6 Games Sailor Moon Fans Should Play
From cutesy RPGs to witchy adventures, here are some recommendations for adding a little magic to your gaming, Sailor Moon style
Adapted from Naoko Takeuchi’s manga of the same name, the 1992 Sailor Moon anime series follows teenage protagonist Usagi Tsukino as she becomes a Sailor Guardian to combat evil and search for a reincarnated moon princess.
Sailor Moon would become one of the most well-known anime franchises due to its powerful female leads, LGBTQ characters, and soft, sparkly aesthetics. Many like myself are drawn to its themes of femininity, transformation, and queerness, finding them empowering and comforting.
In addition to the anime series, the Sailor Moon IP also has several video game adaptations, though very few have been released outside Japan. Some of the games include the 1992 GameBoy beat-em'-up BishĹŤjo Senshi Sailor Moon and 2014's mobile game Silver Crystal for Sailor V.
To date, the only Sailor Moon game we've gotten worldwide in English is the mobile game Sailor Moon Drops, a Match 3 game, released in 2016 and discontinued in 2019. While a new Sailor Moon game for current consoles has yet to be announced, there is a small handful of Sailor Moon-inspired games to help fill that void for fans of the series.
Blue Reflection
Developed by Gust for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Steam, Blue Reflection is a turn-based JRPG released in 2017. Playing as Hinako Shirai, you become a teenage ballet dancer who, due to a knee injury, can no longer dance, but is given magical power allowing her to fight and move freely.
This game features an all-female cast and a battle system that involves three girls transforming into special forms known as "Reflectors" in an alternate world. There is also an elaborate mystery involving the source of the girls' powers, how they affect the world, and whether they are worth using to help their classmates and make Hinako's wish to heal her injury come true.
Other features include social links that include bonding with characters for additional effects in battle, and quests about solving classmates' problems by finding their emotional fragments in the alternate world. While I haven't played Blue Reflection due to lacking the appropriate console, learning about it made me interested in its sequel.
Blue Reflection Second Light
The sequel to Blue Reflection was released in 2021 for PlayStation 4, Switch, and Steam. Taking place during summer, you play as Ao Hoshizaki, a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself in a mysterious school surrounded by water. Alongside three other teenage girls, you must uncover the reason why you are there while recovering the lost memories of the other girls and working together to survive.
Despite being a sequel, you do not need to play the first game to understand this one. Playing this game on Switch felt like playing through a summer vacation, with its gorgeous visuals and the character bonding going on throughout the game. The latter takes place in the form of "dates" between the girls that occur once you start building various facilities around the school.
In terms of action and plot, you're basically fighting each girl's inner demons by exploring Heartscapes that represent their most precious memories and transforming into a magical girl. A major feature is that the battle system is order-driven real-time combat that allows the girls to attack one after the other to form combos, activate their Reflector forms, and use special abilities.
This Way Madness Lies
In this turn-based comedy RPG from Zeboyd Games, you play as an all-female high school theatre troupe for magical girls who traverse worlds inspired by Shakespeare while fighting monsters. You can play this game on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Steam.
Come for the RPG action and stay for the comedy. Not only can you translate Shakespearean speech into modern English with a translator, but you'll sometimes get hilarious in-game text like, "Skip the transformation sequence? What is wrong with you?" This tongue-in-cheek humor combined with retro pixel art graphics will give you a good time even with little to no knowledge of Shakespeare's plays.
Calico
From Peachy Keen Games comes this chill, non-violent life-stimulation game. Available for all major consoles and PC, this game sees you creating a character and learning to manage a cat cafe on a magical island populated by various magical girls.
When it comes to this game's features, the character creator is better than most, with a wide range of skin tones and no gender-locked characteristics. In fact, you aren't asked your gender at all, which is refreshing for transgender and nonbinary players. Although I would've liked more hairstyles to choose from, I was able to make my ideal fat, brown, genderqueer magical self.
Another notable feature is that running the cat cafe consists of decorating with furniture and wallpaper and making drinks and pastries. You can also attract customers and pets by freely exploring the island, unlocking blocked areas, and completing simple tasks. You can even ride cats and some other pets by making them bigger with a magic potion!
Witchy Life Story
Created by Sundew Studios, this game sees the player take on the role of the youngest member of the illustrious, magical von Teasel family, but you’re not exactly their pride and joy. In fact, your grandmother has given you one last chance to prove yourself — or no more witch training for you! And so you arrive in the small village of Flora, along with your crow familiar, Ramsey. You have two weeks to help the locals prepare their harvest festival for success and prove your worth.
This game has been described as a visual novel game with crafting elements. You create your character that will serve as the protagonist and then craft potions, charms, and incense for various characters that can be befriended and dated. If you want a short and sweet witchy adventure, look no further. It's available on Nintendo Switch, PC, and Xbox.
Wylde Flowers
From Studio Drydock Pty comes this 2022 farming and life-sim game that is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac, and iOS. You play as Tara, a young woman who comes to a rural island to help her grandma on the family farm. Only, Grandma is also a witch and so are you!
During the day, you'll work on the farm, and at night you'll join a coven, fly on broomsticks, craft potions, and maybe become a cat. You'll also get to know the multicultural townsfolk as you delve into the story of the town and how its inhabitants came to be there. You can even romance some of the men, women, and non-binary folks that make up the community. A particularly notable feature is that all the characters are voice-acted, which really brings the cast and town itself to life.
Sailor Moon is an influential anime series that has inspired comic books, animation, and video games. Whether you love its kick-butt female characters or its elegant and magical aesthetics, these video games are the next best thing to a modern Sailor Moon game.