Top 20 Anime Like Darwin's Game

By: Prince Lammy

It should be no surprise to hear that many anime fans have seen Darwin’s Game. Why wouldn’t they? It’s one of the few short episodes of anime Nexus Studios blessed us with in the year 2020, and it has always been memorable. Whether or not you have seen it, or are about to watch it - here’s a brief recap of its story.

Synopsis of Darwin’s Game:

Darwin’s Game tells the story of a high school student, Kaname Sudou, who received an invite on his phone to play a game. Upon clicking the invite image, an application opened on his phone and he saw a snake slither right out of his phone and bites him on the neck, making him pass out.

After waking up in the school clinic and being sent home, curiosity got the better of Kaname, and he opened the Game again and chose an in-game opponent (he probably thought the Game was something like Mortal Kombat).

To his greatest surprise, his chosen opponent appears in front of him in real life and tries to kill him with a knife. Of course, Kaname runs away and, mistakenly, was able to kill his opponent later. Later events allow Kaname to understand Darwin’s Game’s true nature, as it’s a bloody struggle for freedom.

And to satisfy your curiosity about the top 20 anime like Darwin’s Game, this list encompasses the top 20 anime with similar concepts and storylines to Darwin’s Game. This might blow your mind.

20. Gantz

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 26
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Of course, life is full of ups and downs, and it doesn’t always go our way, which is why some often seek the coward’s way out, suicide. But what promise does oblivion hold? Is it an eternal void, peace, or the waiting arms of a caring god? But a chance in a play-or-die game might rekindle your will to live.

This anime tells the story of Kei Kurono, whose death brought no peace at all, as he only woke into a world where his will to live, morals, and skills would get tested to their peak. Aside from the fact that Gantz is like Darwin’s Game, where there is no help from an outside party, it contains quite a lot of violence, gore, and even some sexual scenes. But well, all it does is portray the world’s true nature in 13 episodes of animation.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Action
• Horror
• Sci-Fi
• Survival
• Gore

19. Akame Ga Kill

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 24
Type: TV Series

Storyline

You have to stay alive, and you can make a difference in the world! The heroes of both Akame ga Kill and Darwin’s Game are in difficult situations. These protagonists employ their immense abilities to destroy the oppressive systems of their planets.

Tatsumi and Kaname are regular people at the beginning of the story. Still, as they learn more about their situation, they realize that their world is anything from tranquil. Both are fully committed to their objectives and are ready to embark on their last mission as part of a larger squad.

AGK and Darwin’s Game are terrific action anime with a lot of blood and gore, although AGK has a bit more.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Gore
• Shounen
• Action
• Super Power

18. Another

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Sometimes, an excellent way to pique someone’s curiosity on a particular subject is to warn them against doing something without explaining why. This is the story of Kouichi, whose curiosity got the better part of him, and against warnings from his friends, became friends with quiet and reserved Mei Misaki. And it’s all just due to rumors.

A former student from another class is the subject of the circulating dark tales. However, no one would provide Kouichi with complete information on the tragic tragedy they saw. Kouichi, preoccupied with the curse that affects his school, decides to look into how it is related to the new friend he has made.

Now it is up to Mei, Kouichi, and the rest of their classmates to solve the spooky mystery that has unfolded around them as a succession of tragic events have occurred, but doing so will come at a steep cost.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Gore
• Horror

17. Accel World

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 24
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Each main character is given access to a game—a game of battles—that will alter the course of their lives forever. Players are pitted against one another in settings where the characters are granted special powers and have to engage in combat.

There is a lot of intense action, and the characters do everything they can to stay alive in both shows. In Darwin’s Game, people are pushed against one another in a fatal struggle. In contrast, in Accel World, the protagonist grows to become a vital figure inside and outside the Game.

In sum, these two shows are worth checking out if you like stories in which individuals are pitted against one another using their unique skills for the sake of a real-world program.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Sci-Fi

16. Alice In Borderland

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 3
Type: OVA

Storyline

High school senior Ryouhei Arisu has no goals other than to flee what he sees as a pointless existence. His life is forever altered as he and his two pals, Chouta Segawa and Daikichi Karube, see an extraordinarily enormous firework rocketing into the night sky.

The intense light of the explosion causes all three to lose their bearings, ending at a place called the Borderland. The only people living on this planet are taking part in a dangerous game in which they must complete various objectives to stay alive. Ryouhei has a newfound sense of vitality for the first moment in his life as the trio plays a game to figure out how they might return home.

