Players who want to spice up their gaming experience may want to consider trying the gacha genre. This genre primarily focuses on “collecting” characters via special currencies in the hopes of using their special skills to get ahead in the game. The gacha genre can sometimes be overwhelming, with titles such as Genshin Impact, Arknights, Nikke, and Fate/Grand Order taking the lead as some of the genre’s more popular but also more complex titles.
With the gacha genre’s luck element tied heavily into probable spending, it’s reasonable for players to feel hesitant trying their hand in the genre for the first time. However, beginners willing to take the first step and begin having fun with the prospect of character collecting may want to start their gacha adventures with more newcomer-friendly titles.
Updated August 4, 2023, by Rhenn Taguiam: Between gacha giant Genshin Impact about to release the massive Sumeru continent and mainstays like Arknights remaining relevant with constant releases, newcomers to the genre may find it difficult to enter the gacha scene with the many games available for them to try out. However, curious gamers may be able to give gacha gaming a shot if they know which games to check out. In the case of newcomer accessibility, worthwhile gacha titles include a fan-service game, a straightforward action RPG, a color-matching Dragon Ball game, and MiHoYo’s newest sci-fi entry.
15 Destiny Child
Platform: Android, iOS
Gacha players may say that character designs form a significant part of any game’s appeal. Destiny Child demonstrates such as premise for newcomers to the genre. Set in the Mortal Realm, players take on the role of a lowly demon who decides to live among mortals as a part-timer in a convenience store. Sadly, they are coerced into joining the Archfiend Contest hoping to succeed Archfiend Lucifaro. Destiny Child players aim to collect the strongest Children, or familiars born out of human desires.
Destiny Child offers many elements to explore, including a comedic story and an in-depth character stats system made accessible by the game’s auto-battle feature. However, players may be dragged into Destiny Child with character art, as most units are designed for fan service. Although more intended for mature audiences, Destiny Child is a demonstration of how fan-service elements may encourage gacha players to stay in a game.
14 Epic Seven
Platform: Android, iOS
When Diche, the Goddess of Creation, started neglecting her duties after the death of her lover, Orbis, the other gods created the vicious Archdemon as punishment. Thus began the cycle of creation in Epic Seven, where Diche recreates the world with a fraction of her power every time the Archdemon destroys it. As the game's name implies, this world is at its seventh iteration. Players take on the role of the Heir of the Covenant tasked to fight the Archdemon.
This premise seems fitting for an anime plot, and Epic Seven spares no detail in giving players an immersive experience for a free-to-play gacha. Gameplay occurs in a turn-based RPG format, where the player’s four-man unit fights horde after horde of opponents. Unlike other gacha titles, Epic Seven is generous with its character acquisition. Even lower-rarity units boast unique backstories and skillsets that make them worth the investment.
13 Honkai Star Rail
Platform: Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation
Players who want to take a break from the fantasy world of Genshin Impact may consider joining the Trailblazers of the Astral Express in Honkai Star Rail. This sci-fi RPG is MiHoYo’s recent entry in the Honkai series. Characters have various stakes in a universe affected by the destructive force called the Honkai.
Honkai Star Rail is a spinoff to the Honkai series, making it an accessible title before venturing further into the franchise. Its roster of characters is different from the original games, giving players a chance to invest in them without knowing complicated backstories. Unlike other gacha titles, Star Rail has an extensive slate of mechanics for a free-to-play title. On top of its deep lore and character interactions is a turn-based combat system that can be made more convenient with intuitive auto-battle, or more tactical with manual controls.
12 Dragon Ball Dokkan Battle
Platform: Android, iOS
Although not as close to the usual fighting game adaptations of the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball Dokkan Battle is a decent starting point for new gacha players. After assembling teams of characters, players engage other squads in combat through a bubble-popping system. Dokkan Battle upgrades this color-matching mechanic to facilitate combos and buffs that characters perform just above the gaming board.
This action-packed take on color-match mechanics means players get double the satisfaction when they get a large combo, which usually entails a powerful visual sequence. Unlockable characters form the core of this game’s gacha element. Popular Dragon Ball characters (and their variants) can be grouped according to their allegiances, series appearances, and unique attributes. With 2000+ characters on the roster, players always have options to complete their favorite character groupings.
11 Mega Man X Dive
Platform: Android, iOS, PC
While most gacha titles from smaller studios resort to simple mechanics, Mega Man X Dive gives players an immersive Mega Man experience that perhaps rivals the main games. Set as a meta narrative, Mega Man X Dive tasks players to fix the growing corruption in the Deep Log, a database of Mega Man X events and characters. Players “collect” Hunter Programs, allowing them to play as various Mega Man characters to heal Deep Log’s corruption before it ruins the series’ data.
