Anime has undoubtedly boomed in the last two decades or so, so much so that there’s hardly any shortage of anime games based on our favorite shows like One Piece, Dragon Ball, and Naruto originals like Project QT, Archeblade, and Gunz. Whether you’re interested in role-playing games, puzzle-solving, fighting, or shooting, we’ve got an anime game for just about everything you like in this article.
In this write-up, we’ve listed some of our favorite anime games available on Android mobile devices, and the best part is that some of them are free-to-play. Strap yourself in for some of the coolest handheld games based on your favorite manga or animated television series.
1. Project QT
We start this list with one of our favorite titles in Project QT. This puzzle-based RPG game that is free-to-play and offers a combination of puzzle game mechanics with enticing RPG elements.
The story revolves around, saving humanity from a terrible virus that has wrapped the world in its clutches. So, to save the planet, you must arm yourself with the greatest weapons around beautiful monster girls. Players will send their characters into battle in an environment that fuses turn-based combat and intriguing puzzles.
Every fighter that you choose in Project QT starts off with a 1-star ranking. Fortunately, each of those characters is upgradeable, allowing you to improve them up to a 5-star rating. The more you increase the characteristics of your character, the more formidable they will be in battle. Of course, it’s all about incorporating the right attacks to best your foes since this is an RPG game. In other words, don’t rely simply on button-mashing all the time.
Due to a distinct lack of clothing for the characters, this game is more suited to an 18+ audience.
2. Bleach: Brave Souls
One of the most popular shounen series in Bleach may have come to an end, but the love of the characters and their abilities linger on in fanfiction, especially in mobile games such as Bleach: Brave Souls. Since its 2017 release, the game has only gotten more popular with its fanbase as it has been downloaded over 40 million times.
The game is a real-time, beat ’em up action game that also includes RPG elements and features a story, PVP, and PVE mode. Despite its being a free-to-play title, it contains items and costumes that need to be purchased in-game with real money. It would’ve been a turnoff had these purchases not help players progress through the game quicker.
There are over hundreds of unique characters with their special abilities to unlock and level up. But what makes this game truly one for the fans is that the series creator himself, Tite Kubo, has made several images for various character versions in the game, especially those for the official spinoff sequel Can Fear Your Own World.
What’s even more interesting is that the game features storylines and characters from the final arc of the manga series, Thousand-Year Blood War, which is long overdue for an anime adaptation, and that’s what fans are finally going to get in 2021.
3. Attack on Titan Tactics
At this point, it is not even possible for any anime and manga fans to not know what Attack on Titan is and why 2020 is highly touted when it comes to the highly anticipated final season of the anime.
This game was developed by the same people behind Final Fantasy Record Keeper and Pokemon Masters, DeNA. However, unlike those two games, this one is a strategy RPG with elements of gacha (capsule-toy vending machine).
As the player, you get to collect several characters from the manga and anime series to take out the antagonistic titans. The game is based on the events of the anime’s first season which is where some of the coolest scenes of the series had transpired. It’s great for those who are looking for a shot of nostalgia and for those who have just gotten in on the action.
The mechanics are quite simple to comprehend and fun to use, except when it comes to upgrading them. For this, plenty of duplicates are required to upgrade the battle units. But if you want to progress through the game quicker and be able to handle the more challenging areas, then you best get ready for one heck of a grind with this one.
4. Azur Lane
This is a solid entry for waifu-fanatics everywhere. Azur Lane is a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up developed by Chinese game companies Xiamen Yongshi and Shanghai Manjuu. The game is set in an alternate World War 2 timeline and incorporates a mix of 2D shooter, tactical and RPG elements combined into one beautifully-animated game.
The players collect characters that are known to be moe anthropomorphic variations of WW2 warships (otherwise known as ‘shipgirls’). The shipgirls are from the Royal Navy, the United States Navy, Kriegsmarine, and the Imperial Japanese Navy among so many others. Your job is to organize these ships into six fleets in order to confront and combat enemy ships. You get to switch between manually and AI-controlled battles, whichever way you like.
To make the game more interesting, there are over 300 ships for you to unlock, each with their own unique skills and stats and beautiful humanoid representation, of course.
5. Naruto: Slugfest
And lastly, we talk about another all-time classic shounen favorites in the form of Naruto: Slugfest. Master several fictional ninjutsu arts in this incredible 3D open-world MMORPG.
The plot of Naruto: Slugfest is based on the Naruto Shippuden world where Naruto returns after his two-year training under Jiraiya.
In this game, you control a customized character from any one of the four unique classes: Earth Keeper, Blazing Lotus, Wind Shooter, and Thunder Assassin. Like other RPG games, you must finish your missions to unlock new moves, costumes, and equipment.
Conclusion
From Project QT to Naruto, there’s a buffet of anime-based games out there just waiting for players like you to try them out. So, what are you waiting for?