Risk-takers, beware! None are safe from these games as they test your luck even while you're on the go. Check out Game8's favorite mobile gacha games for 2024 that you should definitely give a try!
The Best Gacha Games in 2024
Our Top 10 Gacha Picks Available in 2024
Living in a time where dozens of high-quality gacha games launch every year makes it a great time for gamers. While the same cannot be said for our wallets, we here at Game8 have compiled a list of our 10 most recommended mobile gacha games for 2024, along with some honorable mentions. Note that the games in this list do not reflect their success, popularity, or any such standards and are simply selected and ranked according to our preferences.
10. Snowbreak: Containment Zone
An excellent third-person shooter game that will no doubt challenge the limits of what is possible for mobile gaming. Snowbreak: Containment Zone offers players solid core gameplay, amazing visual effects and models, extremely punchy audio with a lot of attention to detail, and minimal incentive to pull for multiple high-rarity characters to offset its low rates.
Really, the only reason why this game isn’t higher up on this list is because it’s quite terrible as a mobile game due to its horrible touchpad controls.
9. Reverse 1999
A first-class mobile game. It stands apart from the many releases of its time, proving that you don't need the best 3D models or the freedom of an open or semi-open world, or even the backing of an established community to be superlative. It knows what it wants to be and spares no effort in providing the best version of itself. And although its gameplay may not be entirely appropriate for those who typically resort to mobile gaming for entertainment, the quality of its entire design makes it a strong, if not a niche contender for one of the best releases of 2023.
8. Love and Deepspace
Love and Deepspace
is a mobile game that combines interstellar adventure with captivating romance. It has enjoyed massive popularity since its launch back in mid-January and has since then became a hot topic for both its target demographic and those outside of it. Be warned, though, that its contents may be too stimulating for some people.
7. Honkai Impact 3rd
miHoYo’s veritable masterpiece remains strong after almost a decade of service. Its gameplay aside, Honkai Impact 3rd has one of the most memorable stories on the market. Its plot is so full of emotional roller coasters that the memories of tragedies from years past, such as Himeko’s death, are still fresh in its players' minds. It even received a massive overhaul to its gameplay with the Mars update, almost making it a completely new game within the base game. It's an absolutely fantastic title that is still very much relevant to this day, eight years after it was released.
6. Blue Archive
Blue Archive is an eye candy with a surprising amount of depth to it. Though the plot and strategic aspects do start out rather slowly, those willing to put in the hours will eventually enjoy its solid strategy shooter gameplay and eye-widening plot twists. There are a variety of modes to choose from, including a PvP mode where players can put their strategies against other players in a fully-automated combat simulation. By this point, it’s basically impossible to not mention Blue Archive when talking about mobile gacha games with huge and dedicated followings.
That’s not to mention the various other media Blue Archive has gotten into lately, such as getting an anime and multiple collaborations with other games like World of Warships.
5. Genshin Impact
Perhaps the most influential open-world mobile game of the decade, Genshin Impact is pretty much guaranteed a spot somewhere at the top of this list. Genshin Impact remains a staple in our hearts (and phones) and is an excellent game to recommend. The game's polished combat system, gorgeously-designed characters, and breathtaking environments are a big hit for fans and skeptics alike. Though there are many other games that are better than Genshin Impact in certain aspects, there is little doubt that this game is here to stay for a long while.
4. Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero is a very impressive ARPG. While the gameplay can certainly use a few improvements here and there, particularly with the impact of its roguelike upgrades and its intrusive QTE system, it’s still an incredible piece of work. The audiovisuals are nothing short of outstanding, and the expressiveness of each character stands out among its peers and competitors. Be warned, however, that it also uses the developers’ standard 50/50 system in its gacha.
3. Wuthering Waves
Wuthering Waves is an absolutely captivating game that's only somewhat dragged down by its horrible prologue. While it is entirely possible to enjoy it after getting past the heavy gates of its boring opening acts, it will definitely come with a severely damaged first impression. Otherwise, it is perhaps the best game of its kind on mobile, boasting an incredible combat system, beautiful open world, intriguing story, and captivating audiovisuals.
2. Once Human
Once Human wouldn’t have qualified for this list initially. However, it received an update recently that added loot box mechanics to the game, so here we are.
Once Human is a freak of nature by contemporary industry standards and I mean that in the best way. It’s a free-to-play game with great gameplay, smooth multiplayer, plenty of dedicated servers, and a very distinct visual style that adds character to its otherwise pedestrian premise. There might be something to be said about its questionable terms of service or its buggy release, but judging its quality as a game alone, Once Human sets a new standard for the free-to-play experience.