Both shows feature characters who are made to take part in life-or-death situations without giving their permission or having an escape plan.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a manga
• Shounen
• High Stakes Game
• Action
• Supernatural
• Survival

15. Sword Art Online

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 73
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Unlike in Alfheim Online (another game inside this anime), Sword Art Online is more similar to Darwin’s Game. Kirito, whose real name is Kirigaya Kazuto, and over a thousand online game players just logged in to a long-awaited new game and found out they couldn’t log out. They were trapped. Any forceful removal of the player’s body from their VR device would result in their deaths.

Left with no option other than clearing all hundred levels of Aincrad and beating the game to free themselves, Kirito, Asuna, friends, and all others work amidst plot twists and predicaments to gain power and, finally, salvation.

The concept of both is the same: players go on to the internet and find themselves in a predicament where they must continue playing until the Game’s conclusion or perish, in both the virtual and physical worlds.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Adventure

14. Fate/Stay Night

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 24
Type: TV Series

Storyline

The entire Fate stories are widely regarded as a classic of the battle royale genre; the protagonist is forced into a competition by mistake, and what follows is a sweeping tale of the protagonist’s fight for survival and love, laced with action, suspense, and mystery. The story is similar to Darwin’s Game but has a little less epic purview.

The protagonist, Shirou, finds himself in the heart of a battle between two powerful beings called Servants. As he tries to escape, the youngster is captured by a Servant and severely hurt. He escapes death, but Archer (the Servant) will be back to finish the job. Shirou, out of despair, calls out his Servant, a knight by the name of Saber.

The pair are now obligated to take part in the Fifth Holy Grail War, a showdown between mages and seven Servants for the chance to claim the Holy Grail as their own.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Supernatural

13. Tenkuu Shinpan (High-Rise Invasion)

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: ONA – Original Net Animation

Storyline

When 16-year-old Yuri Honjou sees a man’s skull broken apart with an axe, she runs away in terror and disbelief, only to find herself stuck in an uninhabited building with no way out. Yuri, desperate to find a way out, goes to the rooftop. Still, all she sees is a barren wasteland encircled by skyscrapers. Despite her hopelessness, Yuri is desperate to find her brother and get out of this weird location.

Yuri begins to doubt if they will be able to escape when she learns that other masked killers are in the vicinity, waiting to torment their fresh victims and satisfy their sickest cravings.

Some similarity between Darwin’s Game and High-Rise Invasion is that both are like the Hunger Games. That aside, they are primarily about achieving a goal, the main characters find new allies, and they’re both drawn into the games they play. Still, High-Rise Invasion is gorier than Darwin’s Game.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Anime’s source is a Manga
• Action
• Horror
• Mystery
• Gore

12. Juuni Taisen: Zodiac War

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

This anime tells the win-or-die battle (tournament) between numerous mercenaries participating in the once-in-12-years Zodiac Tournament. Each of the twelve warriors holds on to the traits and names of an animal from the Chinese zodiac.

And to even make the games more interesting, the warriors must ingest a toxic substance that puts a time leash on their lives. Hence, they must finish the tournament in the shortest possible time and, of course, with a crazy and mad tempo than required, as their lives are on the line.

Both shows contain a multiplayer fighting arena where players use their unique skills to defeat one another. They are also similar in relying heavily on thought exchange between characters to develop their personalities and strategies.

Unlike Darwin’s Game, Juuni Taisen introduces new characters with each episode. In contrast, Darwin’s Game maintains a focus on the protagonist. But it also tells the story and struggle of characters as much as Darwin’s Game does.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Gore
• Survival

11. Kami no Tou (Tower of God)

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 13
Type: TV Series

Storyline

If you liked Darwin’s Game, you’d also like Tower of God because both center on the protagonist’s struggle to break free of the bounds, but in vastly different ways. The objective of Darwin’s Game is to escape the Game, or 4th wall, and triumph against the system.

The Tower of God aims to achieve deity status, emerge from the tower as an all-powerful ruler, and use that position to accomplish your every want. Both anime are excellent, with smooth animation and satisfying conclusions.

Tower of God is more than just a regular anime; it has more similarities to Darwin’s Game than you could imagine. But its significant similarities with Darwin’s Game are listed below.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Mystery
• Adventure

10. Caligula

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Can you define joy? Ritsu Shikishima, a high school senior and an avid follower of psychology, often considers such concerns. At the same time, he enjoys quiet time with his pals. However, when he hears a mysterious voice, distorted by static, screaming for rescue, his idyllic life begins to fall apart. This is the voice of a famous singer whose songs start harming the planet.

