Walking through the streets of Soho in the rain,
He was looking for the place called Lee Ho Fook's
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein."
Urban Fantasy, also sometimes called "Modern Fantasy", is a genre that combines common fantasy conventions with a modern setting. The name "Urban Fantasy" is sometimes taken to imply that all works in the genre must take place in a large city, but this is not the case. Rather, the name implies throwing fantasy elements into more modern, urban societies (hence its secondary name). Still, it's very common for Urban Fantasy stories to take place in a large, well-known city, all the easier for their fantasy elements to hide themselves in.
As a genre, Urban Fantasy is sometimes seen as more accessible to the average reader than the Medieval European Fantasy due to the Like Reality, Unless Noted nature of it, and the fact that modern settings are familiar to readers whereas the medieval era is something that modern readers may have trouble relating to. The exact cut off date for what falls under Urban Fantasy is fuzzy, as the works which most commonly get this label applied to them feature settings in the present day, but works taking place as far back as the Victorian Era are generally included. Works taking place more than ten to twenty years in the future however, are not.
Urban Fantasies almost always take place on Earth, rather than a Constructed World, or if not on Earth then in a place so close as to make little difference. Alternate History is common, incorporating Fantasy elements into real historical events, with humans living alongside magic, though if this isn't done there is usually a Masquerade, implying that witches, elves and fairies live alongside us, just in hiding and probably forming a complete Wainscot Society. In such stories, The Unmasqued World is a common plotline. Another common convention used in Urban Fantasy is to suggest that at one point the world resembled a Medieval European Fantasy but The Magic Goes Away, and in the present The Magic Comes Back and now humans have to adjust to it.
Urban Fantasy often crosses paths with a number of genres, including Alternate History, Cosmic Horror Story, Dungeon Punk, Gothic Punk, Horror, Magical Realism, New Weird, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Investigation, Science Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction and Supernatural Thriller. Sometimes it's difficult to tell whether a work qualifies, but generally speaking Urban Fantasy is known for showing the impact of modern society on the fantasy elements included in it. Elves carry guns, witches use microwaves and Leprechauns work at the bank. It takes more than tossing in the odd vampire solely for the fear-factor to truly apply.
Or, more cynically, a work is Urban Fantasy if it has a half-naked woman on the cover, and Paranormal Romance if it has a half-naked man on the cover.
Gaslamp Fantasy, Supernatural Soap Opera and Historical Fantasy are notable subgenres. Urban Fantasy is itself a subgenre of Speculative Fiction, specifically Fantasy. Many works that throw mystery-genre elements into the mix also rate as Fantastic Noir. Most of the Vampire Fiction published in recent times falls under this genre, whereas in the past it followed the conventions of Horror. Urban Fantasy is often considered the fantasy equivalent of 20 Minutes into the Future.
If you want to know how to write an Urban Fantasy, please visit the Write an Urban Fantasy page.
If you want to see a list of common tropes of this genre, see Urban Fantasy Tropes.
Examples:
- Agni's Philosophy
- Ah! My Goddess
- Alice & Zoroku
- All Around Type-Moon
- The Ancient Magus' Bride
- ARIA (later on)
- Ayakashi Triangle
- Bleach (in part)
- Blood Blockade Battlefront
- Blood Lad
- Bokura no Kiseki
- Blast of Tempest
- Blue Exorcist
- Bone Collection
- The Breaker: Although it's technically an urban Wuxia Manhwa, it sometimes gives off this feeling.
- Bungo Stray Dogs (Combines a real-life city setting with magic mundane to it)
- Cardcaptor Sakura
- A Certain Magical Index: Miracle of Endymion
- Chainsaw Man
- Chrono Crusade
- Code Geass
- Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou
- Dark Gathering
- DEAD Tube
- Death Note
- Descendants of Darkness
- Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
- Digimon
- Fate/Prototype
- Flying Witch
- Fruits Basket
- GeGeGe no Kitarō
- Gingitsune
- Gugure! Kokkuri-san
- Hell Girl
- Hellsing
- Hell Warden Higuma
- Hetalia: Axis Powers (Magic Realism elements, at least)
- Inuyasha (in part)
- Iris Zero
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Kamichu!
- Kamisama Kiss
- Karneval
- Karura Mau!
- Kiki's Delivery Service
- Koi Neko
- Little Witch Academia (2017)
- Magu-chan: God of Destruction
- Majinden
- Makaryuudo Demon Hunter
- Maryuu Senki
- Midnight Occult Civil Servants
- Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
- Mitama Security: Spirit Busters
- Mob Psycho 100
- Monster Musume blends this with Paranormal Romance.
