Studio Ghibli has never made a video game, but PlayStation has quietly built a library that might be the next best thing. These six titles bring whimsical worlds, emotional storytelling, and breathtaking visuals that Ghibli fans will instantly recognize. And the best part? Most of them can be finished in under 10 hours.
The Ghibli Gap That Gaming Has Been Trying to Fill
Studio Ghibli is one of the most beloved creative institutions in the world. Founded by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki alongside the late Isao Takahata, the studio gave audiences timeless films like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Fans have long wanted a proper Ghibli game. The studio came closest in 2011 when it teamed up with game developer Level-5 to animate Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. It earned wide praise but left the door wide open for a full dedicated Ghibli gaming experience that has never arrived.
That gap has quietly been filled by a new generation of indie developers who clearly grew up watching Ghibli films and never stopped dreaming about them. Here is your quick snapshot of all six games before we go deeper on each one.
| Game | Developer | Year | Approx. Runtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planet of Lana | Wishfully | 2023 | 5 to 7 hrs |
| Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf | Wishfully | 2026 | 5 to 7 hrs |
| Neva | Nomada Studio | 2024 | Under 5 hrs |
| Spiritfarer | Thunder Lotus Games | 2020 | 25+ hrs |
| Kena: Bridge of Spirits | Ember Lab | 2021 | 10 to 12 hrs |
| Hoa | Skrollcat Studio | 2021 | 2 to 3 hrs |
| Season: A Letter to the Future | Scavengers Studio | 2023 | 5 to 6 hrs |
Games That Capture That Ghibli Adventure Feeling
Planet of Lana, released in 2023, is one of the most visually striking puzzle platformers to land on PlayStation in recent years. Made by Wishfully and published by Thunderful, the game follows a young girl named Lana and her magical cat-like companion Mui as they fight back against an alien machine invasion. Think Castle in the Sky meets side-scrolling puzzle adventure.
The 2026 follow-up, Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf, builds on that foundation with new threats and sharper puzzle design. A review described it as “a near-perfect package, offering a moving and captivating adventure infused with solid platforming and smart, varied puzzle design.” Both entries comfortably sit in the five to seven hour range each.
Neva takes things in a more intense direction. Released in October 2024 by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital, this action-platformer pairs a young woman named Alba with her wolf companion Neva as they push through a forest consumed by creeping corruption. The creature design and world feel unmistakably like Princess Mononoke brought to life.
Neva won the ‘Games for Impact’ award at The Game Awards 2024, a recognition that speaks directly to how much it resonates with players on an emotional level. A DLC called Neva Prologue has since expanded the story further. As of May 2026, Neva is also available on PlayStation Plus Extra.
Games About Spirits, Loss, and Letting Go
Spiritfarer from Thunder Lotus Games is, simply put, one of the most emotionally affecting games of the past decade. This 2020 management sim puts you in the shoes of Stella, a newly appointed spiritfarer who ferries the spirits of the deceased to the afterlife aboard a boat, with her cat Daffodil always by her side.
Thunder Lotus Games has openly stated that Spirited Away was a major influence, and that connection is impossible to miss once you start playing. Each spirit aboard your ship carries their own story, wishes, and heartache. You attend to each of them as best you can before the time comes to say goodbye. Budget at least 25 hours for a full run.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits from Ember Lab covers similar emotional ground with a very different energy. This 2021 action-adventure follows Kena, a spirit guide who helps souls cross over, until a spreading corruption threatens everything around her.
Armed with a magical staff and a growing army of tiny adorable creatures called the Rot, Kena takes on corrupted enemies in a game that runs 10 to 12 hours and delivers some of the most satisfying boss fights in any indie title of that generation. Earlier in 2026, Ember Lab announced the PlayStation 5 and PC exclusive sequel Kena: Scars of Kosmora at a PlayStation State of Play, with Sony backing the project. Kena will travel to the island of Kosmora and unlock new alchemy-based powers, with the game set to launch later this year.
Short Games That Leave a Long Impression
Hoa, released in 2021 by Skrollcat Studio, is the gentlest game on this entire list. You play as a small fairy named Hoa returning to her childhood home through a lush, hand-painted world filled with creatures to meet and things to gently mend. There is no combat, no urgency, and no pressure at all.
The soundtrack alone makes Hoa worth your time. It carries the same emotional warmth as the iconic work of composer Joe Hisaishi, the mastermind behind virtually every major Studio Ghibli score including Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. You can finish the entire game in two to three hours, making it one of the easiest and most rewarding picks on this list.
Season: A Letter to the Future from Scavengers Studio rounds out this list with something a little different. This 2023 adventure game follows Estelle as she travels by bike through a world nearing its end, carefully documenting everything she sees through drawings, photographs, recordings, and handwritten notes. It is grounded in real human emotion, much like the more reflective Ghibli films that choose quiet everyday feeling over fantasy spectacle. It takes five to six hours to finish and is currently part of PlayStation Plus Extra as of May 2026.
From corrupted forests and spirit ferries to painted fairy worlds and end-of-season bike rides, each of these six PlayStation games understands what the best Ghibli films have always known: that the most powerful stories are the ones that make you feel something real. Whether you have two free hours or twenty-five, something on this list is waiting for you. Which one are you downloading first? Drop your pick in the comments below and share this list with a fellow Ghibli fan who might not know these games exist yet.