1. Honkai: Star Rail
Honkai: Star Rail may be miHoYo’s greatest work thus far. It easily matches Honkai Impact 3rd’s colorful experience and Genshin Impact’s cast of characters. But what sets it apart from its older sisters is its commitment to enjoyment, flaunting its hilariously off-kilter humor and abundance of random anime and manga references. This does not mean Honkai: Star Rail is any slouch with its more serious aspects, though. It also features incredible worldbuilding and storytelling with every arc ending in a glorious and hair-raising boss battle propped up by some of the greatest musical pieces in mobile gaming.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you to play, Honkai: Star Rail also has a very healthy economy that more than makes up for its low gacha rates. It truly is a trailblazer in the field.
The Best Mobile Gacha Games in 2024 Honorable Mentions
Arknights
Arknights is a solid mix of traditional tower defense gameplay with RPG-esque character progression. It also offers some of the best stories, character designs, and character developments in all of mobile gaming, as long as you can forgive its rather excessively verbose writing style. But perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of the game is its music. It’s so good that it has caused its developers, Hypergryph, to be accused of being a music studio in the guise of a game development company.
Azur Lane
Azur Lane is an eye candy of a mobile game that blends fast-paced naval battles with strategic gameplay and collectible characters. The combination of its action, tactics and beautifully designed characters add a distinct charm to it that nobody can seem to forget after just one glance. And despite its age, it’s still going strong with regular updates and dev streams that attract thousands of eyes. Boasting a friendly community and a wealth of content, Azur Lane offers a compelling experience for both casual and dedicated gamers.
Punishing Gray Raven
Punishing Gray Raven is an action RPG ripe with a fantastic, philosophical storyline, robust and fast-paced combat system, and wildly immersive audiovisuals. It boasts one of the best action RPG gameplay in the market, featuring incredible animations and exquisitely-detailed models. On top of that, obtaining characters is extremely easy. Unlike many character gacha games, Punishing Gray Raven guarantees a player the event character from their pulls instead of the usual 50-50.
Unfortunately, its PC version is quite unwieldy to get used to due to its unique orb combat system.
Brown Dust 2
Brown Dust 2, the sequel to the highly-rated visual work of art Brave Nine, builds upon its predecessor's success by fine-tuning its gameplay, story, and visuals to the next level. Featuring dungeon-crawling exploration, strategic, turn-based combat, visuals that belong more in a console than on mobile, as well as a wide variety of stories that put your characters into unfamiliar yet wholly entertaining scenarios, Brown Dust 2 is a game that RPG enthusiasts won't want to miss.
Goddess of Victory: NIKKE
Though some may be put off by the game's heavy preference for male-targeted fanservice, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is an easy shoo-in for the list of honorable mentions. Despite being a cover shooter, the gameplay is surprisingly deep. Because of how Burst rotations and effects interact with each other, a wide variety of builds and tactics become available to the player with the right characters. Of course, the characters themselves are pure eye candy, and the audiovisuals are very pleasing despite its layered 2D form. But most importantly, the game has an incredible main story focusing on the meaning of existence, loyalty, and commitment.
Not to mention all of their collaborations with other anime and game series that seems to come every few months at this point.
Battle Cats
Battle Cats is an amazing and hilarious mobile game with simple yet addictive line tower defense gameplay similar to titles such as CounterSide. Its unique and bizarre cat-based characters add a sense of foreboding unease that somehow results in an enhanced entertainment value. Not only is it easy to learn, it’s also very undemanding in case you’re interested in trying it out!
Fortress Saga
A relatively new entry to the list, Fortress Saga a strategic tower defense game that mixes resource management with real-time action, offering a unique and dynamic gameplay experience. Players can customize their defenses to their tastes and field powerful heroes to help defend their mobile fortress. It’s an amazingly fun mobile game that we somehow haven’t seen much of, so here’s to hoping for its continued service to the market.
CounterSide
CounterSide is an extremely popular line tower defense mobile game. It sports a very compelling narrative featuring a diverse and quirky set of characters that’s sure to attract the eyes and attention of all. Fights are endlessly engaging due to the game’s gratuitous use of explosive visual effects and audio, adding to the charm of its awesome art style and mechanics. As a word of caution, though, the game heavily relies on keeping up with new heroes due to very real power creep concerns. But otherwise, CounterSide is an excellent choice for a captivating experience with real depth.
Fire Emblem Heroes
Fire Emblem Heroes has brought the beloved tactical RPG series to your fingertips with streamlined, engaging battles. It features many of your favorite and iconic characters from every Fire Emblem game and allows you to create diverse rosters with unique playstyles and properties. While the game is certainly old, that doesn’t mean it has stopped producing updates with its regular glow-ups and new characters. It even has very deep character customizations complemented by its relatively high gacha rates.
