Spoilers, I don’t have a Top 5 Anime Board Games. My list is going to be ones that give that sort of feel, but they won’t all be based on anime. Why, because anime board games are hard to find. And I mentioned this in my Top 5 Board Game Themes it’s a situation where there are games but a lot of them aren’t that great. So this list won’t even always have games that I’ve fully played or done more than messed around with. And it’ll be games that maybe give me some of that feel, versus being tied to an actual anime.

Top 5 Anime Board Games

5. Sword Art Online: Fellowship of Swords

This is one where it is based on an anime, and one that I really like, Sword Art Online. Let me just say, if this game wasn’t based on SAO, I wouldn’t own it. It’s a pretty simple Yahtzee like game where you collect dice to use for attacks. There isn’t much you can do to manipulate the dice, so you roll, keep and hope you hit. And then, if you hit, you deal out damage and if you hit well, you “switch” with another character.

The concept is fun, but this is where I struggle with games based on anime. The concept of the game is actually interesting, but when it comes to execution, it’s only partly done. The choices are limited and don’t leave me feeling like I made too many decisions. I think I make more decision in Yahtzee than in Sword Art Online: Fellowship of Swords.

4. Krosmaster Arena/Quest

I thought about a couple of battle games on this list. Through, I put both Krosmaster Arena and Quest on here. They both use the same IP which is again anime or animated anyways. The characters feel like they belong in an anime.

In Krosmaster Arena, you beat up other characters, knock them out, and collect gold to be the first one to a number of points. Or you play where you just knock them out. In Quest, well, it is going to add in quests. This game is fun because you build your team and can tailor the game play to what you want to do. Similar in nature to Super Fantasy Brawl, though it came out first, I prefer Super Fantasy Brawl, Krosmaster just gives the anime feel.

3. Middara: Unintentional Malum Act 1

I said there would be one I haven’t played on the list. Here it is. Middara is one I’ve messed around with and watched played. But this is clearly an anime inspired game. The whole setting and lots of story lean into that. In fact if you watch the videos around the game and how it works, it even doubles down on feeling like that.

This is the only one of these games that is a campaign game. So good for me with with. As most of the other campaign games fall into the space or fantasy category. I say that, but also that is the character I want more anime games. Good anime builds rich story. The ones above, they don’t as much.

2. Bullet *Star*

The other one I need to play still is Bullet. You pick if you want Bullet Star or Orange or whatever it might be. In Bullet from Level 99 Games you play as an anime character using your powers to deal with bullets that are coming down and putting them onto a bad guy or your opponents.

From what I remember about this game, it is a fast one. The game itself goes quickly as you use your powers to play out cards and get those bullets where they need to go. But the game itself is pattern manipulation. You play out cards to clear off your board. It’s one that I need to learn so I can play it solo some Monday night on Malts and Meeples.

1. Aeon’s End/Astro Knights

Finally, we have Aeon’s End or Astro Knights. These two games are the same game, generally. Using a system of readying attacks and then attacking in a deck building game. Also no shuffling of that deck you build, you just build, flip the deck and continue when everything hits the discard pile. Theoretically you can set yourself up some with how cards hit the discard. And it does work, sometimes.

But why that theme of anime? I think that Aeon’s End borrows some story elements from anime. When I went through the legacy version, I got some feeling of an anime like Gurren Lagann. And I think that Astro Knights leans more into that anime style artwork. So it’s nice to see a board game, like Middara, take inspiration from anime to build it’s own world.

Final Thoughts

I will continue to harp on this for a long time until there are good games based on anime. I do want to try the Cowboy Bebop Deck building game. But so many anime driven games are focused on basic mechanisms with a few cards that give you the theme while otherwise being a generic game. Anime is rich and full of tons of different stories.

Maybe the trick is that an anime game works if it is themed to feel like anime, not based on an actual one. It is possible that the IP’s are held too tightly to allow for good game creation around them. If that is the case, it’s sad, and I hope that changes.

What’s your favorite game with an anime theme or feel?

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