Video Game Tattoo Ideas

1. Destiny 2 Tattoo

Destiny 2 is the sequel to Bungie’s online first-person shooter that was released worldwide on September 9, 2014.

Destiny 2 was released as a direct sequel but somewhat of a soft reboot to the series, setting players back to basics by removing all the powers and weaponry they had amassed in the previous game.

This Destiny Tattoo is of Savathûn, aka the Witch Queen, a former member of the Krill species from the gas planet Fundament.

Tricked by The Witness into making a pact with the Worms of her planet, she was transformed into a Hive God along with her sisters Xivu Arath and Oryx. 

2. Twisted Metal Tattoo

Twisted Metal is a vehicle demolition derby combat game through the use of ballistic projectiles, machine guns, mines, and other types of weaponry.

Each game in the series boasts its own storyline, but always is centered around the ‘Twisted Metal’ tournament that takes place once a year.

This video game tattoo is of Needles Kane featured in a Trash Polka Style.

Often referred to as Sweet Tooth, the same name as his iconic vehicle, Needles is a killer clown and leader of ‘The Clowns’ faction from the Twisted Metal series.

3. Soul Caliber Tattoo

Soul Caliber is a weapon-based fighting game with seven main installments and various media spin-offs.

First released in arcades in 1995, the game Soul Edge would later be ported to consoles.

This amazing Soul Caliber Tattoo is of Nightmare with the Soul Edge, the main antagonist of the Soul series. 

4. Rayman Tattoo

Rayman is a platform video game franchise originally released on September 1, 1995.

The protagonist is the titular Rayman, a magical limbless being renowned for his courage and determination.

The series is set in a magical world where each environment is often based on certain themes.

5. Bubble Bobble Tattoo

Bubble Bobble is a platforming arcade franchise that first appeared in Japanese arcades on June 16, 1986.

In the game, the player controls both Dragons Bub and Bob, who must save their girlfriends from a world known as the Cave of Monsters.

The Bubble Bobble franchise continues to this day, with its last release in 2019, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends. 

6. Jak And Daxter Video Game Tattoo

One of my favorite games of all time, Jak and Daxter, is an action-adventure series developed by Naughty Dog, the studio behind Crash Bandicoot and The Last of Us.

The first game in the series was released on December 3, 2001, as one of the earliest titles for the PlayStation 2.

The games are inspired by Western and Eastern culture in a world that incorporates science fantasy, steampunk, cyberpunk, and mystical elements.

I remember my father made myself and my brother buy Jak and Daxter on the same day we bought Simpsons Road Rage even though we didn’t want to because he knew (somehow) that it was by Naughtdog who created Crash, and boy, am I glad he did.

It was also the first game we played that needed to use analog controls.

7. Dragon Ball Video Game Tattoo

Possibly the most controversial choice for this list (except for the game that you wanted and I didn’t mention), Dragon Ball Tattoo while is both a manga and Anime series, has had no shortage of video games throughout the years.

In fact, living in Ireland, I never experienced all of Dragon Ball Z as a child because they switched its airing from Cartoon Network, which was available on standard cable TV, to CNX (changed to Toonami), a stand-alone channel, which was only accessible by purchasing Sky Digital (Satellite TV.)

So I experienced everything in Dragon Ball from when Evil Buu exited Majin Buu through the video games and AMVs off of YouTube. 

8. Donkey Kong Tattoo

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the legendary Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.

Various studios have developed games for the franchise, and sadly, a 3D Donkey Kong game being developed by Vicarious Visions was scrapped in the last few years.  

9. Final Fantasy Tattoo

Final Fantasy is a fantasy anthology media franchise that centers on a series of fantasy role-playing video games, with the first game releasing on December 18, 1987.

Final Fantasy is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, selling over 185 million copies worldwide.

Cactaur is a recurring creature in the Final Fantasy series and one of the series' mascot creatures. 

10. Ōkami Tattoo

Ōkami is an action-adventure video game released on 20 April 2006.

Set in a fictional version of classical Japan called "Nippon," Ōkami follows the adventures of the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu, who has taken the form of a white wolf who sets out on an adventure to save the land of Nippon from Darkness.

The name Ōkami is a pun as "ōkami" can mean either "great god" (大神) or "wolf" (狼) in the Japanese language. 

11. Nier Automata Video Game Tattoo

Nier Automata is the direct sequel to Nier 2010 and Drakengard 2003.

