34 Best Anime About Online and Video Games for Everyone

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the intersection between the anime fan base and video game fan base is a large one. Over the years, several games have been made into anime and several anime used as inspiration for video games. Covering similar popular themes like action, adventure and fantasy, these two entertainment industries have become so close to one another. Today’s article will cover an exceptional list of anime about online games and video games. The list includes:

• Gamers!
• Sword Art Online
• Welcome to the N.H.K.
• Overlord
• So I’m a Spider, So what?
• The King’s Avatar
• Log Horizon
• Hack//Sign
• Magic of Stella
• No Game No Life
• Recovery of an MMO Junkie
• Summer Wars
• And you thought there is never a girl online?
• D-Frag!
• BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense.
• New Game!
• High Score Girl
• Seiyu’s Life!
• Eroge! H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai
• OreImo
• Girlish Number
• Bottom
• Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend
• The World God Only Knows
• Accel World
• Btooom!
• Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta?
• Infinite Dendrogram
• Selector Infected WIXOSS
• Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation
• Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
• Darwin’s Game
• Net-Juu No Susume
• My Love Story With Yamada-kun At Lv999

Anime about Video Games

Gamers! A great Anime About Online Games

When it comes to titles, it’s challenging to be even more obvious. This program does not, however, take a comprehensive look at e-sports or the gaming industry.

It is a romantic comedy in which gaming serves as the main plot device.

High schooler Keita Amano enjoys playing video games. He is viewed as a nerd who follows typical student life. The “school idol,” Karen Tendou, who is a gamer but hides it from him, eventually appears in his life.

When Tendou later learned that Amano was a gamer, she made the decision that she had to invite him to join her gaming group. When Amano visited the club, he observed that the participants were very competitive. Amano declined the offer because he just played games for amusement.

Tendou was devastated by this, but she persisted in pushing him to sign up. She eventually develops a crush on him, which causes problems for her. Along with many other characters, Amano’s life was also hampered by this.

This resulted in a lengthy chain of unexpected events. Although the show doesn’t only focus on gaming, the characters are obviously gamers and have a lot in common with one another.

Read also: 10 Top Studio Ghibli Soundtracks

Sword Art Online

The plot follows the Sword Art Online gamers who are trapped and battling for their own lives in this virtual reality MMORPG.

Kirito, a particularly skilled swordsman, and his allies go on a mission to release all the minds imprisoned in Aincrad once it is revealed that the only way to exit the game is by beating it. It is also an isekai anime, a subgenre we previously covered in one of our articles. It is one of the best anime about online games.

Related: Sword Art Online Anime Locations in Japan

Welcome to the N.H.K.

The show N.H.K. deals with a variety of topics, such as hikikomori, low self-worth, excessive paranoia, and how people might peer pressure you into taking your own life.

Tatsuhiro Sato, a university dropout who is beginning his fourth year of jobless, is the primary character. He now lives alone as a hikikomori and believes that this occurred as a result of some type of conspiracy.

When Tatsuhiro’s life seems to be going nowhere at all, he meets Misaki Nakahara, a mystery girl who says she can help Tatsuhiro change his hikikomori ways. She gives him a contract that essentially states that they will meet once a day in the evening at a nearby park, where Misaki will lecture Tatsuhiro in an effort to change his lifestyle.

Though various topics are covered on these outings, psychology is almost always mentioned in some form.

 Additionally, the program elaborates on the financial difficulties and creative challenges faced by game makers. This anime is also featured in our article on anime about mental illness. 

Overlord: Yet Another Anime About Online Games

Overlord is a true isekai. It does, however, adhere to the game format more closely than most.

Ainz, the protagonist, must nevertheless use his gaming experience to score significant triumphs despite being overpowering.

The narrative starts when Momonga discovers that he has been transported to an alternate universe and not simply logged out of the game as he had anticipated. The non-player characters, or NPCS, have also developed their own sense of self.

Without a way out, Momonga makes the decision to do whatever he can to adapt to the strange fantasy setting while also looking for other gamers who could be experiencing the same thing.

For instance, understanding which item to use when, which spell to employ against certain foes, what situations he performs poorly in, and so forth.

Ultimately, Ainz was simply an ordinary gamer before he was isekai’d. He still exhibits the obvious awkwardness that we can all identify with. It is one of the most popular anime about online games in recent years.

Check out: 6 Unique Anime Character Design

So I’m a Spider, So what?

