When there’s anime, there are video games. For years, anime has been the source of some of the biggest games in the industry, from Dragon Ball FighterZ to Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm. Yet, these hits are just the tip of the iceberg. With thousands of anime produced, many stories deserve a place on our video game consoles.
One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen might be huge, familiar fan-favorites, but the genre has a variety of stories that could be transformed into a wide array of games. Whether it’s a time-traveling love story across the streets of Kyoto or a cozy slice-of-life adventure set on the Goto Islands, there are more where these anime come from. Without further ado, here are the greatest anime that never received a video game adaptation.
‘Violet Evergarden’ (2018)
After the Great War ends, Violet Evergarden follows Violet (Yui Ishikawa), a former child soldier left wounded and emotionally hollow. The last words Violet has heard are “I love you,” although she doesn’t quite understand what it means. Starting anew at CH Postal Company, she becomes an Auto Memory Doll, writing letters that gradually lead her to another chapter of her new life.
With so many video games leaning into story-driven plots these days, Violet Evergarden digs into Violet’s moral dilemma. Just because she can fight — and is skilled in everything from firearms to martial arts — doesn’t mean she should. Centered on post-war disorientation, much of Violet’s journey follows her as she tries to figure out who she is when she’s not in uniform.
‘A Place Further than the Universe’ (2018)
A Place Further Than the Universe follows Mari Tamaki (Inori Minase), a cautious high schooler desperate not to waste her youth. Her life changes after meeting Shirase Kobuchizawa (Kana Hanazawa), who is determined to travel to Antarctica to search for her missing mother. Joined by Hinata Miyake (Yuka Iguchi) and Yuzuki Shiraishi (Saori Hayami), the four girls set out on a journey toward the frozen south.
When four teens decide to do something truly extraordinary, tough choices are inevitable. Set against the vast, unforgiving expanse of Antarctica — and aboard their ship — a Place Further than the Universe gameplay would follow the girls’ adventures. Along the way, they’ll scavenge for resources, plan their journey, and learn to survive the brutal southern climate.
‘The Tatami Galaxy’ (2010)
Time-traveling gets romantic in The Tatami Galaxy. After meeting a strange god at a ramen stand, a lonely college student reflects on two wasted years spent with his troublesome friend Ozu (Hiroyuki Yoshino). Regretting his choices and missed romance with Akashi, he is repeatedly sent back to relive his college life, searching for his long-lost “rose-colored” campus experience.
Unlike most traditional anime, The Tatami Galaxy has a more sentimental and beautifully drawn style that would translate well into video games. With its time-jumping story, players get to restart different life paths based on what they think is the right choice. As the unnamed protagonist wanders around the streets of Kyoto, players must search for love in campuses, dorms, bars, and other nooks and crannies.
‘Anohana: The Flower We Saw The Day’ (2011)
Grief waits for no one, not even children. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day is set in Chichibu, where six childhood friends drift apart after Menma (Ai Kayano) dies in an accident. Five years later, a reclusive Jinta (Mutsumi Tamura) begins seeing Menma’s ghost, who cannot move without fulfilling a wish that has been forgotten. Forced to confront Menma’s death, the group learns to move on from their grief.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day works best as a more grounded. Players would control Jinta, with Menma acting as a constant ghostly companion and guide. As each of Jinta’s friends becomes part of their own personal story arc, players’ choices could shape who opens up, who shuts down, and whether friendships are healed — or permanently broken.
‘Erased’ (2016)
Erased follows struggling manga artist Satoru Fujinuma (Shinnosuke Mitsushima), who possesses “Revival,” a power that sends him back moments in time to prevent tragedy. After his mother is murdered for uncovering a past kidnapping case, Satoru is sent 18 years into his childhood. Trapped in elementary school, he must stop a serial killer to save his mother and his classmates.