The game is initially presented as a battle between androids fighting for their human creators and the robotic minions of an alien race invading Earth.

Throughout the game, revelations turn the plot on its head, and it becomes a game with themes of self-identity, existentialism, the cycle of violence, and the meaning of life. 

12. Ratchet And Clank Tattoo

One of my favorite games of all time, Ratchet and Clank, is a long-running action-adventure platforming series created and developed by Insomniac Game that has been playable on every Playstation console except for the PS1.

The games were initially satire about greed, consumerism, and corporate malfeasance before moving to a more traditional adventure narrative with an emphasis on origins and personal destiny.

Myself and my brother's first introduction to Ratchet was on a demo disk, and we must have played through Metropolis on that demo 100 times each before its eventual release. 

13. Cuphead Tattoo

Cuphead is a run-and-gun side-scrolling game that follows the titular Cuphead and his brother Mugman, who need to repay their debt to the Devil by repossessing the souls of runaway debtors.

The game takes inspiration from the rubber hose style of animation, with all in-game assets having been painstakingly hand-drawn with deliberate human imperfections. 

14. Mega Man Tattoo

The Mega Man series, known as Rockman in Japan, consists of eleven mainline games and various spin-offs.

The core games in the series follow a continuous continuity where Rock, a robotic lab assistant, volunteers to convert himself into a battle robot to stop the Evil Doctor Wily’s plan of taking over the world with his reprogrammed series of robots. 

15. Mario Tattoo

Super Mario is one of the most widely recognized fictional characters on the planet.

There was a period when surveys and studies suggested that children recognized Super Mario more than the famous Disney character Mickey Mouse.

Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation, including platform games, puzzle games, sports games, fighting games, and many more. 

16. Pokémon Video Game Tattoo

Pokémon is the highest-grossing media franchise of all time, consisting of video games, trading card games, TV shows, movies, and merchandise.

Pokemon got its start with Pocket Monsters Red and Green, released on February 27, 1996, and has since exploded into the multi-media monolith we know today. 

Are you interested in the Best Pokémon Tattoos? Make sure you check our article here!

17. Hollow Knight Tattoo

Hollow Knight is a critically acclaimed Metroidvania released in 2017 and developed by Team Cherry.

The game follows the adventures of ‘The Knight’ as he explores the fallen Kingdom of Hallownest, which has become plagued by a supernatural disease.

Throughout the game, you can discover abilities and pieces of lore that will piece together the game's narrative and the protagonist's origin.

And yes, I, too, am still eagerly awaiting the release of Silk Song. 

18. Sonic Tattoo

Sonic the anthropomorphic blue hedgehog is from a video game series and media franchise where the titular character battles against the Evil Doctor Eggman, preventing him from obtaining the seven chaos emeralds.

Sonic himself was created as a competitor to Nintendo’s Mario that could demonstrate the power of the Sega Genesis's hardware.

Sonic’s first appeared in Sega AM3's racing game Rad Mobile 5 months before his first game as an ornament hanging from the driver's rearview mirror. 

19. Legend Of Zelda Tattoo

The Legend of Zelda is an action-adventure game franchise that follows the adventures of Link (not Zelda).

Link is a member of the Hylian race, a human-like species with elf-like ears, who is reincarnated along with Princess Zelda to battle against the returning Demon King Ganondorf.

Each of the three possesses the qualities of the Tri-Force, a sacred relic left behind by the three goddesses with the three virtues of Power (Ganondorf), Courage (Link), and Wisdom (Zelda.)

20. Halo Tattoo

Halo is a military science fiction media franchise whose first 3 games were created by Bungie before they moved on to Destiny.

Set in the 26th century across various planets and locations, it follows the adventures of Master Chief, a member of the super soldiers named Spartans, and his AI assistant Cortana as they battle against the Covenant, a theocratic alliance of alien races who believe that the mysterious ring-shaped structures known as Halos are sacred artifacts used to fulfill their Great Journey.

21. Grim Fandango Video Game Tattoo

Grim Fandango is a 1998 adventure game directed by Tim Schafer and developed and published by LucasArts.

Set in the Land of the Dead, a place where recently departed souls must travel before they reach their final destination, you play as agent Manuel "Manny" Calavera, whose job is to help souls on their journey to the afterlife by offering various travel packages based on how virtuously the newly dead lived their lives.

Discovering corruption in the system, Manny sets to right the wrongs that have been done, particularly aiming to save a virtuous soul named Mercedes "Meche" Colomar, who has been unjustly denied her rightful reward.