The Japanese anime isekai series ‘So I’m a Spider, So What?’ was created by Okina Baba and Tsukasa Kiryu. The plot centers on a class that perishes in an unexplained explosion and is reincarnated into a different realm, with one girl becoming a dungeon spider.

While the kids and their instructor struggle with the consequences of her acts and those of other armies, the spider develops and ultimately has a tremendous impact on the planet, becoming one of its most powerful creatures.

The anime is so entertaining to watch and really captures the essence of gaming. It has one of the most loveable protagonists you will ever watch. It is a refreshing anime about online games, not too similar to all the others.

Anime About Online Games: The King’s Avatar

This entry is actually a Chinese anime. This is your best option if you genuinely enjoy video games and want to watch a really good anime about online games.

The King’s Avatar covers the life of Hangzhou, China-based professional esports player Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu, who is regarded as the best player in the video game Glory, held the account of the “Battle God,” “One Autumn Leaf,” while serving as captain of the esports team “Excellent Era,” before being forced to leave the team and give up one of the game’s most powerful characters in order to avoid participating in any marketing that would benefit the team.

At Happy Internet Cafe, where Ye Xiu eventually finds work as a night-shift manager, he meets Chen Guo, the cafe’s owner who also happens to be a major fan of Ye Xiu’s alias, “Ye Qiu,” his former team, and his fictional character “One Autumn Leaf.” Ye Xiu keeps playing the game, creating a new character, and pursuing the title and glory while he waits to return to the professional scene.

The tale never loses sight of its foundations, and the animation is god-tier. The in-game combat is also really well done, yet it never seems to go too far from the confines of gaming.

Log Horizon

This is another good Isekai anime. Log Horizon is one of the greatest in the “stuck inside of a video game” genre.

This is due to the fact that the game features are crucial to the narrative, as opposed to simply removing the rules and making it a standard fantasy world.

Agro juggling, squad composition, resource management, and even metagaming are important skills in this anime.

There are numerous characters with various strengths and weaknesses instead of one powerful one.

The main character is a support mage who is only decent with a quill, but his in-depth understanding of the game makes him very valuable and strong!

Read also: Tokyo Revengers Voice Actors You Should Know

Hack//Sign

For many fans, this anime served as the inspiration for the Isekai series.

The main character is a guy who wakes up inside of a computer game with little to no memory of how he got there.

He panics at first, but since his real life isn’t all that great, he quickly accepts the change.

He runs with a wide range of eccentric personalities, and together they set out to find something called “The Key of Twilight.” Although this show did not accurately reflect the experience of playing video games, it deserves its spot for how iconic it is. The show is filled with several amazing character designs.

Magic of Stella

Another anime about online games and game development is Magic of Stella.

Tamaki Honda enrolls in high school and joins the SNS Club, a group that creates djin games. Shiina the programmer, Ayame the writer, and Kayo the composer join the team, while Tamaki starts as an illustrator for the club’s upcoming game.

Our main character works in the art and design industry and only seeks to give the game new life while also making some buddies.

No Game No Life

Sora and Shiro, a dynamic combination who have attained the pinnacle of professional gaming, are the focus of No Game No Life.

They excel in every game imaginable to the point where a literal god invites them to live in his universe and use their skills to the fullest.

You see, in this world, whether it be extremely difficult chess or a team man-hunt FPS warfare, games are how everything is resolved.

The two settle in right away and use their giga-brains to reach the top of the ladder and turn mankind back into a meta race. It definitely is an anime about online games you should check out.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie

It’s rather common to encounter a character in an anime about online games who has given up on the real world and spends all day playing computer games.

But you’ll soon find that most of the characters are teens with what seems like an endless allowance and no real responsibilities.

This fundamental idea is used in Recovery of an MMO Junkie, but with a twist—the protagonist is an adult female.

Morioka is the main character in Recovery of an MMO Junkie. She has chosen to stop working and going outside in favor of being a NEET who plays MMOs. She is partnered in the game with a healer named Lily and has a male avatar. But when she encounters Sakurai while heading to the convenience store, everything is turned around.

You probably already know that money doesn’t grow on trees. She is now faced with the challenge of balancing her love of gaming with the dreaded chore of paying the bills.

Summer Wars

VR has fully dominated the Summer Wars universe. And everyone decides to spend their time in the online environment known as OZ.

Here, individuals can converse with one another, play games, and even go shopping, just like in contemporary VR chat rooms. But this is where things become complicated.

OZ is so well-known and well-trusted that it is even given the job of returning an asteroid explorer from space.

Our main character is a math prodigy who, in an epic gamer fail, unintentionally endangers the entire world. If you watch the anime, which is definitely worth seeing, everything will make a lot more sense.

