Digimon has been around since the late 90s, starting as Tamagotchi-style pets before spawning video games and anime. In 2025, Digimon Story: Time Stranger launched on the PS5, XBX/S, and PC, while the Digimon Beatbreak anime aired its first episode on October 5. Clearly, the franchise is a massive global phenomenon.
Despite producing dozens of games over more than three decades, Digimon is not quite as synonymous with gaming as it should be. Bandai has a habit of just trying different genres to see if anything sticks, but things have been sticking quite a bit recently. So, let’s do it! Here are the best Digimon games ever, from someone who has vivid memories of playing all three games on the PS1 and even the dreadful Digimon World 4.
Updated on December 8, 2025, by Mark Sammut: Time Stranger really reignited my love for Digimon, which had been dormant since Hacker’s Memory. Unfortunately, great Digimon games are hard to come by, so you will run out of options pretty quickly. However, if you are fine with “ok” games, then I have the perfect kart racer for you!
Great Digimon Games That Never Made It Out Of Japan
Unfortunately, Digimon has a very inconsistent history of producing Western ports, with plenty of games never leaving their nation’s shores. We cannot officially include these games since we cannot play them as they are intended. HOWEVER, if you understand Japanese or, somehow, a miracle happens, and you find a way to play through these Digimon games, I recommend seizing the opportunity:
- Digimon World Re:Digitize Decode – A fantastic 3DS pet raiser and arguably the best example of this format. Shame none of its versions came to North America.
- Digimon Adventure – A charming turn-based JRPG on the PSP that goes through the original anime season. Nothing too special, but enjoyable.
- Digimon Story Lost Evolution – The successor to Dawn and Dusk on the Nintendo DS. No idea why it wasn’t brought over, and the same goes for Xros Wars Red and Blue.
9
Digimon Rumble Arena
Digimon’s Take On Super Smash Bros.
Digimon Rumble Arena
- Released
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December 6, 2001
- ESRB
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E For Everyone // Violence
- Developer(s)
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Bandai
Super Smash Bros.‘s Nintendo exclusivity has left the gate wide open on other platforms, and a few franchises have tried to replicate its magic. While probably not the first copycat to come to most people’s minds, Digimon Rumble Arena was one of the earliest attempts to do Smash Bros on PlayStation, and the results were not bad by any stretch of the imagination.
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The combat does not come close to matching its Nintendo 64 or GameCube counterparts, but it is fine and does the job for an accessible licensed game that mostly seeks to entertain kids for a couple of hours. You even get some replayability through unlockable Digimon, along with multiplayer support. Personally, I’m mostly familiar with the original PS1 game, but Digimon Rumble Arena received a sequel on the PS2 that seems to be fondly remembered. If you are interested in checking out this series, try to find one of these two games, rather than 2014’s Digimon All-Star Rumble.
8
Digimon Racing
Of Course, Digimon Has A Kart Racer! And, It Is Fine
In the ’90s and early ‘2000s, every kids’ franchise wanted to get a piece of that Mario Kart pie, so they would create their own racing games even if they did not make sense. Digimon Racing delivers exactly what its title promises, and just a touch more. Yes, this plays pretty much like any other 2D kart racer from this era, and it is not quite as good as a few other underrated GBA racers (Konami Krazy Racers and Looney Tunes Racing come to mind); however, Digimon Racing is competent and a fun enough time if you are just craving an entry in the genre with Digivolutions.
In terms of modes, there is nothing remotely surprising here, as you get a few cups, a time trial, and a quick race. You also have a few unlockable characters, which are obtained by completing the cups. Digimon Racing controls well enough for this type of racer, although turns can feel quite slippery. Still, once you get used to the feel, it really isn’t that bad. The game’s unique selling point is, well, Digivolution, as each racer digivolves and gets stronger as they go over certain spots on the track. Hits can devolve you, so it adds an element of excitement to races.
