The overlap between anime fans and gamers is astronomically large. The two hobbies compliment each other like salt and pepper. With hundreds of amazing animes based around or inspired by video games. And thousands of amazing video games based on popular anime or paying homage to the medium.

Some of my all time favorite games are anime inspired. Some are direct adaptations of popular shows while others are their own unique story that utilizes the visual stylings of the genre. People are all too quick to write off anime inspired games just because they think they’ll be too silly or nerdy. But those people are missing out on some of the greatest games ever made.

To try and convince you I have compiled this list of addictive anime inspired games that I am certain you will love.

Genshin Impact

Undoubtedly the most popular anime inspired game currently out there. Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG that has taken the world by storm. The game is highly addictive. Partly due to the amazing exploration and engaging quests. But mostly due to the gacha style minigame that provides you with different characters and costumes.

The game has a huge range of characters to unlock. At the time of writing this article the game features 91 different characters. But there will undoubtedly be many more added as the years go on.

The world of Genshin is visually stunning. The graphics are crisp and bright. You will become totally immersed within moments. The game also features co-op for up to four players. Making it an ideal choice for you and your friends. And, in better news, it is free-to-play. The game does feature a lot of monetization options. But the core game can be enjoyed without ever spending a dime.

Doki Doki Literature Club

This is one of those rare games that will elicit a unique reaction from those who have played it. They will avoid telling you anything about the plot and urge you to just try it for yourself. And they are totally right. On the surface Doki Doki Literature Club seems like your run of the mill visual novel game with dating sim elements. But, without giving too much away, it goes far deeper than that.

We will give you a few trigger warnings now. The game touches on some heavy psychological themes. It is not for the faint of heart at all! One moment the game will make you feel like you’re playing a harmless guess the anime quiz. Then it will have you reevaluating everything you thought you knew about video games and life. I cannot recommend this title enough.

Long Live The Queen

This is another deceptive title but for more positive reasons. All the artwork and promo screenshots for this game will make you think you’re playing a wholesome anime game about being a Queen. But being royalty is no easy task.

The game is a demanding balancing act. You have to choose what skills you want to dedicate your time to and then pray to the gods above that you can survive the hostilities of court life. Assassination attempts, war, political intrigue, deception. It seems everything in this game is out to kill you. So maybe spend less time worrying about learning to ride a horse and more time studying deadly poisons.

Fair warning, this game is tough. You will lose a lot. But failure is part of the experience. Each time you will come back with more intricate knowledge of how your kingdom and its citizens function. Learn, adapt, overcome. And you will one day be able to rule with an iron fist!

Hatoful Boyfriend

Do you like dating sims? Do you like pigeons? How about a dating sim about pigeons? Well if this sounds like something you would be willing to try then I have good news for you. Hatoful Boyfriend is one of those titles that will go down in gaming history for changing the landscape.

The game plays just like any other dating sim. Except everyone is a pigeon. The game does give you the choice to have the pigeons shown as anime characters instead. But for the true experience I recommend keeping them in their true pigeon form.

The game sparked a new wave of dating simulators where people would have to try woo non-human things. Victory Belles has you trying to date different battleships. And we are sure we will see many more wacky titles like Hatoful Boyfriend in the future.

Twitch has become one of the most well known streaming platforms on the planet. And in the gaming world it is the platform of choice for all of the biggest streamers and gaming events. It was launched way back in 2011 but it didn’t become popular until 2014. Before that point it was very much a hobby site as opposed to the monolithic industry it is today.

Twitch has managed to stay so relevant because it offers a wealth of tools for its content creators to utilize to, not only earn a living from streaming, but to better interact with their viewers and build a community. It is no surprise that more people are turning their hand at streaming every year.

But breaking into streaming is no easy task. Especially today with the market being so over saturated. So how can you stand out from the crowd and bring in more followers on Twitch? Stick with us as we provide you with some tips to help your follower count grow.

