Summary
- Tower of Fantasy is a free, open-world MMORPG with diverse anime characters and continuous updates.
- Girls Frontline 2: Exillum offers a tactical, turn-based RPG experience with unique characters and fan service.
- Sword of Convallaria is a narrative-rich gacha RPG with interactive environments and classic gameplay elements.
The gacha game space is growing rapidly, with new releases becoming increasingly frequent as the small pool of content expands into a flood of entertainment. Gacha games are a class of games, usually RPGs, that allow players to experience a narrative-rich game while collecting custom-crafted characters by engaging with chance-based systems similar to loot boxes.
Gacha games offer a unique experience that allows players to challenge and interact with the game in their own way, choosing which characters they use and how they play. A wave of these titles have become available on Steam recently, which are worth some attention for fans of the genre. Here are some of the best free-to-play gacha games on Steam, ranked.
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7 Tower Of Fantasy
An Expansive Multiplayer Online Experience
Tower of Fantasy
- Released
- August 11, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
Tower of Fantasy is one of the newest gacha games on the list, having made its debut just a few years ago. Marching forward with a shared world experience, the game merges the genres of MMO and gacha RPG.
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Tower of Fantasy delivers a massive open-world game set in a futuristic techno-punk theme, featuring a diverse array of characters with unique combat capabilities, designs, and narrative significance. The game receives continuous updates and crossovers, with its recent crossover being with Neon Genesis Evangelion.
6 Girls Frontline 2: Exillum
An Enhanced Sequel To A Fan-Favorite Franchise
Girls' Frontline 2: Exilium
- Released
- December 3, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG, Tactical RPG
Girls Frontline 2: Exillum is a 3D tactical, turn-based, and grid-based RPG that sends players through scenarios where they must overcome enemy presence or defend specific locations on the map using specialized units. Mixing elements of gacha, RPGs, and third-person shooters, Girls Frontline 2: Exillum is an interesting mix that is sure to entertain.
The game features an extensive roster of unique and beautifully crafted characters that serve both a functional purpose and a fair amount of fan service. Players must assemble and upgrade a powerful squad, utilizing their environment and tactical prowess to complete challenging missions.
5 Sword Of Convallaria
A Gorgeous Narrative-Rich RPG
Sword of Convallaria
- Released
- August 1, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- nr
- Developer(s)
- XD
- Genre(s)
- Tactical RPG
Sword of Convallaria is a turn-based RPG with gacha elements, similar to Fire Emblem Heroes, that also features a color-based combat system. Players embark on a magical story of rebellion, corruption, and a war against the powers that be. This title incorporates classic RPG graphics and gameplay elements, such as turn-based and grid-based combat, and also innovates with interactive environments and features. It's one of the most interesting and unique gacha games on Steam, and is well worth playing.
4 Honkai Impact 3rd
The Pillar Of The Mihoyo Universe
Honkai Impact 3rd
- Released
- October 14, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Honkai Impact 3rd is one of the main lines of games from HoYoverse, the developer responsible for other gacha games such as Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zer o. Honkai Impact 3rd is the oldest of the previous games, but has sustained a sizable player base and receives consistent updates and characters.
Like most HoYoverse games, Honkai Impact 3rd is an anime-stylized RPG that has players take on the role of a Captain, who works alongside powerful allies to combat the Honaki, a deadly force that turns humans into monsters. The game features flashy and responsive third-person combat, with a wide variety of characters that fit multiple archetypes, including ranged, melee, and caster roles.
3 Genshin Impact
A Flagship Title Of The Genre
Genshin Impact
- Released
- September 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
One of HoYoverse's crowning releases is Genshin Impact, which became one of the most popular games on PlayStation upon its release. This title offers a massive open-world experience infused with elements of top RPGs, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
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Players step into the role of the Traveler, a being from another dimension who seeks to find their missing sibling. As players progress through the story, they will traverse stunning territories with widely unique architecture and enemy types. Genshin Impact continues to receive frequent updates and has a roster of over one hundred characters that players can obtain.
2 Reverse: 1999
A Supernatural-Focused RPG With Unique Combat
Reverse: 1999
- Released
- October 26, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 12+
- Developer(s)
- Bluepoch
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Tactical, Visual Novel
Reverse: 1999 combines gacha elements with an incredibly distinct art style, a unique world setting, and turn-based, card-based combat. When a catastrophic magical event plunges society into chaos, players must find the source of the calamity and save time itself.
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An event called the Storm has begun to reverse time, regressing society and threatening all of existence. As the Time Keeper, players collect powerful allies called Arcanums and fight against paranormal monsters to get to the bottom of the mystery and repair the world. Reverse: 1999 features a unique action-point-based combat system that will keep players engaged with the various effects available in the game.
1 Wuthering Waves
An Action-Packed Open-World With Breathtaking Visuals And Story
Wuthering Waves
- Released
- May 22, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Kuro Games
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
Wuthering Waves is an open-world action RPG developed by Kuro Games, the same developers behind Punishing Gray Raven. The game offers a stunning environment that is continually expanding and features multiple locations for players to explore.
The combat of Wuthering Waves is akin to Devil May Cry, and features a low entry point with a high skill ceiling. The design of both the world and the characters is unlike that of other gacha games, seamlessly blending fantasy, futurism, and modern-day architecture and designs in a satisfying way. Wuthering Waves is quickly becoming one of the best gacha games on the market, and for fans of the genre, a must-play.
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