Best tv shows like Darwin's Game
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Sudou Kaname, an ordinary high school student, receives an invitation email to try a mysterious app called "Darwin's Game." Kaname, upon launching the app, is drawn into a game where players fight one another using superpowers called Sigils. Without knowing the reason for all this, can Kaname survive furious battles against the powerful players who attack him?.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, suspense, tense, enigmatic, brutal, disturbing, shounen
Best tv shows and movies like Darwin's Game (2020):
Similar in 76%
The Ones Within (2019)
Plot Summary:
Iride Akatsuki and seven other charismatic game streamers wake up in the world of a mysterious free-to-play game called Naka no Hito Genome. Now they are competing in real-life games with life-or-death stakes, but clearing several game tasks could earn them 100 million lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 210
Genere: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, tense, captivating, disturbing
Similar in 86%
Monster Strike (2015)
Plot Summary:
Ren Homura returns to his former residence, yet he feels very uncomfortable: he possesses no memory of having lived there. Without warning or his permission, a game called "Monster Strike" installs itself into Ren's smartphone; monsters of the game then literally fly out from his smartphone and start fighting on streets. Watching the fighting in amazement, Ren starts picking up his lost memories.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 48
Genere: Animation, Action
Country: Japan
Duration: 8 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, tense, captivating
Similar in 88%
Tower of God (2020)
Plot Summary:
There is a tower that summons chosen people called "Regulars" with the promise of granting their deepest desires. Whether it be wealth, fame, authority, or something that surpasses them all—everything awaits those who reach the top. Twenty-Fifth Bam is a boy who had only known a dark cave, a dirty cloth, and an unreachable light his entire life. So when a girl named Rachel came to him through the light, his entire world changed. Becoming close friends with Rachel, he learned various things about the outside world from her. But when Rachel says she must leave him to climb the Tower, his world shatters around him. Vowing to follow after her no matter what it takes, he sets his sight on the tower, and a miracle occurs. Thus begins the journey of Bam, a young boy who was not chosen by the Tower but opened its gates by himself. They call his kind "Irregulars"—beings that have shaken the very foundation of the Tower each time they set foot inside it.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan, South Korea
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, enigmatic, captivating, disturbing, romantic, manga, dark fantasy
Similar in 79%
High-Rise Invasion (2021)
Plot Summary:
High-school girl Yuri suddenly finds herself on the rooftop of a high-rise building. She's trapped in a bizarre world surrounded by skyscrapers, where a masked man cracked open a man's head with an axe before her eyes. Finding a way to survive this bizarre world, find her beloved brother, and escape becomes her top priority, but she is beset by danger not just from the mysterious Masks, which possess both inhuman strength and cruelty, but other survivors turned cruel or desparate by the insanity of the high-rise world.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Animation, Action, Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, mysterious, ecchi, captivating, suspense, disturbing, shounen, psychological thriller, tense, futuristic
Similar in 81%
Astra Lost in Space (2019)
Plot Summary:
The year is 2061, when space travel is now possible and commercially viable, and the students of Caird High School embark on their Planet Camp. But soon after Group B5 arrived at their planetary camp site, a mysterious and unforeseen sentient light sphere warps its 9 members into outer space, stranding them 5012 light years away from their home planet. With the discovery of an old, unmanned spaceship nearby, the students must stay strong, manage their limited resources and remain united in the darkness of space, so that all of them can survive their long and likely perilous trek back home aboard the Astra.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, psychological, captivating, disturbing, futuristic, tense, adult anime, shounen
Similar in 89%
Plunderer (2020)
Plot Summary:
In a post-apocalyptic world dominated by the so-called "Numbers," each human will have their identity branded with their own "Count," which could define any number related to their life. May it be one's walked distance or amount of compliments given to them by others, this Count could lead them to the abyss when it has dropped to zero. In the year 305 of the Alcian calendar, Hina has inherited a mission from her Mother, whose Count has depreciated to zero, to search for the Legendary Red Baron. In her adventure, she meets a half-masked swordsman named Licht who tries to hide his identity, as he is known as a degenerate for having an incredibly low Count.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Animation, Action, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, romantic, futuristic, tense, captivating, apocalyptic, erotic, ecchi, shounen
Similar in 77%
Alice in Borderland (2014)
Plot Summary:
Arisu, Karube, and Segawa, a trio of highschool delinquents, are bored with their current lives. During a firework celebration, Arisu wishes that he could live in a different world which would be more exciting for him. As such, his wish was granted, and the three were transported into a seemingly post-apocalyptic-like parallel world. After stepping into what seems to be an empty festival, they are greeted by a woman who tells them that they have already "entered their game". After clearing the game, she reveals to them that, in Borderlands, they must play games to survive.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 601