Ritsu watches as the voices of his loved ones take on a distorted quality as they are transformed into Digiheads by the sound of his voice. These Digiheads are crazed creatures hell-bent on destroying anybody who is just beginning to realize the truth about their existence.

After Ritsu has concluded that he is locked in a digital realm created by Mobius, he must now round up the other survivors before it is too late. As they try to flee from The Ostinato Musicians, they will band together to employ the abilities and weapons bestowed upon them by their emotions (together referred to as the Catharsis Effect).

In both series, the protagonists discover themselves in a simulated space. They must decide whether to stay and fight or try to escape. That aside, it’s also one of the anime that are very much like Darwin’s Game in Sci-Fi.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Sci-Fi

9. Tokyo Ghoul

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 48
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Are you looking for an action-filled, gory, horror, and psychological anime like Darwin’s Game? Well, Tokyo Ghoul is one of the top anime similar to Darwin’s Game.

Tokyo Ghoul is a 4-season anime that tells the story of Kaneki; a human turned ghoul caught in the war between humans and ghouls. Kaneki’s transition from a regular boring kid to a One-Eyed ghoul, an infrequent and highly revered occurrence, gave a load of upside to Kaneki’s life. This anime tells the story of how Kaneki tries to adjust to his new life, survive the troubles and battles that came his way, find love, and create a better life for Ghouls and humans alike.

Both anime protagonists appear to follow similar arcs. At the beginning of Tokyo Ghoul, Kaneki is just a regular, uninteresting person who ends himself in a horrible situation and is tormented for his trouble. And in Darwin’s Game, the loss of Kaname’s companion compels him into the Game.

Both shows have a foreboding undercurrent that may make your stomach churn (but in a good way). They’re not just mindless action anime but also have a vital psychological component.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Action
• Gore
• Horror
• Fantasy
• Psychological

8. Platinum End

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 24
Type: TV Series

Storyline

This is one of the few supernatural and psychological anime like Darwin’s Game, and the synopsis isn’t even far-fetched.

Mirai Kakehashi has been miserable ever since an explosion took the lives of his loved ones. The family who brought him in continues to abuse him daily. His suffering wears away at his determination to keep living until he is on the verge of suicide. He is ready to give it all up and jump off a cliff.

But instead of dying from the fall, he enters a trance where he meets a winged entity who introduces themselves as his guardian angel. The angel, who introduces himself as Nasse, encourages him to continue alive by giving him two invaluable gifts. After being imprisoned for so long, Mirai finally gets a glimpse of the freedom he’s always craved as he discovers the wonder of his new talents for himself.

Mirai is thrown into a competition, armed with Nasse’s powers, in which one of twelve people will be selected as the next God. At odds with his earlier suicidal thoughts, Mirai is now willing to risk everything to preserve the meager hope of happiness he has found.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Shounen
• Supernatural
• Psychological

7. Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikau (Magical Girl Rising Project)

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

It’s normal to see teenage girls wish they could become their in-game avatar, especially when the Game is one of magic. But such dreams rarely come true, but it did for Koyuki Himekawa, who got selected to become Snow White, her in-game magical avatar.

A message arrives just as Koyuki and the other selected gamers in the area begin assisting the needy: the moderators have decided they wish to cut the number of magical players. In the weekly competition amongst the magical girls, whoever accumulates the fewest Magical Candies (rewards for participating in magical girl activities) would have their magic taken away.

However, the ramifications of losing powers are made clear when a real-world catastrophe befalls the first person to quit. The girls quickly learn that their game is a desperate battle for life as more contestants are eliminated, and more perverse criteria are introduced.

In each anime (Magical Girl Rising Project and Darwin’s Game), protagonists wind up trapped in a real-life survival game after downloading a smartphone app, and the game bestows abilities on both characters.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Action
• Suspense
• Supernatural

6. Deadman Wonderland

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

With so many similarities, especially as the genres that either anime fall in are very similar, it almost seems they’re both copy works of each other. But in actuality, Deadman Wonderland has a very different storyline as opposed to Darwin’s Game.

Deadman Wonderland tells the story of Ganta Igarashi, a schoolboy whose life and dreams were shattered when a hooded Red Man suddenly appeared and killed all his classmates, sparing him. Ganta is framed for the crime and sentenced to spend his time at Deadman Wonderland, Japan’s only privately-owned prison.

