Onmyoji bring you into the Heian period.
Cherry blossoms fall. Torii gates stand in the distance. Spirits and demons roam the land. You are Abe no Seimei, a legendary onmyoji. Your job is to restore balance between the human and spirit realms. You summon shikigami. You build teams. You fight turn based battles. The story unfolds through episodic chapters. The world is beautiful. The gameplay is strategic.
What is Onmyoji?
You are looking at a free to play, turn based fantasy RPG by NetEase Games set in a supernatural version of Japan’s Heian period. You play as the legendary onmyoji Abe no Seimei, summon collectible spirits called shikigami, build tactical teams, explore story chapters, and compete in PvE and PvP modes.
Onmyoji combines Japanese folklore, collectible character progression, turn based combat, and episodic storytelling. Its world is built around the relationship between humans, demons, and spirits, with the player helping restore balance between the human and spirit realms. The main character, Abe no Seimei, is an onmyoji, a practitioner who can communicate with, summon, and control supernatural beings. The story follows his journey through the Heian period as he encounters shikigami, demons, mysteries, and characters with their own personal histories.
Onmyoji holds a 4.5 star rating from more than 20,000 reviews. The app size is roughly 3.5 GB with additional downloads after installation. The age rating is 12 and up. The game is free with optional in app purchases.
A free to play turn based fantasy RPG set in Japan’s Heian period with shikigami collection
The genre matters here. Onmyoji is not an action RPG. It is not a real time strategy game. It is a turn based RPG. You select actions. You manage resources. You plan your turns. The combat is strategic. The collection is deep.
Who this game was built for
Turn based RPG fans who enjoy team building and strategy
If you like thinking before you act, Onmyoji is for you. The combat rewards planning. The team building is deep.
Players who like collectible character games with gacha systems
The shikigami roster is large. The gacha system is present. The collection is a long term goal.
Fans of Japanese folklore and anime aesthetics
If you love Japanese mythology and anime art, the theme will appeal to you. The setting is immersive.
Gamers who enjoy story driven mobile RPGs
The story is episodic. The characters have depth. The narrative is a major part of the experience.
Onmyoji Main Features
Shikigami collection with different abilities, roles, and rarities
You collect shikigami. Each has unique abilities. Each has a role. Damage dealer. Tank. Healer. Support. The variety is large.
Turn based battles with speed, resource management, and team synergy
Combat is turn based. Speed determines order. Resources limit abilities. Team synergy is essential.
Souls equipment for character customization and optimization
Souls are equipment. They improve stats. Attack. Defense. Critical rate. Health. Speed. The optimization is deep.
Story and exploration with chapters and episodic content
The story is chapter based. Episodic content. The narrative drives progression.
PvE and PvP modes including Duels, Realm Raids, and Demon Parade
There are many modes. Story missions. Boss challenges. Demon encounters. Realm Raids. Duels. Demon Parade. The variety is large.
Audio and voice acting with Japanese cast and composer Shigeru Umebayashi
The voice acting is Japanese. The soundtrack is by Shigeru Umebayashi. The audio is high quality.
Gacha and summoning systems for obtaining new shikigami
You summon shikigami through gacha. Mystery Amulets. Jade. The system is familiar.
Leveling and evolution for character progression
You level up shikigami. You evolve them. The progression is linear.
Soul optimization with set bonuses and sub statistics
Souls have set bonuses. Sub statistics matter. The optimization is deep.
Guilds and social features for cooperative content
You can join guilds. Cooperative content. Social interaction. The community is active.
Onmyoji Graphics and Design
Ukiyo-e inspired visual direction with painted backgrounds and traditional motifs
The game looks like a painting. Ukiyo-e style. Painted backgrounds. Traditional motifs. The art is beautiful.
Detailed costumes, shrine environments, and supernatural creatures
The costumes are detailed. The shrines are authentic. The creatures are supernatural. The design is immersive.
Atmospheric and illustration focused rather than flashy combat
The atmosphere is the focus. Illustrations. Music. Voice acting. The combat is secondary.
