13 best games like Genshin Impact in 2023, from Zelda to Honkai & more
If you're a Genshin Impact fan looking for more games to play, this list of the best games like Genshin Impact is the perfect resource for you.
If you're like me you might find it difficult to scratch that itch for a new Genshin-like title. We've included other RPGs, open-world games, free-to-play titles and gacha games with strong hero rosters to give you plenty of variety to choose from.
The game is known for its open-world traversal, whimsical storylines and iconic characters, so we've taken that into account when compiling this list. If you're a Genshin fan, keep reading and secure your next gaming obsession.
- For Genshin Impact tips and tricks, check out our list of Shrine of Depths locations in Genshin Impact, including all locations across major regions like Sumeru, Liyue, Mondstadt and more
The best games like Genshin Impact
13 -Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch
Click to enlargePlatforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS3, PS4
Ni No Kuni is a highly successful RPG from Bandai Namco, instantly recognisable for its artwork, heavily inspired by Studio Ghibli. This colourful world includes the standard fantasy tropes of a lone boy, charged with a destiny of defeating a great evil. It also tackles the sensitive issues around love and loss, with the main character Oliver being tasked with saving his mother over the course of the game.
If these high stakes don’t grip you, the lovable characters with distinct personalities and accents will. As with other games like Genshin Impact, it is firmly rooted in RPG elements, with an emphasis on the characters you meet along the way being of great importance.
Drippy is a lovable sidekick character who operates the same way as Paimon at the beginning of Genshin Impact. They introduce the main character to the world they have found themselves in, and act as a wise-cracking guide.
12 - Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
Click to enlargePlatforms: Nintendo Switch
If open-world adventures you can play on the go sound good, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet are some of the best on Switch. While these games don't have the best performance, they're still a fully open-world Pokemon experience you can play at home or in portable form using your Switch.
They also have a similar elemental system to Genshin Impact. If you liked making teams with different elements in Genshin Impact, you'll probably enjoy how many different types you can use in the Pokemon series.
- Check out our review of the Pokemon Scarlet & Violet Teal Mask DLC
11 - Honkai Impact 3rd
Click to enlargePlatforms: PC, iOS, Android
Created by the same studio as Genshin Impact, miHoYo, Honkai Impact 3rd can be described as a futuristic fantasy version of Genshin Impact. Operating with the same gacha-style character system, it's also a free-to-play mobile game, available on iOS, Android and PC.
The story pits you against a great enemy, Honkai while you play as the captain of the ‘Valkyries’, girls born with the ability to harness the great power ‘chaos’. There are 14 Valkyries to collect overall, and 47 Battlesuits (skins that aren’t just used for customisation, but also allow different gameplay abilities) meaning your favourite character’s playstyle can be adjusted if you wish.
And if you fall in love with Honkai Impact 3rd there's even an array of manga comics available online.
- For details on Genshin Impact, check out our guide on how much storage Genshin Impact takes up and see if you have the space to play it on a PC
10 - Fire Emblem Heroes
Click to enlargePlatforms: Android, iOS
Like Genshin Impact, this game was initially produced for mobiles as a free-to-play game with gacha-style monetisation of characters. It was, in fact, Nintendo’s first attempt at a mobile RPG release. Story-wise, it follows themes similar to Genshin Impact and starts the game with two siblings joined against a corrupt empire.
Characters are rated on a star meter and parties operate with four members at a time with featured tasks and daily challenge modes (named Daily Hero Battles). These daily battles provide players with the opportunity to face off against a team, and the chance to recruit their lead to their own team.
9 - The Alchemist Code
Click to enlargePlatforms: Android, iOS
This is another turn-based RPG made for mobile as a free-to-play game with a gacha system. As with Genshin Impact, The Alchemist Code is supported with routine updates and limited-time events to keep fans engaged within the wider community. During events, the player is typically tasked with defeating raid bosses to win rewards.
The plot behind this entry features similar sibling relationship themes with the two titular siblings being the founders of alchemy in this world, which angered the gods and caused a split, separating the world of mortals from the gods.
- For a thorough explanation of the element system in Genshin Impact, read our Genshin Impact Elements guide, detailing status effects and how to combine them
8 - Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time And Space
Click to enlargePlatforms: PC, Android, iOS
This is a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, originally released for mobile, but the game is also available on Steam. The game has a mixture of 2D side-scrolling and 3D gameplay, with a central focus on its turn-based combat system.
The plot, like Genshin Impact, revolves around the struggles of a brother and sister battling against a demon king, hell-bent on using sister Feinne’s powers to erase all humans. The game uses time travel as a plot device, with the brother, Aldo, being launched 800 years into the future whilst trying to save his sister. As such, different acts of the game take place in the past, present and future.
Since its launch, Another Eden has also hosted collaborations with other games, of note being the collaboration with Persona 5 where they included Persona 5 characters as playable.
7 - King’s Raid
Click to enlargePlatforms: Android, iOS, PC
King's Raid is a gacha RPG that's free to play across mobile and PC platforms. It features more than 70 different heroes to recruit to your ‘hero index’. It also hosts a party combat system with characters of varying combat styles and magical abilities.