Honestly, this game is a hard one to recommend. Don’t get me wrong, Digimon Racing is a perfectly servicable kart racer that can easily keep you entertained for an hour or two. Digivolution is implemented fairly well, and the controls are not a hindrance. Like, it does nothing really all that wrong…but it also does not do anything amazing. At this point, would even die-hard Digimon fans want to track down a GBA kart racer? Nobody needs to play this game, even if most people would have fun with it.
7
Digimon Masters Online
An Average MMO Heightened By The Digimon Branding
If speaking solely on player and longevity, Digimon Masters is the best Digimon game of all time, and by quite a margin. However, we are talking about a free-to-play MMO here, so the fact that it has been around for more than a decade is almost to be expected. Furthermore, if you are not into the classic MMORPG formula popularized during the late 2000s, you will not get anything out of Digimon Masters.
8 RPGs That Are Practically MMOs in Disguise
These games may not officially be MMOs, but fans of the genre may find something familiar in them.
Yes, DMO sets itself apart by incorporating elements from the franchise, including Digivolutions and partners, but the gameplay is largely the same as most Korean MMOs from this era. That is not positive or negative, but rather just a statement. The game’s availability is also dependent on your region, as the Steam version seems to be removed from some areas (but it is available in the United States). Ultimately, DMO needs you to be a fan of both Digimon and MMOs.
6
Digimon World PS1 Trilogy
Digimon’s Early Days Were Confused, Messy, And Endearing
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Digimon World 3
Systems
- Released
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June 5, 2002
- ESRB
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E For Everyone // Mild Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC, Bandai, Boom Corp.
Look, I’m not going to sit here and say that the PS1 Digimon World games are all-time masterpieces that helped shape the pet-raising and turn-based RPG genres. Bandai clearly had no clear direction for the series, so we got three games that are so wildly different that describing them as a trilogy is a joke.
- Digimon World is the most beloved nowadays, with its town-building and pet-training mechanics being revisited by quite a few subsequent games in the series. You start with an egg Digimon, and you have to train, feed, and potty-train them to hopefully get them to digivolve into something useful. In the meantime, you complete quests to convince Digimon to join your own. The game is equal parts fun and frustrating.
- Digimon World 2 drops the pet-raising aspect and is purely a 3v3 turn-based JRPG, which would become a staple of the franchise later on. You join a team that must explore domains to defeat the Blood Knights, all the while growing your team through digivolution, trades, and DNA digivolutions. DW2 is exhausting, with each dungeon looking exactly the same and battles taking forever. *Sigh, it is one of my favorite childhood JRPGs, but I cannot really say it is good.
- Digimon World 3 is, theoretically, the best of the trilogy, but it is also the most forgettable since it copies Pokemon a lot more than the other two games. For all their flaws, DW and DW2 do their own thing. DW3 is just a much worse take on the Pokemon concept, even though it is otherwise an OK RPG.
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5
Digimon World Dawn & Dusk
The Addictive Digimon Grind (And The Early Days Of Something Great)
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Digimon World Dusk
- Released
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March 29, 2007
- ESRB
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E For Everyone // Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
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BEC
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Digimon World Dawn
Systems
- Released
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March 29, 2007
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone // Alcohol Reference, Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence
- Developer(s)
-
BEC
While marketed as Digimon World in North America, Dawn & Dusk are part of Digimon Story, which started in 2006 and is still ongoing in 2025 with Digimon Story: Time Stranger. Without any doubt, this subseries represents Digimon at its absolute best, especially the more modern entries.
Tempting as it might be to completely ignore everything that came out before Cyber Sleuth, Dusk & Dawn are nonetheless solid and lengthy RPGs that get quite a few things right, especially a turn-based battle system that emphasizes positioning rather than just turn-order. You also have hundreds upon hundreds of Digimon to scan, create, train, etc, but Dusk & Dawn goes a bit overboard in the grind (since gaining experience is based on type). Collecting all the Digimon is not viable or worthwhile, and things get exhausting rather quickly.
