Highlights

• Blue Reflection and its sequel, Blue Reflection: Second Light, are colorful and refreshing JRPGs with school-based social sim elements that fans of Persona 5 will enjoy.
• Suikoden 5 may not have a social sim element, but it offers deep character development and meaningful choices that will appeal to fans of Persona 5's narrative.
• Sakura Wars is a steampunk visual novel and action RPG hybrid with social simulation mechanics that will be appreciated by Persona 5 fans despite its fan service elements.

Launched in Japan in 2016, Persona 5 earned itself a place as one of the best JRPGs of the last decade, and for many gamers, it is one of the greatest in the genre. The Persona series is a spin-off from the mothership Shin Megami Tensei series. While it maintains many of the same themes from the mainline series, the Persona games implement visual novel and dating sim mechanics.

Despite being a spin-off series, the Persona series has become the best-selling JRPG series for Atlus. The SMT series is often associated with its difficulty, which can be off-putting for many gamers. Though the Persona games are still challenging in their own right, they are far more accessible. Persona 5's success led to the release of an expanded remaster, Persona 5 Royal. The new version is an extended cut with extra story content and gameplay mechanics. However, as great as the game is, all good things must end, but there are plenty of other great games like Persona 5 Royal out there for gamers to try out.

Updated February 28, 2024, by Michael Llewellyn: Persona 5 Royal is a unique title with social sim elements, dating mechanics, and a dark coming-of-age story that holds the player from start to finish. Few games match what Persona 5 Royal offers. However, thanks to several games adopting social sim and dating mechanics, fans of the Persona series have more to choose from. This article has been updated to include more games that fans of Persona 5 Royal are sure to enjoy.

26 Eternights

An Impressive Action RPG With A Heavy Focus On Dating

• Released: September 12, 2023
• Developer: Studio Sai
• Platforms: PC, PS4, and PS5
• Genre: RPG, Adventure, Fighting

Eternights is an indie-developed hack-and-slash RPG with solid character development and an intriguing take on a post-apocalyptic setting. Despite its low budget compared to the Persona series, the art design and colors make it stand out in a busy crowd. The dating sim elements will entertain fans of Persona 5's social sim and romance options.

Players get to create a character as they build a profile for a dating app in the game's opening. Events take a dark turn, but the character still finds time to build relationships through the dungeon-crawling action. Moreover, the story is dark and mysterious without being predictable, and it's an enjoyable ride that fans of Persona will have fun putting the pieces together.

25 Star Ocean: The Second Story R

A Faithful Remake That Features Relationship Building

Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a faithful remake of the classic JRPG from tri-Ace. It features two protagonists with unique story paths and relationship-building that build toward the game's 99 endings. The characters react to the protagonist's behavior and dialogue choices.

Thanks to its stunning presentation and quality-of-life features, Star Ocean: The Second Story R is the definitive version of the series' second title. The item creation, endings, and relationship building allow gamers somewhat unique experiences with every playthrough.

24 Blue Reflection & Blue Reflection: Second Light

A Moving Story With Relatable Characters

Blue Reflection and its sequel, Blue Reflection: Second Light, are JRPGs with school-based social sim elements that will appeal to fans of Persona 5. Instead of dark demonic transformations, the female-led cast transforms into magical sorceresses (AKA magical girls) in combat.

They are coming-of-age dramas set in a Japanese high school with surprisingly moving stories. Both games feature a different protagonist. So fans can jump in with either title, but Blue Reflection: Second Light is generally better received by critics, although fans loved them both. The Blue Reflection games are a refreshingly colorful change of pace to the recent JRPGs that can be dark, gloomy, and depressing.

23 Suikoden 5

A Character-Driven Story With A Choice-Based Narrative

Suikoden 5 is the final entry in the critically acclaimed Suikoden series. However, it is a prequel set before the first game, so fans can jump in with this entry without missing too much beyond some younger versions of characters that appeared in its predecessors. There isn't a social sim element to Suikoden 5, but the importance of character development and the choices made during interactions will affect how the protagonist's comrades react to him.

The protagonist can recruit the 108 Stars of Destiny to help him in combat or contribute to his community with the Ceras Lake Castle. Players must collect all the Stars to unlock the true ending, but there is a new game-plus feature that players can utilize. The story takes its time in the opening hours, but the character development, relationships, and tone will please fans of Persona 5's character development and narrative.

22 Sakura Wars

JRPG And Visual Novel Hybrid With Social Sim Mechanics

Sakura Wars is a visual novel and action RPG hybrid set in a steampunk alternate universe of 1940s Tokyo. The combat uses a Dynasty Warriors-style combat that breaks up the narrative nicely. However, the social simulation mechanics will appeal to fans of Persona 5 the most. Players get to interact with members of a theater group who are also part of Tokyo's defense team.