Genere: Animation, Action, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, captivating, exciting, unusual plot structure, suspense, disturbing, intellectual
Similar in 86%
Million Arthur (2018)
Plot Summary:
Based on Square Enix's massively multi-player online role-playing game.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 54
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, entertaining
Similar in 89%
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash (2016)
Plot Summary:
When Haruhito awakens, he's in the dark. He doesn't know where he is, why is he here, and where he came from. Around him there are several men and women who have the same circumstances. Haruhito and his companions find themselves in a "game-like world" called Grimgar and must form a party, cooperate, and learn new skills to survive the harsh environment together.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, stylized, exciting, suspense, disturbing, manga, seinen, suspenseful, dark fantasy
Similar in 90%
To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts (2019)
Plot Summary:
The democratic nation of Patria was created on the continent of Patria. Because of economical disputes, the country split north and south, creating the Northern Union of Patria and the Southern Confederation of Patria and they waged a long civil war. With their numbers dwindling, the North decides to use forbidden technology in order to defeat the South. This technology turns humans into monster-like soldiers, giving them almost godlike powers. And with those powers, the long war came to an end and peace was restored.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 440
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, tense, captivating, suspenseful, shounen
Similar in 86%
Taboo Tattoo (2016)
Plot Summary:
Seigi, a martial arts trained middle schooler, often feels driven to protect the weaker people around him. One day, he defends a homeless man against some punks, and the man gives him a strange tattoo on his palm in return. The tattoo is a secret weapon produced in the arms race between America and the Serinistan Kingdom. Seigi finds himself in over his head when a powerful girl, using the same secret weapon, violently pursues him in order to retrieve it. His skill at martial arts may not be enough to keep him alive, but will he be able to learn how to trigger the power of his tattoo in time?.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 571
Genere: Animation, Action, Comedy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, tense, disturbing, manga, seinen, light, satirical
Similar in 86%
BBK/BRNK (2016)
Plot Summary:
It’s been ten years since Azuma Kazuki has been in Japan, and upon his arrival he is taken prisoner by a group of armed men. Azuma is saved by his childhood friend, Kogane Asabuki, thanks to a living weapon she wields on her right hand, known as a Bubuki. Learning about these weapons, Azuma becomes a Bubuki wielder himself and sets out on a journey.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 101
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, mecha, exciting, tense, captivating
Similar in 83%
Platinum End (2021)
Plot Summary:
As his classmates celebrate their middle school graduation, troubled Mirai is mired in darkness. But his battle is just beginning when he receives some salvation from above in the form of an angel. Now Mirai is pitted against 12 other chosen humans in a battle in which the winner becomes the next god of the world. Mirai has an angel in his corner, but he may need to become a devil to survive.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, tense, psychological, shounen
Similar in 77%
Tales of Zestiria the X (2016)
Plot Summary:
Legends speak of the Shepherd, a savior who will bring peace to the seraphim and human worlds. Sorey has spent his life studying ancient books and exploring ruins to learn more about this legendary savior. When he and his seraphim companion Mikleo encounter a mysterious girl in the ruins, the stories of the Shepherd become Sorey's reality.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 947
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, tense, captivating
Similar in 88%
Battle Game in 5 Seconds (2021)
Plot Summary:
It was just a usual morning. Akira Shiroyanagi, a high schooler who loves games and Konpeito (Japanese sweets), has suddenly been dragged into a battlefield by a mysterious girl who calls herself Mion. The participants are told that they are "erased from the family register, involved in an experiment, and gained certain powers." Akira is determined to win the game with his newfound powers and destroy the organization. Armed with a power no one expects and his "brain" skills, the new period of intelligence battle begins!.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 742
Genere: Animation, Action, Fantasy, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, tense, captivating, psychological, shounen
Similar in 86%
Osama Game (2017)
Plot Summary:
Kanazawa Nobuaki has transferred to a high school far from where he used to live. Due to an incident at his old school, Nobuaki is afraid of getting close to his new classmates and keeps himself at a distance, but he starts opening up because of a sports day inter-class relay. Then a single text message from someone calling themselves the "King" is sent to everyone in class. Nobuaki's classmates think it's a simple prank and don't take it seriously - but Nobuaki knows that a death game is about to begin, and struggles to oppose it.