And you thought there is never a girl online?

Light novel adaptations adore titles that pose a query. However, at least it makes its point.

A gamer who falls in love with his online waifu only to discover that he is speaking to a middle-aged man is the classic plot for this program.

As a result, he starts to doubt everyone he meets online and assumes that they are all men. But as luck would have it, he had been having fun with hot girls all along.

They are all students in his school. Can you predict what will happen next? Exactly.

D-Frag!

In the first episode of this show, we witness a juvenile offender being intimidated by four girls into joining their club.

Which club, one would wonder. The club for game development.

Despite not teaching you a single thing about Python or C++, games are a major story talks in the show.

The characters merely loiter around, spend the time by playing some games, and ponder why the protagonist first pretended to be a delinquent.

It’s a relatively laid-back show with that classic slice-of-life vibe.

BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense.

I like Bofuri because it managed to veer away from becoming an isekai despite putting its characters in a video game.

That’s correct, it’s only a VRMMO; nobody is stuck.

That was energizing all by itself. But it was a real treat that the show acknowledges that it is merely a game and even features a tank player as the main character.

It does resemble The Rising of the Shield Hero, but it is much less depressing and actively enjoys itself in the world.

A simple account of a girl who unintentionally turned OP and chose to embrace it.

New Game!

This anime is sure to appeal to you if you genuinely enjoy video games and how they’re made.

It covers every step of the game development process, from ideation to art design, coding, and finally realization.

The characters gradually win you over when you realize how really enthusiastic they are about their work, and the show is utterly cute.

The fact that they had the top coder actually makes it very realistic. There is no place for patience when coding.

High Score Girl

The main male character in High Score Girl is the ultimate professional gamer.
Since the program takes place in the 1990s, arcades are extremely popular, and our MC is always breaking records. never being really pushed.

That is until the female protagonist enters and easily hands the man an L.

She is not only a pretty female, but she also outperforms him in video games. Poggers. Therefore, the guy makes an effort to improve himself while also maybe adding a loving undertone.

Seiyu’s Life!

Voice acting plays a significant role in giving video games. You’ve all probably heard that one remark from an anime or video game that just stuck with you because of the way it was delivered.

In Seiyu’s Life, a young woman named Futaba seeks to establish herself as a voice actress, giving us a deeper look at the business.

There are many ups and downs, and we observe aspects of the business that may not be as glamorous. But watching it all play out is incredibly fascinating. Additionally, it’s like having a strange glimpse into CDawgVA’s mind.

Eroge! H mo Game mo Kaihatsu Zanmai

This show is entirely focused on making eroge games, as the title suggests.

It features a guy who has expensive experience playing eroges but knows nothing about drawing, programming, or business. By coincidence, he receives an invitation to work for a studio that is set to close. He then takes it upon himself to show his female coworkers what a quality eroge game should look like in order to rescue the firm.

NB: Never watch this in public.

OreImo

When it comes to genre, Orelmo is on the slice-of-life side of things, with gaming serving as a major vehicle for story development.

A girl who honestly seems too flawless is the main character. She has perfect grades, is well-liked, attractive, and essentially has no flaws.

That is until her brother discovers the games she enjoys one day. He creates his own account and attempts to troll her but ends up being far more involved than he had anticipated. A lot of misunderstandings and awkward dinners follow.

Girlish Number

Another anime that uses voice acting as its main plot is Girlish Number.

However, this show doesn’t truly romanticize the entire experience, unlike Seiyu’s Life.

Yes, it pokes fun at the industry and makes us smile. But it also exposes what it truly takes to be a voice actor while criticizing it. Like any other job on the market, it might occasionally be monotonous or even unbearable to do the work.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is primarily a narrative about gamers juggling their actual and virtual lives. Despite being the best player in the well-known multiplayer game “Tackfam,” Fumiya Tomozaki is actually an average student without any friends who views life as an “unbalanced, garbage game.”

But when he meets Aoi Hinami, a popular and outgoing student in his class and another excellent player, Tomozaki is forced to face his own inadequacies.

Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki is a motivating anime that highlights the value of maintaining a healthy game-life balance, even though it may be alluring to withdraw into made-up worlds. The show even offers some practical advice in this regard.

You should give this anime a serious thought because it has wonderful characters and valuable messages.

Saekano: How To Raise A Boring Girlfriend

Without independent creators, where would gaming be? Saekano is a fantastic anime that examines this undervalued yet crucial facet of gaming culture. It tells the tale of otaku Tomoya Aki, who is determined to create his own visual novel.