22. Crash Bandicoot Tattoo

Another one of my favorite games of all time, Crash Bandicoot, is a video game franchise created by Naughty Dog Games, who made 4 installments in the franchise before moving on to the Jak and Daxter series.

Crash Team Racing was the first Playstation game myself and my brother ever owned, and I still remember having tears in my eyes every time my father made us turn off the console because we didn’t release we needed to buy a memory card to save our progress and he didn’t want to spend more money on it. 

23. Spyro The Dragon Tattoo

One of my favorite games of all time also (yes, this has been a Dunkey reference.) Spyro the Dragon was actually my favorite game franchise growing up, while my brother’s was Crash Bandicoot.

Spyro follows the adventures of the titular purple Dragon on his series of adventures to save the realms from various threats.

My brother got our first Spyro Game, Spyro 2, after winning CTR in a competition and trading it for the Purple Dragons' second adventure. 

Looking for fierce dragon tattoo designs? Dive into our latest article on the Best Dragon Tattoo Ideas! Explore now!

24. Kirby Tattoo

Kirby is a video game franchise created by the legendary Masahiro Sakurai.

Kirby has appeared in over 50 games, including action platformers, puzzle games, racing, and pinball, and has been featured as a playable character in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series, which was also created by Sakurai. 

25. God Of War Tattoo

God of War stars the demi-god Kratos in his quest to avenge his family and destroy the Mythological Greek pantheon of Gods for betraying him.

After the conclusion of his quest, Kratos starts anew after traveling to the world of Norse myth, where he must honor his late wife’s wishes by spreading her ashes from the highest point in all the nine realms with his new son, Atreus.  

Craving more myth and magic? Uncover the secrets of the ancients with our Mythological Tattoo Ideas! Get inspired here!

26. Undertale Tattoo Idea

Undertale is a 2-D indie game developed by Toby Fox.

In the game, you take control of a child who has fallen into the Underground, a place that is separated from the Earth’s surface by a magical barrier.

Here, the player can engage in combat with many different monsters and can choose to kill or spare them, which will determine the ending of the game.

Aside from artwork and character designs by Temmie Chang and some other guest designers, Fox developed the entirety of the game by himself, including the script and music.

27. MediEvil Video Game Tattoo

MediEvil is an action-adventure hack-and-slash video game in which the player controls Sir Daniel Fortesque, the ‘hero’ of Gallowmere, in the battle against the evil sorcerer Zarok.

In reality, Sir Dan was the first to fall in the battle, having been killed by the first arrow fired.

Now, a century after his supposed defeat, Zarok has returned and casts a spell over Gallowmere, stealing the souls of the living and resurrecting the dead.

As fate would have it, Sir Dan is also resurrected in a skeleton form with one eye and no lower jaw and now must set out to save Gallowmere and redeem himself. 

28. Bloodborne Tattoo

Representing all Soulsborne games (Demon Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring,) Bloodborne is an action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware that was released on March 24, 2015.

Set in the decaying city of Yharnam, the game follows the Hunter who sought a cure only to find the city plagued by a mysterious disease that has transformed most residents into beasts.

29. World Of Warcraft Tattoo

World Of Warcraft, or WOW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game created by Blizzard.

Since its release in 2004, it has become one of the most popular and influential games in the genre, with a vast player base and a deep, evolving storyline that builds on the history established in Blizzard’s earlier Warcraft games.

I’ll be honest, I don’t know anything about WOW, apart from the red-shirt guy who appeared at Blizzcon in 2010, and a little about Deathwing due to him featuring in our Black Dragon Tattoos article. 

30. Sly Cooper Tattoo

Sly Cooper (yes, another of my favorites) follows the adventures of Sly, the latest in a long line of master thieves who pass down their skills through a family book called the "Thievius Raccoonus."

During his childhood, Sly’s family was murdered by a villainous group, the Fiendish Five, who stole the Thievius Raccoonus and split it into 5 pieces.

Left at an orphanage, Sly meets his long-time friends, Murray and Bentley, and sets out on a quest to recover the pages and defeat the members of the Fiendish Five.

This Sly Cooper Tattoo is done to look like a  Japanese Yokai Tattoo. 

31. Gears Of War Tattoo

Gears of War is a third-person shooter owned and published by Xbox Game Studios.