A Consistent Schedule

Streaming for fun whenever the mood takes you is a very rewarding enterprise. But if you’re looking to make a career out of streaming then you need to approach it with the mindset of it being work. And just like any job you will need to stay on schedule.

You don’t need to be streaming five days a week to succeed. But you definitely need to do at least three days minimum. At least while you are still building up your follower base. Keeping your streaming schedule consistent will be key in bringing in regular viewers. If you are constantly changing your dates and times you will miss out on the chance to bond with your regular viewers.

Try to stream at times where the majority of people in your country won’t be working. Evenings or weekends are ideal. You are trying to provide them with entertainment during their downtime. So make sure you are available when they are most likely to be watching.

Use TikTok

TikTok is one of the most powerful marketing tools out there right now. Especially for Twitch Streamers. A vast majority of people will find new streamers through TikTok clips of their streams. So this is the best way to reach out to new viewers and boost your following.

You will want to start clipping the best parts of your stream and uploading them to TikTok. Ideally you want to upload a minimum of two clips for each stream you do. Try to highlight funny interactions with your stream’s chat or amazing gameplay moments.

You will need to also start trying to boost your TikTok following. The best way to do this is to buy tiktok followers from follower24, tokupgrade, or sidesmedia. Doing this will help your page beat the algorithm and appear in more peoples ‘For You’ section of their TikTok account. Buying followers a few times will increase the chance of your page gaining followers naturally.

Start A Discord

As we said earlier the streamer market has become extremely overcrowded. You won’t make it if you aren’t building a community with your followers. This doesn’t mean you need to invite them into your personal life. But you should spend time communicating with them through social media and, most importantly, on Discord.

Creating a Discord server for your community is a perfect way to keep followers. It allows them to interact with you and with each other long after your stream has ended. This is also a great place to advertise your other creative endeavors.

Community Events

Streamers who interact more with their followers always do better than those who don’t. So you will want to start running community events. This can be as simple as hosting multiplayer evenings where you and your followers can game together. Titles like Fortnite and Fall Guys are ideal for this as they allow large lobbies. Meaning all of your followers can have the chance to game with you.

You should consider running competitions as well. Offering up prizes to those who win. Minecraft building challenges or Street Fighter tournaments are a great way to get your community excited and engaged. Running community events like this will also make your viewers more likely to recommend your stream to their friends.

When people talk about gaming they tend to focus on the newest Triple-A titles or the hottest indie game. And these titles are often a good example of just how far gaming has come over the years. But, for me, some of my best gaming memories weren’t from a huge blockbuster title. Most of my youth was spent enjoying browser games.

So many people who grew up gaming in the early 2000’s will have fond memories of browser gaming. The huge varied selection of titles. The endless hours whittled away on some niche adventure game or in a virtual hotel. It truly was a more blissful time. Today I want to pay homage to browser games and recollect some of the best titles from the 2000’s. So strap in as we take a nostalgic look back into a much loved area of gaming history!

Motherload

Released by Xgen studios back in 2004, Motherload was a staple of the browser gaming genre. Nearly every browser gaming website would feature this title on their homepage. A simple game about mining for rare ores on Mars. Players would slowly upgrade their mining craft with a variety of modifications and new tools. Allowing them to dig deeper into the planet.

The game soon took on a horror element as the player was faced with monsters and demons. Culminating in a boss fight against Satan himself. This is the sort of wackiness you got with the early browser games.

Motherload was a prime example of how influential browser games could be. It was engaging, immersive, accessible, and downright fun! Xgen studios released a sequel for the PS4, called Super Motherload, back in 2013.

Plants Vs Zombies

This series has seen a lot of changes over the years. With the subsequent installments shifting away from the tower defense genre into an arena based shooter. But the original Plants Vs Zombies holds a special place in my heart. The core gameplay loop was solid. The visual design was charming. And the soundtrack was iconic.

This wasn’t originally a browser based title. But, due to its popularity, it was quickly added to many of the most popular browser gaming websites. And it survives on the homepage of these sites to this day. So whether you like to play games at Playwards, Miniplay, or Gamepix, you will be able to enjoy this amazing game for years to come!

