Japanese RPGs
When we are stuck in our homes every day, life does get a little mundane. You might be wondering what to do now, since you’re probably done with flicking through whatever Netflix has to offer, and whipping up a trendy coffee drink just isn’t that fun anymore.
Thankfully, there are plenty of role-playing games (RPG) that help us escape real life and enter a fantasy world, even if it’s just for a while. We’ve come a long way from the days when RPG meant playing Dungeons and Dragons – RPGs these days feature immersive narratives, tough decisions, and beautiful graphic visuals.
Whether you’re a fan of well-established Japanese RPG series like Final Fantasy or if you’re into indie horror games, we’ve got a list of fun Japanese video games that you should try.
1. Witch’s House (魔女の家)
Image credit: The Witch’s House
Witch’s House is about a girl, Viola, waking up in the middle of the forest. Her escape route is blocked off by a wall of roses, and the only way out is through a creepy mansion.
In the mansion, Viola realises that there are strange things going on – the house shapeshifts, and she finds diary entries by the mansion’s owner, a witch named Ellen. To escape the mansion, Viola has to solve a series of puzzles to unlock a number of doors.
Image credit: The Witch’s House
The game features 16-bit graphics from a birds-eye view. It’s a simple indie horror game with eerie music, puzzles, and jumpscares. The game is in Japanese, but there are free translation mods available on the website.
Some popular YouTubers such as PewDiePie and Markiplier have videos of themselves playing the game.
Genre: Survival, horror
Platforms: PC, Mac
Price: Free
Get it here
2. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (二ノ国)
Image credit: PlayStation
Imagine a video game that marries Japanese RPGs with the visuals of Studio Ghibli and you’ll get Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.
Image credits: PlayStation
The brainchild of a collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli, Ni no Kuni is an open world third-person perspective RPG, with stunning artwork and animation that’s reminiscent of Studio Ghibli’s animated movies. It was also rated as one of the best role-playing games of 2013.
Image credit: PlayStation
Wrath of the White Witch follows a young boy, Oliver, as he travels to a magical world in an attempt to rescue his mother.
Players can roam around the open world game on foot, by boat, or on the back of a dragon. Battle against enemies to complete objectives, with the use of magic from different characters and familiars – Pokemon-esque creatures that can be captured and trained to higher levels.
Image credit: PlayStation
Genre: Adventure
Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
Price: USD$49.99 (PlayStation, Switch, USD$29.99 (PC)
Get the PC version here, Switch version here, and the PlayStation version here.
3. Ib (イヴ)
Image credit: Ib
A young girl named Ib finds herself trapped in the Guertenna Weiss art museum after a power outage. Moments later, things take a strange turn as she becomes physically trapped inside a painting. Together with 2 other people trapped inside the gallery, Ib must find a way to escape.
Image credit: @ibgame.art
This indie-horror game is played on a two-dimensional field with very simple graphics. The player must solve puzzles to overcome obstacles and avoid enemies and traps. The player loses when Ib’s health reaches zero. It also has multiple endings, and the outcome depends on the player’s actions.
Image credit: @ibgame.art
Ib has made a name for itself in the indie-horror genre. Youtube gamers such as Markiplier, PewDiePie, and Jacksceptieye have tried their hand at this game too.
Genre: Adventure, horror
Platform: PC
Price: Free
Get the game here.
4. Persona 5
Image credit: PlayStation
The Persona series has been around since 1996 and is one of the most popular Japanese RPG franchises, with multiple sequels and spin-offs that even branch off into other genres and media. Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers is the latest addition to the series – it was released in February 2020 on the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.
2016’s Persona 5 was the last big update to the series. Players play as a protagonist known as Joker. During school hours, he’s a student; after school, he becomes a masked vigilante.
Image credit: PlayStation
Through an entity known as Persona, which is actually the physical manifestation of the user’s psyche, Joker combats other Personas to make wrong-doers confess their crimes to the police. Joker’s goal is to fight the corruption of the city with a band of fellow students, known as the Phantom Thieves.
You can look forward to classic RPG dungeon-clearing, as well as spending time to increase your stats, improving friendships, or battling other Personas.
Image credit: PlayStation
Metacritic has deemed Persona 5 one of the best role-playing games ever. It has a great soundtrack and captivating anime-style visuals to boot.
Genre: Social-simulation
Platforms: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 (Persona 5)
Price: USD$19.99
Get it here.
5. Go Home
Image credit: Free Game Planet
Go Home is about a young kimono-clad girl, Suzuki Mosaiko, trying to return home from a Japanese shrine. However, she is chased by a murderous spirit that seems to appear out of nowhere. It’s up to the player to guide her home safely, with the help of some teleporting manholes.
Image credit: Free Game Planet
The graphics on Go Home aren’t the best – it’s a free indie horror game made by someone who claims to be a virtual ichimatsu doll. But it makes up for it with an eerie soundtrack that combines traditional Japanese drums and immersive gameplay, which make the jumpscares extra frightening.