4
Digimon World: Next Order
Digimon World Goes Modern Gen
When it came out, some people might have been disappointed by Digimon World: Next Order, as it followed the fantastic Cyber Sleuth. Anybody who went in expecting another turn-based RPG dungeon crawler would have been extremely surprised to find a slow-moving creature trainer with automatic combat and an almost slice-of-life rhythm. Digimon has produced a couple of these types of pet-raising sims over the decades, but Next Order was the first title to receive a Western release since Digimon World.
For the most part, Next World is really just modern Digimon World, with far more Digivolution lines, an almost open-world design, pretty neat graphics, and a bit more control over both battles and your partner’s path forward. Honestly, the game is primarily a vibe that will either click or bore you to tears. I personally prefer the turn-based RPGs, but I had a fun 30 hours with Next World.
3
Digimon Survive
A Story-Driven Digimon Video Game Epic
For better or worse, Bandai deserves praise for taking substantial risks with Digimon. Yes, that has resulted in a franchise that has only recently started to maintain momentum (within the video game world), but it has allowed for projects like Digimon Survive, Digimon World: Next Order, and Digimon Story: Time Stranger to debut within a decade of each other. Out of those three, Digimon Survive was the biggest gamble, and it is the least “Digimon” game to come out since the WonderSwan years.
Great Tactical RPGs With Simple But Satisfying Mechanics
Like a good game of chess, these tactical RPGs are hard to leave alone.
While not devoid of combat, the campaign is primarily presented as a visual novel, a popular but still very niche genre that can be off-putting to people who are just not into these types of stories. These long stretches of dialogue are broken by grid-based tactical combat that is servicable but nothing too special and definitely not plentiful enough to warrant a recommendation solely on its own. Fortunately, Digimon Survive tells perhaps the best story in any Digimon game, with fully-realized characters who are put through an experience that is about as close to horror as the franchise has ever gotten. That said, I can only recommend Digimon Survive to visual novel fans.
2
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth + Hacker’s Memory
Digimon Produces One Of The Best Turn-Based JRPGs Of The 2010s
Despite continuously producing games, Cyber Sleuth felt like a return to prominence for Digimon in North America, particularly the HD PS4 version that came out in 2016. At face value, this project is a fairly straightforward evolution of Digimon World 2, where you explore dungeons, take part in 3v3 turn-based combat (with reserves), and engage in a Digivolution system that will have you mapping out convoluted paths so you can get the Megas and Ultras of your dreams. You spend hours grinding Digimon using PlatinumNunemons for EXP boosts, while occasionally taking on missions for the Private Investigator boss.
Cyber Sleuth is just good. It is not necessarily amazing or ground-breaking, but it is wholly satisfying in a way that Digimon games usually aren’t. The story, while uneven, is decent and has some pretty dark moments. You need to grind, but not to the point of insanity (and it is fun to work toward building your ultimate team from the 200+ Digimon available). The dungeons are repetitive and bland, a side effect of the game’s PS Vita origins, but they are not unpleasant on the eyes either.
More importantly, this game is huge and often comes packaged with its prequel, the equally great Hacker’s Memory. They are basically the same, just with different stories.
1
Digimon Story: Time Stranger
The Best Digimon Game And The Crown Jewel Of A Great Series
This might be a bit premature to say, since the game has only been out for a couple of days, but Digimon Story: Time Stranger seems to mostly fine-tune and improve its predecessors’ very good ideas. The story has a really fun hook that involves time travel and squarely places the emotional crux on the friendship between a girl and a Digimon, which helps add a touch of heart and intrigue to what is otherwise a Saturday Morning Cartoon-style story.
The 3v3 turn-based combat mostly returns, although you are given more options to alter that structure through a human agent who can execute attacks, along with a heavier emphasis on reserve figures. Also, you have more than 400 Digimon to scan, hatch, Digivolve, De-digivolve, DNA Digivolve, and all that good stuff. Prepare to lose yourself in a lot of stats. It is addictive.
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