Club Penguin

Modern MMO’s all fall into a very similar pattern. Thanks primarily to the influence World Of Warcraft had on the gaming landscape. But, before WoW, there were a huge range of diverse MMO games out there. And Club Penguin is perhaps one of the most iconic.

Created by New Horizon Interactive, the game was more akin to a chat room where players were penguins. The title featured a number of minigames and activities for players to engage with. They could purchase cosmetics to make their penguin stand out. And even adopt a small pet known as a Puffle.

Sadly Club Penguin was shut down in 2017. But the community wouldn’t let it remain dead for long and the fans launched New Club Penguin. A faithful recreation of the beloved title. Now hundreds of new gamers can experience the magic of one of gaming’s most iconic titles.

Runescape

For the longest time Runescape was the undisputed king of the browser games. Arguably one of the first successful MMORPGS, Runescape holds a special place in gaming history. It was at its peak back in 2007. The game evolved over the years and many people moved away from the title with the launch of Runescape 3. But, in 2013, Jagex released Old School Runescape. The entire 2007 version of the game was now fully playable once more.

Runescape is famous for its tongue-in-cheek humor, long skill grinds, and soothing soundtrack. With 18 skills for players to master and a huge catalog of quests. Jagex is constantly updating Old School Runescape. Using a community voting system to ensure that the updates are only ever what the community actually wants! Something a lot of larger companies could do with copying in our opinion.

Classroom

Stickpage was one of my favorite browser gaming sites back in the day. Every game on the site utilized a stickman art style. There were so many amazing titles that it is hard not to talk about them all. But one title really stands out to me. Classroom.

On the surface the game was simple. You have to cheat on a test while avoiding the vision cone of your teacher. Each level would get tougher as the teacher’s patterns changed. But what really set this game, and its sequels, apart was the story. What starts as harmless cheating soon spirals into a comedically dark tragedy. I won’t give any spoilers as this is definitely a title you should give a try if possible.

Blur

When we talk about racing games, many names come to mind and will come up later on this list. Sadly, Blur isn’t one of those household names but one of the most underappreciated gems of the 2010s. Scoring a pretty good 82 on Metacritic blur was developed by the ill-fated Bizzare Creations which once existed under the Activision Blizzard umbrella. Combining the realistic tracks and vehicles of games like Forza or Need for Speed with the arcade gameplay of a game like Mario Kart Blur was something new and refreshing to the racing game genre. Today’s date remains one of the most underrated and bold mistakes in the racing genre we’ve seen in a while even though it was sadly discontinued when Activision Blizzard shut down the developing studio.

Need for Speed Heat

This is a franchise that needs no introduction when talking about racing games even though many might not be as familiar with the newest entries if they have not been paying attention to the current state of the Need for Speed franchise. One interesting detail about Need for Speed Heat is that it was developed by Ghost Games which at that point was working on their fourth entry in the Need for Speed franchise. One of the biggest appeals of this entry is of course the walking back of the night and day cycle. This means that you could race around Palm City during the day as long as you wanted and during the night as long as you wanted. The system was replaced with a toggle which allowed you to choose if you wanted to race at night in dealing with police presence or during the day to partake in sanctioned races. While it took almost a year to introduce cross-platform play it was the very first Electronic Arts title to include it and would set the standard for the future.

Burnout Paradise Remastered

If there was an agency dealing with car crashes in Paradise City there would be nothing easier than to get car accident leads from this agency by the dozen to make a lot of money. If you know anything about racing games, you know it and you love it this is the remastered version of the chaotic 2008 classic Burnout Paradise. Burnout Paradise is not only a racing game it is a pure chaos game all about cars. Whether you play cop and robber mode where you have to take down other players or simply enjoy causing chaos in the crash mode burnout paradise is everything for everyone. It’s a brutal racing mode that encourages pushing others into obstacles and playing aggressively as never felt better than in the remaster. While many people cried over the fact that burnout had been in a state of limbo for the past decade the return of this title was a great breath of fresh air in the currently somewhat stagnating industry of the racing genre. We can only hope that this success of the remaster will lead to an eventual new entry into the franchise.