Where the design works well
The art is beautiful. The atmosphere is immersive. The design is consistent.
Where storage demands and complexity may affect the experience
The storage is large. The complexity is high. The experience may be overwhelming.
What players say about the Onmyoji game
The parts people enjoy
Positive reviews often mention the art. The story is praised. The shikigami designs are beautiful.
The parts people complain about
No RPG escapes criticism. Here is what comes up most often.
Large storage requirement for updates and game data
The game is large. Updates add more. Storage is a concern.
Long term grinding for character and Soul progression
Progression is slow. Grinding is required. The time investment is significant.
Complexity for new players can be overwhelming
The systems are complex. New players feel lost. The learning curve is steep.
Gacha progression systems can feel familiar and repetitive
The gacha is familiar. The progression is repetitive. The formula is standard.
Is Onmyoji Still Active?
Yes, Onmyoji is still active. The game continues to receive regular updates, new characters, and balance adjustments. It maintains a dedicated player base across mobile and PC platforms.
Active Development
The game receives frequent content updates. Recent additions include new SSR Shikigami like Kuzunoha with her own summoning event . Balance adjustments for characters like SSR Tamamo no Mae, SP Kijo Momiji, and SSR Ootakemaru were implemented as recently as March 2026 .
Player Base
On Steam, the game averages around 500 to 600 concurrent players, with peak numbers reaching over 1,400 players . The global version has between 1 to 5 million installs on Android and remains popular in countries like Thailand, the United States, and Indonesia . One player described the game as one they “played for 4 years and never got bored of,” noting that “there’s always something to do and you can never be fully satisfied with your progress” .
The Bottom Line
Onmyoji remains an actively supported game with a loyal player base. While it may not have the massive player counts of newer titles, it continues to receive regular updates and maintain a community of dedicated players. If you are considering joining, you can expect an active experience with ongoing content.
What Does an Onmyoji Actually Do?
Onmyoji were real historical figures in ancient Japan. They were not just characters from a game. They were professional practitioners of Onmyodo, a traditional Japanese esoteric cosmology that blended natural science and occultism .
Historical Role
Onmyoji were civil servants belonging to the Bureau of Onmyo in Japan’s ritsuryo system . Their responsibilities ranged from practical tasks like keeping the calendar to mystical duties like divination and protecting the capital from evil spirits . They could divine auspicious or harmful influences in the earth and were instrumental in decisions about moving capitals .
They also served as political advisors. One source explains that Onmyoji “advised on what should be done and expressed opinions on personnel matters, as well as defeating political enemies” . They were also called upon to heal illnesses, as it was believed that “living spirits” could possess people and cause sickness .
Magical Abilities
The art of Onmyodo combined elements from Taoism, esoteric Buddhism, and Indian astrology . Onmyoji were known for several distinctive practices:
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Ofuda: Rectangles of paper with mystical symbols written on them. They could be used for sealing buildings, dispelling evil, or even as weapons .
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Shikigami: Spirits that typically took animal form and served as servants to the summoner. In some representations, a paper doll was used as the center for the spell .
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Gobosei: The pentagram that Abe no Seimei made famous, combining the five Chinese elements .
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Barriers: Invisible spiritual magnetic fields created to prevent the intrusion of evil spirits. These were like fortresses against the outside world .
Famous Onmyoji
The most renowned onmyoji was Abe no Seimei (921–1005), who displayed superior skills in divination and gained an uncommon amount of trust from the court society . After his death, the emperor had a shrine erected at his home in Kyoto . Another famous onmyoji was Kamo no Yasunori, who made great advancements in onmyodo, astronomy, and calendar science .
In Modern Japan
In present day Japan, onmyoji are defined as a type of Shinto priest . While the state patronage of onmyoji ended when the imperial court fell into decline, the term continues to be used by those who claim to be mediums and spiritualists .
How the Onmyoji Game Mechanics Work
Onmyoji is not a game of reflexes. It is a game of decisions. You build a team. You manage resources. You control the flow of battle. The mechanics are deep but approachable. Here is how it all fits together.