- Mononoke Sharing
- Musuko ga Kawaikute Shikataganai Mazoku no Hahaoya
- My Girlfriend Without Wasabi
- Nabari no Ou
- Negima! Magister Negi Magi
- Neko Musume Michikusa Nikki
- Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan
- Nurse Angel Ririka SOS
- Ojamajo Doremi
- Oku-sama wa Mahou Shoujo: Bewitched Agnes (a.k.a. My Wife is a Magical Girl: Bewitched Agnes)
- One-Punch Man
- Oshi no Ko
- Paranoia Agent
- Peacock King
- Persona 3: The Movie
- Persona 4: The Animation
- Persona 5: The Day Breakers
- Persona -trinity soul-
- Pokémon: The Series
- Pretty Cure
- Puella Magi Madoka Magica
- Ranma ½
- Sailor Moon
- Secret of Cerulean Sand
- Servamp
- The Severing Crime Edge
- Special 7: Special Crime Investigation Unit
- Shugo Chara!
- Shutendoji
- Spirited Away
- Stitch!
- The Vampire Dies in No Time
- Tokyo Babylon
- Tokyo Shinobi Squad
- Transformers: Robots in Disguise
- Ultra Maniac
- Ushio and Tora
- Venus Versus Virus
- Witch Hunter Robin
- Wizard Barristers
- X1999
- Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches
- Yokai Girls
- Yozakura Quartet
- Yu-Gi-Oh!
- YuYu Hakusho
- The World Ends With You: The Animation
- Zatch Bell!
- Beasts of Burden
- Blackbird
- Black Cherry
- Black Magick
- The Books of Magic
- Coffin Hill
- Crimson
- The Crow
- The Darkness
- DC Universe (Urban Science Fantasy)
- Death Vigil
- Les démons d'Alexia
- The Eye Sees
- Fables
- Gravel
- Gravity Falls: Lost Legends
- The Green Knight
- Hellboy
- Hexed
- Hex Wives
- Hilda
- Invincible (Urban Science Fantasy)
- Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden
- The Lost Boy
- Lucifer
- Marvel Universe (Urban Science Fantasy)
- Master Mystic
- Mother Hubbard
- The Mythology Class
- Nightschool
- Night Moves
- Proof
- Phonogram
- Rachel Rising
- Raptors
- Rivers of London
- Robyn Hood
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- Seekers of the Weird
- Shaman's Tears
- Spawn
- Spellbinders
- Steelgrip Starkey and the All-Purpose Power Tool
- Trese
- Warrior Nun Areala
- The Wicked + The Divine
- Wonder Man (Fox)
- Witchblade
- The Wraith
- Adorable Murderbeasts
- All Things End
- Another Time, Another Place, Another Story
- Avenger Goddess (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Wonder Woman (2017))
- Avenger of Steel (Marvel Cinematic Universe, Man of Steel)
- Blue Moon (Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
- The Calvinverse
- Chrysalis Visits The Hague
- Code Geass: Paladins of Voltron (crossover with Code Geass and Voltron: Legendary Defender)
- Code Jedi (Code Geass, Star Wars)
- Code Prime (crossover with Code Geass and Transformers)
- Constellations (Ōkami, Worm)
- Danny Phantom: Lost Episodes Series (Danny Phantom)
- Facing the Future Series (Danny Phantom)
- The Flash Sentry Chronicles (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
- Friends with Everybody
- Ghost Ghost I Know You Live Within Me
- Guardians, Wizards, and Kung-Fu Fighters (Jackie Chan Adventures, W.I.T.C.H.)
- I Just Love Killin' (Rick and Morty, Worm)
- J-WITCH Season 1 (Jackie Chan Adventures, W.I.T.C.H.)
- Keepers of the Elements
- The Ketsueki Quadrilogy (Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Tekken, Soul Series)
- Kingdom Hearts: Cody's Story (Kingdom Hearts , Total Drama)
- Kira Is Justice
- Mad World (Invader Zim/Johnny the Homicidal Maniac)
- The Many Dates of Danny Fenton (Danny Phantom Western Animation, TV Series, and Comic Books.)
- Monster Chronicles (Total Drama)
- My Lesbian Life with Monster Girls: Monster Yurisume (Monster Musume)
- The New Adventures of Invader Zim (Invader Zim)
- Nightmare in Arkham (Batman, A Nightmare on Elm Street)
- Oh Rhonda! (Hey Arnold!)
- Pretty Cure Perfume Preppy
- Project Bluefield delves into this when exploring games with fantasy settings, such as Fire Emblem Awakening.
- ResurrectedMemories (Danny Phantom)
- The Return
- Rick and The Loud House (Rick and Morty, The Loud House)
- Rick and Morty New Drama Adventures (Rick and Morty, Total Drama)
- Rosario to Kiva (Kamen Rider Kiva, Rosario + Vampire)
- Seven Days in Sunny June (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls)
- Spidey vs. the Forces of Evil (Spider-Man, Star vs. the Forces of Evil)
- Super Network Wars (combined with Mega Crossover)
- Theogony (Worm, God of War)
- Touhou Days Woven With Illusion
- Tokimeki PokéLive! and TwinBee (Pokémon, Love Live!, Tokimeki Memorial and Twinbee)
- Universe Falls (crossover with Gravity Falls and Steven Universe)
- Vampire Lovers (Descendants 2, The X-Files)
- Abominable
- The Amazing Adventures of the Living Corpse
- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- Coco
- Coraline
- Hilda and the Mountain King
- Hoodwinked!
