Digimon has been round for the reason that late 90s, beginning as Tamagotchi-style pets earlier than spawning video video games and anime. In 2025, Digimon Story: Time Stranger launched on the PS5, XBX/S, and PC, whereas the Digimon Beatbreak anime aired its first episode on October 5. Clearly, the franchise is a large international phenomenon.
Regardless of producing dozens of video games over greater than three many years, Digimon just isn’t fairly as synonymous with gaming accurately. Bandai has a behavior of simply making an attempt completely different genres to see if something sticks, however issues have been sticking fairly a bit just lately. So, let’s do it! Listed here are the finest Digimon video games ever, from somebody who has vivid reminiscences of enjoying all three video games on the PS1 and even the dreadful Digimon World 4.
Up to date on November 5, 2025, by Mark Sammut: As I nonetheless have Digimon fever after Time Stranger, let’s add a couple of extra of the franchise’s finest video games! I’ve added two releases which can be very completely different from every part else listed on this article.
Nice Digimon Video games That By no means Made It Out Of Japan
Sadly, Digimon has a really inconsistent historical past of manufacturing Western ports, with loads of games never leaving their nation’s shores. We can not formally embody these video games since we can not play them as they’re supposed. HOWEVER, for those who perceive Japanese or, someway, a miracle occurs, and also you discover a method to play by way of these Digimon video games, I like to recommend seizing the chance:
- Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode – A implausible 3DS pet raiser and arguably one of the best instance of this format. Disgrace none of its variations got here to North America.
- Digimon Journey – An enthralling turn-based JRPG on the PSP that goes by way of the unique anime season. Nothing too particular, however fulfilling.
- Digimon Story Misplaced Evolution – The successor to Daybreak and Nightfall on the Nintendo DS. No concept why it wasn’t introduced over, and the identical goes for Xros Wars Pink and Blue.
8
Digimon Rumble Enviornment
Digimon’s Take On Tremendous Smash Bros.
Digimon Rumble Enviornment
- Launched
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December 6, 2001
- ESRB
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E For Everybody // Violence
- Developer(s)
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Bandai
Tremendous Smash Bros.‘s Nintendo exclusivity has left the gate broad open on different platforms, and some franchises have tried to copy its magic. Whereas in all probability not the first copycat to return to most individuals’s minds, Digimon Rumble Enviornment was one of many earliest makes an attempt to do Smash Bros on PlayStation, and the outcomes weren’t dangerous by any stretch of the creativeness.
The fight doesn’t come near matching its Nintendo 64 or GameCube counterparts, however it’s high-quality and does the job for an accessible licensed recreation that largely seeks to entertain children for a few hours. You even get some replayability by way of unlockable Digimon, together with multiplayer help. Personally, I am largely conversant in the unique PS1 recreation, however Digimon Rumble Enviornment acquired a sequel on the PS2 that appears to be fondly remembered. In case you are concerned with trying out this sequence, attempt to discover one in all these two video games, slightly than 2014’s Digimon All-Star Rumble.
7
Digimon Masters On-line
An Common MMO Heightened By The Digimon Branding
If talking solely on participant and longevity, Digimon Masters is the finest Digimon recreation of all time, and by fairly a margin. Nevertheless, we’re speaking a few free-to-play MMO right here, so the truth that it has been round for greater than a decade is sort of to be anticipated. Moreover, if you’re not into the classic MMORPG formulation popularized throughout the late 2000s, you’ll not get something out of Digimon Masters.
Sure, DMO units itself aside by incorporating components from the franchise, together with Digivolutions and companions, however the gameplay is basically the identical as most Korean MMOs from this period. That’s not optimistic or destructive, however slightly only a assertion. The sport’s availability can be dependent in your area, because the Steam model appears to be faraway from some areas (however it’s obtainable in america). Finally, DMO wants you to be a fan of each Digimon and MMOs.
6
Digimon World PS1 Trilogy
Digimon’s Early Days Had been Confused, Messy, And Endearing
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Digimon World 2
Techniques
- Launched
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April 3, 2001
- ESRB
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E For Everybody // Delicate Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC
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Digimon World 3
Techniques
- Launched
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June 5, 2002
- ESRB
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E For Everybody // Delicate Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC, Bandai, Increase Corp.
Look, I am not going to sit down right here and say that the PS1 Digimon World games are all-time masterpieces that helped form the pet-raising and turn-based RPG genres. Bandai clearly had no clear course for the sequence, so we bought three video games which can be so wildly completely different that describing them as a trilogy is a joke.
- Digimon World is probably the most beloved these days, with its town-building and pet-training mechanics being revisited by fairly a couple of subsequent video games within the sequence. You begin with an egg Digimon, and it’s a must to prepare, feed, and potty-train them to hopefully get them to digivolve into one thing helpful. Within the meantime, you full quests to persuade Digimon to hitch your personal. The sport is equal elements enjoyable and irritating.
- Digimon World 2 drops the pet-raising side and is only a 3v3 turn-based JRPG, which might turn out to be a staple of the franchise in a while. You be part of a workforce that should discover domains to defeat the Blood Knights, all of the whereas rising your workforce by way of digivolution, trades, and DNA digivolutions. DW2 is exhausting, with every dungeon trying precisely the identical and battles taking endlessly. *Sigh, it’s one in all my favourite childhood JRPGs, however I can not actually say it’s good.
- Digimon World 3 is, theoretically, one of the best of the trilogy, however additionally it is probably the most forgettable because it copies Pokemon much more than the opposite two video games. For all their flaws, DW and DW2 do their very own factor. DW3 is only a a lot worse tackle the Pokemon idea, regardless that it’s in any other case an OK RPG.