IMDB Rating: 5.0
IMDB Votes: 531
Genere: Animation, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, unusual plot structure, suspense, disturbing, psychological, tense, captivating, suspenseful, psychotronic, surreal
Similar in 75%
Tomodachi Game (2022)
Plot Summary:
Yuuichi Katagiri believes that friends are more important than money, but he also knows the hardships of not having enough funds. He works hard to save up in order to go on the high school trip, because he has promised his four best friends that they will all go together. However, after the class' money is all collected, it's stolen! Suspicion falls on two of Yuuichi's friends, Shiho Sawaragi and Makoto Shibe. Soon afterwards, the five of them are kidnapped, and wake up in a strange room with a character from a short-lived anime. Apparently, one of them has entered them into a "friendship game" in order to take care of their massive debt. But who was it, and why did they have such a debt? Could they have stolen the money from class to pay for entry into the game? Yuuichi and his best friends will have to succeed in psychological games that will test or destroy their faith in one another.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, disturbing, captivating, suspense
Similar in 87%
BTOOOM! (2012)
Plot Summary:
Btooom!, stylized as BTOOOM!, is a Japanese manga series written by Jun'ya Inoue and serialized in Weekly Comic Bunch and later in Monthly Comic Bunch. An anime adaptation by Madhouse aired in Japan on Tokyo MX and was streamed with English subtitles by Crunchyroll from October 4 to December 20, 2012. It has been licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, suspenseful, rough, manga, adult anime, adult animation, erotic, serious, stylized
Similar in 77%
Deadman Wonderland (2011)
Plot Summary:
Death is the main attraction in Deadman Wonderland, from the studio that brought you Samurai Champloo and Ergo Proxy. Ganta is the only survivor after a mysterious man in red slaughters a classroom full of teenagers. He’s framed for the carnage, sentenced to die, and locked away in the most twisted prison ever built: Deadman Wonderland. And then it gets worse. At Deadman Wonderland, convicts are forced into brutal deathmatches for the amusement of the masses, the cheers of the crowd drowning out the screams of the dismembered. Even when Ganta befriends Shiro, an unusual female inmate, his dark fate crushes all hope – until he discovers the strange ability to wield his spilled blood as a weapon. Ganta learns his new skill might be related to the murderous man in red and uncovers disturbing secrets that could expose those who stole his freedom. He’s determined to see justice served – but first he’ll have to fight for his life in a prison that holds a million ways to die.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, rough, exciting, manga, sad, adult anime, shounen, suspenseful, serious, tense
Similar in 81%
Big Order (2016)
Plot Summary:
Ten years ago, a child wished for the destruction of the world. Now, a group of people has the ability to grant their wishes depending on their power. They are called "Order User." Before these great people who have the power of "Order," one person excels the most with the ability to rule and conquer the world and turn people into puppets when it is in his jurisdiction. This power belongs to Hoshimiya Eiji, who is also responsible for the destructive phenomena that happened exactly ten years ago.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 385
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, stylized, captivating, suspense, disturbing, manga, shounen
Similar in 86%
I'm Standing on a Million Lives (2020)
Plot Summary:
Ninth grader Yotsuya Yuusuke is practical, friendless, and not active in any clubs. Then one day, he and two female classmates are suddenly sent to another world where they must work together to battle for their lives. Yotsuya is a lone wolf and has always lived his life according to his wants, but how will that work out now that he’s supposed to be a hero?!.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: exciting, anime, captivating, seinen, shounen, suspense
Similar in 78%
God Eater (2015)
Plot Summary:
In the early 2050s, unknown life forms called “Oracle cells” begin their uncontrolled consumption of all life on Earth. Their ravenous appetite and remarkable adaptability earn them first dread, then awe, and finally the name “aragami”. In the face of an enemy completely immune to conventional weapons, urban civilization collapses, and each day humanity is driven further and further toward extinction. One single ray of hope remains for humanity. Following the development of “God Arcs”—living weapons which incorporate Oracle cells—their wielders are organized into an elite force.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Animation, Action, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, dark fantasy, stylized, suspense, manga, suspenseful
Similar in 87%
The Future Diary (2011)
Plot Summary:
Yukiteru Amano (Yuki) is a loner who never really interact with people and prefers writing a diary on his cell phone with his only companion being an imaginary friend named Deus Ex Machina, the God of Time and Space. However, Yuki soon learns that Deus is not a figment of his imagination but real when Deus makes him a participant in a battle royale with eleven others. Within this "Diary Game", the contestants are given special diaries that can predict the future with each diary having unique features that gives them both advantages and disadvantages.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Animation, Action, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 25 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, serious, stylized, bleak, manga, shounen, humorous, epic, psychological horror
Similar in 82%