Fourteen years after an event known as Emergence Day, when the Locust Horde suddenly emerged from the ground and attacked human cities, the player controls Marcus Fenix, a former prisoner and veteran soldier, as he rejoins his military unit, Delta Squad, in a last-ditch effort to save what remains of humanity.

I still remember the discussions about that Mad World trailer on the school playgrounds all those years ago. 

32. TimeSplitters Tattoo

The greatest first-person shooter video game series of all time, yes, even better than Golden Eye, TimeSplitters was created by Free Radical Design, with most of the initial workers for Free Radical being previous workers for Rare who had worked on 007 Golden Eye.

TimeSplitters follows Sergeant Cortez (from TimeSlitters 2), who, with Corporal Hart, are sent to recover the time crystals stolen by the TimeSplitters, uncover the truth of the TimeSplitter's origin, and save the world. 

33. Dragon Quest Tattoo

Dragon Quest is a series of role-playing games and one of the most popular franchises in Japan.

The games involve playing as a hero in his quest with a group of party members as they save the land from peril from an evil entity.

The Character Designs for Dragon Quest were designed by the legendary Akira Toriyama, who created Dragon Ball. 

34. Metal Gear Video Game Tattoo

Metal Gear is a franchise created by video game royalty Hideo Kojima.

Metal Gear is credited with pioneering stealth and cinematic video games.

The series spans several decades and includes a complex plot involving espionage, political intrigue, and the existential ramifications of warfare and technology.

The Metal Gear series has deep philosophical, political, and cultural critiques, examining the morality of espionage, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the consequences of unchecked technological advances, and the nature of human conflict.

35. Yakuza Video Game Tattoo

The Yakuza series, known as ‘Like a Dragon’ within Japan, incorporates action-adventure, beat 'em up, and role-playing genres into its games.

The game is typically a crime drama with plot lines inspired by yakuza films.

The series' most recurring character revolves around Kazuma Kiryu, who wishes to leave the Yakuza and start over by raising orphans and trying to assimilate into civilian life.

36. Mortal Kombat Tattoo

Mortal Kombat is an American media franchise centered on a series of fighting video games but also includes action-adventure games, a comic book series, a card game, films, an animated TV series, and a live-action tour.

Mortal Kombat involves an ancient tournament in which Earthrealm (Earth) warriors battle representatives of Outworld and other realms to prevent them from conquering Earth.

The rules of the tournament are overseen by elder gods, who dictate that Outworld needs to win ten consecutive tournaments to legally invade Earthrealm.

37. Pac-Man Tattoo

Pac-Man, originally called Puck Man, is a maze video game first released in Japan in July 1980.

Its popularity led to several sequels, merchandise, two television series, and even a hit single, "Pac-Man Fever," by Buckner & Garcia.

Pac-Man is one of the highest-grossing and best-selling games, having generated more than $14 billion in revenue as of 2016. 

38. Tetris Tattoo

Tetris is one of the most iconic games of all time holding a Guinness World Record for the most ported game of all time.

As of December 2011, it had sold 202 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises.

Tetris was created by Alexey Pajitnov, who, while at the Computer Center of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, developed several puzzle games on the institute's computer.

He would eventually create Tetris, a game whose name comes from a combination of "tetra" (meaning "four") and his favorite sport, "tennis."

39. Tomb Raider Tattoo

Tomb Raider is a media franchise that got its start as an action-adventure video game series starring the iconic Lara Croft.

The first Tomb Raider was released on 25 October 1996 and has since spawned several sequels, spinoffs, film adaptations, comics, and novels.

The series is known for its exploration of ancient tombs and ruins, puzzle-solving elements, and action-adventure gameplay.

40. Street Fighter Video Game Tattoo

Street Fighter is a Japanese media franchise centered around a series of fighting games.

The first Street Fighter was released on August 30, 1987, and has gone on to be one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time, with total sales of 54 million units worldwide as of March 2024.

41. Overwatch Tattoo

Overwatch, released on May 24, 2016, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter created by Blizzard.

The series takes place in a future where humanity has gone through a period of rapid technological advancement, thanks to the creation of robots known as the Omnics.

Initially a boon to global economies, a catastrophic event known as the Omnic Crisis occurred, turning the robots against humanity.

42. Patapon Tattoo

Patapon was my favorite game on my PSP as a child, and somehow, I never knew there were two sequels until I stumbled across them on Amazon one day, years after they had been released.

