Gacha-style games have been hugely popular for over a decade, originating in Japan but now a global phenomenon. If you want to know the best current and upcoming gacha games in 2024, read my guide below.

If you’re looking to dive into a staple of the tower defense gacha genre, look no further than Arknights. The storyline is great and you’ll quickly fall in love with the characters, while the gameplay is smooth and challenging. The game can get grindy, but its continued popularity four years after its release is a testament to what it has to offer. Also look out for the highly anticipated Arknights Endfield in 2024, which will be an open-world RPG from the same developer Hypergryph, but set in a new world.

If you’re looking for something a little different in style but don’t mind a little too much cuteness, check out Azur Lane. The game is a side-scrolling shooter set in an alternate WWII setting, where the naval vessels you command are super cute anime characters. Don’t ask me how, but it works! The quirkiness extends to character customization and a dormitory you can build yourself. Despite being out since 2017, Azur Lane still gets regular updates, making it more than relevant in the gacha game market of 2024.

Nintendo’s Fire Emblem Heroes was released in 2017, became the publisher’s highest-grossing mobile game in 2020, and is still popular in 2024. It is a mobile spin-off of the popular Fire Emblem series, featuring the same characters in a gacha-style tactical RPG. You control up to four heroes and engage in turn-based battles that feature classic gacha mechanics such as advantageous unit color combinations, alongside more traditional turn-based elements including varying ranges and movement distances.