As the number of people playing games increases, the number of games on our phone’s home screen is increasing day by day in direct proportion. One of the fastest-growing genres is “Gacha” games with this increase.
These games are based on Japan’s “Gashapon” systems, vending machines where you can buy small capsules containing toys, similar to surprise eggs. You put a coin in the machine, and don’t know which item to get. All you have to do is open the package and see what’s inside.
Gacha games work similarly. You can spend money to open boxes or packages or to collect items, cards, and characters. Games of this type are usually based on popular manga or anime series. You can use the cards and characters you earn to fight against other players and complete levels. These cards and characters often have star ranks or levels.
The highest-ranking and strongest collectibles are very rare and difficult to obtain. Obtaining them may require opening thousands of boxes, thus paying a lot of money.
The most popular Gacha games
The gacha system is complex; there are many different gacha games today. Many aims to introduce new players to the genre. Here are the best gacha games you can download and play today;
Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is an open world, massive multiplayer action/role-playing game from miHoYo. Genshin won the 2021 Apple Design Awards for both Visuals and Graphics in just one year. On the Google Play side, it received Game of the Year 2020 award. Not content with these, Genshin succeeded in getting the Best Game of the Year nomination at the Golden Joystick Awards and proving himself.
Exos Heroes
Exos Heroes is one of the biggest Gacha games today. There is a lot to like and dislike about the game. Developed by Oozoo and LINE Games, this stylish-looking game has managed to win a lot of fans in Korea thanks to its outstanding presentation and balanced gameplay.
Dragon Ball Legends
Dragon Ball Legends is a free role-playing game (RPG) with real-time combat. The single-player story mode features a brand new Dragon Ball character named Shallot, who encounters a group of quirky warriors ready to battle in an intergalactic tournament. In the game where you need to create teams of up to six heroes and gain experience and money by fighting with them, players can make their heroes stronger as they level up.
Pokémon Masters EX
Pokémon Masters, a mobile game developed by DeNA and The Pokémon Company, is one of the few Pokémon games you can currently play on devices other than Nintendo Switch. Pokémon Masters uses the same formula as many different mobile RPGs like Fate/Grand Order or Granblue Fantasy, but with a Pokémon-themed storyline.
War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Developed by Square Enix, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is an excellent addition to the Final Fantasy Tactics series. The game features a fascinating cast of characters who embark on an unexpected, unforgettable adventure. If you’re a Final Fantasy Tactics fan, get ready for a great mobile RPG experience for you.
Gacha game mechanics
Gacha games are (usually) free and have specific reward systems for acquiring new characters, items, or upgrades. The player can play for these rewards by spending the in-game currency. In addition, players who do not want to wait for long periods for tasks and rewards can save their time by depositing money.
Gacha game mechanics differ from Pay-to-Win in that it completely randomizes rewards, where players can easily purchase upgrades and items they want. Players can only make purchases with the in-game currency they earn throughout the game, but if they’re going to earn in-game currency and get newer and better rewards quickly, players will often turn to spend real-world money.
Gacha mobile games are often likened to the loot box model (in-game boxes that can provide players with items, skins, or random rewards). While there are similarities, there are some fundamental differences between the two.
The working model is different as gacha is mainly found in free-to-play mobile games and is typically the primary monetization mechanism. In contrast, loot boxes are often found in paid consoles or PC games as an additional monetization item. Both offer different rarity levels, new characters, and cosmetic/social rewards. There are more diverse types and other mechanics of gacha, although both require real money to be paid.
