Games like Genshin Impact for anime open-world fans
Wuthering Waves is the closest game to Genshin Impact: free, open world, anime art and a gacha for characters. Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero come from the same studio but play differently, so read the line on each first.
Genshin in one paragraph
Genshin Impact is a free open-world action RPG by miHoYo, known as HoYoverse outside China. It launched in September 2020 on PC, PS4 and phones. You explore Teyvat with a party of four, swap characters to combine elements, and pull new heroes through a gacha system.
People who look for alternatives usually want one of two things: the same open-world exploration, or the same anime cast and character collecting. The list covers both.
Real alternatives to Genshin Impact
- Wuthering Waves. Kuro Games' 2024 open world. Faster combat with dodges and parries, and a grappling hook for climbing cliffs.
- Honkai: Star Rail. HoYoverse's 2023 space RPG. Turn-based fights instead of action, with the same polish and the same gacha.
- Zenless Zone Zero. HoYoverse's 2024 action game set in a city. Short missions and flashy combat instead of open fields.
- Tower of Fantasy. Hotta Studio's sci-fi open world from 2022. Still running on PC, PS5 and phones. The PS4 version shut down in October 2026.
- Infinity Nikki. Infold Games' 2024 open world built around outfits. Platforming, puzzles and outfit-based Stylist Duels.
Watch your spending
All of these are free and make money through gacha pulls. Set a budget before you start, and read how each game's pity system works: it guarantees a top character after a set number of pulls.
Free players can finish the story in every game on this list. Spending mostly speeds up collecting.
Roam anime adventures
Free on Roam for iPhone.
- Blade Ascent. Anime action RPG. A chibi swordsman, a village fountain and a tower of floors to climb.
- Runeweaver: Trials of the Arcanum. A young wizard, a castle court and a rune waiting to be found.
- Spellwind. A fantasy mage adventure with an elf and her grimoire.
- Follow the Wind. An open-field samurai adventure on horseback. The wind knows the way.
Play it on Roam
More on Roam
Make your own anime adventure with Roam
Describe the hero, the world and the fights. Roam builds it, and you can add a party member or a new region by asking.
Try: "anime open world on sky islands, my friends are the party, fire and ice swords, a dragon boss"Questions people ask
What game is most like Genshin Impact?
Wuthering Waves. It has the same open-world exploration, anime style and character gacha, with faster combat.
Are there games like Genshin Impact without gacha?
Yes. Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Immortals Fenyx Rising have similar exploration and no gacha at all.
Is Genshin Impact on iPhone?
Yes. It is on iPhone, Android, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.