Adapting video games into television hasn’t always gone smoothly (as those old enough remember the old Super Mario show can remember) but in recent years, studios have finally figured out how to bring gaming’s rich worlds and characters to life on screen. Whether it’s animated adaptations that push visual boundaries or live-action series that tap into deep lore, these shows prove that games can inspire great TV.
Here are the best video game-based TV shows—ones that honor the source material while creating something special of their own.
TABLE OF CONTENT
The Best TV Shows Based on a Video Game To Watch Now
Here’s the best video game tv shows you can watch right now:
Image Credit: Peacock
Twisted Metal
It shouldn’t have worked, but Twisted Metal somehow nailed it. Based on the chaotic vehicular combat game from the PS1 era, this show leans hard into its absurdity. With over-the-top action, pitch-black humor, and a surprisingly solid performance from Anthony Mackie, the series turns demolition derby carnage into bingeable TV.
It’s not deep, and it’s not trying to be—but for fans of the games or just anyone in the mood for chaos with a side of character-driven comedy, Twisted Metal hits its target.
Image Credit: Amazon
Fallout
Fallout was always going to be a challenge—how do you capture decades of branching lore, multiple tones, and radioactive satire in a single show? But Prime Video’s adaptation pulled it off. With sharp writing, gorgeously gritty visuals, and the exact right blend of humor and horror, the show feels like playing a Fallout game—without needing to pick lockpicking as your starting skill.
From Vault-Tec dystopia to Mojave-style wasteland exploration, it nails the world-building and still manages to surprise longtime fans.
Image Credit: Amazon
Secret Level
An unexpected standout, Secret Level isn’t based on a single game but rather explores gaming culture itself. Mixing anthology storytelling with themes like nostalgia, obsession, and digital identity, it feels like a spiritual cousin to Black Mirror—but with more cheat codes.
It’s the kind of show that doesn’t just celebrate gaming, it critiques and dissects it too. A must-watch for anyone who grew up staring into CRTs or arguing about save files with their siblings.
Image Credit: Netflix
Arcane
Based on League of Legends, Arcane is a jaw-dropper. This is the rare case where a video game adaptation not only surpasses expectations—it sets a new benchmark for animated storytelling. With its painterly visuals, multi-layered characters, and surprisingly emotional arcs, Arcane is as much prestige TV as it is gamer bait.
You don’t need to know a thing about League to get hooked. But if you do, the payoff is even richer.
Image Credit: Netflix
Castlevania
Gothic horror, vampire politics, and some of the slickest fight choreography in animation—Castlevania came out of nowhere and became an instant classic. Based on the legendary Konami series, the show’s blend of mature storytelling, brutal violence, and dry humor helped it transcend its source material.
With multiple seasons exploring deep lore and iconic characters like Trevor Belmont and Alucard, Castlevania turned Dracula’s curse into must-see TV.
Image Credit: Netflix
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
A companion piece to Cyberpunk 2077, Edgerunners dials into Night City’s chaotic energy and cranks it to eleven. Animated by Studio Trigger, this visually explosive series tells a tightly focused tragedy of ambition, loyalty, and corporate cruelty.
With a killer soundtrack, breakneck pacing, and characters that stick with you long after the final credits, Edgerunners proves that Night City is just as compelling in 2D as it is in first-person.
Image Credit: WB
Earthworm Jim
One of the earliest video game cartoons that actually worked, Earthworm Jim brought the weirdness of the ’90s Sega hit to TV screens with surprising success. Featuring slapstick comedy, surreal villains, and the kind of unhinged energy that only a show about a worm in a supersuit could deliver, it leaned into the absurdity—and made it charming.
It might not hold up to modern storytelling standards, but as a piece of retro video game history, Earthworm Jim still wiggles its way into our hearts. It’s hard to find a place to watch it these days, but we’re sure the whole thing is available on YouTube on a perfectly legitimate channel!
Image Credit: Netflix
The Cuphead Show!
With its vintage cartoon aesthetic and game-faithful humor, The Cuphead Show! feels like a direct extension of the game’s unique style. It doesn’t try to deepen the lore too much—this is more Looney Tunes than prestige drama—but its slapstick gags, musical cues, and throwback animation are pure joy.
It’s perfect background viewing for fans of the game, kids discovering animation, or anyone who just wants to hang out in Inkwell Isles for a few episodes. This simplicity makes it one of the best video game TV shows.
Image Credit: Netflix
Devil May Cry
While still relatively new to the adaptation scene, Devil May Cry’s animated ventures have leaned heavily into what makes the games so iconic: demon-slaying flair, overly dramatic dialogue, and Dante being Dante. It’s stylish, loud, and gloriously excessive.
Future seasons promise even more lore and fan-favorite characters, but what’s already available serves up enough bloody spectacle to satisfy any DMC diehard.
Image Credit: Netflix
The Witcher
Technically based on the books, but let’s be honest—The Witcher owes much of its popularity to the success of CD Projekt Red’s Witcher games. Netflix’s live-action series walks the line between monster-hunting grit and soap opera melodrama, with Henry Cavill’s Geralt carrying it through sheer charisma (and deep lore knowledge).
Toss a coin if you must, but The Witcher is a show that, for all its ups and downs, helped legitimize video game worlds in live-action TV.
And those are the best TV adaptations of Video Games we have found. There’s definitely a few more that could have made the list, but we opted for a more opinion-based list. What do you think? Did your favorite show make the cut, or was it snubbed? Let us know in the comments below and stick with Esports.net for more general gaming news, guides, info, and more!