There are some fan service elements in Sakura Wars, most notably with its bath scenes, but that doesn't detract from what is an excellent game. If players can put that aside, they'll find a lot to enjoy in the story and character interactions.

21 Hogwarts Legacy

An Action RPG Set In A Magical School

Hogwarts Legacy is an action RPG from the same studio that created the Disney Infinity games. The team already had experience creating worlds based on a massive license, but Hogwarts Legacy is on another level. It's a dream come true for fans of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World.

Persona 5 fans will enjoy interacting with students, building friendships, or making enemies with budding witches and wizards at the school. As a prequel, Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1800s, and players will get to interact with the ancestors of well-known characters, including Matilda Weasley and Phineas Black.

20 Soul Hackers 2

A Futuristic Cyberpunk JRPG In The SMT Universe

Soul Hackers 2 is a stylish anime-inspired RPG from Atlus, and even though the dungeon design seems a little dated, the characters, story, and world will be a big hit for fans of the Persona 5 Royal. As a Shin Megami Tensei game, it features many of the same themes of demons and their recruitment as the characters form pacts with them.

Another theme that Soul Hackers shares with other SMT titles is that the game opens with an apocalyptic event. The protagonist is sent by a higher artificial intelligence to try and prevent the catastrophe from occurring and save the human race.

19 Scarlet Nexus

A Stylish Action RPG With Friendship Bonds

Developed and created by a team that worked on the Tales series and God Eater games, Scarlet Nexus is, unsurprisingly, a spectacular action RPG with a beautiful anime style and a compelling story. The combat isn't turn-based like Persona 5, but it is stylish, fast, and creative with its Devil May Cry-like action and psychokinetic superpowers.

There is a relationship mechanic that Persona 5 fans will appreciate, allowing the lead characters to increase their bond levels with the other party members. While there is no dating in Scarlet Nexus, increasing these bonds will grant the characters more powers to use in battles. The game features two protagonists with different intertwining stories, making a second playthrough worthwhile and entertaining.

18 Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2

A JRPG With A Character-Driven Narrative

Since the release of Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Nocturne for the Switch in 2021, mainline SMT is finding a bigger audience and creating new fans. However, many fans should dive into the PS2-exclusive Digital Devil Saga games, as a remaster seems unlikely.

What separates Digital Devil Saga from games like SMT or Nocturne is its greater focus on a character-driven narrative that will resonate with Persona fans. DDS has a tight-knit cast of memorable characters and challenging and rewarding gameplay across two games in arguably one of the best JRPG sets in gaming.

17 Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

A High School Murder Mystery With Demons

Danganronpa and Persona are often mentioned in the same internet conversations as they share many similarities. This high school murder mystery will be enjoyed by those who got more out of the slice-of-life aspects of Persona 5 rather than its turn-based, demon-collecting combat.

The Danganronpa series is comprised of hefty visual novels set over several games with loads of content to catch up on. One could lose hours getting lost in the world of Danganropa.

16 Tokyo Xanadu

A Persona-Like JRPG From The Developers Of Ys

First released in 2015 for the PlayStation Vita, Tokyo Xanadu was later ported into an enhanced and expanded version for the PlayStation 4 in 2017 called Tokyo Xanadu eX+. Tokyo Xanadu was developed by Nihon Falcom, the creators of the Ys and The Legend of Heroes series.

While Tokyo Xanadu lacks the depth or the character relationship mechanics of a Persona game, it has an engaging story set in modern-day Tokyo High School. Additionally, it features interdimensional dungeons that must be traversed to move the story forward. Each character is given a chance to shine, and the action-based combat is engaging and easy to pick up.

15 Final Fantasy 15

A Story Of Brotherhood, Friendship, And Loss

For fans on the lookout for something a little more fast-paced that still retains the feel of forming unbreakable bonds with the party members, Final Fantasy 15 is surprisingly fitting. Final Fantasy 15 is a modern take on the four Heroes of Light formula.

The main cast of four heroes is rather slim compared to the eleven party members in Persona 5. That said, the character development seen through Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis is sure to appeal to fans of Persona.

14 Xenoblade Chronicles

A Sci-Fi JRPG With Friendship Bonds And A Deep Story

Xenoblade Chronicles was remastered and expanded for the Switch in 2020. It is regarded as one of the best Japanese RPGs of the last decade. It was developed by Monolith Soft, a studio comprised of the same team that created Xenogears and the Xenosaga trilogy.

