7 Best Gacha Games to Play in 2025

While the term “gacha game” might be a bit niche, the model itself has become increasingly popular in recent years. These games tend to be free-to-play, but with lottery-style random in-game items that players can buy using in-game currency. You can usually earn the currency by playing the game, to a point, but the goal is to entice players into paying for these pulls. The random pulls are a surprisingly addictive element of these games, but that’s not all that players like about these games. The free-to-play model makes them accessible to start, and the stories, gameplay, and more often keep players coming back.

That said, many gachas are live service, meaning they get consistent updates with new content, updated items to pull for, and more. Not every game remains as exciting over the long term, for individual players and the fan community as a whole. And some are much easier to jump into years down the line than others. After all, games like Genshin Impact tend to have complicated, ever-evolving storylines and casts of characters. So, let’s take a look at some of the best gacha games to start (or get back into) in 2025.

7. Wuthering Waves

Platforms: PS5, Steam, iOS, Android

Initial Release Date: May 2024

One of the newer big players in the gacha game scene is Wuthering Waves. This entry from developed Kuro Games arrived for mobile in May 2024, with console and Steam releases in 2025. It was nominated at The Game Awards for Best Mobile Game in 2024, and it has found a place in the gacha rotation for many gamers.

As a new release, there’s less story to catch up on for new players jumping in, making it fairly easy to get acclimated. That, plus its wide availability across different platforms, makes Wuthering Waves a great game to get started with in 2025, particularly if you’re newer to gachas.

6. Arknights

Platforms: iOS, Android

Initial Release Date: January 2020

For many gacha gamers, Arknights is among the best offerings in the genre. This free-to-play mobile game combines tactical RPG and tower defense elements for an engaging gameplay experience that stands out even apart from its gacha goodness. In fact, the story is so good, the Arknights game has inspired a few different anime based on it.

Arknights has been a mobile-only title since it released, but that’s actually about to change. A dedicated PC client for the game was recently announced, confirming that it will soon be much easier to play the beloved gacha on PC, no emulators required. With that update headed our way, now is a great time to join the other big fans of Arknights in 2025.

5. Reverse 1999

Platforms: iOS, Android, Steam

Initial Release Date: October 2023

Reverse 1999 is a gacha game with a time travel spin, taking players on a strategic RPG adventure across time. Players have praised it for its beautiful visuals, fun character designs, and compelling narrative. It’s also a fairly generous gacha game that’s pretty friendly to those who truly want to be free-to-play, making it a fun one to keep up with even if you plan to just grind your way to any in-game currency on offer.

Reverse 1999 recently celebrated its 1.5-year anniversary with a big update, so now is a great time to jump in and see what’s new or get started for the first time.

4. Limbas Company

Platforms: iOS, Android, Steam

Initial Release Date: February 2023

Another solid gacha you can play on Steam is Limbas Company, which came out from indie developer Project Moon in early 2023. It features turn-based RPG elements along with a rich story, taking players into a sprawling dystopian metropolis. Limbas Company boasts a Very Positive rating on Stema, with players praising its forgiving currency system and compelling story that draws from classic literature with a dystopian spin.

If you’re looking for a gacha with a dystopian vibe and team-building turn-based mechanics, Limbas Company is definitely one to check out. Like the other games on this list, it’s still getting regular updates with new content to keep things fresh as you wrap the existing story.

3. Goddess of Victory: Nikke

Platforms: iOS, Android, PC

Initial Release Date: November 2022

For many gacha gaming fans, Goddess of Victory: Nikke is a must-play. Billed as an immersive sci-fi RPG shooter, the game gets fan praise for offering a fun gameplay loop and engaging story. There’s plenty of content for new and returning gacha gamers to enjoy, and Nikke is relatively free-to-play friendly, as well.

Many came for the character art, but stayed because the characters and story are compelling beyond visuals alone. Developer ShiftUp provides regular updates for the game, and further support is part of the plan. Nikke is available on PC via its 2023 port, but you can’t download it on Steam or Epic Games – just directly from the game’s website.

2. Honkai Star Rail

Platforms: iOS, Android, PS5, PC

Initial Release Date: April 2023

Honkai Star Rail is the most recent entry in miHoYo’s popular Honkai series. It combines beloved new and returning characters from Honkai games with some of the elements that made Genshin Impact so popular. Though Genshin is still widely beloved, quite a few gacha gamers list Honkai Star Rail as a higher-priority gacha in 2025. With an 80 Metacritic rating, Honkai Star Rail has racked up a number of awards, including The Game Awards honor for Best Mobile Game in 2023. It continues to get regular updates with fresh content, including an upcoming collab with Fate/Stay Night.

Players praise the anime-inspired storyline and well-written characters, along with the addictive gameplay loop. Unlike Genshin Impact‘s real-time combat, Honkai Star Rail uses turn-based combat, which can be a plus if you prefer to take your time with battle decisions. It has been noted as a bit less free-to-play friendly than other gachas on this list, but is still well worth a try if you enjoy gacha games and turn-based JRPGs.

1. Genshin Impact

Platforms: iOS, Android, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC

Initial Release Date: September 2020

HoYoverse is a juggernaut in the gacha gaming space for a reason, and the longevity of Genshin Impact proves it. The fantasy RPG lets players explore an ever-expanding open world while engaging in real-time combat with a variety of elemental characters. Switching between characters lets you mix up swordplay, magic, and more for various options in battle.

Since its initial release, Genshin Impact has arrived on a greater variety of platforms compared to many popular gachas. This makes it a great, accessible entry for gacha gamers, particularly as the story is easy to sink into without feeling too behind with current events. Also, I’m a big fan of the cooking mechanic on PS5 – simple but with an extra DualSense sound layer that makes it feel immersive. Despite HoYoverse chugging ahead with newer gachas, Genshin Impact still gets consistent updates to keep it fresh for longtime players.