Image credit: Free Game Planet
It’s a short and fun game that you can complete within an hour or less, and it’s also packed with bizarre and hilarious ways to die.
Genre: Horror
Platform: PC
Price: Free
Get it here.
6. Sleep In Room 204 (204に眠る)
Image credit: 204に眠る
In Sleep In Room 204, players take on the role of a young girl exploring an empty town in a dream-like state. Finding clues and keys will help the player progress and escape from the dream.
The game is played from an overhead perspective. Do expect some blood, flickering lights, and an overall creepy atmosphere. There are multiple endings to this game, so do try to unlock them all.
Image credit: 204に眠る
Note that there are no translations available, so you’ll need to know how to read Japanese to play this game.
Genre: Horror
Platform: PC
Price: Free
Get it here.
7. Obakeidoro (オバケイドロ！)
Image credit: Nintendo
Obakeidoro is a fun multiplayer action game that you can play with up to 3 other friends.
Image credit: Nintendo
It’s a classic cat-and-mouse game where three Humans try to escape one Monster. Humans have to run away or use their lanterns to ward off the Monster, while the Monster can use their powers to capture the Humans. When Humans are captured, the other remaining Humans have to try to free them. Each match goes on for 3 minutes.
Image credit: Nintendo
Obakeidoro won the BitSummit 7 Spirits Popular Selection Award in 2019.
Genre: Party, Communication
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Price: USD$19.99
Get it here.
8. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Image credit: Steam
Final Fantasy is one of the best-established JRPG series, and this addition does not disappoint. Final Fantasy XIV is an award-winning Japanese massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). You can expect all the classic bells and whistles, such as levelling up, partying up for quests, class and race systems, and a player-driven market.
Image credit: Steam
Interestingly, Final Fantasy XIV didn’t do very well when it was first released. Square Enix, the game developer, then relaunched the game as A Realm Reborn. Today, it’s considered one of the most successful MMORPGs.
Image credit: Steam
Final Fantasy XIV is subscription-based and you’ll have to pay USD$12.99 a month to play the game, but there’s a 30-day free trial and lets the player level up to level 50.
Image credit: Steam
Genre: Adventure, MMO
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Mac, Xbox One
Price: USD$12.99/month
Get it here.
9. Monster Hunter: World
Image credit: Steam
The latest instalment in the long-running Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter: World is touted to be the best one yet with great visuals, gameplay, and a system that takes full advantage of the higher processing power of modern consoles. It’s Capcom’s best-selling game in history.
Image credit: Steam
Monster Hunter is a third-person RPG where players battle against monsters to gain better equipment. Players have no attributes to themselves, but their combat abilities are defined by the equipment they carry. There are 14 types of weapons that players can choose from, such as a long sword, hammer, and bow. Armour and other pieces of equipment must match their weapons to improve their abilities.
Image credit: Steam
The game can be played as a single-player game, or with up to 3 other players online to go on quests together.
Image credit: Steam
Monster Hunter: World was nominated for a number of awards, such as Game of the Year, by multiple international gaming festivals.
Genre: Action
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Price: USD$30 (PC, PS4, Xbox)
Get the PC version here, Xbox version here, and PS4 version here.
10. Kingdom Hearts III
Image credit: PlayStation
Kingdom Hearts is also one of the best-selling RPGs from Japan. Kingdom Hearts III is the 12th and latest instalment of the Kingdom Hearts series.
Kingdom Hearts III features the good old hack-and-slash combat that the series is known for, as well as the crossovers with Disney and Pixar characters and settings that’ll make the child in us jump for joy.
Image credit: PlayStation
Once again, players take on the role of Sora, the Keyblade-wielding protagonist. Sora goes on a quest, accompanied by Goofy and Donald Duck, for the long-awaited final showdown with Master Xehanort.
Image credit: PlayStation
Look out for worlds inspired by iconic Disney movies, like San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6, the Toy Box from Toy Story, and Arendelle from Frozen.
Image credit: PlayStation
A love letter to fans of the series, Kingdom Hearts III brings in some of the best elements from previous instalments, such as lighthearted storytelling, crossover cutscenes, and engaging combat gameplay – perfect ingredients for having a good time.
Genre: Action
Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price: USD$59.99
Get it here (PS4), and here.
Japanese video games to keep you entertained
We hope that these Japanese video games will help to take your mind off things for a while. Some of them have storylines that should be made into a TV series – Persona was actually made into an anime series – while the more lighthearted ones are an easy introduction for casual gamers. Have fun on your gaming campaign!
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- Simple Japanese dishes to cook at home
- Most haunted places in Japan
- Boba food trends in Tokyo
- Japanese cocktail recipes
Cover image adapted from (clockwise from top-left): Steam, PlayStation, PlayStation, Free Game Planet