Xenoblade Chronicles is an epic open-world RPG with a gripping story and a mash-up between action and a turn-based combat system. For Persona fans, Xenoblade features a character bonding system built around the lead character and his affinity with the other party members. This is achieved by developing friendships with the other party members as the story unfolds.

13 Etrian Odyssey

A Challenging Old-School JRPG Like Persona Q

• Released: January 18, 2007
• Developer: Atlus
• Platforms: Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, and PC
• Genres: Dungeon-Crawler, JRPG

For gamers looking for something more challenging than Persona 5, Etrian Odyssey fits the bill. The dungeon-crawling mechanics featured in Persona Q will be familiar to fans of that series, albeit with a steeper learning curve and punishing difficulty.

Etrian Odyssey will satisfy fans who enjoyed some of the more challenging aspects of the battles in Persona 5. However, there is an old-school feel to the gameplay that is reminiscent of classic RPGs like Wizardry. As a result, players create their character classes with archetypes like the Alchemist, Survivor, Medic, Ronin, and more. While a departure from the Persona games, Etrian Odyssey has that unmistakable Atlus flavor.

12 Bully

A High School Coming Of Age Drama

Developed by Rockstar, the studio behind the Grand Theft Auto series, Bully is an action-adventure game set in a high school and its fictional town, Bullworth. While not an RPG like Persona, fans of the social interactions around a school environment will find much to enjoy in Bully.

The game was first released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006 and was remastered for the Xbox 360 in 2008. Just like the GTA series, Bully was a controversial title upon its release due to its satirical nature being misunderstood by the media. Bully is a coming-of-age story about social hierarchy, cliques, relationships, and the struggles of growing up - everything a Persona 5 fan will enjoy.

11 Yakuza 0

A Mature Character-Driven Gangster Tale Set In Tokyo

First released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4, Yakuza 0 was later released on Xbox One and PC in 2020. The prequel is an open-world action RPG that places the player in the shoes of a young Yakuza named Kiryu Kazama and his long-time rival, Goro Majima. It's the perfect starting point for newcomers to the Yakuza series.

Though the gameplay and mechanics work differently from the Persona series, fans will enjoy the contemporary 1980s Tokyo setting. Furthermore, Yakuza 0 features friendship sub-stories that revolve around building relationships with NPCs throughout the city. Where Yakuza 0 shines, however, is its flawless character development and mature storylines, which are often balanced out with wacky sub-quests. This level of quality continues throughout the series.

10 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore

An SMT And Fire Emblem Crossover Set In Modern Day

First released on the Nintendo Wii U in 2015, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a crossover JRPG between Shin Megami Tensei and the Fire Emblem series. Tokyo Mirage is an Atlus-developed game; therefore, it is thematically similar to the Persona series and includes modern-day Tokyo locations to explore.

The narrative lacks the edge and complexity of the Persona series and is often predictable in its story beats. However, the side stories and interactions with other party members are reminiscent of Persona. The Fire Emblem characters that appear as Mirages are Persona-like in their gameplay mechanics and execution.

9 Attack On Titan 2: Final Battle

An Action RPG With Relationship Mechanics

Attack on Titan 2 was released on the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox One in 2018 and released on the Google Stadia platform in 2019. It is an action RPG developed by Omega Force based on the Attack on Titan anime and manga series.

Its expansion, Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle, was released in 2019, and the physical disk version adapts the first three seasons. AoT2 is an action game where the player has to take down gigantic titans that feed on humans. It is a departure from Persona 5, but the relationship and friendship-building mechanics in the game will appeal to Persona fans.

8 Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalpyse

A Challenging JRPG Set In The Same Universe As Persona

Released in 2016 on the Nintendo 3DS, Shin Megami Tensei 4: Apocalypse is an alternate version of the fourth entry in the mainline series. For Atlus, Apocalypse seems like another chance for them to rectify many of the issues from the original and is a much better game.

Despite having some connections to the original, Apocalypse is designed so that newer players can jump right into it. While not as narratively driven as the Persona series, the gameplay, demon hunting, and world-building take precedence. However, the writing, story, and character development are superb, and Persona fans should feel at home with the mechanics.

7 Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A Tactical JRPG With Relationship Building

Released in 2019, Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Three Houses is a tactical RPG developed by Intelligent Systems, the developers of the highly regarded Advance Wars strategy series. Interestingly, Three Houses was co-developed by Koei Tecmo - who also worked on Fire Emblem Warriors and Attack on Titan 2.

In addition to strategic combat, Three Houses emphasizes socializing, developing relationships, and building bonds that directly affect actions and performance on the battlefield. It's a terrific title for those looking for a game like Persona 5 Royal.