Patapon is a rhythm-based and real-time strategy game developed by Pyramid and Japan Studio.

The game revolves around the Patapons, a tribe of small, eye-shaped creatures on their journey to reach "Earthend" to gaze upon "IT."

I used to play Patapon either in the car on the way to watch my local football club, Sligo Rovers, play in other counties or when helping my father deliver merchandise for his employer's business and have no idea how I didn’t get motion sickness.

The original developers of Patapon are now developing a new spiritual successor called Ratatan, so be sure to check it out.

43. Portal Video Game Tattoo

Portal is a puzzle-platform video game developed by Valve Corporation and released on October 10, 2007, as part of the game compilation "The Orange Box."

Set in the Aperture Science Laboratories, the player takes on the role of Chell, a test subject tasked with navigating through a series of rooms using the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, or the "portal gun."

The player must deceive and defeat the artificial intelligence that guides you, known as GLaDOS, in order to escape.  

44. Croc Tattoo

Croc was originally pitched to Nintendo as a prototype for a 3D platform Yoshi game from Nintendo's Super Mario series.

Having been rejected, Argonaut Studios repurposed the game into its own original I.P.

Set in a peaceful island world inhabited by small furry creatures called the Gobbos, Croc was adopted by the inhabitants after finding him in a basket floating down the river.

After the evil magician, Baron Dante, arrives on the island with his minions, he captures the Gobbos and King Rufus, now, Croc must take it upon himself to rescue the Gobbos and defeat Baron Dante. 

45. Tekken Video Game Tattoo

Tekken is another Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games.

The story revolves around the conflicts within the Mishima family, particularly between Heihachi Mishima, his son Kazuya Mishima, and his grandson Jin Kazama.

The narrative is largely driven by the power struggles for control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, a massive conglomerate that plays a significant role in the world's events that take place around the same time as the King of Iron Fist Tournament. 

46. Ghost Of Tsushima Tattoo

Ghost of Tsushima follows the journey of one of the last Samurai from Tsushima island, Jin Sakai.

Having survived the initial invasion of the Mongols, thanks to the help of a thief named Yuna, Jin sets out on a quest to save his uncle and drive the Mongols from his homeland by taking up the moniker of ‘The Ghost.’

As the Ghost, Jin uses stealth and deception to vanquish his enemies, a style that conflicts with the values he was raised by as a samurai. 

47. Outerwilds Tattoo

The Outerwilds takes place within a small, dynamically simulated solar system with a deep, compelling mystery.

The player takes control of a nameless alien astronaut, who is a new recruit of Outer Wilds Ventures, a fledgling space program seeking to explore the solar system and uncover its mysteries.

Throughout the game, the player will discover ancient ruins and texts that will unravel the mystery of an ancient alien race's motives and disappearance from your solar system.

Just be sure to use your autopilot correctly, or risk meeting the sun like I did!

1. Video Game Tattoo On Thigh

The Thigh is a great place if you’re looking for a less painful experience compared to other places.

However, remember that placed on the thigh, it might be difficult to show your design off unless you wear short shorts or go to the beach often.

This Thigh Tattoo is of Joker from the Persona 5 game. 

2. Wrist Video Game Tattoo

The wrist is an extremely delicate position to get your Tattoo.

While it can look extremely gracious and feminine, it is one of the most painful places to get tattooed due to the thin skin, tendons, and veins in this area.

This Wrist Tattoo is of the Assassin’s Creed logo from the Assassin's Creed franchise of games.

3. Forearm Video Game Tattoo

The forearm is a fantastic place to get your Video Game Tattoo as it is one of the quickest and easiest places to show off and conceal by simply rolling up and down your sleeve.

The forearm also has a lot of muscle to help dampen that pain.

This Forearm Tattoo is of Captain Olimar from the Pikmin series of games. 

4. Video Game Tattoo On Hand

While Hand Tattoos are pretty badass, they come at the cost of a lot of discomfort and pain.

The hand has very thin skin, a lot of veins and tendons, and is quite bony, so it is going to be an unpleasant experience.

This Hand Tattoo is of The Witcher series logo, along with the main spells the witcher can do. 

5. Shoulder Video Game Tattoo

Lastly, Shoulder Tattoos are terrific for first-time tattooers, as the shoulder has a lot of muscle to help dampen the pain.

While cool, they are hard to show off often unless you are shirtless or wear a vest often.

This Shoulder Tattoo is of the ‘Doom Guy’ from the Doom series of video games.