When it comes to naming gaming’s most revered and fan honored labels, it’s hard to top Atlus. The Japanese studio is acclaimed for their deep, involved and intricate stories and paired with world class gameplay may be notorious for releasing their games in low print numbers, but those who do play them, know that they are special. For today’s Top 10 list, we want to shine a light on the best games to ever sport the Atlus logo on their boxes!

Before we get into the list a couple of rules though…

Only 1 game per main series but spinoffs are ok. Atlus can be either the developer or the publisher – we don’t mind which!

10 – Dragon’s Crown

Kicking things off is a game that really speaks to what Atlus is all about. A fairly obscure, RPG with a striking art style and a hearty challenge, Dragon’s Crown from Vanillaware released for the PlayStation 3 and Vita back in the day and really showed off those systems’ graphical prowess with stunning, hand painted graphics that Vanillaware was known for. If you’re looking for a challenge and a game that looks really unlike anything else, then Dragon’s Crown needs to be on your list.

9 – Trauma Team

Have you seen a game and thought, yep that belongs on that system? When the Trauma Team/Center series landed on the Wii, that’s exactly what I thought. What better match for a precision based surgery simulator than a console who’s main controller has pointer and motion controls? However if you think this is just a digital version of Operation! you’ll be wrong as Atlus added their own flair for drama and anime-influenced storytelling mixed with stellar gameplay to make these games unique in the Wii’s library. And while we have a few options to consider we have to go with Trauma Team as the best game in the series, though you really can’t go wrong with any of the games in the franchise.

8 – Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

Do you like a challenge? No really – do you like a CHALLENGE? Well do I have a dungeon crawling RPG series for you. The Etrian Odyssey franchise for the Nintendo DS and 3DS quickly made their name with their brutally difficult gameplay that gives the player no room for error. Of all the games in the series though our absolute favorite is number IV. The world, the characters and the gameplay are all fantastically crafted and push the 3DS (and your skills) to the absolutely limit. If you haven’t yet gotten your hands on the Etrian Odyssey series you absolutely need to. Just be ready to cry a lot.

7 – Radiant Historia

Sticking with Nintendo handhelds for a bit, Radiant Historia is one of the best DS games that no one played. And that’s a real shame as the game lists its inspirations as titles like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI – great games to try to emulate. That’s not to say however that Radiant Historia doesn’t do its own thing, and its main mechanics leave you mesmerized at how creative the concept of time travel is applied here. Thankfully though you don’t have to dig out your old DS to play this one as the game recently got a enhanced remaster for the 3DS, giving a whole new set of players a chance to check it out.

6 – Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight

Nothing says Atlus quite like a wacky idea that somehow, just works. So a music/rhythm dancing based on the Persona series? Sign us up! And while you really can’t go wrong with any of the Persona dancing games (they all have amazing soundtracks) we have to give the nod to Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight as out absolute favorite. Just dance the night away baby!

5 – Catherine

The puzzle game genre is not one that typically lends itself well to deep and involved stories but Atlus’ Catherine shows that there’s a lot you can do with a game, no matter its genre. While the gameplay itself, where you traverse giant block mazes is perfectly serviceable, the real draw of the game is its world-class production values that make the game feel like it has a full anime movie weaved in. And this story is one that pulls no punches telling a tale that is mature and clearly written for adult players. A great game to play and a great game to watch – Catherine has it all.

4 – Persona 4: Arena

Hey it’s another Persona spin-off! Persona 4: Arena is notable not just for its stellar production values (they’re great) but for how the game masterfully takes the RPG gameplay of the base game and makes it work as a fighting game with elements of both genres mixing together seamlessly – almost as is these kind of crossovers happen all the time. Persona 4: Arena is a game quite unlike anything else and even if you play the Persona games for the story or rich worlds, you’ll want to check this one out too.

3 – Shin Megami Tensei IV

The Nintendo 3DS was an absolute beast when it came to JRPGs and one of its very best is actually the best game from the original Shin Megami Tensei series. Shin Megami Tensei IV is a game that truly feels too big for the system its released on. World class production values, a deep & involved story and a hearty challenge filled with twists and turns. Atlus showed a lot of love for the 3DS over the years and the very best of them all is SMT IV. Now hurry up with number five!

2 – Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir

Hey it’s our friends from Vanillaware again, and this time we’re looking at the best title they ever put together. Odin Sphere: Leifthraisir, an enhanced port of the PlayStation 2 cult-classic does absolutely everything right when it comes to delivering a deep and engaging game that just lets the hours melt away. The visuals? World class. The combat? Challenging and engaging? The story? Heartbreaking and beautiful. We’re really this forgotten gem has now been made available on so many more systems, giving a ton more players a chance to play this classic.

1 – Persona 5

Atlus has been around for a very long time, making fantastic game after fantastic game but it’s actually one of their latest titles that takes home the crown as the greatest game they have ever stamped their name on. Persona 5 is a tour de force when it comes to JRPGs, taking the genre in bold, new directions that forever change how we consider a game in the style. It’s stunning in every single regard and has already become an iconic part of gaming lore, giving rise to its own spin-offs and crossovers. Persona 5 is not only the best Atlus game ever, it’s one of the best games of all time.

What are your favorite Atlus games? Did we miss anything on the list? Let us know in the comment section below!