There are many game series that started life as spin-offs, a fact that’s not always obvious. These games can stand apart on their own, and tend to cater to fans who wouldn’t have necessarily liked the originals.
While some share genres with their forebears, others spin off concepts into completely new directions. It’s particularly interesting to see how many of these games end up being more successful than the games that inspired them.
10The SimsCame FromSimCity
You might recognizeThe Simsas a hugely popular life simulation game series, but it actually started as an offshoot of the city-building gameSimCity. AfterSimCitytook off, Will Wright developed an idea called Doll House, which shifted the focus from entire cities to a single household, letting players craft a domestic life with virtual residents.
This idea centered on digital people, later named Sims, whose decisions and purchases would influence their happiness, guided by needs like hunger and cleanliness. At first, Maxis executives were doubtful aboutThe Sims, allegedly nicknaming it “The Toilet Game” because of its emphasis on everyday activities.
In the end, The Sims turned out to be a massive hit, selling millions of copies and becoming a cultural icon. The Game far surpassed otherSimCityspin-offs and grew into its own major series. We may not getSims 5, butat leastInZoiwas inspired byThe Sims.
9Dynasty WarriorsCame FromThe Romance of the Three Kingdoms
You probably recognizeDynasty Warriorsfor its massive hack-and-slash battles, but it actually started as a side project from Koei’s more strategy-focusedRomance of the Three Kingdomsseries. That original series gives you control over warring states, forcing you to manage political, economic, and military efforts to bring China under one rule.
Dynasty Warriors created a different kind of experience for players who just wanted straight-up combat. However, the mainRomance of the Three Kingdomsseries keeps its focus on deep strategic gameplay and never changed despite the success of its spin-off.
Both theDynasty WarriorsandRomance of the Three Kingdomsseries take heavy inspiration from the 14th-century Chinese novelRomance of the Three Kingdoms. The hack-and-slash missions often recreate famous battles from the novel.
You might recognizeRed Dead Redemptionas a famous open-world Western game, but it actually started as a spiritual successor toRed Dead Revolver. AfterRevolvercame out, Rockstar wanted to make their own Western game from the ground up because they feltRevolverdidn’t truly feel like a Rockstar game in its gameplay.
The choice to makeRed Dead Redemptionas a spin-off came from a wish to improve onRevolver’smain mechanics and expand them to match the level of other Rockstar games, especially trying to achieve the same quality, size, and detail as theGrand Theft Autoseries.
This change took the game away fromRevolver’smore straightforward, level-based design and turned it into a living open world. I don’t thinkRed Dead Revolveris all that good of a game, so I’m glad so much changed inRedemption.
7PersonaWas a Spin off ofShin Megami Tensei
You probably know thePersonaseries as a well-liked Japanese role-playing game franchise, but it actually started as a side series to theShin Megami Tenseigames. Players liked the high school setting of the original series, so Atlus chose to develop a separate spin-off series centered on the lives and personal challenges of teenagers and young adults.
It’sa turn-based game that is incredibly fun, but the reason for creating the spin-off was to focus on different themes and gameplay styles. This difference allowedPersonato eventually become more popular thanShin Megami Tensei, especially outside Japan.
Shin Megami Tenseiusually involves post-apocalyptic worlds, large-scale conflicts, and lots of dungeon exploration. However,Personaputs more emphasis on personal stories set in mostly ordinary urban fantasy environments
6AvowedIs Part ofPillars of Eternity’s World
Avowedis an action RPG and a spin-off from Obsidian Entertainment’s isometric RPG series,Pillars of Eternity. AfterFallout: New Vegaswas released, Obsidian madePillars of Eternity, which built a loyal fanbase.
When Microsoft bought Obsidian in 2018, new projects began, includingAvowed. Both games take place in the same universe, called Eora. You’ll see a continuation of the world’s rich lore, including its different races, gods, languages, countries, and continents.