A Certain Scientific Accelerator (2019)
Plot Summary:
After rescuing Last Order and subsequently taking a bullet to the head, Academy City’s top-ranked esper rests in the hospital. But Accelerator’s recovery is cut short when a mysterious girl carrying a photo of his little clone companion asks for help. Now they’re taking on Disciplinary Action—an anti-evil coalition whose sinister plans threaten Last Order, Academy City, and even the entire world!.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 557
Genere: Animation, Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: exciting, anime, captivating, tense, humorous
Similar in 89%
The Rising of The Shield Hero (2019)
Plot Summary:
Iwatani Naofumi was summoned into a parallel world along with 3 other people to become the world's Heroes. Each of the heroes respectively equipped with their own legendary equipment when summoned, Naofumi received the Legendary Shield as his weapon. Due to Naofumi's lack of charisma and experience he's labeled as the weakest, only to end up betrayed, falsely accused, and robbed by on the third day of adventure. Shunned by everyone from the king to peasants, Naofumi's thoughts were filled with nothing but vengeance and hatred. Thus, his destiny in a parallel World begins.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, tense, feel good, suspense, manga, seinen, dark fantasy, psychological
Similar in 79%
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest (2019)
Plot Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Hajime Nagumo is your average, everyday otaku. However, his simple life of pulling all-nighters and sleeping in school is suddenly turned upside down when he, along with the rest of his class, is summoned to a fantasy world! They're treated like heroes and tasked with the duty of saving the human race from utter extinction. But what should have been any otaku's wet dream quickly turns into Hajime's nightmare. While the rest of his class are blessed with godlike powers, Hajime's job, Synergist, only has a single transmutation skill. Ridiculed and bullied by his classmates for being weak, he soon finds himself in despair. Will he be able to survive in this dangerous world of monsters and demons with only a glorified blacksmith's level of strength?.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, captivating, tense, light, suspenseful, psychological, semi serious, manga
Similar in 86%
D.Gray-man (2006)
Plot Summary:
Allen Walker, a young Exorcist with a cursed eye that can see the suffering of the Akumas created by The Millenium Earl, travels to England to the Headquarters of the exorcists, the Black Order, where his Master, General Cross Marian, has sent him to meet with the other exorcists. He battles the Millenium Earl and the Noah Family (which has sided with the Earl) alongside Yuu Kanda, Leenalee Lee, and Ravi, (fellow exorcists) as well as others. Along with his team, he travels the world fighting Akuma and searching for Innocence, the Anti-Akuma weapon exorcists use.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 30 min
Plot tags: anime, emotional, exciting, suspense, shounen, semi serious, manga, stylized, serious
Similar in 80%
Magical Girl Raising Project (2016)
Plot Summary:
A social game called The Magical Girl Raising Project allows one in tens of thousands of people to be a "magical girl" — possessing extraordinary physical capabilities and looks, as well as special magical powers that set them apart from the rest of the human race. But one day, in a district containing 16 magical girls, the administration announces that it must halve the number of magical girls to solve the problem of magical energy. At first, the 16 magical girls race to collect more "magical candy" than their competitors, but the rules quickly become twisted, and it quickly becomes a murderous battle for survival among them.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 373
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, dark fantasy, exciting, tense, captivating, suspense
Similar in 77%
Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious (2019)
Plot Summary:
There is a popular saying: "you can never be too careful." It is very important to prepare for every situation you may face, even if it seems like an unnecessary waste of time. Also, in games like RPGs, it is good to exceed the level of your enemies to achieve total victory. These words describe Seiya Ryuuguuin a little too perfectly. After being summoned by the goddess Ristarte to save the world of Gaeabrande from destruction, the hero prepares himself for his noble journey. While this might be normal, he spends a very long time training himself, despite having overpowered stats. He fights weak enemies using his strongest skills and buys excessive amounts of supplies and potions—all to stay safe. While his attitude may be a bit annoying, it might just be the saving grace of Gaeabrande, especially considering that it is a world where the forces of evil dominate each and every expectation.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Country: Japan
Duration: 23 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, suspense, disturbing, stylized
Similar in 87%
Claymore (2007)
Plot Summary:
In a world rife with deadly creatures called "youma", a young silver eyed woman, Clare, works on behalf of an organization that trains female youma halfbreeds into warriors with the ability to destroy these creatures. Considered a rogue for picking up a stray child and almost losing herself to her youma side by "Awakening", she is constantly assigned rather dangerous missions.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Animation, Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Country: Japan
Duration: 24 min
Plot tags: anime, exciting, serious, rough, suspenseful, manga, adult anime, spectacular, psychological, brutal