- Lilo & Stitch franchise
- Luca
- Monsters, Inc.
- My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
- My Moon
- Onward
- Over the Moon
- The Princess and the Frog
- The Return of Hanuman
- Turning Red
- Scooby-Doo Direct-to-Video Film Series
- Smallfoot
- Toy Story franchise
- Bedknobs and Broomsticks
- Bell, Book and Candle — witches in 1958 Manhattan
- Big Trouble in Little China
- Blood and Chocolate (2007) (even more so than the book, seeing as it moves the setting to contemporary Bucharest)
- The Blood Spattered Bride
- Bright
- Bruce Almighty
- The Cabin in the Woods
- Carnage for the Destroyer
- Cast a Deadly Spell
- Child's Play
- Children's Party at the Palace
- City of Angels
- Constantine
- Cradle of Fear
- The Craft
- The Craft: Legacy
- The Crow
- Danger Diva
- Dark Angel: The Ascent
- Dave Made a Maze
- The Dead One
- Drive Angry
- Elf
- End of Days: Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to stop Armaggedon in New York City, 1999.
- Faust: Love of the Damned
- The Field Guide to Evil
- Freddy vs. Jason (Friday the 13th / A Nightmare on Elm Street crossover)
- Friday the 13th
- Friday the 13th (1980)
- Friday the 13th Part 2
- Friday the 13th Part III
- Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter
- Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
- Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
- Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood
- Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
- Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
- Jason X
- From Dusk Till Dawn
- Ghostbusters
- The Golden Child
- Goosebumps
- Wizarding World (Harry Potter universe)
- Hellboy
- Highlander
- Hocus Pocus
- The Howling
- The Hunger
- Ink
- The Kid Who Would Be King
- The Last Dragon
- The Last Witch Hunter
- The Librarian
- Little Nicky
- Mandy (2018)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Mary Poppins
- Men in Black
- The Mummy Trilogy
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Q: The Winged Serpent
- R.I.P.D.
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
- Shortcut to Happiness
- Shredder Orpheus
- The Smurfs
- The Sorcerer's Apprentice
- Spawn (1997)
- Troll
- Underworld (2003)
- What We Do In The Shadows 2019
- Wilder Napalm
- Wings of Desire
- Witch Way Love
- WolfCop
- Baccano!
- Bakemonogatari: it tends to feel more like a Ghost Story, but takes place in an All Myths Are True Urban Fantasy setting. One character is even haunted by a god (who are apparently really bad at telling individuals apart).
- Beyond the Boundary
- Black Blood Brothers
- A Certain Magical Index
- Cop Craft
- The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
- Durarara!!
- Haruhi Suzumiya
- The Longing of Shiina Ryo
- Magical Warfare''
- Nasuverse
- Kaze no Stigma
- Reaper
- The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village
- The Abandon Trilogy
- Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom
- The Aether Cycle
- Ahriman Trilogy
- Akata Witch
- Alcatraz Series
- Alex Verus
- All Those Explosions Were Someone Else's Fault, crossed with Superhero Literature.
- Allie Beckstrom
- Alterworld
- American Gods
- Anansi Boys
- The Angel Of The Crows (where "modern" meants the late Victorian era)
- Anita Blake
- Antipaladin Blues
- The Apocalypse Door
- Applied Mythology
- Arcane Advent
- Ardath, partly.
- Artemis Fowl
- The Bane Chronicles
- The Bartimaeus Trilogy
- Bas-Lag Cycle:
- The Behemoth
- Bedlam's Bard and SERRAted Edge series by Mercedes Lackey and various co-authors
- Black Blade
- Black London
- Blood and Chocolate
- Blood Books
- Blood Singer Series
- Bobby Dollar
- Bone Song
- Bone Street Rumba
- Breaking the Wall
- Brown Girl in the Ring
- The Cornersville Trace Mythos
- Bloodsucking Fiends
- Bordertown
- Bras and Broomsticks
- Burning Bright
- Cal Leandros
- The Camp Half-Blood Series
- The Case Files of Yakushiji Ryoko (Partially)
- The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump, though it may overlap with Magical Realism.
- Card Force Infection
- Cassandra Palmer
- The Cavaliers Series
- Cemetery Boys
- Cerberus High
- Cerberus High II
- The Changeling
- The Changeover
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Chicagoland Vampires
- Chronicles of Nick
- City of Devils
- The Clairvoyant Countess
- Clandestine Daze
- Claw & Warder
- The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
- Colt Regan
- The Confessions of Peter Crossman
- Coraline
- Coyote Blue
- Craft Sequence
- Crescent City
- The Crossroads Series
- The Crush
- Cultivation Chat Group
- The Cursed World series.