5
Digimon World Daybreak & Nightfall
The Addictive Digimon Grind (And The Early Days Of One thing Nice)
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Digimon World Dusk
- Launched
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March 29, 2007
- ESRB
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E For Everybody // Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Delicate Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC
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Digimon World Dawn
Techniques
- Launched
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March 29, 2007
- ESRB
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E For Everybody // Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Delicate Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC
Whereas marketed as Digimon World in North America, Daybreak & Nightfall are a part of Digimon Story, which began in 2006 and remains to be ongoing in 2025 with Digimon Story: Time Stranger. With none doubt, this subseries represents Digimon at its very best, particularly the extra fashionable entries.
Tempting because it could be to fully ignore every part that got here out earlier than Cyber Sleuth, Nightfall & Daybreak are nonetheless strong and lengthy RPGs that get fairly a couple of issues proper, particularly a turn-based battle system that emphasizes positioning slightly than simply turn-order. You even have tons of upon tons of of Digimon to scan, create, prepare, and many others, however Nightfall & Daybreak goes a bit overboard within the grind (since gaining expertise is predicated on kind). Amassing all of the Digimon just isn’t viable or worthwhile, and issues get exhausting slightly rapidly.
4
Digimon World: Subsequent Order
Digimon World Goes Trendy Gen
When it got here out, some folks may need been disenchanted by Digimon World: Subsequent Order, because it adopted the implausible Cyber Sleuth. Anyone who went in anticipating one other turn-based RPG dungeon crawler would have been extraordinarily stunned to discover a slow-moving creature coach with computerized fight and an nearly slice-of-life rhythm. Digimon has produced a few some of these pet-raising sims over the many years, however Subsequent Order was the primary title to obtain a Western launch since Digimon World.
For probably the most half, Subsequent World is de facto simply fashionable Digimon World, with much more Digivolution strains, an nearly open-world design, fairly neat graphics, and a bit extra management over each battles and your associate’s path ahead. Truthfully, the sport is primarily a vibe that may both click on or bore you to tears. I personally favor the turn-based RPGs, however I had a enjoyable 30 hours with Subsequent World.
3
Digimon Survive
A Story-Pushed Digimon Video Recreation Epic
For higher or worse, Bandai deserves reward for taking substantial dangers with Digimon. Sure, that has resulted in a franchise that has solely just lately began to keep up momentum (throughout the online game world), however it has allowed for initiatives like Digimon Survive, Digimon World: Subsequent Order, and Digimon Story: Time Stranger to debut inside a decade of one another. Out of these three, Digimon Survive was the most important gamble, and it’s the least “Digimon” recreation to return out for the reason that WonderSwan years.
Whereas not devoid of fight, the marketing campaign is primarily offered as a visible novel, a preferred however nonetheless very area of interest style that may be off-putting to people who find themselves simply not into some of these tales. These lengthy stretches of dialogue are damaged by grid-based tactical combat that’s servicable however nothing too particular and undoubtedly not plentiful sufficient to warrant a suggestion solely by itself. Happily, Digimon Survive tells maybe one of the best story in any Digimon recreation, with fully-realized characters who’re put by way of an expertise that’s about as near horror because the franchise has ever gotten. That mentioned, I can solely suggest Digimon Survive to visible novel followers.
2
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth + Hacker’s Reminiscence
Digimon Produces One Of The Finest Flip-Based mostly JRPGs Of The 2010s
Regardless of constantly producing video games, Cyber Sleuth felt like a return to prominence for Digimon in North America, notably the HD PS4 model that got here out in 2016. At face worth, this undertaking is a reasonably simple evolution of Digimon World 2, the place you discover dungeons, participate in 3v3 turn-based fight (with reserves), and have interaction in a Digivolution system that may have you ever mapping out convoluted paths so you may get the Megas and Ultras of your desires. You spend hours grinding Digimon utilizing PlatinumNunemons for EXP boosts, whereas often taking up missions for the Non-public Investigator boss.
Cyber Sleuth is simply good. It’s not essentially superb or ground-breaking, however it’s wholly satisfying in a manner that Digimon video games often aren’t. The story, whereas uneven, is first rate and has some fairly darkish moments. You must grind, however to not the purpose of madness (and it’s enjoyable to work towards constructing your final workforce from the 200+ Digimon obtainable). The dungeons are repetitive and bland, a facet impact of the sport’s PS Vita origins, however they don’t seem to be disagreeable on the eyes both.
Extra importantly, this recreation is large and infrequently comes packaged with its prequel, the equally nice Hacker’s Reminiscence. They’re principally the identical, simply with completely different tales.
1
Digimon Story: Time Stranger
The Finest Digimon Recreation And The Crown Jewel Of A Nice Sequence
This could be a bit untimely to say, for the reason that recreation has solely been out for a few days, however Digimon Story: Time Stranger appears to largely fine-tune and enhance its predecessors’ excellent concepts. The story has a extremely enjoyable hook that entails time journey and squarely locations the emotional crux on the friendship between a lady and a Digimon, which helps add a contact of coronary heart and intrigue to what’s in any other case a Saturday Morning Cartoon-style story.
The 3v3 turn-based fight largely returns, though you’re given extra choices to change that construction by way of a human agent who can execute assaults, together with a heavier emphasis on reserve figures. Additionally, you have got greater than 400 Digimon to scan, hatch, Digivolve, De-digivolve, DNA Digivolve, and all that great things. Put together to lose your self in lots of stats. It’s addictive.