The Heart of Combat: Turn Order and Speed
The most important thing to understand about Onmyoji’s battle system is the action bar. This bar shows the order in which all units, both yours and the enemy’s, will take their turns . A unit’s position on this bar is determined by its Speed stat .
Faster units act sooner and more often . If your shikigami has double the Speed of an enemy, it can move twice as often . This is why Speed is often considered the most important stat in the game. Controlling the turn order is controlling the battle. You can also find skills that manipulate the action bar, either pushing enemies back or pulling your own units forward .
Managing Your Resources: The Orb (Onibi) System
Every special skill your shikigami uses costs Orbs, also known as Onibi . These are the blue wisps you see at the bottom of the battle screen. You start each battle with 4 Orbs and can hold a maximum of 8 .
Orbs are generated over time. The orb bar fills up by one segment each turn, and when full, you gain a set number of new Orbs, starting from 3 and increasing to a maximum of 5 . The tactical choice is when to spend aggressively for a quick win and when to conserve Orbs so you are not caught without options on later turns .
Team Building: Shikigami, Roles, and Rarity
You collect spirits called shikigami. Each shikigami has a role. Some deal massive damage. Others are tanks that absorb hits. Some heal and support their allies. Others specialize in crowd control. Building a team is about finding synergy between these roles, not just stacking the highest rarity units .
Shikigami come in different rarities, including N, R, SR, SSR, SP, and UR . Higher rarity characters are generally rarer, but they are not always the best choice for a specific team. A lower-rarity shikigami with the right support skills can be more valuable than a high-rarity damage dealer that does not fit your strategy. The game rewards thoughtful team composition .
Customization: Souls and Builds
The deep customization comes from Souls. Souls function as equipment for your shikigami . They are the key to making a character powerful. Souls can improve almost any stat: Attack, Defense, Critical Rate, Health, Speed, and more . They also come with set bonuses. By equipping the right Soul sets, you can completely change how a shikigami performs, turning a support unit into a tank or a damage dealer into a speed demon .
Onmyoji Tips
You can start Onmyoji game and summon your first shikigami in minutes. Building a competitive team and optimizing Souls takes strategy. These tips help you progress efficiently and avoid common mistakes.
Do not build every shikigami at once; focus on a small group first
Here is a question. Why do some players progress quickly while others get stuck? They spread resources too thin.
Onmyoji tips from experienced players all say the same thing. Focus on a small group of shikigami. A player who builds a core team progresses faster. A player who tries to level everyone falls behind.
Create a balanced first team with damage, support, speed, and survivability
New players love damage dealers. They stack attackers. They ignore support and defense.
Create a balanced team. Damage. Support. Speed. Survivability. A player with a balanced team wins more battles. A player with only damage dealers dies quickly.
Prioritize speed when appropriate to act before opponents
Onmyoji similar games have speed mechanics. This game has speed.
Speed determines turn order. Faster characters act first. A player who prioritizes speed controls the battle. A player who ignores speed reacts to opponents.
Learn each shikigami’s role; lower rarity supports can be more useful
Onmyoji game has rarity tiers. SSR is rare. R is common.
Rarity is not everything. A lower rarity support character can be more useful than a higher rarity damage dealer in the wrong team. A player who learns roles builds better teams. A player who only looks at rarity misses value.
Save summon resources for useful events and limited banners
Onmyoji the yin yang master has summon events. Limited banners appear.
Save resources for these events. A player who saves gets better chances. A player who summons impulsively wastes resources.
Do not ignore Souls; correct sets and sub stats improve performance
Onmyoji codes for free rewards sometimes appear during events. More importantly, Souls are essential.
Souls are equipment. Set bonuses matter. Sub stats matter. A player who optimizes Souls performs better. A player who ignores Souls leaves power on the table.
Use PvE to test builds before entering competitive modes
PvP is competitive. PvE is practice.
Test builds in PvE. A player who tests in PvE wins in PvP. A player who jumps into PvP unprepared loses.
Join a guild early for social support and cooperative content
You can play solo. You will miss content.
