Do I need to play the games first?

No. Each of these was made for newcomers. Fans of the games will catch extra references, and The Last of Us follows its game closely enough to spoil it.

Best Series Based on Video Games

In short: Start with Arcane (complete in two seasons) or The Last of Us. For dark comedy, Fallout. For a short, devastating anime, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (10 episodes). For gothic action, Castlevania. For chaotic fun, Twisted Metal. None requires playing the games.

A cracked television showing a glitching video game character beside a game controller. — Room to breathe, at a pace closer to actual gameplay.

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Prestige drama

The Last of Us (HBO, 2023 onward). Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey adapt Naughty Dog's game about a smuggler escorting a girl who might hold the cure for a fungal pandemic. Season 1 includes "Long, Long Time," one of the most praised TV episodes of the decade. Season 2 (2025) adapted the start of The Last of Us Part II.

Animation

Arcane (Netflix, 2021-2024, 2 seasons). Riot Games and studio Fortiche's story of sisters Vi and Jinx, split between the gleaming city of Piltover and its underground, Zaun. Painterly animation, a superb soundtrack and a complete ending.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Netflix, 2022, 10 episodes). Studio Trigger's explosive, heartbreaking anime set in Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. Its success helped revive interest in the game.

Castlevania (Netflix, 2017-2021, 4 seasons). Trevor Belmont, Sypha and Dracula's son Alucard fight Dracula's war on humanity. Followed by Castlevania: Nocturne.

Dark comedy

Fallout (Prime Video, 2024 onward). Ella Purnell's naive vault dweller and Walton Goggins's cynical ghoul in a satirical post-nuclear Los Angeles. Season 2 moved the story to New Vegas.

Twisted Metal (Peacock, 2023 onward). Anthony Mackie as a wisecracking courier, with Samoa Joe as the killer clown Sweet Tooth. Loud, silly fun.

Our verdict

Arcane first: it's complete, and it's the best-looking show on this list. Then The Last of Us Season 1.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best video game TV adaptation? Arcane and The Last of Us are the most acclaimed. Arcane won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, and The Last of Us won multiple Emmys in its first season.

Is Arcane finished? Yes. Season 2, released in three acts in November 2024, ended the story. Spin-offs set in the same world have been discussed by its makers.

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