The arrival of Neverness to Everness in May 2026 was initially seen as “just another urban gacha game” by many, but the game has quickly established itself as much more welcoming to the average player: it boasts a more resource-friendly premium banner pull, 5-star equipment can be obtained through gameplay…like it or not, it has some elements that set it apart in the genre.
And while most of its writing does feature the usual gacha bread-and-butter (amnesiac main character with no purpose decides to save the world just for the vibes), its writing does have a lot of depth—so much so, in fact, that it rivals a lot of RPG heavyweights even outside the gacha genre.
And if all of that is your cup of tea, then here are other 10 games to play if you love Neverness to Everness.
Zenless Zone Zero
Starting out with NTE’s most direct competitor, HoYoVerse’s Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ, for short) brings about the same aesthetic and combat fluidity, but with the advantage of already being a staple in the urban action setting by the time Hotta Studio released its game.
Developed for PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile platforms, ZZZ presents a stylish metropolitan environment focused on high-speed, instance-based combat. While it eschews the seamless open-world exploration found in Hethereau, it compensates with surgical precision in its mission structure and a deep emphasis on team synergy.
The game is built for players who prioritize optimization and fast-paced rotations over casual sightseeing. Its characters are tightly designed around specific combat roles, offering a polished experience for those who enjoy mastering technical skill chains. It differentiates itself by moving at a much faster clip, making it ideal for shorter, more intense gameplay sessions.
Arknights: Endfield
Released in January 2026 by developer Gryphline, this action role-playing game has quickly become a primary alternative for fans seeking a deep, faction-driven narrative (not to mention one of our favorites: check out this tag to see how much we’ve been talking about it).
Available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Android devices, it transports players to the hazardous moon called Talos-II—itself the only habitable satellite of the gas giant planet Talos. And having a planetary setting allows for more fluidity in environment aesthetics: rather than a traditional modern city, Arknights: Endfield has industrial regions, laboratories, sewers, rural countrysides, shanty villages and everything in between, all visited by the player as they progress through the main questline.
Despite the change in setting, the core loop of managing a roster of powerful characters while battling for control of territory will feel immediately familiar to any veteran of recent urban releases. This title focuses heavily on strategic progression and real-time action, challenging players to navigate the political and physical dangers of a frontier world.
It serves as a more science-fiction-leaning counterpart to the paranormal urban fantasy genre, emphasizing exploration and tactical depth, and its factory management feature gives it far more depth. Its status as a popular alternative stems from its high production values and the complexity of its planetary factions.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance
This semi-open-world title launched in December 2025 and established itself as a social-heavy alternative that leans into the multiplayer experience. Developed through a collaboration involving Shanghai Bokura Network Technology and published by A Plus, it is accessible on PC via Steam and mobile stores—and the game world is massive, featuring a leveling system that gradually unlocks new regions for players to explore and inhabit.
Unlike titles that focus on solo dungeon crawling, this game emphasizes large-scale overworld bosses that require dozens of players to coordinate and conquer. It also places a massive premium on life skills, gardening, and housing decoration, making it a perfect fit for players who enjoyed the living city aspects of recent urban simulators.
While the story follows traditional tropes, the freedom to socialize and participate in non-combat activities like fishing and dancing provides a relaxing change of pace.
Persona 5 Royal
Yup, even non-gachas have some of that NTE look and feel, and for those seeking a premium experience without the monetization pressure of a gacha system, this landmark title from Atlus remains the definitive urban paranormal role-playing game.
Originally released in 2020 and ported to the Nintendo Switch in late 2022, Persona 5 Royal is probably the most popular title of the entire Persona franchise nowadays, and it follows a group of high school students in modern Tokyo who manifest supernatural abilities to change the hearts of corrupt adults. It is a massive social adventure where managing daily schedules and building relationships is just as important as the turn-based battles.
The game’s influence on the current generation of urban gacha titles is undeniable, from its stylish user interface to its blend of real-world locations and alternate cognitive dimensions. While its combat is turn-based rather than real-time, the depth of its monster-fusing mechanics and the sheer soul of its jazzy soundtrack offer a world-class experience. It is an essential play for anyone who enjoys the themes of teenagers battling supernatural anomalies in a bustling city.
Astral Chain
Another standout non-gacha recommendation is this 2019 action-adventure masterpiece developed by PlatinumGames for the Nintendo Switch. Set in the year 2078, players take on the role of police officers in the Ark, a megacity serving as the last refuge of humanity against interdimensional invaders. The gameplay is built around a synergetic combat system where the player controls both their own character and a tethered supernatural familiar called a Legion.