Forza Motorsport 4

To many people, this might be a surprise considering that this is a 2011 title but two all Forza fans this is an expected entry on this list. Forza is by far the most realistic racing game out there that offers a large variety of cars and gorgeous panoramic tracks that allow you to race around the world. When we discuss Forza games though the reasons why Motorsport 4 stands tall above all the others are many. Not only did Forza motorsport introduce incredible drifting physics that today’s other Forza entries have not topped, but it was also the beginning of the rival system. It also had great social features in the form of custom public lobbies and storefronts, allowing players to sell their customizations. While many people mourn the car clubs which were introduced in this entry Forza is still trying to catch up to this 2011 gem.

Mario Kart 8

You know it and you love it this is the great Nintendo racing franchise that unites everyone around the love of competition. For many people, this is a racing game for those who don’t like racing games. While it does allow you to have a competitive racing experience it is morefamily-friendlyy and arcade oriented than the other titles on this list. Still with an extensive library of beloved maps and iconic racers, this recent game is fun for the whole family. Whether you are a Mario fan or a Zelda fan you will find a way to enjoy this game with friends or online.

With time, racing games have become more challenging and mind-engaging, having transformed from simple racing tracks with pixels to more realistic ones. Gaming technology has also advanced to meet the demands of players in pursuit of a real-life gaming experience. Hence, over the years, some game titles became benchmarks and with their influence, changed the course for games and gamers alike. In this discussion, we focus on six legendary racing games that we can consider to be the pioneers in this particular genre of the game industry. Keep reading:

Gran Turismo (1997)

The release of Gran Turismo in 1997 was initially felt as the most awaited game changer in the world of racing simulation games. This game was developed by Polyphony Digital Company and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was the result of five years of hard work. It provided minimal standards for realistic racing games that put much effort into examining the car models and the realistic driving mechanism.

Undoubtedly, the first thing that struck the eye in “Gran Turismo” was its immense list of cars available for purchase. The game was packed with more than 140 finely rendered vehicles from different brands. Hence, players were never left with a shortage of vehicle types to use, and each vehicle had its own attributes and behaviors.

Need for Speed: Underground (2003)

For every player fascinated by speed, “Underground” intensified the essence of street racing games by taking you into a different style of racing in a colorful world of underground culture. Created by EA, this series was launched in 2003 and broke from the usual racing pattern of earlier titles. It was initiated by presenting players with the world of unlawful street racing and night-time chases. Streets in the urban racing sequences were lit at night with rain falling and traffic, giving the real feel of adrenaline rush of actual street racing.

Forza Motorsport (2005)

Considered the major competitor to the famous Gran Turismo, which had previously been released for PlayStation, “Forza Motorsport” was released in 2005. It was created by a group known as Turn 10 Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. “Forza Motorsport” was designed to offer training to each console system’s gaming limits.

Its advanced visuals and graphics made it stand out among other racing games of that time. The game produced incredible, near-life-like images of both the cars and the racing tracks. It was designed with realistic lighting effects techniques, sharp texturing, and high-polygon models.

Toyota Corolla Levin AE86 in Initial D Arcade Stage (2002)

Released in 2002, Toyota Corolla Levin AE86 game managed to capture the thrilling experience of Japanese street racing and drift culture for arcade-goers around the world. Set in the fictional world of ‘Initial D’ based on an anime and manga series, the game challenges players to race on mountain passes.

Players who engaged in the game tended to compare the attention that they needed to extend to their automobiles in the game. They devoted this attention to looking after their automobiles in real life situations such as using Toyota car covers to guard their vehicles from harsh weather conditions or regular oil changes to reduce friction. This focus on automobiles helped players interact with their counterparts in a more exciting manner. It emphasized the cultural relevance of the game and the franchise from which it was drawn.

