10 Anime to Watch If You Like Kakegurui

Anime series just like Kakegurui
Anime series just like Kakegurui (Image Source: Studio MAPPA and Madhouse)

Anime gets wild when gambling becomes warfare. Kakegurui proved that school hallways can transform into battlegrounds where chips replace weapons and psychology trumps physical strength.

Beyond the flashy casino aesthetics and dramatic facial expressions lies something deeper. A brutal examination of human nature under pressure. These carefully selected titles share that same DNA of strategic manipulation and calculated madness.


1. One Outs

Tokuchi Toua as seen in the series (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)
Tokuchi Toua as seen in the series (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)

One Outs masterfully blends baseball with gambling psychology, creating a series that's far more than your typical sports series. The protagonist, Toua Tokuchi, transforms America's pastime into a high-stakes psychological battlefield where every pitch becomes a calculated gamble.

At first glance, One Outs seems like a standard sports anime, but it cleverly blends baseball with intense gambling elements. The series focuses on mind games and strategic thinking that mirror Kakegurui's intellectual duels.


2. No Game No Life

Major characters from No Game No Life (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)
Major characters from No Game No Life (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)

No Game No Life shows a world where everything is decided via games, much like the gambling-obsessed academy in Kakegurui. Sora and Shiro travel through a magical world where every dispute is settled through games, not violence.

Although they might seem different at first, both series are deeply rooted in game-based storytelling. The anime shares Kakegurui's priority on outsmarting opponents via clever tactics and psychological manipulation.


3. Kaiji Ultimate Survivor

Kaiji gambles with his fingers in the series (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)
Kaiji gambles with his fingers in the series (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)

Kaiji Ultimate Survivor is one of the most authentic gambling anime ever produced, featuring a protagonist who must steer increasingly dangerous games to flee crushing debt. The series changes simple games into life-or-death psychological battles that test human nature.

This series probes the darker side of gambling addiction and desperation. It strongly echoes with Kakegurui's examination of compulsive behavior.


4. Death Parade

A still image from Death Parade (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)
A still image from Death Parade (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)

Death Parade redefined the death game genre by featuring characters who are already dead when they begin playing. This unique anime features deceased souls in a mysterious bar where they must play games that decide their eternal fate.

The series claims Kakegurui's focus on displaying true character through high-pressure situations, though with more philosophical depth. Each episode offers seemingly innocent games that become intense psychological examinations.


5. Akagi

Akagi playing mahjong (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)
Akagi playing mahjong (Image Source: Studio Madhouse)

Akagi tracks a teenage prodigy who enters the underground mahjong world and quickly becomes a legendary player via pure instinct and unafraid risk-taking. The anime remakes the standard tile game into a thrilling psychological warfare colosseum.

Like Kakegurui's Yumeko, Akagi's protagonist finds actual excitement in dangerous gambles and impossible odds. The series excels at making tension through strategic gameplay and character psychology.


6. Danganronpa The Animation

The main protagonist from Danganronpa (Image Source: Studio Lerche)
The main protagonist from Danganronpa (Image Source: Studio Lerche)

Danganronpa, or Dangan Ronpa, is a Japanese video game franchise created and issued originally by Spike that was adapted into a series featuring students entrapped in a deadly school game. Players must solve murders while evading becoming victims themselves.

The series incorporates Kakegurui's academic background with life-or-death stakes, devising an atmosphere where every decision could be fatal. The psychological manipulation and strategic thought required mirror the fierce mental battles found in gambling anime.


7. Kaguya-sama Love Is War

Kaguya Shinomiya's cute moment (Image Source: Studio A-1 Pictures)
Kaguya Shinomiya's cute moment (Image Source: Studio A-1 Pictures)

Kaguya-sama Love Is War alters teenage romance into a battlefield of psychological warfare, where two luminous students confront in intricate plots to make the other confess their love first. Each episode offers their relationship as a strategic game with clear winners and losers.

The anime communicates Kakegurui's focus on psychological manipulation and strategic thinking, though in a lighter romantic context. The philosophical duels between characters form similar tension and excitement.


8. Legendary Gambler Tetsuya

Tetsuya as seen in the series (Image Source: Toei Animation)
Tetsuya as seen in the series (Image Source: Toei Animation)

Legendary Gambler Tetsuya dives deep into the underground mahjong world where cheating isn't just allowed—it's expected. The series follows skilled gamblers who survive through elaborate deception techniques and psychological manipulation during high-stakes tile games.

This anime showcases the darker side of professional gambling through clever cheating methods and yakuza-style confrontations. The psychological tension and strategic deception create the same intense atmosphere found in Kakegurui.


9. Rio: Rainbow Gate!

The casino dealer from the series (Image Source: Studio Xebec)
The casino dealer from the series (Image Source: Studio Xebec)

Rainbow Gate! stands out as a pure gambling anime, focusing on a top-tier casino dealer tasked with collecting rare cards to prove her dominance. The series embraces traditional casino games with supernatural elements.

Though less intense than Kakegurui, Rio: Rainbow Gate! offers a similar casino vibe and gambling-centered story that appeals to fans. This provides pure gambling entertainment without the psychological darkness.


10. Joker Game

High-stakes gambling in Joker Game (Image Source: Studio Production I.G)
High-stakes gambling in Joker Game (Image Source: Studio Production I.G)

Joker Game takes place during World War II and tells the story of Japanese spies who must use psychological manipulation and strategic review to complete dangerous missions. Each episode gives a different sleuth facing life-or-death situations that need mental agility over physical strength.

The series conveys Kakegurui's focus on reading opponents and making calculated gambles, though in a historical espionage context. The psychological suspense and strategic elements create parallel viewing experiences.

These anime recommendations have the same stimulating aspects that make Kakegurui so addictive. The thrill never ends when minds squabble over high stakes. It's all about reading people, shattering limits, and persisting when everything falls apart.

Edited by Nimisha