However, asides from the usual amusement that the prison offers, there’s still the presence of a secret G-Block, where special Deadman prisoners are kept and pitted against each other in deadly contests and to a very particular audience. Finding himself in this new situation and with power he doesn’t fully understand, Ganta makes new acquaintances who all scheme to fight their way to freedom from Deadman Wonderland.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Sci-Fi
• Action
• Horror
• Supernatural
• Gore
• High Stakes Game
• Shounen
• Survival

5. King’s Game: The Animation

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Moving to a new school is difficult for anyone. Still, it’s a nightmare for someone like Nobuaki Kanazawa who doesn’t want to make any new acquaintances. But when he and his class start getting texts from The King, the cause for his unsociable conduct becomes evident. All students are required to participate in the King’s Game, the rules included.

Those who refuse to participate, abandon the Game in the middle, or disobey a command after 24 hours will be put to death. Nobuaki attempts to warn his unsuspecting students since he has played the Game once and seen people around him disappear.

Regrettably, they don’t trust him until the King’s Game has already started killing people. Nobuaki is in a terrible predicament from which he cannot escape, and he must decide whether to prioritize his safety over that of his classmates or risk his own life to try to save them.

Some have compared Darwin’s Game to a combination of King’s Game and Future Diary. They share the distinction of being death games, in which players are guaranteed gruesome deaths.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Horror
• Supernatural
• Mystery
• Gore

4. Gleipnir

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 13
Type: TV Series

Storyline

This tells the story of Shuuichi Kagaya, a high-schooler who can turn into a monster. And like a teenager who can’t explain how the powers came to be, he just prefers that no one knows about it. But while saving a girl from a burning house, his phone fell, but who knew that little mistake could change everything for him?

Using his help against him, Claire threatens him into telling her all he knows about monsters, as her sister had first transformed into a sister before disappearing. She then asks him to help her search for her sister and the truth about the nature of these monsters.

Like Darwin’s Game, Gleipnir’s main protagonist is a newbie who, for some reason, ends up teaming up with a female named Claire Aoki. And just like Shuka in Darwin’s Game, Claire Aoki is a psychotic nut job. Both anime feature competing teams of characters and also have awe-inspiring music and visuals. Also, the two anime share a lot of similarities. If you compare Gleipnir to Darwin’s Game, you’ll notice that the former has far more ecchi moments.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Supernatural
• Mystery
• Action
• The anime source is a Manga

3. Deatte 5-byou de Battle (Battle Game in 5 Seconds)

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

It’s almost the same story: a player at random is sucked into an online mystery game where the only way out is to battle to the death.

That morning had begun like any other morning would have.

Akira Shiroyanagi, a high school student who enjoys Japanese sweets called Konpeito and video games, finds himself unexpectedly drawn into combat by a strange female named Mion. The volunteers are informed that they have been removed from the family registry, participating in an experiment, and granted special powers.

Akira plans to use his new abilities to destroy the organization and win the Game. With his brain skills and an unexpected power source, a new era of intellectual conflict has begun.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Superpower
• Strategy Game
• High Stakes Game
• Gore
• Supernatural

2. Btooom!

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 12
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Both feature a battle royale sort of story based on a variety of video games. Kaname, the protagonist of Darwin’s Game, acquires a sigil or ability upon downloading a mobile app and utilizes it to defeat other players and triumph in tasks. Btooom! places Ryouta in a situation similar to the anime’s titular video game, where he is transported to an island and must use explosives to eliminate his opponents.

Kaname has a symbol that allows him to construct any weapon. Ryouta is the best Btooom player in Japan, giving him an advantage against others on the island. In addition to their unique skills, they have a blonde girl sidekick that helps them out.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• Survival
• Psychological
• High Stakes Game
• Sci-Fi
• Action

1. Mirai Nikki (The Future Diary)

Status: Finished Airing
Episodes: 26
Type: TV Series

Storyline

Mirai Nikki tells the story of Yukiteru Amano, a reserved middle school student who keeps a digital journal on his phone in which he details his everyday activities. Yukiteru claims to have no buddies at school. However, he often chats with imaginary friends, the God of space and time, Deus Ex Machina, and his servant, Mur Mur.

One day, he suddenly notices that the recorded events on his phone’s diary are events that are yet to happen. Sometime later, he realizes that these events start unfolding one after the other and that another classmate, Yuno Gasai, has the same diary on her phone.

As the two work together to escape from a strange pursuer and return to their own homes, Deus Ex Machina reveals that they and ten other competitors have been sucked into a survival game, the winner of which will be the deity’s successor. Using their smartphones, now referred to as Future Diaries, Yukiteru and Yuno desperately try to stay alive in this merciless death match.

Similarities With Darwin’s Game

• The anime source is a Manga
• Shounen
• Survival
• Psychological
• High Stakes Game
• Gore
• Suspense
• Supernatural
• Action