5 games like Honkai Star Rail you should play in 2024

Honkai Star Rail is one of the most popular gacha games going right now, and that’s thanks to its large roster of characters, and spicy turn-based combat. While you may want to spend hundreds of hours in the game, you may also want to try out a few other games like Honkai Star Rail as a break. Here are the best ones for 2024.

Honkai Star Rail has already cemented its place as one of the best mobile games available, even surpassing Genshin Impact in downloads. Its playerbase may be new but they’re extremely dedicated, especially when it comes to obtaining banner-exclusive characters and creating the best team comps.

For those wanting to take a break from the Astral Express however, there are a lot of similar games out there, so here are five games like Honkai Star Rail you should play in 2024.

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact was the predecessor to Honkai Star Rail.

Genshin Impact is the predecessor to Honkai Star Rail, so if you’re looking for a gameplay experience with a similar aesthetic and a large character roster, this HoYoverse title is a perfect choice.

While Genshin Impact shares aspects with Star Rail, the most noticeable difference between the games is in their combat. Honkai Star Rail opts for traditional turn-based combat, while Genshin Impact is far more action orientated, so if you’re someone itching for fast-paced battles where you can instantly switch between party members this could be the game for you.

The world of Teyvat is also vast and fantasy-inspired making it a great contrast to Honkai Star Rail’s Sci-Fi universe.

Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal has an exciting turn-based combat system that clearly inspired Honkai Star Rail.

The Persona franchise has delivered some of the best JRPGs of all time, and Persona 5 Royal is no exception. This turn-based title combines an intense story with fast-paced turn-based combat, and perhaps the most vibrant art style in all of gaming.

During the game’s battles, players can take control of up to four party members and engage in a number of actions including basic attacks, utilizing their Persona’s skills, and eventually unleashing the might of the entire team in a powerful all-out attack. Honkai Star Rail’s combat is clearly inspired by Persona 5, with a turn-based system that also emphasizes exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses.

If you love Star Rail’s combat and want an engaging story with memorable characters, then Persona 5 Royal is a great option.

Punishing Gray Raven

Punishing Gray Raven is an action-heavy gacha game.

Punishing Gray Raven is a mobile game set in a gritty post-apocalyptic world with hack n’ slash combat. Much like Honkai Star Rail, this game also features a gacha system that players can utilize to get new characters, known as “Constructs”.

While this game shares a similar art style and gacha mechanics to Honkai Star Rail, the story is presented in a visual novel format, and the gameplay is known for being fairly challenging and quite grind-heavy.

If you’re looking for a new gacha game in particular, this is a great alternative to Honkai Star Rail.

Honkai Impact 3rd

Honkai Impact 3rd is another HoYoverse game.

Honkai Impact 3rd was the game that HoYoverse released prior to Genshin Impact, and much like Honkai Star Rail it’s set in a Sci-Fi universe.

In the game, players control characters known as Valkyries and take on various missions that involve battling different enemies in real-time action combat. Honkai has the most content out of all the HoYoverse projects so far due to starting life back in 2016.

While not a direct sequel, Honkai Star Rail is certainly a spiritual successor to Honkai Impact 3rd and the games even feature a handful of the same characters. If you want to experience the title that has likely inspired Star Rail the most, then Honkai Impact 3rd is the game for you.

Arknights

Arknights is a tactical RPG featuring anime-inspired characters.

Arknights maintains the anime-inspired art style that many Honkai Star Rail fans will love, but this game swaps out turn-based battles for tactical RPG combat with tower defense elements.

The core gameplay loop in Arknights involves the player placing characters, known as “Operators” onto the battlefield to act as defense towers. Depending on the unit, characters can either attack the enemy towers or block incoming damage.

After a certain amount of time in battle, Operators can either withdraw or activate their unique skills. As the player progresses through the game, more operators, stages, and resources will be unlocked. For those players who prefer tactical analysis over fast-paced action, Arknights is a great game like Honkai Star Rail to check out.

There you have it, five games like Honkai Star Rail you should play in 2024! For more gaming content, check out some of our other lists below:

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