The main reasons for creating the spin-off were to change the genre and reach a wider audience. WhilePillars of Eternityis a classic isometric RPG,Avowedswitches to a first-person perspective with action-RPG gameplay to attract players who might not know or enjoy isometric RPGs.
5Apex LegendsWas AlmostTitanfall 3
Apex Legendsis a popularfree-to-play battle royale gamethat started as a spin-off from Respawn Entertainment’sTitanfallseries. The game originally came from a prototype for a survival mode that took key gameplay elements fromTitanfall.
Apex LegendskeepsTitanfall’smovement and gunplay, and adapted them to a battle royale style. Even though the genre is different,Apex Legendsis still firmly set in theTitanfalluniverse and follows the same timeline, just a little further into the future.
One big factor in makingApex Legendsa spin-off was likely that the game didn’t include majorTitanfallfeatures like Titans or a single-player story. Basically, calling itTitanfall 3might have upset and driven away longtimeTitanfallfans.
4Super Mario Bros.Came FromDonkey Kong
Mariostarted out as a character in theDonkey Kongseries before getting his own franchise, beginning withMario Bros.His very first appearance was as Jumpman in the 1981 arcade gameDonkey Kong.
Players control Mario, a carpenter, as he tries to save his girlfriend from the ape. He even showed up as a bad guy in the follow-up game,Donkey Kong Jr.
The release ofSuper Mario Bros.introduced features that would become key parts of Mario’s identity, especially his job as a plumber. By makingSuper Mario Bros.its own separate game, Nintendo moved Mario from being just a character in theDonkey Kongstory to the star of his own adventure, setting the stage for his huge franchise.
3NieRIs Based on the Ending ofDrankengard
NieRis aunique action RPG, but its origins are connected to theDrakengardseries. The idea for what would eventually becomeNieRfirst began as a concept for a third game in theDrakengardseries. As the project developed, these early ideas were changed, causing it to drift further from the mainDrakengardstoryline and eventually turn into a completely new spin-off.
NieRtakes place in an alternate reality that comes from one of the many possible endings of the firstDrakengardgame, specifically the fifth ending (Ending E). In this ending, characters fromDrakengardcross into modern-day Tokyo through a dimensional barrier and fight a monstrous creature.
This battle and what happens afterward bring magic into the world and cause a worldwide disaster and plague, leading to the ruined future seen inNieR. So it’s a spin-off but also a sequel in some ways.
2Rune FactoryIs a FantasyHarvest Moon
Rune Factoryis a fantasy role-playing game where you also manage a farm, but it originally started as a side series toStory of Seasons(Harvest Moon). The very firstRune Factorygame was made to mark the 10th anniversary ofHarvest Moonand even had the subtitle“A Fantasy Harvest Moon."
However, it became so well-liked that it developed its own identity, and developers removed theHarvest Moonconnection from the Japanese title. WhileStory of Seasonssticks strictly to farming and life simulation,Rune Factoryincludes battles, exploring dungeons, and a story about rescuing the land.
This major change in gameplay and setting likely helped the series attract players who wanted more fighting and adventure alongside the calm farming and social elements. Sometimes, I feel likeStardew Valleyis more like a middle ground for these two games.
1JudgementIs the Other Side ofYakuza
Judgmentstarted as a way to tell a different kind of story while staying in the same world asYakuza.Judgmenthas a lot in common with theYakuzagames. It uses an improved version of the same game engine and has a very similar feel.
The combat system will seem familiar if you’ve playedYakuza 0, with different fighting styles to choose from. The game takes place in the same universe, mostly in the famous district of Kamurocho. You’ll recognize many locations and even the same kinds of background characters.
Most importantly, it keeps the same packed city full of side activities and mini-games, giving you plenty to do. My favorites are playing arcade games or visiting batting cages.
It’s hard not to like spin-offs when they appeal to bigger audiences. However, it’s understandable if you don’t like where each series spun off from. Unfortunately, many of the original games on the list died out over time. So if you want to play a modern version of the originals, you may run into problems.
