Strategy games are a refreshing change from the monotony of first-person shooters and colorfulness of platformers. They demand much more of the player's attention, and each decision doesn't just have immediate effects but ever-expanding consequences. The strategy game is a cerebral art form that innately utilizes player engagement and systems to guide its suspense and various interesting situations.
However, one can't always be gaming; and when one has to step away from the controller, they need something else to keep their attention. While actual human conversation would be good, a much safer bet would be the comfort of anime. For fanatics of strategy games, this list will be going over some of the best anime to match the genre's sense of intelligence and intrigue. Let's play.
10 No Game No Life
No Game No Life is one of the most defining isekai anime on the market and one of the most tantalizing dramas to ever get fans to the edge of their seats. Focusing on an eclectic duo with an incredible savviness for games, two siblings are dropped into a fantasy world ruled by the god of games.
In that world, power and status are dictated by various games. Using their wits and experience with everything that is game, this duo embarks on a journey to play and conquer it all.
9 Hunter X Hunter
Besides having an entire arc literally centered around a strategy game, the structure of Hunter x Hunter is very aesthetically and tonally similar to other strategy games. A lot of its action is dictated by the intelligence and awareness of its major players, and its core magic system, Nen, is considered one of the most consistent and detailed in all of anime.
Nen inherently requires restrictions to be powerful, and the various situations that different talents, personalities, and restrictions inspire serve to create interesting and suspenseful scenarios. Hunter x Hunter is a series that has managed to make even a political election seem like a tense game for power, as its thought process, dialogue, and overall layout work to engage the viewer.
8 Yu-Gi-Oh!
While the anime itself is kind of a poor example of what the actual game is like, Yu-Gi-Oh! does a fine job of simulating the kind of suspense, intelligence, and surprises necessary to making any strategy game interesting.
Grounded in the real-world game, this anime puts its rules and systems at the forefront, as entire battles are fought with its titular game. Whether characters are trying to save the world or just want a fun afternoon, Yu-Gi-Oh! adds a lot of intensity to just playing a game.
7 Psycho-Pass
Nothing begs for the attention of the more cerebral viewer than the ongoing cat-and-mouse games of detective dramas. Within anime, Psycho-Pass ranks as one of the best, as its characters struggle to investigate murders and conspiracies in a gritty, cyberpunk world.
As criminal activity continues to worsen, technological advancement has found a way to monitor potential criminal tendencies with radars that track the series' titular "psycho-pass." With science seemingly having found a way to discern between good and evil, a new villain arises to challenge the agenda and the police try to find him.
6 Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion
There are few anime that have engaged its viewers more than the political thriller/mecha series Code Geass. When a disgraced prince comes across a unique ability to mind control people, he uses it to launch an entire revolution to overthrow the current regime. In his campaign, Lelouch tactfully chooses who he needs to hypnotize and in what way he controls them.
However, powers aside, there's also plenty of drama and action within the giant robot fights, as he also guides his mechanical forces with the confidence and brilliance of a master chess player. For fans of epic wars, detailed character writing, and tons of twists and betrayal, Code Geass is always a good pick.
5 Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor is a series all about developing a unique strategy to both win games and beat an entire system. Its titular character is constantly finding himself in deep debt and is one day introduced to the underground world of high stakes gambling arranged by the world's elites.
While poker and slot machines may entertain some people, Kaiji is forced into complex scenarios pitting his dignity and even his life against sinister dealers and other debtors. He's played competitive rock-paper-scissors, beaten a rigged dice rolling game, and has literally shifted stone and cement to face a pachinko machine. Kaiji is definitely a series for people who love games but want a little more on stake.
4 Akagi
If that convoluted spectacle is a little too much, Akagi is a gritty anime from the same creator whose approach is significantly more grounded. Instead of using complicated death games, Akagi simply has its characters scramble through the competitive world of underground mahjong.
Using the innate systems and suspense of the actual game as well as a few bits of cheating to create unique scenarios, Akagi shows that one doesn't need martial arts skill or superpowers to have a brutal fight.
3 Kakegurui
If it's hard to decide between the games of Akagi or the high stakes of Kaiji, Kakegurui is the twisted love child between the two. Set in a high school that, for some reason, encourages gambling between its students, a girl with a clear gambling addiction challenges the school's elites to high stakes competitions.
Using everything between regular card games and Russian roulette, Kakegurui stretches the mentality and imaginations of its main characters to their peak, as they try to hatch up plans to win clearly rigged and torturous games.
2 Danganronpa
To give Danganronpa a little bit of an edge on this list, it is the anime version of the Danganronpa game, and its story is just the game's plot beat for beat. However, for fans of Let's Plays who just want some really good production value for their playthrough, this series is a good pick.
Several of Hope's Peak Academy's elite students suddenly and mysteriously find themselves trapped within their school and are forced into a death game by a sinister teddy bear. With the stipulation that each kill must get through an investigation/trial by the other students, this series should pique the interest of various mystery buffs and Ace Attorney fans out there.
1 Death Note
Last but not least, for those hungry for an entire mental game on the fast rails of a high production anime, Death Note is one of the best out there. Its story focuses on a young, intelligent Light Yagami after he stumbles upon the eponymous Death Note. With it, he is able to take the life of anyone on the planet so long as he's able to write their name.
Being the good guy that he is, he uses it to pass judgement on the various criminals of the world. However, when the sudden rise of criminal deaths piques the interests of the world authorities, they enlist the help of the world's top detective, L. In a supernatural cat-and-mouse game, L uses incredible deductive reasoning and logic testing to get closer and closer to catching Light, while Light challenges him and uses the lethal flexibility of the Death Note. This series is just a fun strategy game that never lets up.