Alice in Borderland redefined survival thrillers with its dangerous games and psychological intensity. The Netflix series transported viewers into a twisted version of Tokyo where participants must win life-to-death struggles to survive.
The show is based on Haro Aso's manga and follows Arisu and his pals as they navigate increasingly complicated games that test morality and intellect.
Alice in Borderland's blend of emotional depth, strategic gameplay, and relentless suspense made it engaging. The show proved that Japanese thrillers excel at blending human psychology with supernatural elements.
Every game in Alice in Borderland revealed intense truths about survival instincts and society. The series's success sparked global interest in Japanese thriller content that delivers the same edge-of-your-seat experiences.
Future Diary, Gantz, Death Note, and four other Japanese thrillers to watch if you liked Alice in Borderland
1) Liar Game

Liar Game throws light on Nao Kanzaki, a sincere college student who receives 100 million yen and an invitation to participate in psychological warfare games. She must win against the opponents in several contests where strategy and deception determine losers and winners.
The show features Akiyama Shinichi, a seasoned con artist who becomes Nao's unlikely ally. Every round presents increasingly complicated challenges that test the potential and ability of participants to deceive and manipulate each other.
The series explores themes of betrayal, trust, and human nature under a lot of pressure. The participants encounter crushing debt and elimination if they lose. The strategic elements and psychological manipulation mirror the mental challenges seen in Alice in Borderland. Both shows examine how desperation transforms ordinary people into evil strategists.
The show is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
2) Future Diary (Mirai Nikki)

The premise of the story follows Yukiteru Amano, a lonely teen who discovers a diary that predicts the future from Deus Ex Machina, the god of time and space.
Twelve diary holders are forced to eliminate each other in a deadly battle royale to become the next god. Every participant possesses a unique diary with separate predictive abilities.
Yuno Gasai, Yukiteru's obsessive classmate, becomes both his most significant threat and protector. The show blends intense psychological horror with supernatural elements.
Players utilize their future knowledge to set traps and avoid killing. The elimination-style competition creates constant tension as alliances form and crumble. Like Alice in Borderland, the show compels characters to make difficult moral choices while fighting for survival.
This thriller is available for Netflix viewers to watch.
3) Gantz

The show starts when Masaru Kato and Kei Kurono are in a train accident, but awaken in a mysterious apartment with other recently killed individuals. A black sphere named Gantz compels them to participate in alien hunting missions using high-tech suits and weapons.
Participants must eliminate extraterrestrial creatures to earn points and return to everyday life. The show features graphic violence and explores death, life, and redemption themes. The players encounter increasingly dangerous alien creatures with different weaknesses and abilities.
The missions test both teamwork and combat skills under risky circumstances. Failure implies death with no second chances. The series shares Alice in Borderland's premise of forced participation in risky games with supernatural oversight.
The show is available on Netflix for viewers to watch.
4) Death Note

The premise revolves around Light Yagami, a brilliant high school student who finds a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written inside. He eliminates criminals to create a crime-free world, adopting the alias Kira. A detective called L investigates these deaths, leading to an extreme psychological battle between the two masterminds. The show focuses on intellectual warfare rather than physical challenges.
L and light engage in elaborate schemes to expose each other's identities. Every character possesses strategic thinking abilities and exceptional analytical skills. The chase dynamic creates consistent tension as both sides adapt their strategies. While separate in execution, Death Note shares the strategic complication and psychological intensity that turned Alice in Boderland engaging.
Death Note is available for Netflix viewers to watch.
5) Kaiji

Kaiji narrates the story of Kaiji Ito, an unemployed man drowning in debt who boards the gambling ship Espoir for an opportunity to clear his fictional obligations.
He must win various gambling games against other desperate participants to avoid forced labor. The show features psychological gambling scenarios that test mathematical skills and risk assessment. Every game involves high stakes where losing implies years of brutal manual labor. Kaiji encounters opponents who employ deception and psychological manipulation to get advantages.
The series explores themes of greed, desperation, and social inequality. Players need to balance calculated risks with impulsive decisions under extreme pressure. The life-altering consequences and gambling elements echo the high-stakes gameplay central to Alice in Borderland.
Kaiji is available for viewers to watch on Amazon Prime.
6) Deadman Wonderland

Deadman Wonderland follows Ganta Igarashi, a middle school student framed for killing his classmates and sent to a private prison that is also a twisted amusement park.
Inmates participate in life-threatening attractions and fights for public entertainment while looking for ways to prove their innocence. The facility houses Deadman, who are prisoners with manipulation abilities and supernatural blood who compete in brutal gladiator matches.
Ganta finds his own powers while navigating the prison's complex hierarchy and uncovering a conspiracy behind his unreal conviction. The show blends survival horror with supernatural elements in a controlled environment. Like Alice in Borderland, it features characters trapped in a dangerous game system beyond their control.
The show is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
7) Psycho-Pass

The show presents a dystopian future where the Sibyl System monitors citizens' mental states to predict criminal behaviour. Inspector Akane Tsuinemori works with the Criminal Investigation Department to apprehend individuals whose crime coefficients exceed acceptable limitations.
The show explores justice, free will, and social control through advanced surveillance technology. The cases involve complicated moral dilemmas where the system's judgments confront human intuition.
The series examines how technology shapes individual behaviour. While focused on detective work rather than chase games, it shares Alice in Borderland's exploration of systematic domination over human lives and requires decision-making under pressure.
The show is available on Amazon Prime for viewers to watch.
These Japanese thrillers capture the strategic complexity and psychological intensity that made Alice in Borderland successful.Each series offers unique perspectives on morality, human nature, and survival under extreme circumstances.