What are the best gacha games? A spiritual successor to coin-operated gachapon machines, gacha games take the joy of capsule toys and translate them into a live-service videogame format where players wish on banners to pull their favorite characters. Whether you love to hate them or hate to love them, gacha games are here to stay, and we’ve got the top picks for you.
The best gacha games balance the low barrier to entry that comes from a free PC game with reasonable odds when pulling for premium characters, so that you can still have fun without being coerced into opening your wallet. We’ve also endeavored to include gacha games on this list that deliver engaging stories and gameplay alongside the built-in gambling mechanics. From massive open-world games to time-travelling card games, there’s a gacha on this list that’s perfect for you.
The best gacha games in 2024 are:
Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero is the latest offering from gacha giant HoYoverse that follows in the footsteps of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. However, this urban RPG brings an all-new approach to the table, setting aside the galactic sci-fi and high fantasy to embrace urban living with a twist. ZZZ is primed to capture the hearts of Persona fans, though our Zenless Zone Zero preview also explores its unlikely connections to triple-A fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and 0ff-beat old games like Digimon World.
Our Zenless Zone Zero review praises its “slick, responsive combat” along with its “style, substance, and genre diversification.” However, all the core hallmarks of gacha games are here. We’ve got the usual spread of characters just waiting to be pulled from Zenless Zone Zero banners, and our Zenless Zone Zero tier list is already feeling the effects of this ever-expanding roster. Redeem the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes and ZZZ events, build a powerful team of eclectic characters, then delve into dangerous Hollows to complete commissions. New Eridu awaits!
Play Zenless Zone Zero for free.
Genshin Impact
A definitive list of the best gacha games wouldn’t be complete without Genshin Impact. While Hoyoverse’s flagship title is by no means the first of its kind, it is the one that catapulted the formula into the mainstream and made it an emergent genre for international audiences. What sets Genshin Impact apart from its competitors is Hoyoverse’s dedication to telling an engaging story set in an open world that captures the spirit of Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild with its sweeping, cel-shaded landscapes.
However, Genshin Impact’s main draw is by far its characters, as Hoyoverse deftly avoids the ‘waifu collector’ factor endemic in gacha games that can put off some players. While the appeal is certainly there, Genshin Impact’s diverse cast of characters sport a more family-friendly design, and their sparkling personalities are the major attraction when pulling them in Genshin Impact banners. HoYoverse is also fairly generous with Genshin Impact codes that offer plenty of primogems to pull the best characters on our Genshin Impact tier list without spending a cent. There are also plenty of Genshin Impact events to provide a welcome break from blasting through the main story or crafting the best Genshin Impact builds.
Honkai Star Rail
HoYoverse is widely regarded as the current reigning gacha game developer, so it should be no surprise that Honkai Star Rail also makes this list. The latest entry to the Honkai series isn’t a direct sequel, though fans of Honkai Impact 3rd might find some familiar faces among the cast of Honkai Star Rail characters. Instead, this brand-new interstellar adventure offers a more approachable entry point for players new to the series. Its turn-based game combat system delivers a very different experience to Genshin Impact, though it doesn’t stray far from the core HoYoverse formula that we all love so much.
If you’re ready to begin your trailblazing journey, we’ve got plenty of Honkai Star Rail codes to help you get a headstart on pulling the best units from Honkai Star Rail banners. Check out our Honkai Star Rail tier list if you need some help working out who the best characters are. We’ve also got a full breakdown of the next Honkai Star Rail update if you want to get up to speed with the latest characters, events, and story developments.
Play Honkai Star Rail for free.
Infinity Nikki
Developer Infold Games has already cornered the mobile market with its dress-up game series, but Nikki’s first foray on PC has been a runaway watch. An open-world game that takes its cue from Genshin Impact and Breath of the Wild, Infinity Nikki sees the pink-haired fashionista transported into the fantastical Miraland. With her best pal Momo, Nikki must become a top-tier stylist and collect Miracle Outfits to save the world.
If that sounds like too much effort, don’t fret – Miraland is chock-full of whimsical activities that would fit right at home in games like Animal Crossing. If you’re tired of following the main story, you can go fishing, catch bugs, and even groom animals. Take part in Infinity Nikki events, challenge other stylists to fashion-based battles, and pack out your wardrobe with exquisite outfits pulled from Infinity Nikki banners. Don’t forget to redeem Infinity Nikki codes for a headstart once you finally begin your journey in Miraland.
AFK Journey
AFK Journey is one of the younger contenders on our list, but don’t underestimate it. This fantasy RPG game is set in a magical storybook world populated by elvish rangers, valiant knights, and spell-slinging mages who engage in turn-based combat across an open-world map.
Gacha game fans might recognize AFK Journey as the sequel to AFK Arena, though there are some major differences between the two. For one thing, AFK Journey is less of an idle game than its predecessor, offering plenty of side quests and exploration rewards that diverge from the main campaign. The AFK Journey team comps also demand a more strategic approach, with AFK Journey artifacts to improve your favorite characters. If you’re new to Esperia, our AFK Journey tier list can help you identify the best units in its impressive roster, and we’ve got plenty of AFK Journey codes to help you pull them.