Guilds give access to cooperative content. Shared activities. Social support. A player in a guild progresses faster than a solo player.
Games similar to Onmyoji
If you like Onmyoji, here are five other games worth your time. Each offers something similar with a different twist.
Summoners War: Sky Arena
Summoners War is the most direct comparison. Collectible monsters. Turn based battles. Runes. Onmyoji similar games should start here. The difference is the setting. Good for players who want similar mechanics in a fantasy setting.
Dislyte
Dislyte is a character collection RPG. Stylish presentation. Team synergy. Turn based combat. The difference is the modern urban fantasy setting. Good for players who want a fresh aesthetic.
Epic Seven
Epic Seven is an anime fantasy RPG. Character collection. Equipment optimization. Story. PvP. The difference is the more traditional fantasy setting. Good for players who want a similar experience with a different art style.
Fate/Grand Order
Fate/Grand Order is a story focused collectible RPG. Character summoning. Turn based battles. The difference is the Fate universe and historical servants. Good for players who want a more narrative driven experience.
Onmyoji: The Card Game
Onmyoji: The Card Game shares the Onmyoji universe. Strategic card battles. The difference is the genre. Good for players who want the Onmyoji world with different gameplay.
Onmyoji Community
Onmyoji has a social layer. The community is active.
Guilds, chat, cooperative battles, and friend systems
Guilds are groups. Chat is active. Cooperative battles are available. Friend systems connect players. The social features are robust.
Location based services for nearby players in some versions
Some versions have location based services. You can connect with nearby players. The feature is region dependent.
Official communities on Facebook, Discord, X, Instagram, and YouTube
NetEase maintains official communities. Facebook. Discord. X. Instagram. YouTube. The communities are active.
Cooperative boss battles and shared events
Boss battles are cooperative. Events are shared. The cooperation is encouraged.
Conclusion
Onmyoji works for three types of people. First, turn based RPG fans who enjoy team building and strategy with deep combat mechanics. Second, players who like collectible character games with gacha systems and Japanese folklore themes. Third, fans of story driven mobile RPGs with beautiful ukiyo-e inspired art and high quality voice acting.
Large storage requirement for updates and game data. Long term grinding for character and Soul progression. Complexity for new players can be overwhelming. Gacha progression systems can feel familiar and repetitive.
Do you enjoy turn based RPGs with beautiful Japanese folklore art, deep team building, and gacha collection, even if the grind is heavy and the storage is large? Or do you prefer simpler, faster paced RPGs?
If the first one, Onmyoji offers one of the most distinctive turn based RPG experiences on mobile. If the second one, look at action RPGs or simpler turn based games. Both answers are fine. Just know what you want.
FAQ
How do I get Onmyoji download on my phone?
Go to the Google Play Store if you use Android. Search for Onmyoji. The developer is NetEase Games. Tap install or use the direct link to Download Onmyoji from the Official Google Play Store.
Is Onmyoji free to play, or do I need to spend money?
The game is free to download and play. You can complete story chapters, collect shikigami, and compete in PvP without spending. The monetization focuses on speeding up progression. You can buy premium currency to summon more shikigami and purchase resources. Free players earn this currency slowly through events and daily activities. Paying players progress faster. You can enjoy the game without spending, but building a competitive roster will take longer.
Where can I find the official website?
The official NetEase website has news, patch notes, and character information: Official Onmyoji Website .
I have a problem with the game. Who do I contact?
Send an email to the developer support team. They handle account issues, billing problems, bug reports, and technical support. Here is the address: gameonmyoji[at]global.netease.com. For Onmyoji download problems or installation issues, that same email applies. Include your device model, game version, and a description of the problem. You can also reach out through the official social media channels for community support.
What is the best way to get started in Onmyoji?
Focus on building a balanced team first. Include a damage dealer, a support character, and a healer or tank. Do not spread resources across every shikigami you summon. Concentrate on a small group. Save your summon resources for limited time banners with characters that fit your team. Join a guild early for cooperative content and advice. Complete daily tasks and events for steady progression. The game rewards patience and planning over impulsive spending.