The plot behind King’s Raid sets the scene with a figure named the Dark Lord Angmund, who is the leader of all demons that have spilt into the lands after a wizard broke the seal to the ‘Demon’s Gate’. King’s Raid lends itself well to established fantasy elements with 20 distinct races, including elves and vampires, developed in an anime art style similar to Genshin's.
- If you really want to branch out from Genshin Impact, why not try a farming simulator with a similar, vibrant art style? Here’s our guide on the 10 best farming games
6 - Immortals Fenyx Rising
Click to enlargePlatforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox series S|X
Immortals Fenyx Rising sets up similar themes to Genshin Impact surrounding the inner struggles of deities and their effect on the lands. In the game you play as Fenyx, tasked with journeying to save the Greek Gods from a curse. And if you're a fan of Genshin's adventuring like me, Immortals features pretty similar gameplay mechanics.
You'll fight some of the most iconic Titans and beasts of Greek myth and do so with magic and magically imbued weapons. Combat is melee in nature and the game also includes puzzles if you're up for a challenge. If you enjoy RPGs with a healthy dose of mythology, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great option to play.
5 - Tower of Fantasy
Click to enlargePlatforms: PC, iOS, Android, PS4, PS5
In many ways, Tower of Fantasy feels like a spiritual successor to Genshin Impact. The game is built in much the same way, with a roster of gacha characters you can collect to form a party, frequent updates, new character drops, events, maps and a stunning open world.
As a free-to-play RPG game like Genshin Impact, many fans flocked to Tower of Fantasy upon release due to its similarities. Where it slightly diverges is through its sci-fi inspirations. The game is a mix of fantasy and sci-fi, set in a futuristic world of droids and other quirky characters whose appearances you borrow through a training program called the Simulacra.
Much of the premise revolves around the trials and tribulations of siblings, one of which is cursed with aberration, an affliction overloading her processors. As you try to help the siblings you'll encounter more stories and NPCs that need your help.
- If Tower of Fantasy has piqued your interest, get started here with our guide on the Tower of Fantasy system requirements and see if you can download the game
4 - Persona 5
Click to enlargePlatforms: PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch
Persona 5 embodies the mantra that characters are everything for an RPG. Without interesting characters with unique backstories and quests, an RPG can quickly fade into obscurity. That isn’t the case of Persona 5, which is highly rated amongst the JRPG community.
Like Genshin Impact, Persona 5 puts great emphasis on its character introductions, with over-the-top cinematics and character title cards. Unlike Genshin Impact, Persona 5 is heavily stylised to look like a manga comic strip. This makes the game instantly recognisable amongst other JRPGs and complements the hack-and-slash elements of turn-based combat.
Building character relationships is also an important aspect of this game, reminiscent of the hangout quests in Genshin Impact. So it offers a lot of familiar gameplay elements while remaining a totally unique experience!
3 - Epic Seven
Click to enlargePlatforms: Android, iOS
This is an anime-style RPG game like Genshin Impact that's free-to-play across mobile platforms and hosts a gacha type of monetisation with daily quests and limited-edition character banners. This adventure begins with a Goddess creating a world from the corpse of her fallen brother, disowning herself from the other Gods, the God IIyros takes issue with this and sends an Archdemon to destroy her creation and its inhabitants.
If this prologue doesn’t already grip you, the ensuing plot will as you play as a descendent of the Goddess tasked with fighting the Archdemon. Every time her heirs fail, the Goddess Diche re-sets the world and wipes the memories of the ones left living. The main character Ras sets the scene of the game by waking from a twenty-year sleep, unaware of events in a classic RPG opening.
2 - Honkai: Star Rail
Click to enlargePlatforms: PC, PS4, PS5, iOS, Android
Honkai: Star Rail is the latest title developed by Genshin Impact's creators, miHoYo. As you might expect it shares a lot of similarities with Genshin, primarily the gacha mechanic that lets you spend currency on attempts to unlock rare characters.
However, Honkai isn't an open-world adventure like Genshin is. It's actually a linear turn-based RPG, which is completely different to the open-ended combat in Genshin Impact. As such, it doesn't really overlap with Genshin as much as you might expect - which actually makes it the perfect game to play alongside Genshin since you can get a varied gameplay experience with some familiar mechanics.
- Already playing Honkai: Star Rail? Take a look at our guide on where to find Yujin, an NPC that will give you quests including the Navigation Compass mission
What is the best game to play like Genshin Impact?
1 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlargePlatforms: Nintendo Switch
Genshin Impact was heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so if you're a fan of the exploration and adventuring in Genshin the Zelda series is an absolute must-play. The latest instalment, Tears of the Kingdom, takes everything from Breath of the Wild and improves upon the formula to create an even more essential title.
From the climbing mechanics to the gliding, Zelda's traversal is almost identical to Genshin, and that's because Genshin Impact essentially took those mechanics for itself. You should feel right at home with the open-world Zelda games if you're used to playing Genshin.
And that's it for our list of the best games like Genshin Impact. Hopefully, you've found something you're interested in - there's a pretty wide variety of experiences here, whether you're looking for a gacha game or just an excellent adventure to immerse yourself in.
For more Genshin Impact be sure to check out our homepage, or you can view our tier list of the best characters in the game to know which teams to build.