- The Curse Workers
- Dance Of The Butterfly
- Daniel Faust
- Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I.
- Dante Valentine (Science Fantasy variant)
- The Dark Artifices
- The Darkest Part of the Forest
- Darkness Visible
- Dark Touch
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone
- Daughters of the Moon
- Dead Silver
- Deacon Chalk
- Dechance Chronicles
- Declare
- Demon Accords
- The Demon's Lexicon
- Demon Squad
- Den of Shadows
- Devilish
- Devils & Thieves
- The Dreamside Road
- Diana Tregarde series
- Differently Morphous
- Digital Devil Story
- A Dirty Job
- A Discovery of Witches
- Discworld transitioned slowly towards this as modern technologies and ideas found themselves homes on the Disc, especially in Ankh-Morpork.
- The Dollmaker
- Dora Wilk Series
- Dracula
- Dragons And Dwarves
- Draw One in the Dark
- The Dresden Files
- Dr. Greta Helsing
- Dust City
- Dying With Her Cheer Pants On
- Each Little Universe
- The Eccentric Family
- Eclipse
- Elatsoe
- The Eldest Curses
- Elemental Assassin
- Elemental Masters (a variant where "modern" means the late 19th and early 20th centuries)
- Esther Diamond
- Ethan Banning
- Evernight
- Everyman
- Everything's Better With Elves
- Evie Scelan
- Existentially Challenged
- The Fae of Calaveras County
- Faerie Tale
- Family Matters Series
- Family Skeleton Mysteries
- Fantasy And Forensics
- Fates Road
- Favor Of Ares
- Fearless Series
- Feliks, Net & Nika
- Feline Wizards
- Felix Castor
- Ferals
- The Ferryman Institute
- Fever Series
- The Fey and the Fallen
- Fluke, or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
- The Folk of the Air
- The Fowl Twins
- Fred, The Vampire Accountant
- The Freya Series
- Galefire
- Geist Series
- Get Blank
- Georgina Kincaid
- Ghost Finders
- Ghost Roads
- Ghosts Of The Shadowmarket
- Gil's All Fright Diner
- The Goddess Test
- Gods Play
- The Good Fairies of New York
- Goosebumps
- Goosebumps (original series)
- Give Yourself Goosebumps
- Goosebumps HorrorLand
- Gossamer Axe
- Greywalker
- Grimm Tales series
- The Guardians (Meljean Brook)
- Guild Hunter
- The Half Life Trilogy
- Halvgudene (in part)
- Hand of Mercy
- Harry Potter
- Hell's Kitchen Sink
- Das Herz Der Quelle
- Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel
- The Hollows
- House Of Doors
- The House of Night
- The House In The Cerulean Sea
- Human (2015)
- Hush, Hush
- If I Go It Will Be Double
- An Invitation From Thanatos
- Imagine Someday
- Immortals After Dark
- Incarnations of Immortality
- InCryptid
- Indexing
- Infinity Cycle
- Inner Demons
- Instinct Rising
- Iron Covenant
- Iron Druid Chronicles
- Jack Bishop
- Jackie and Craig
- Jakub Wędrowycz
- Jane Yellowrock
- Jason Wood
- Jill Kismet
- John Golden
- Johnny Maxwell Trilogy
- Journey to Chaos
- The Kane Chronicles
- Kate Daniels
- Kire
- Kitty Norville
- Labyrinth Lost
- Labyrinths of Echo
- Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge
- The Last Dragonslayer Series:
- The Last Vampire
- League of Magi
- The Legion
- Lie Huo Jiao Chou
- Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined
- Lizzy and Diesel
- Longsummer Nights
- Madison Avery
- Magical Girls (2014)
- Magic Ex Libris
- Magic For Liars
- Magic Shop
- Magic Time
- Magik Online
- The Magisterium
- Magisterus Bad Trip
- Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
- Mail Fox Tales
- Manifestation
- Market of Monsters
- Marla Mason
- Matthew Swift
- The Mediator
- Mediochre Q Seth Series
- A Memoir By Lady Trent is set in a Victorian-esque world where dragons and other fantasy creatures exist, but magic is absent. Most of the series takes place in decidedly non-urban settings, though.
- The Memory Wars
- Mercy Thompson
- Mick Oberon
- Miriam Black
- Modern Faerie Tales
- Modern Healing Mage
- Monster Hunter International
- Moonflowers
- Morganville Vampires
- The Mortal Instruments
- Mouse
- Mr Blank
- Murderess starts off as this, up until its protagonist crosses over to a Magical Land.
- My Favorite Band Does Not Exist
- Mythos Academy
- Nathaniel Keene. Well, more like Small-Town Fantasy.
