic, party-based combat (Real-time character-swapping is ideal but not required)
- Parrying and/or dodging (Basically any game that allows you to counterplay)
- Unique battle mechanics (e.g., Wuthering Waves’ Echo transformations/summons, Xenoblade Chronicles 3’s Fusion Arts, HSR’s Weakness Breaks)
3. Gacha System
You either love it or you don’t, but Genshin Impact’s gacha system is what keeps a huge chunk of its playerbase hooked in the first place. After all, what’s a great story, incredible graphics, and beautifully crafted maps compared to that high you get when you win a 50/50 or bag your favorite character in just a few pulls?
If you live for the thrill of the RNG, then I recommend trying these anime-style games with gacha systems that aren’t on my list:
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (single-player, no IAPs)
- Arknights: Endfield
- Aether Gazer
- Honkai Impact 3rd
- Punishing: Gray Raven
- Sword Art Online: Variant Showdown
- Epic Seven
Mobile games, in particular, have tons of titles in the gacha genre readily available, so feel free to visit your phone’s app store if you want more games like these. Just remember to spend responsibly!
4. Anime Aesthetics
Another crucial aspect of Genshin Impact that most players are likely attracted to is its anime-themed art style and storytelling, which adds a certain whimsical charm to the characters, lore, and of the game.
Luckily for you, there are a lot of titles with these traits. My advice? Look into JRPG games, as you’d likely find your next favorite game straight from the source.
5. Story and Characters
Finally, a good Genshin-like must have, at the very least, good storytelling and captivating characters that you can connect with.
In which case, RPGs with mostly light-hearted plots that also have streaks of high-stakes action and more serious themes in between should be right up your alley. Again, JRPGs, in general, closely resemble Genshin’s style of storytelling and character tropes, so I recommend starting your search there.
FAQs
What game is most like Genshin Impact?
The game that’s most like Genshin Impact is Wuthering Waves, which is an open-world action RPG that offers a largely similar gacha system, world-building, storytelling, character designs, combat mechanics, and overall gameplay feel. Additionally, it’s also a multi-platform, free-to-play game that you can play on almost any device without spending any money, and has better physics, visuals, and F2P economy than most other gacha games on the market.
What makes a game similar to Genshin Impact?
Games that are similar to Genshin Impact typically have either an extensive open-world exploration system, an action-packed, party-centric combat, a gacha system for collectible characters and weapons, anime aesthetics, or an overarching, plot-driven narrative with an engaging cast of characters. Most of all, games that are often compared to Genshin Impact are all incredibly fun titles in their own right, offering multiple hours of exciting gameplay for you to enjoy.
