Summary
The truth is,Gacha gamesare not for everyone. The idea behind a Gacha game is for the player to spend money in the game. They do this via various means, the most successful being character pulls. Due to this seemingly predatory nature, Gacha games are sometimes seen as inferior to other games and gimmicky to the extreme.
While this is true in some instances, there are quite a number of Gacha games that haveproven to be exceptional gamesboth in terms of gameplay and story elements. Some Gacha games have incredible stories that have kept players and fans hooked for years and should be tried out by more people.
Updated on May 21, 2025, by Famutimi Oluwafemi:The world of gacha is ever expanding, and new games are being added to the genre all the time. Impressively, the stories have only gotten better and deeper, and it would be a shame not to highlight some of those great gems. So, here are some excellent gacha games to scratch the story itch, updated with a handful of new entries that show the broad range of storytelling is this new but rapidly-growing genre.
Engine
Unity
Reverse: 1999is a beautiful game that pulls the player in with its distinct visuals andinteresting combat system. It also did something a little different as the story is not the typical apocalyptic tale of doom and woe (there’s still a lot of doom and woe) and instead creates a world falling in reverse and divided between magic users and regular people.
As the story progresses, players are sucked into a world that will remind any Harry Potter fans of the series and the mechanics of the earth there. A lot ofReverse: 1999’scharm comes from its impeccable presentation and it makes it one of the most unique Gacha games out there.
Arknightscame out worldwide in 2020 and is aTower Defence gamethat requires quite a lot of strategy to progress smoothly. It has a lot of characters with their rarity going as high as 6-stars and a lot of content both for the daily grind and the endgame.
The lore ofArknightsis surprisingly deep and revolves around the use of the mineral, Originium. Originium is central to life on the planet Terra (where the game is situated) and also the cause of the deadly Oripathy. The player who controls and amnesiac doctor, is in control of a band of people who are searching for a cure to Oripathy while facing off against the tyrannical government of Terra and infected individuals.
Limbus Companycame out in 2023 with little to no fanfare. However, the reputation of its developer—Project Moon—is stellar. They are a South Korean outfit responsible for some really great titles, includingLobotomy CorporationandLibrary Of Ruina. The game borrows heavily from classic literary pieces likeDante’s InfernoandMoby Dick.
Limbus Companyis a turn-based RPG that doesn’t slack on difficulty, but where it shines the most is in its story. Like some other titles, Project Moon has created a seamless story that flows fromLobotomy CorporationandLibrary Of Ruina,focusing on the 12 ‘Sinners’ who have to explore the ruins of the Lobotomy Corporation.
WhileGenshin Impacthas been their breakout game, Mihoyo (now Hoyoverse) have been making games for quite a while and made a bit of a splash withHonkai Impact 3rd.HI3as it is commonly called tells the story of how humanity with the help of Herschers and mechs are fighting against the Honkai.
The depth of story forHI3is made stronger by the fact that it shares a universe with the other Hoyoverse games all of which starts with the World Tree. For newcomes, the sheer amount of information to absorb might be overwhelming, but for lovers of great storytelling and lore,Honkai Impactis a great pick to play.
The player starts life as a sensei tasked with bringing order to the academic city of Kivotos. Kivotos is filled with several races, including humans and robots, and is also home to several rival schools and many other odd features. The world of Kivotos involves tank battles in the streets and gun-toting girls ready to shoot each other up.
Blue Archivefinds its charm in the ‘cute girls doing cute things’ niche where the idea of young teenagers robbing banks and engaging in interschool warfare is somewhat amusing. That said, the story is engaging and the deeper the player dives into it, the more rewarding it becomes.
CounterSidewas also released in 2020 by STUDIOBSIDE and is a game with a unique combat style that feels more like a tug of war than anything else.CounterSidehas a similar story to a lot of Gacha games in that there is something threatening humanity and a set of people are on hand to stop it.
What setsCounterSideapart is how well the story is told and how attached they are able to make people feel about the characters. There is a camaraderie among the counters (the powerful beings who fight against the corrupted objects) that make them very relatable and lovable. The animation also makes the more touching aspects of thestory hard-hitting.
Kong Studios, Kakao Games, Yostar
Genres
Adventure game, Puzzle Video Game, Action role-playing game, Shooter Video Game
The story ofGuardian Talesis deceptively deep. The player controls a knight of Kanterbury, and is responsible for saving the kingdom from the clutches of invaders who would destroy everything. The story has its twists and turns and is chock-full of humorous moments to get players invested.
The graphics are charming, with a top-down view reminiscent of older games like the earlyZeldatitles. Players can summon characters, who are then delivered in a package via a drone, which might not do anything special, but its pretty neat.
Android, iOS
Path To Nowhereboasts a great story, engaging characters, and some slick design. The game is absolutely beautiful to look at and from the art, one can tell that the story could get pretty dark.
Path To Nowhereis set in a rather grim world which isn’t uncommon with a fair few Gacha games, but the player is particularly exposed to the bleak atmosphere through the characters they have to use. Called Sinners, these individuals are people affected by the disease called Mania. As the player gets deeper,Path To Nowhereceases to be anArknights ripoffto become something unique.
HoYoverse has a way of crafting dark stories and themes beneath a seemingly playful exterior, and in 2024’sZenless Zone Zero (ZZZ)they were at it again. The game follows a pair of siblings who are proxies; guides through extraordinary planes known as Hollows. In typical Gacha fashion, the cast is vast, each with different interests and motivations.
On top of a strong story, the game is also satisfying and rewarding with its deceptively simple battle mechanics, which require players to dodge and parry where necessary. The vibrant world of New Eridu is also home to several idiosyncratic characters that fans are sure to fall in love with.
Punishing: Gray Ravenis a Chinese Gacha game made by Kuro Games who most recently releasedWuthering Waves.Punishing: Gray Ravenis one of the friendlier Gacha games as it allows players guaranteed banners which means they can adequately plan for some characters.
The story is also a high point as it takes the typical post-apocalyptic storyline involving the conquering of Earth and really builds on it. Also, due to having fewer charactersPGRis able to zero in on the cast and tell their stories in-depth. Like most Gacha games it takes a while to get going, but once it does, it is a rewarding experience.