- The Nekropolis Archives
- A Net of Dawn and Bones
- Nevermoor
- Neverwhere
- Newshound
- Night Huntress
- Nightside
- Night Watch (Series)
- Night World
- Ninja Gaiden (NES) (Worlds of Power)
- Nomes Trilogy
- The Nullweaver Cycle is a story that takes place in and around modern-day Chicago, with the notable difference of an underground society of magic users being hidden in plain sight. The story notable for featuring a large LGBT cast, highlighting a transgender protagonist, and openly processing sexual trauma follows two protagonists: Jules Nimri, a Magic Knight and Badass Bookworm, and his estranged childhood friend Rory Navarrete, a Pragmatic Hero and ex-mage. The odd couple join forces to investigate a coven of apostate mages after a hijacked war golem turns on the crowd at a meeting of the local Magical Society. Their investigation leads them from North Side bars to labyrinthine libraries, and along the way the two manage to find clues of a deep conspiracy, and a malignant magic long thought extinct. Can be read here
.
- October Daye
- The Office Of Lost And Found
- Oksa Pollock
- The One Who Eats Monsters
- Only Echoes Remain
- ONSET
- The Others Series
- The Otherworld Series
- Pact
- The Paragon Society
- Paraiso Street
- Paranormalcy
- The Parasol Protectorate
- Pax Arcana
- Phenomena (in part)
- Practical Demonkeeping
- President's Vampire
- Pretty When She Dies
- Princess Holy Aura
- Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter
- Ravelling Wrath
- Ravensong
- Reaper
- Red Moon Rising (Moore)
- Red Room
- Repairman Jack
- The Rest Of Us Just Live Here
- Retired Witches Mysteries
- Rivers of London
- A Romance of Two Worlds
- Roverandom
- Sabina Kane
- Sandman Slim
- Santiago Nights
- Secret City
- Secret Histories
- The Section 13 Case Files
- Sekret
- Shades Of London
- Shadow Grail series
- Shadow Ops
- Shadow Police series
- The Shadowspawn
- Shaman of the Undead
- Shifters Series
- Shifting Elements
- Silicon Wolfpack
- Skulduggery Pleasant
- The Sookie Stackhouse Mysteries
- Soul Screamers
- Special Circumstances
- Spellbent
- The Spiderwick Chronicles
- The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror
- The Supervillainy Saga
- Sweep
- Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
- Tales Of Elethiya
- The Tarot Sequence
- Team Human
- Technomancer
- Teddy London
- Time Out Of Time
- The Tome of Bill
- Towers Trilogy
- Trail of Lightning
- Tripswitch
- Trollhunters
- Trylle Trilogy
- Twilight
- Uncommon Animals
- Unhallowed
- The United States Of Asgard
- The United States of Monsters
- Urban Dragon
- Urban Shaman
- The Vu
- Valducan
- Vampire Academy
- The Vampire Diaries
- Vampire Chronicles
- Vampire: The Masquerade novels
- Vampirocracy
- Void City
- War for the Oaks
- The War of the Flowers
- Watersong
- Wayward Children
- Weaveworld
- We Walk the Night
- When Hell Freezes Over
- When We Were Animals
- Wicked (Nancy Holder)
- Wicked Lovely
- Winter's Tale (Emrys Vaughn)
- The Witches of Bailiwick
- The Witch Watch
- Wizard of the Pigeons
- The Wizards on Walnut Street
- Women of the Otherworld
- The Word and the Void
- Worm
- Young Wizards (in part)
- Ysabel
- Zellie Wells Trilogy
- Zoë Martinique
- The Zombie Knight
- Zora Banks
- The 10th Kingdom
- Ace Lightning
- Alice (2009)
- The Almighty Johnsons
- American Gods (2017)
- American Horror Story: Coven
- Bar Karma
- Beauty and the Beast (1987)
- Being Human (UK)
- Believe (Partially)
- Big Wolf on Campus
- Bitten
- Brand New Cherry Flavor
- Buffyverse
- Carnivàle
- Carnival Row
- The Champions (1968)
- Charmed (1998)
- The Charmings
- The Chronicle
- Cleverman
- Constantine
- Crazyhead
- Dark Shadows
- Dead Gorgeous
- Dead Last
- Dead Like Me
- Death Note
- Death Valley
- Demons
- Diablero
- A Discovery of Witches
- The Dresden Files
- Early Edition
- Eerie, Indiana
- Estoy Vivo
- The Fades
- Forever
- Friday the 13th: The Series
- GARO
- The Gates
- The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
- Goosebumps
- Grimm
- The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!)
- Happy!
