A sampling of information on games derived from or inspired by anime (Japanese animation) and/or manga (Japanese comics) can be found on the following:

[ Role Playing Games ]
[ Boardgames / Card Games ]
[ Computer Games ]
[ Console Games ]
[ Miniatures / Table Top games ]

In Japan a manga (comic) that proves very popular will often lead directly to a related game and/or anime (animated video). Alternatively a popular computer game will be turned into an anime and/or manga. A popular anime may become a computer game.  Anime/manga derived from or inspired by Western games? That is a bit harder to pin down.  While fantasy anime can share several of the concepts found in role playing games like Dungeons & Dragons how much is due to the games and how much is due to the concepts in the Western literature and myths leading to the games is hard to say.  However it has been reported that the fantasy anime Record of Lodoss War was based on a long running fantasy campaign of one of Japan's pioneer groups of role players, while the animated space epic Legend of the Galactic Heroes was based on campaigns using the Traveller role playing game.  Moreover, when in some anime the characters refer to things like hit points and experience levels, one can assume the writers have at least a passing knowledge of role playing games - and expect their viewers to have also.  The way some of these concepts taken from Western fantasy have been interpreted, developed and combined with their own traditions of story telling has given rise to some very interesting anime.

Naturally we would be interested in hearing about any anime-and/or-manga-inspired or related games not yet listed (and can be played by people only familiar with English). Contact us via masweb@metva.com.au.

Note: Reference to a product name without its trademark status is not meant to suggest lack of trademark rights in that name.  All images, character names and titles are copyrighted by their respective rights holders.