An Erased video game would lock the player into Satoru’s childhood body while retaining his adult awareness. Satoru then must investigate a tragedy tied to one of his classmates. In true detective fashion, players must observe routines, spot inconsistencies, and connect the clues. However, like many great psychological thrillers, Satoru’s initial investigation would gradually reveal itself to be part of a much larger and deadlier mystery.
‘Odd Taxi’ (2021)
Odd Taxi follows Hiroshi Odokawa (Natsuki Hanae), an eccentric walrus and taxi driver who comes across quirky passengers throughout his shifts. From aspiring viral star Taichi (Takashi), nurse Miho (Riho Iida), to the delinquent Dobu (Kenji Hamada), being a taxi driver is anything but boring. However, when a missing girl’s case points to him, Odokawa becomes entangled with the yakuza.
The game market is full of simulator games, so a taxi driver simulator in the style of Odd Taxi would make perfect sense. Players would take shifts, drive around to pick up passengers, and interact with them. With the mystery element added, each interaction could provide clues to help uncover who framed Hiroshi in the first place.
‘Barakamon’ (2014)
Barakamon follows the talented but arrogant calligrapher Seishuu Handa (Daisuke Ono), whose award-winning work is criticized as “unoriginal.” Exiled by his father to the rural Goto Islands, Seishuu struggles to find inspiration and develop his own style. Surrounded by energetic locals — playful children like Naru (Suzuko Hara), fujoshi teens, and meddling elders — he finds the unexpected joys of community life.
Anime often showcases Japan’s stunning landscapes, and a cozy Barakamon game could take players on a similar journey. The Goto Islands offer a remote paradise, far from the familiar bustle of Toyo. Calligraphy, a key element of the show, could be featured as a playable simulation. When players are not practicing their brush strokes, they could go for optional side quests like exploring Japanese island life, local festivals, and other mini-games.
‘Sonny Boy’ (2021)
Sonny Boy follows third-year middle school student Nagara (Aoi Ichikawa), his classmates, transfer student Nozomi (Saori Ōnishi), and the mysterious Mizuho (Aoi Yūki). Despite having no shared interests, all of them are suddenly transported to an alternate dimension called “This World.” In a Lord of the Flies fashion, the students are split by internal conflicts. Only this time, they awaken with supernatural powers.
The best games are the ones that make players explore a foreign world. A Sonny Boy game would have players navigate surreal landscapes while developing their newfound supernatural abilities. With getting back home as the main goal, players would need to use clues — like Nozomi’s compass and Mizuho’s cats — to unlock their full powers.
‘Terror in Resonance’ (2014)
Terror in Resonance begins after a terrorist attack on a Japanese nuclear facility leaves the word “VON” behind. Six months later, two teenage boys calling themselves Sphinx released a video threatening Tokyo with further attacks. As panic spreads, the police — led by Detective Kenjirou Shibazaki Shunsuke Sakuya) — struggle to stop them. Behind the mask, Nine (Kaito Ishikawa) and Twelve (Sōma Saitō) must expose a buried truth about their past.
A Terror in Resonance game would play like an environmental thriller. Set in a dystopian Tokyo, players must solve riddles and carry out planned acts to reveal a secret state-run experiment that turned orphaned children into weapons. As players piece the story together from the accounts of terrorists, civilians, and the police, the truth will ultimately be revealed.
‘Ping Pong the Animation’ (2014)
Move over, Marty Supreme — these two boys aren’t afraid of batting their paddles. Ping Pong the Animation follows childhood friends Smile (Kōki Uchiyama) and Peco (Fukujūrō Katayama), two opposite personalities united by their love of ping-pong. While cocky Peco chases greatness without discipline, gifted Smile holds back his talent. After Peco suffers a crushing defeat by Chinese ace Kong Wenge, both boys question whether they deserve to play.
It’s time to bring sports video games back. While Ping Pong the Animation would make for a fast, reflex-heavy sports game, it also has a strong narrative about identity and personal limits. As players learn about the competitive world of table tennis, they must also discover why ping-pong is worth pursuing in the first place.
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