- Haven
- Helstrom
- Hemlock Grove
- Hex
- iZombie
- Just Add Magic
- Some Kamen Rider
- Kindred: The Embraced
- Kolchak: The Night Stalker
- Kung Fu (2021) (Shows up near the end of the first season)
- The Librarians
- Lost Girl
- The Lost Room
- Lucifer
- The Magicians
- The Messengers
- My Babysitter's a Vampire
- Nanny and the Professor
- Neverland
- Night Stalker
- Nowhere Boys
- October Faction
- Once Upon a Time
- Penny Dreadful
- Power Rangers
- Pushing Daisies
- Ragnarok (2020)
- Red: Werewolf Hunter
- Relic Hunter
- Rentaghost
- Round the Twist
- Reaper
- Sanctuary
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch
- Santa Clarita Diet
- The School Nurse Files
- The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
- Seriously Weird
- Servant
- Sesame Street
- Shadow Chasers
- Shadowhunters
- She-Wolf of London
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
- Sleepy Hollow
- So Weird
- Special Unit 2
- Spirited
- Stan Lee's Lucky Man (Partially)
- Strange
- Stranger Things
- Some Super Sentai:
- Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger
- Gosei Sentai Dairanger
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
- Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
- Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger
- Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger
- Mahou Sentai Magiranger
- Juken Sentai Gekiranger
- Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
- Tensou Sentai Goseiger
- Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger
- Ressha Sentai ToQger
- Shuriken Sentai Ninninger
- Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger
- Mashin Sentai Kiramager
- Supernatural
- Teen Wolf
- Tidelands
- Tin Man
- Todd and the Book of Pure Evil
- True Blood
- The Twilight Zone
- Twin Peaks
- The Vampire Diaries
- Warehouse 13
- The Watch
- Wellington Paranormal
- What We Do in the Shadows
- Whoniverse
- Witches of East End
- Wizards of Waverly Place
- Wolf Lake
- Wynonna Earp
- The X-Files
- The Zack Files
- Pilgrim
- The title character of Deacon was cursed with immortality by Voodoo gods and now protects lost people from threats from the spirit realm in Bristol. Not totally dissimilar to Pilgrim, and runs in the same Radio 4 slot.
- Beyond the Pale
- Call of Cthulhu — The defualt setting is the 1920s, but there are options for modern-day and many others.
- Trail of Cthulhu — on the other hand, is set in the 1930s.
- Delta Green
- Masks of Nyarlathotep
- City of Mist is Urban Fantasy crossed with Film Noir.
- Conspiracy X mixes the supernatural and aliens.
- So does DarkMatter (1999).
- d20 Modern: Specifically the Urban Arcana setting.
- The Dresden Files
- East Texas University, a campaign setting for Savage Worlds
- Feng Shui: Specifically supernatural adventures in the Contemporary juncture.
- Fireborn; in an interesting twist, while magic does appear in the modern age it's only in isolated pockets, usually around places with waaaaaaayyy more history than other places. While the Source book focuses on London, it also hints at almost every major city in Greece along with Mount Olympus and the City of Rome just as few examples
- GURPS Technomancer
- In Nomine
- Little Fears
- Masque of the Red Death, a campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons and a spinoff of Tabletop Game/Ravenloft set in the 1890s.
- Monsters and Other Childish Things
- Monsterhearts
- Monster of the Week
- Nightbane
- Nobilis
- Scion
- Shadowrun mixes Urban Fantasy with Cyberpunk.
- The Small Folk describes itself as "wainscot urban fantasy", being concerned with very Little People hiding in the corners of modern human civilization.
- Trail of Cthulhu
- Unhallowed Metropolis
- Unknown Armies
- Urban Shadows, an urban fantasy game that uses the Powered by the Apocalypse rule system.
- WitchCraft
- The World of Darkness
- The World of Darkness
- WoD fan-made gamelines:
- Chronicles of Darkness
- CoD fan-made gamelines:
- Demon: The Redemption
- Dragon: The Embers
- Genius: The Transgression
- Hunchback: The Lurching
- Hunter the Vigil: Dream Catchers
- Hunter: The Vigil Dark and Light
- Janus: The Persona
- Leviathan: The Tempest
- Outsider: The Calling
- Pathogen: The Infected
- Princess: The Hopeful
- Psychic: The Gifted
- Siren: The Drowning
- Wraith: The Arising
- Monte Cook's World of Darkness
- Arcana Heart
- Bayonetta
- Banzai Pecan
- Blood-over- nobody,lives.
- Bullet Witch
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
- Code Atma
- Coraline
- Devil May Cry: Mostly 2 and DmC: Devil May Cry (the others are typically very old-world gothic, with 4 heavily relying on Roman Catholic imagery).
- Devil May Cry 5 has the most modernized urban setting of any game (barring DmC) in the franchise, with battles taking place in the streets and subway stations.
- Dark
- Deathloop
- Disco Elysium
- The Dishonored series:
- Dungeon Munchies
- Dusk Diver
- ELEX
- Eternal Darkness
- Fahrenheit
- Final Fantasy
- Final Fantasy VII is a deconstruction where the Mega-Corp Shinra has taken the advancements of its magical energy research and oppressed the people of Midgar with it, turning what could be a highly advanced urbanized society into a series of slums that are forced to abide by Shinra's overreach.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake makes this even clearer, with even more real world urban elements like street signs and brick apartment buildings featured due to enhanced fidelity.