The investigative segments of the game require players to solve puzzles and examine evidence in the streets of a futuristic, dystopian city. This blend of high-octane hack-and-slash combat and open-world detective work mirrors the paranormal investigator role found in many current live-service titles. Its cyberpunk setting and dual-character mechanics offer a unique mechanical challenge that remains fresh years after its initial launch.
Scarlet Nexus
Bandai Namco Studios released this brain punk action role-playing game in 2021, providing a unique alternate reality where society is built on substances found in human brains. Available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles, it features a dual-protagonist story where players can control either Yuito Sumeragi or Kasane Randall. The game excels in its combat, which combines traditional short-range weapons with powerful psychokinetic abilities.
Players can hurl objects from the environment at enemies while coordinating with party members through a brain link system that grants temporary access to companion powers. The futuristic cities of New Himuka and Seiran serve as the backdrop for a story filled with time-traveling entanglements and supernatural threats. Its emphasis on bond-building and a complex skill tree makes it a rewarding experience for fans of character-driven action RPGs.
Wuthering Waves
A favorite for at least one of our own members, this open-world title from Kuro Games has been a mainstay on PC, PS5 and mobile devices for those who love high-mobility exploration and fluid action.
It’s story is more “adult” and presents a post-apocalyptic universe where players control a wide cast of characters to navigate a world filled with both beauty and desolation, with the main questline approaching topics like depression, social isolation and even political intrigue, but doing so in such a nuanced way that such heavy topics feel like anything but, making these discussions more approachable and debatable.
The movement and combat systems in its gameplay are designed for speed, allowing for a satisfying flow as players move between disparate regions. Unlike games like Arknights: Endfield—where you have all party members in the field at once—Wuthering Waves follow and old-school recipe of making you control everyone through smart rotation, focusing on specific orders and commands to ensure buffs and debuffs while trading blows with enemies in real time.
While it leans more into a desolate science-fiction atmosphere than a thriving modern metropolis, it shares the core gacha mechanics of character collection and weapon upgrades. It is particularly noted for its expansive world design that rewards curious players who wander off the beaten path. For those who enjoy the feeling of total freedom in a vast environment, this title provides a substantial amount of content to explore.
Genshin Impact
It is impossible to discuss the genre without mentioning the 2020 release from HoYoverse that redefined what was possible for live-service games on PC, mobile, and PlayStation. This high-fantasy adventure set the standard for elemental combat, where combining different powers leads to powerful reactions and synergies. Its massive success paved the way for every urban gacha title that followed, establishing the expectations for frequent updates and world-class production.
Genshin Impact is, to this day, the king of gacha, and it offers a sprawling open world consisting of several distinct nations, each with its own culture and environmental puzzles. While it trades neon signs for rolling hills and ancient ruins, the fundamental joy of discovery and the high-quality character writing remain identical to the latest metropolitan releases. It continues to be a primary recommendation for any player looking for a massive, polished experience with years of story content to uncover.
Honkai: Star Rail
Moving the action from a single world to the stars, this 2023 strategy game from HoYoverse offers a space-fantasy journey aboard the Astral Express. Available for PC, mobile platforms, and PlayStation 5, it utilizes a turn-based combat system that emphasizes tactical planning and character synergy. The game is celebrated for its exceptional character designs and a narrative that balances humor with high-stakes space drama.
Though it is not an action RPG, its polished urban environments, such as the bustling city of Penacony, offer some of the most detailed metropolitan exploration in the genre. The social systems, regular event updates, and the depth of its character progression make it a natural fit for players who enjoy the community and collection aspects of live-service gaming. It provides a high-quality alternative for those who prefer strategic thinking over real-time combat reflexes.
The World Ends with You
This foundational urban fantasy series from Square Enix began in 2007 on the Nintendo DS, with a significant sequel titled NEO: The World Ends with You arriving in 2021. Set in a hyper-stylized version of Shibuya, Tokyo, teenagers are forced to play a survival game against supernatural reapers. The series is famous for its unique visual identity, heavily influenced by modern street culture and fashion trends.
The games use a variety of psychic powers linked to collectible pins, allowing for a high degree of character customization. Its focus on modern metropolitan life and the paranormal undercurrents of the city makes it a clear spiritual ancestor to the current wave of urban gacha titles. Whether playing the original’s ports or the 3D sequel, players will find a world where their fashion choices and individual identity are the keys to surviving the urban chaos.
Final Thoughts
As the industry continues to evolve following the massive launch of Neverness to Everness, several upcoming projects are already generating significant anticipation.
And guess what? It is all poised to get better over the following months/years: players should keep a close eye on Ananta, a highly anticipated open-world title from Naked Rain and NetEase that has already accumulated over 12 million pre-registrations. Another one is Kidbash: Super Legend, which is officially scheduled for a release in early 2027 for both consoles and PC.