Mega Man X Dive lets players enjoy the same action-platforming mechanics that made the core franchise appealing. The gacha mechanic that allows players to collect Mega Man characters and use their unique skills is a first in the series, especially considering how Mega Man X had a limited roster of playable characters.
10 Summoners War: Sky Arena
Platform: Android, iOS
Gamers who want to try a gacha title without overwhelming may appreciate Summoners War: Sky Arena. The game itself is pretty generic fantasy, where players are summonrs called forth to assist in the war effort as the world is ravaged in nations fighting for mana crystals. However, the game makes for a great balance between generic mobile gameplay and the intensity of gacha mechanics.
Summoners War plays like a generic click-based fantasy title where players “build” an empire through random buildings and upgrades on an island. However, instead of having generic gameplay loops, the game instead tasks players to build teams of monsters in turn-based combat.
The gacha element is that Summoners War boasts more than 400 characters, some of which are elemental variations of the same unit. The game’s turn-based mechanics require players to pay attention to elemental synergies, combined with a fairly technical upgrade mechanic. Summoners War is a decent starter for those who want to get into gacha without the optional investment in character designs and an intense gameplay meta.
9 Naruto X Boruto: Ninja Voltage
Platforms: Android, iOS
Players who always wanted to be a Kage in the world of Naruto can finally do so in Naruto X Boruto: Ninja Voltage. Here, they’re in charge of their own version of Konoha where they acquire various ninjas to embark on missions. Players assemble teams of four and send them off to missions, where they can rely on manual controls or auto-battle to have their characters attack opponents on a map like an action RPG. However, what makes Ninja Voltage unlike other action RPGs is its accessibility.
While the game features separate character and skill banners, the game almost immediately provides players with almost all Naruto characters. Each character can have up to four or five skills that players can mix and match. Not all variants of the same character can equip the same skills, meaning the gacha element of the game ties to collecting techniques instead of characters themselves. This added customization introduces players to the meta aspect of the genre, which is essential for more intense gacha titles like Fate/Grand Order.
8 Dragon Ball Legends
Platforms: Android, iOS
Newcomers to the gacha genre might feel overwhelmed with the idea of having to “gamble” to acquire their favored characters should try Dragon Ball Legends. In this game, players meet meaningful but also accessible character acquisitions. Players build teams of three and fight another team of up to three characters. Punches and kicks are attached to a single button, but combat also includes dashes, teleports, Ki-Blasts, and a wide variety of deadly attacks. Those familiar with Dragon Ball will appreciate this fast-paced gameplay, as it gives the game a sense of familiarity.
However, what makes Dragon Ball Legends adequate for newcomers is its approach to gacha. Players can earn currency for summons fairly quickly, and the game’s auto-battle feature makes grinding missions less of a hassle. Not to mention, the generosity when it comes to offering bonus pulls is a relief for players nervous about their luck. Moreover, its roster of 400+ characters makes Dragon Ball Legends quite exciting. While some characters may share the same “variant,” being a different card means completely different 3D animations. This makes the game a visual delight that can make pulling worthwhile.
7 Arknights
Platforms: Android, iOS
Arknights is set in post-apocalyptic Terra after a disease known as Oripathy has either killed most of the population or transformed the infected into anthrophomorphic beings who can use Arts (magic). Players don the identity of the amnesiac Doctor to find a cure for the virus as part of Rhodes Island, a paramilitary group that is also a pharmaceutical corporation. Complicated backstory aside, Arknights is a decent gacha title for beginners because it puts its collection mechanics front and center but also in the backseat simultaneously.
Mechanics-wise, Arknights plays like a tower defense game. Players position their collected units across a battle map and use their skills to dominate the competition. However, unlike other gacha games, Arknights isn’t too strict on its meta. This is the “backseat” element, where the game allows even the barest of low-star units to take on threats, provided they are raised properly. Likewise, the gacha still shines in design and accessibility. The unique blend of kemonomimi (animal-like) and tacticool makes each character unique. The lack of complicated extra components also makes Arknights characters easier to progress, making the game accessible for beginners.
6 War Of The Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Platforms: Android, iOS
It’s not surprising for a genre as large as Final Fantasy to have a slate of mobile titles, with War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius perhaps being the more riveting entry for its intense storyline and mechanics. Set in the world of Lapis, the wartorn continent of Ardra becomes the center of conflict between two (2) brothers, Mont and Stern Leonis of the Kingdom of Leonis.
Compared to the original Brave Exvius title, which plays more like a classic Final Fantasy, War of the Visions follows a tactical approach similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. Despite its mobile format, WOTV has a deep customization system. Players can not only improve a character’s stats but also Jobs, skills, and equipment they use in combat. The game is extremely generous with its gacha component, frequently handing out opportunities to get pulls and even handing out a free UR character to new accounts. Thanks to its impressive story, Final Fantasy fans new to the gacha genre can find a sense of familiarity with WOTV.