- Final Fantasy VIII
- Final Fantasy XIII and its sequels are another deconstruction: while four of the six heroes hail from an extremely advanced society (while the other two come from a world more closely resembling our own modernity), most of the game's plot takes place in either the wilds of said society, or in a world untouched by humans for centuries.
- Final Fantasy XV
- Folklore
- Gabriel Knight
- Ghostwire: Tokyo
- Gravity Falls: Legend of the Gnome Gemulets
- Heroes Phantasia
- July Anarchy
- The King of Fighters
- Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae
- Mind Zero
- Mortal Kombat
- Mother
- Earthbound Beginnings
- EarthBound (1994)
- Mother 3 is a deconstruction, where the idyllic, simple Tazmily Village is corrupted into urban trappings, making the former villagers less friendly than they were before.
- Mr. Bones
- Namco × Capcom
- Nexus Clash, although players can also visit the home planes of the various supernatural forces that have converged on our world, where this trope doesn't apply as much.
- Ninja Gaiden
- Parasite Eve
- Pendula Swing
- Phantom Breaker
- Pokémon
- Power Gig: Rise of the SixString
- Puyo Puyo
- QP Shooting
- Sakura Note: Ima ni Tsunagaru Mirai
- Sailor Moon: Another Story
- Secret of Evermore
- The Secret World
- The Shadow Hearts franchise.
- Shadowrun
- She Dreams Elsewhere
- Shin Megami Tensei
- Shin Megami Tensei I, but only in the first third of the game. Afterwards it segues into an After the End setting.
- Shin Megami Tensei if...
- Shin Megami Tensei IV, but only a third of the way into the game. Before that, it exists in a Schizo Tech Medieval setting.
- Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
- Shin Megami Tensei V
- Shin Megami Tensei Liberation: Dx2: A mysteriously appearing app on your phone introduces the player to a hidden underworld of demon summoners.
- Catherine: a story about a town where men's dreams are being invaded by a succubus.
- Devil Survivor deals with the aftermath of a demon attack which leaves an entire city isolated from the rest of the world. The player character has a device which can tell when any other device holder will die, thus giving the means to prevent said deaths.
- Devil Survivor 2 involves the sudden invasion of a group of Eldritch Abomination aliens. The Demon Summoning Program is distributed as a cellphone app, and there's a website that shows the user images of their friends' deaths, once again enabling you to stop them.
- Persona
- Persona: A hospital is transformed into a demon filled labyrinth, and only a small group of high school kids can rescue their friend, thanks to the manifestation of their own psyche.
- Persona 2: In Sumaru City, a mysterious individual named JOKER seems to have made rumors into reality. All hell breaks loose.
- Persona 3: A young student with the ability to perceive a moment in time called the Dark Hour gets caught up with a school club filled with individuals who can do the same in order to stop the destruction of the human race.
- Persona 4: A young student and his new friends get caught up in a grisly murder case when it is discovered that the culprit is using a supernatural realm that can be accessed via television as their murder weapon.
- Persona 4: Arena
- Persona 4: Arena Ultimax
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night
- Persona 5: A young student is put on probation and sent to live in Tokyo where he teams up with other outcasts to "steal the hearts" of corrupted adults.
- Devil Summoner
- Sonic the Hedgehog: Particularly the games spanning the Sonic Adventure series to Sonic Unleashed. After that they started dialing back the urban influences to go back to the more whimsical settings of the earlier games (though they still remain and are evident in the earlier installments to a degree as well).
- Street Fighter
- Super Mario Bros.: While most of the mainline games are typically straight fantasies, several of the spin-off franchises do tend to incorporate modern urban landscapes into the setting. Mostly via the Mario Kart games.
- Super Mario Odyssey: The game has the Metro Kingdom, which in contrast to the games whimsical settings, is a realistic looking city based off of New York City. Complete with realistic looking humans.
- Tekken
- Tokyo Xanadu
- Unavowed
- Under Night In-Birth
- Undertale
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2
- The latter half of Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption switches from Prague and Vienna during The Crusades to London and New York in 1999.
- Vampyr
- WarioWare
- White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
- The Wolf Among Us
- The World Ends with You: The franchise takes place in modern-day Japanese ward of Shibuya, and features many references to local popular spots, as characters trapped in a Supernatural "Reaper's Game" use powers to fight monsters, hidden from the eyes of the general public.