The anime follows his efforts to assemble a team, oversee game development, and produce something that gamers would find emotionally compelling.

The love and work that go into creating and marketing an independent game are beautifully displayed. Many viewers gained fresh respect for the programmers who support such passion projects in spite of the difficulties they face.

Additionally, the anime features some entertaining characters, so you should certainly watch it.

The World God Only Knows

The next offering is an anime treat about a gamer for fans. Keima Katsuragi, a high school student and a deity in the world of dating sims, is introduced to us in “The World God Only Knows.”

His gaming talent is put to the test when he has to use his online dating skills on real girls to save their souls. Get ready for a flurry of romance, humor, and peculiar games!

Accel World

A timid student is exposed to a covert program that causes a user’s brainwaves to travel at extraordinarily fast rates in the anime Accel World, which elevates gaming in anime to a whole new level.

This anime offers an exhilarating experience that’s difficult to forget thanks to its intricate game mechanics, spectacular battles, and several emotional undercurrents.

Btooom!

What about an anime where the virtual world turns deadly? The video game “Btooom!” features a professional gamer who awakens on a remote island with a bag of bombs, just like in the game he is best at.

He must confront the dark side of human nature and the terrifying reality of his beloved game as he struggles for survival. Be prepared for nail-biting suspense, uncut action, and compelling psychological drama.

Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta? Best Anime About Online and Computer Video Games

Netoge no Yome wa Onnanoko ja Nai to Omotta? or “And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online?” narrates the story of a high school student and online gamer Hideki Nishimura, who has a female avatar in a game but later on we discover it’s actually a man.

He makes a promise not to put his trust in anyone else until a female player comes clean. It’s an endearing and funny anime about computer games that emphasizes the gap between online and real identities and relationships.

Infinite Dendrogram

The world of “Infinite Dendrogram” is one in which full-scale VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online) is already a reality.

The exploits of a new player in this game’s supposedly limitless realm are depicted in the anime. This notable anime about online and video games features a lot of dramatic battles, cool in-game mechanisms, and character development.

Selector Infected WIXOSS Best Anime About Online and Video Card Games

‘Selector Infected WIXOSS’ is the perfect anime for fans of card game-themed media. This program depicts a seemingly benign card game that has sinister repercussions for the participants.

A thrilling and intense roller coaster that explores human psychology, friendships, and the high stakes of success and failure.

Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation

In “Phantasy Star Online 2 The Animation,” we observe how a well-liked online game is incorporated into regular student life. Itsuki Tachibana, the main character, balances his investigation of the game with his studies, friendships, and responsibilities as the vice president of the student council.

With its inventive blend of slice-of-life aspects and virtual gaming adventures, this anime about video games in high school is both realistic and enjoyable.

Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

For fans of the Isekai (different world) genre and role-playing games, “Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody” is one of the must-watch anime about online and video games. A game programmer who is the protagonist unexpectedly discovers himself living as a younger game character within the game he was debugging.

He now has to survive while solving the puzzles of this weird universe. The fantasy, adventure, and RPG components in this anime are well-balanced and fun.

Darwin’s Game – Best Anime About Online and Video Games in Reality

A lethal anime about a mobile game that pits players against one another in real life is introduced in “Darwin’s Game.” This anime raises the stakes of gaming with its violent combat, complex gameplay, and gripping story. It serves as a sharp reminder that not all games are enjoyable.

Net-Juu No Susume

The story of Moriko, a thirty-year-old who decides to quit her career rather than get completely sucked into an MMO and fall victim to its allure, is followed in “Net-Juu No Susume.” She develops a strong bond with Lily, a healer character, in this virtual environment, and the two become best friends.

A chance meeting with another player in a convenience store, though, throws things off.

My Love Story With Yamada-kun At Lv999 – Best Anime About Online and Video Games with Romance

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, one of Spring 2023’s many wonderful love stories, centers on Akane, a young woman who joined an MMO at her boyfriend’s request. Unfortunately, the protagonist experiences a breakup with the same person, sending her into despair.

In brief, she joins Yamada’s guild and gains a ton of new friends after meeting one of the greatest players in the game. My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999’s MMO doesn’t get a lot of screen time to Forest of Savior, nevertheless, it plays a crucial part in lifting Akane out of her despair and bringing her closer to Yamada. Otherwise, it’s just a sweet rom-com.

That concludes our list of anime about online and video games, you can also check out our article on anime about the best anime of all time.

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