Games like Danganronpa
Spike Chunsoft's Danganronpa game series could be perfect for you if you're looking to get into some murder mystery mayhem. With three core games, many spin-offs, and other collections to explore, it might be difficult to know where to begin. We discuss the original release date, location in the canon, and a short summary of each game. For your convenience, we've also included a brief rundown of every Danganronpa game in sequence, so you may plunge into misery without missing a beat.
Check out our guide to get acquainted with your peers by reading Danganronpa characters. Check out our top selections for the greatest mystery games and the finest visual novel games on mobile and Switch if you're looking for more mystery mayhem and exciting stories.
Listed here are all of the Danganronpa games onwithout further ado.
Danganronpa mainline games
Danganronpa: Happy Havoc Trigger
The first game in the Danganronpa series, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, was initially released for the PSP in Japan in 2010. After achieving iconic status, it has been available on several platforms across all areas.
The visual novel Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc revolves on the 78th class of the esteemed Hope's Peak Academy. Hope's Peak Academy, formerly heralded as the academic haven for Japan's greatest high school students, is brought to its knees when Makoto Naegi and his classmates discover they are imprisoned within the school and forced to play a depraved game at the hands of a cruel bear named Monokuma. Monokuma sets the pupils against one another, promising freedom to the first one to murder a classmate and get away with it.
As you try to survive the brutal killing game and learn Monokuma's actual identity and motivations, you assume the character of Makoto Naegi. Discover the history, goals, and ambitions of your students as you investigate murders and identify the perpetrators as you go through the tale and explore the school.
Danganronpa 2: Farewell Hopelessness
Trigger Happy Havoc's direct sequel, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, builds on the success of its predecessor. It was released for the PSP in Japan for the first time in 2012, and it takes place soon after Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa Ultra Despair Girls is another episode.
As a new student at Hope's Peak Academy, you take on the role of Hajime Hinata. He feels so tired when he first walks inside the building and wakes up to find himself in front of his classmates in a classroom. Usami, a pink magical female rabbit, greets the pupils after they are locked inside and explains that they are really on a paradisal island and that they must become friends in order to gather Hope Fragments and feed their hope.
But tragedy strikes as they're getting used to the tranquil island life. The pupils need to take part in the next generation of the killing game in order to live because Monokuma has returned.
The gameplay cycle of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is quite identical to that of the original game. The primary distinctions are that you may explore the island in two dimensions as Hajime, and the class trial sections include additional elements including an endless argument system and brand-new minigames.
Killing Harmony in Danganronpa V3
The third main installment of the series, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, was released in early 2017 in Japan for the PS4 and PS Vita and later that year for the PS4, PS Vita, and PC in the West.
Killing Harmony, which is based in a "psycho-cool" setting and centers on 16 new individuals who are once again abducted and imprisoned at a school, has been dubbed "the biggest, most exhilarating episode yet." You have to launch a high-stakes, quick-witted investigation with lives at risk in order to solve the gruesome killings' riddles and execute your newfound pals.
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is the first game to take place at a new school with an entirely new cast of characters, after the conclusion of the Hope's Peak Academy storyline in the anime Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak High School. Though some new gameplay aspects have been included, the gameplay is still largely the same as in the previous releases, with the same loop and linear routes.
You assume control of the protagonist from a first-person viewpoint, exploring the school at your leisure between character encounters, investigations, and class challenges. The three main gameplay styles are divided into these categories, which you should be acquainted with by now.
Danganronpa spin-off games
Episode 94 of Danganronpa: Ultra Despair Girls
A spin-off game called Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls takes place in between the events of Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc. Released in 2014 by Spike Chunsoft in Japan and released in the West by the same company in 2015, it is the first game to defy the established visual novel genre.
As Komaru Naegi, Makoto Naegi's younger sister, you must fight to live in a chaotic metropolis overtaken by Monokuma Units in this third-person adventure shooter game. To get away from the cunning Monokuma Kids and discover the city's mysteries, you must seize control of the Hacking Gun with the aid of your companion, Toko Fukawa.
Ultimate Summer Camp
Danganronpa SDanganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, a longer version of Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony's Ultimate Talent Development Plan minigame, was released in conjunction with the celebration of Danganronpa's tenth anniversary.
In Ultimate Summer Camp, an RPG board game with a cast of characters from every previous game, you have to explore Jabberwock Island, gather Hope Fragments, and grow as a character. In this parallel, non-killing tropical paradise, battle opponents to get money, improve your gear, take down monsters, and unlock new islands.
Collections of Danganronpa games and their remasters
Reloading Danganronpa 1.2
Danganronpa 1.2 Reload, a compilation of the first and second games with other additional features, was originally released in Japan in 2013 for the Playstation Vita. Using backwards compatibility, NIS re-released the game on the Playstation 5 after it was first published in North America and Europe on the Playstation 4 in 2017.
Decadence of Danganronpa
Spike Chunsoft (and Numskull Games in Europe) published Danganronpa Decadence, a remastered compilation for Nintendo Switch, in honor of the video game franchise's tenth anniversary in 2021. It contains Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, the Anniversary Edition remasters of all the mainline games. It also includes the stand-alone adventure Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summercamp. Either buy the physical-only package and indulge in a decade of sadness, or buy the games separately via the Nintendo eShop.
Sequence of Danganronpa games
It might be a bit challenging to figure out which Danganronpa games to play first, but we've got you covered. Keep in mind that Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls occurs between Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair in terms of chronological order. We advise playing Ultra Despair Girls third since it includes Goodbye Despair spoilers.
- Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
- Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair
- Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls
- Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony
- Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp
And with that, our lesson on the well-known Danganronpa video games ends. Check out our list of the top RPGs on Switch for additional suggestions on games!