- Anarchy Dreamers
- Annyseed
- Appetite
- Athena Complex
- Atomic Laundromat
- Autumn Bay
- Bad Moon Rising
- Black Haze
- Blip
- But I'm a Cat Person
- Charby the Vampirate
- City of Trees
- Corner Alley 13
- Corner The Maze
- Critter Coven
- Crystal Heroes
- The Curse Of Gaea
- Dark Dungeons, Light Bot
- Darwin Carmichael Is Going to Hell
- Death Clown
- Demonology 101
- Dudim In The Family
- The Echo Chronicles
- Eerie Cuties
- Elf Blood
- El Goonish Shive
- Everyday Abnormal
- The Fan
- The Far Side of Utopia
- Ghost Theater
- Grrl Power
- Gunnerkrigg Court
- Hanna Is Not a Boy's Name
- Here There Be Monsters
- Holiday Wars
- Homestuck, at least at the beginning.
- Horror Shop
- How to Raise Your Teenage Dragon
- Jungle Juice
- Karin-dou 4koma
- The Legend of Genji
- Legio Arcana
- Lemme Addams
- Les Normaux
- A Magical Roommate
- Magick Chicks
- MegaTokyo
- Modern MoGal
- Molten Blade
- Morph E
- Newman
- Noblesse
- The Noordegraaf Files
- Not Drunk Enough
- No Songs For The Dead
- Only Silver
- Otter Soldiers
- Professor Amazing and the Incredible Golden Fox
- Royal
- Sacred Grounds
- Salad Days
- Shifters
- Silver Bullet Nights
- Skin Deep
- Sluggy Freelance
- Spina Cage
- Solstice Twins
- Soul Symphony
- Supernatural Law
- SwordCat Princess
- The Sword Interval
- Templars of the Shifting Verse
- This Is the Worst Idea You've Ever Had!
- Turbo Defiant
- Two Keys
- Uncommon Animals
- Unholy Blood
- Urban Animal
- Vibe
- Villain to Kill
- Weenie Licked
- The Wotch
- Zebra Girl
- Angel of Death
- Angry Remembrance
- Arcana Magi Universe
- The Arkn Mythos
- The Billibub Baddings Mysteries
- Brimstone Valley Mall
- Britsune Garden Series
- Broken Saints
- The Byron Chronicles
- Carmilla the Series
- Chatoyant College
- City on the Edge of Nowhere
- The Crocodile God
- The Dread Eclipse is an ongoing Grimdark switchblade-and-sorcery web serial by Mabel Harper and Cassidy Webb about two modern-day mages attempting to solve a mass murder within the city of Philadelphia. Notable for having two Transgender protagonists.
- Echo Chamber
- Ede Valley
- Elsewhere University
- Fire Emblem On Forums Demon Soul Saga
- Forever Sucks
- Goodbye Strangers and the Fearful Frontier
- The Grimmery
- Hallowed Worldly
- IndoHogwarts
- Last Life
- Less Is Morgue
- The Magic Trials
- Magical Girl Policy
- Marked RP
- Metamor City
- Metro City Chronicles
- Moonflowers
- The New York Magician
- Not All Heroes
- Paranoid Mage follows formerly mundane Callum Wells as he goes on the run from the totalitarian Magical Society seeking to control him in modern day America.
- Protect Him
- The Saints
- Satellite City
- SCP Universe
- Solo Leveling
- Stellar Ranger Dark Star
- Takotsubo: The Story of a Superhero
- Tall Tales
- Trinton Chronicles
- Unsong
- Void Domain
- The Wizards Of Aus
- Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
- American Dragon: Jake Long
- Arcane
- Axe Cop
- Ben 10
- City of Ghosts
- Constantine: City of Demons
- Courage the Cowardly Dog
- Dan Vs.
- Danny Phantom
- Fantomcat
- The Fairly OddParents
- Filmation's Ghostbusters
- Gargoyles
- Ghostbusters
- God, the Devil and Bob
- Gravity Falls
- The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
- Hilda
- Inside Job (2021)
- Invincible (2021)
- Jackie Chan Adventures
- The Legend of Korra, a rare alternate-reality version, with a Far East Culture Chop Suey setting combining Steam/Diesel Punk, and The Roaring '20s, where Supernatural Martial Arts and Mix and Match critters are just as normal as the newly-invented car.
- The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
- Lilo & Stitch: The Series
- Lost in Oz
- Love, Death & Robots
- Martin Mystery (Partially with Paranormal Investigation)
- Men in Black: The Series
- Miraculous Ladybug
- The Modifyers
- Monster Allergy
- Monsters at Work
- My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
- Nate Is Late
- The Owl House
- The Powerpuff Girls
- Puppy in My Pocket: Adventures in Pocketville
- Regular Show
- Sabrina: The Animated Series
- Sabrina: Secrets of a Teenage Witch
- The Secret Saturdays
- The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
- Star vs. the Forces of Evil
- Steven Universe (with a liberal dash of Science Fantasy)
- Tales of Arcadia
- Todd McFarlane's Spawn
- Total DramaRama
- Transformers
- Trese
- Trollz
- Ugly Americans
- Villainous
- Welcome to the Wayne
- Winx Club
- Wishfart
- W.I.T.C.H.
- Xiaolin Showdown