Wuthering Waves
Wuthering Waves is the latest gacha game from Kuro Games, the developer behind Punishing: Gray Raven. After a global catastrophe known as The Lament inexplicably brings the world to ruin, humanity attempts to rebuild despite the endless hordes of monsters that now roam free. The anime game‘s protagonist, Rover, is an amnesiac “Resonator” capable of fighting these monsters, though they’ll need a team of allies to help them on their journey to restore their memories.
Our Wuthering Waves GDC interview reveals how the studio uses its ample experience crafting dynamic and responsive combat systems to offer “a more refreshing take on the genre.” Kuro Games also brings their generous approach to gacha in Wuthering Waves banners, so that players won’t be stuck on the endless grind to unlock all the Wuthering Waves characters in the roster. Our Wuthering Waves tier list can help you decide who to pull for, but you’ll need Wuthering Waves codes to help you beat the odds.
Limbus Company
Limbus Company is one of the few recent gacha games that eschew the HoYoverse formula in favor of a turn-based brawler replete with eldritch horrors. A spin-off title from Lobotomy Corporation, Limbus Company drops you right into the thick of ProjectMoon’s off-beat monster management sim as an executive manager to a team of so-called Sinners.
Your mission is to descend into the metropolitan remnants below the facility to retrieve the Golden Boughs and exploit their power. Master the unique skills of each Sinner to survive deadly skirmishes with Abnormalities and further the story in this unique blend of cyberpunk and Lovecraft. Limbus Company is also very generous to its F2P audience, making it a great entry-level gacha game for players new to the genre.
Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis
Ever Crisis is the perfect opportunity for FF7 Remake fans to dip their toe into the gacha game experience. This abridged version of FF7 and Crisis Core charts the major events from both games, while also delving into the murky origin story of a young and troubled Sephiroth.
Unlike most gacha games, you won’t be wishing on banners to unlock the likes of Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith. Instead, you unlock characters for free as you progress through the story, while their signature weapons and gear are up for grabs on those banners. Combat takes the staple elements of FF7’s combat system, and players can also benefit from quality-of-life features like auto mode and battle speed to keep each battle swift and snappy. You can even join forces with your friends in online co-op to take on powerful bosses like Ifrit and Ramuh.
Arknights
If you’re looking for a gacha game that’s a bit different, Arknights is a top-down tactical tower defense game that involves sending operators into sequential battle stages to take out enemies before they can infiltrate your base. Developer Hypergryph bucks the trend of casual gacha games, offering deep strategy where a single misplay can decide a match.
That said, as challenging as it may be, F2P users can clear all content without resorting to premium avenues. Its 300-strong character roster offers a blend of anthropomorphic and kemonomimi characters, from bunny-eared scientists to conniving rat kings, and this sheer diversity guarantees that there’s a favorite for every kind of player. They also assist with the base-building feature between combat operations, maintaining the facilities you install to help make them stronger.
Reverse 1999
Reverse 1999 is a time-bending tactical gacha game set in the 20th Century, though when is the big question thanks to the temporal storm that reverses time, destroying everything in its wake. As the Timekeeper, you are the only one able to brave the storm and survive, making it your job to uncover the cause behind this supernatural phenomenon.
However, you won’t be going it alone. You can recruit a team of fellow Arcanists to join you on your mission, with the best and the brightest appearing on limited-time banners, naturally. Reverse 1999’s card-based combat system should be a big draw for TCG fans, with various incantation types and rock-paper-scissors type effectiveness similar to Genshin Impact elements and games like Pokemon. While it’s not the most F2P-friendly gacha game of the bunch, its character design and world presentation will be a huge draw for history buffs – and we’ve got plenty of Reverse 1999 codes to offset that cost.
Punishing: Gray Raven
Punishing: Gray Raven is a spectacle fighter that marries visual novel storytelling with hack-and-slash combat. As the Commandant of an elite squad, you must fight back against the hostile mechanoids determined to wipe out humanity in a series of combat stages.
Punishing: Gray Raven also has a reputation for generous banner odds, so if you’re determined to stick to a free-to-play model, this could well be the best gacha game for you. Alternatively, if you’re a long-time fan but you’re looking for something new, take a gander up this list at Wuthering Waves to discover the latest gacha from Kuro Games.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke
Goddess of Victory: Nikke’s reputation precedes it, with excellent assets (ahem) that make it the de facto ‘waifu collector’ gacha game. There are more knee-high socks and miniskirts than you could shake a stick at – especially if that stick has the jiggle physics to match. Titillating characters aside, it doesn’t change the fact that Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a genuinely good gacha game that offers something quite a bit different from other entries on this list. In short, it’s a 2D static shooter that delivers casual real-time strategy, as your elite squad of beautiful ladies takes to the battlefield to fend off waves of hostile robots.
Goddess of Victory: Nikke’s roster is already impressive, and you can even tag in your favorite women from other popular media, such as Makima in the Goddess of Victory Nikke Chainsaw Man collaboration or 2B in the Nier Automata collaboration. If you like Shift Up’s style, it’d be remiss of us not to mention Stellar Blade; it’s not a gacha game, but if you like Goddess of Victory: Nikke, odds are it’ll be well worth your time.
Now that you’ve got your next best gacha game lined up, check out our list of the upcoming PC games to watch out in future, including Ananta (otherwise known as Project Mugen) and Blue Protocol’s unlikely revival as Star Resonance, . We’ve also got some excellent recommendations for JRPG games if you’d prefer to ditch the gacha model altogether.