Burnout 3: Takedown (2004)

The racing video game created by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts in 2004 was unique in its own ways. First, unlike earlier racing games that tried to depict a realistic simulation of the real world and precise controlling of car’s movements, “Burnout 3” was all about fun and mindless destruction.

Secondly, it was the car’s unique crash mode, in which the player was given a specific incentive to create as many traffic pile-ups as he could. This mode changed crashes into entertainment and rewarded players for the extent of the mess made and how they used the surroundings’ items and infrastructure to increase it.

Mario Kart 64 (1996)

Although Mario Kart 64, released by Nintendo in 1996, fails to qualify as a racing simulation, millions of players were formally introduced to the world of kart racing. This game was based on the groundwork created by the previous game, “Super Mario Kart,” but it added many touches that fascinated players all around the world.

The move to 3D graphics led to much more complex and creative track layouts featuring everything from the dangerous Rainbow Road to the slippery curves of Sherbet Land. These tracks were designed strategically to invite challenges in the form of obstacles.

Conclusion

The six racing games played a key role in shaping the racing genre. Whether through realistic simulations, chaotic arcade fun, or cultural authenticity, these titles not only defined their respective eras but also left a lasting legacy that continues to influence modern racing games.

As we see technology develop more and more every year it’s no surprise that many industries that rely heavily on it have grown and changed a lot over past decades. One such industry that has changed a lot, especially for younger generations is the old concept of entertainment. While you may be used to watching your favorite TV show or movie online and assume that this is the top of the line the reality is that there is something even newer and more groundbreaking that has taken the younger generations by storm. This concept of course is the concept of video live streaming. Whether you’re watching streams on Twitch or YouTube there is no denying the fact that many people have been watching and tuning in more and more every year. This is especially true for those who love to live-stream video games. But if you’re a gamer yourself how can you start streaming? Where do you even start? Here is a simple guide.

The equipment

Contrary to what many people believe this starting streaming you don’t need a very expensive setup and a high-quality camera to be able to produce great content. Many of the biggest streamers out there currently started using their $15 mic some even started with no camera. The most important thing you need before you start streaming is a good Internet connection to be able to upload your streams a basic microphone or camera and of course, a computer on which to play video games or a console with a capture card. This is of course the very basics since you might see streamers who spend a lot on props and sets which also means that they have to figure out how much is a storage unit or the cost of hiring more people to help them on stream like Jerma for example.

The persona

This is perhaps as important or even more important than the equipment. You need to take into account that even if you are playing video games you need to find a way to make people want to watch you for hours on end. When we talk about persona we don’t necessarily mean finding yourself a gimmick but rather finding what makes you you and makes your content appealing. This is incredibly important especially if you’re playing video games considering that there are a lot of streamers who produce video game-centred content. So as you start setting up your streaming setup you need to keep in mind that you have to be entertaining and to be entertaining you have to give something out that people want to see. It is just that simple.

Engagement

Like anything done on social media, the most important thing for your stream is to be able to get eyes on your stream as well as people who will come back for every other stream. This is perhaps the hardest part. The best way to do so is of course to farm engagement on social media by engaging with people but also by promoting your stream. Whether you choose to engage in drama or try to hop on trends to boost your numbers there is no wrong way to go about it. This is why for example on YouTube clickbait content is so popular even amongst YouTubers who are genuine and entertaining. The artist’s part when it comes to content creation is to convince someone to open your content and see what you’re made of. This is why being present on platforms like Twitter or Instagram is a really good way to reach out to new people.

The Money

If you get into streaming you are of course doing it partly because you want to get money out of it and this is normal. While getting a contract is the 1st and best way to make money out of streaming it is not the only one. The biggest money maker for most streamers is of course sponsors and doing sponsored streams whether it is for a video game company or products that you will show on stream or aware on stream. Once you manage to get your partner status on Twitch for example what you want to do is to be able to get the sponsors so you can start making money.