Games like Elden Ring

Every hard-won boss victory in Elden Ring trains you to read attack cues, manage stamina, and turn a failed attempt into a workable strategy—habits DARK SOULS III rewards immediately. Its tightly tuned combat, flexible character builds, and demanding bosses create the same satisfying loop of experimentation, defeat, and mastery.

Both games also make exploration and lore feel like active investigation: optional paths, hidden items, and cryptic clues reward players who inspect corners and piece together meaning themselves. Online co-op and PvP add another layer, letting you summon help for a wall of a boss or test a build against other players.

The tradeoff is scale. Rather than Elden Ring’s sprawling open world and freedom to ride away and level up, DARK SOULS III offers a more focused, interconnected route, making each shortcut, checkpoint, and encounter feel deliberately placed; that concentration can reduce the overwhelming grind some Elden Ring players feel. Its orchestral soundtrack and gothic darkness shift the emphasis from vast spectacle to pressure and atmosphere.

Best for players who chase mastery, build experimentation, and carefully earned progress over boundless exploration.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to DARK SOULS III.

Surviving through pixel-perfect dodge rolls and calculating stamina expenditure during intense, high-stakes boss battles is a core thrill in both titles.

You will find the same deep character customization, alongside a cooperative summoning system that lets you bring in allies for brutal encounters. This multiplayer mechanic fosters a shared sense of community triumph, as overcoming a punishing boss alongside a phantom helper feels just as rewarding here. Furthermore, if you suffered from Elden Ring’s notorious PC stuttering and frame drops, this optimized classic provides a buttery-smooth 60 FPS performance.

Instead of a sprawling open world, this journey constricts you into a brilliant, interconnected vertical labyrinth where shortcuts serve as your fast travel. This tighter level design offers a masterclass in tension, making every unlocked gate feel like a massive victory. Best for players who prioritize meticulous, maze-like exploration and rock-solid performance over vast open horizons.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Souls: Remastered.

Both games demand you internalize enemy patterns and react with precision rather than simply outlevel your opponents. This creates the same rhythm of failure-and-mastery that makes Elden Ring's combat so rewarding—except Sekiro strips away build variety to force a singular, razor-focused duel mentality.

You'll recognize the stamina-management dance and punish-window timing that define Elden Ring's toughest encounters. Sekiro weaponizes these mechanics even more aggressively: every boss demands you learn their moveset cold, then execute your defense flawlessly. The story-rich, single-player structure also mirrors Elden Ring's narrative approach—cryptic, atmospheric, and woven directly into world exploration rather than cutscene dumps.

The crucial difference is scope: where Elden Ring lets you roam and grind to overcome difficulty spikes, Sekiro locks you into specific boss gauntlets with no stat-padding escape route. This removes the tedium some Elden Ring players criticized, but demands sharper mechanical discipline.

Best for players who found Elden Ring's hardest bosses more satisfying than its easier zones—those who value perfected execution over experimental builds.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

When a boss falls after deaths, the triumph feels the same in Elden Ring and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition. Both games treat death as a lesson, not a penalty, in a world where perseverance is rewarded.

Stamina‑based combat demands timing of attacks, blocks, and dodges, mirroring Elden Ring's core combat feel. Interconnected levels reward exploration with shortcuts and bonfires, creating a loop of discovery and risk that feels familiar across both titles.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition offers a single, knit world rather than Elden Ring's sprawling map, guiding you through its dungeons with a clearer path. This trade‑off reduces travel fatigue, letting you focus on each encounter without wandering aimlessly.

Story unfolds via item descriptions and NPC quests, giving a more explicit narrative thread that may appeal to players frustrated by Elden Ring's cryptic lore. Best for those who want tight, punishing combat and a connected world, even if they sacrifice some open‑world freedom.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition.

That moment in Elden Ring where you spot a distant bonfire-like grace and cautiously push toward it, unsure what's waiting — Dark Souls II is built entirely around that tension. Death still means clawing back your lost currency, and every new area demands the same patient, methodical approach that made Elden Ring's exploration so tense.

The build variety carries over directly: weapon arts, stat allocation, and PvP invasions all reward experimentation rather than locking you into one playstyle. Where it diverges is pacing — DS2's world is more linear and compartmentalized than the Lands Between's sprawl, which actually makes backtracking and mastery feel less overwhelming.

Players burned out on Elden Ring's grinding will find DS2's leveling curve more transparent, and its bosses telegraph punishable openings rather than demanding memorization of cryptic patterns.

Best for players who want the same unforgiving combat loop without an open world's scale anxiety.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Souls II.

The core link is punishing, deliberate combat that demands mastery of enemy patterns and stamina management. Both titles prioritize a learn-by-dying philosophy, which forces you to internalize boss move-sets rather than simply out-leveling threats.

You trade Elden Ring’s expansive 3D landscapes for a tightly interconnected, 2D subterranean labyrinth. While you lose the scale of the Lands Between, you gain the most refined platforming and exploration mechanics in the modern soulslike genre.

Pick this up if you crave the brutal satisfaction of victory but are willing to sacrifice 3D open-world freedom for artistic, hand-drawn precision.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hollow Knight.

Both games are built around punishing combat and buildcraft first: you live or die by weapon choice, stat planning, and learning enemy patterns.

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin also gives you the same co-op and online multiplayer options, which matters because it softens the grind and makes repeated boss attempts less solitary. The atmosphere and world design land in a similar bleak fantasy lane, even if the tone is less overtly horror-driven.

The tradeoff is blunt: DS2 is rougher and more divisive, with clunkier movement, nastier hitboxes, and more technical jank than Elden Ring. Pick this up if you want another serious Souls challenge with deep build variety but can live without Elden Ring’s polish and open-world scale.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin.

If you loved Elden Ring's punishing co-op encounters, Remnant 2 delivers that same collaborative tension—three-player squads against overwhelming odds where communication and build synergy determine survival.

The shared horror atmosphere elevates both games, but Remnant 2's semi-procedural, level-based structure trades Elden Ring's vast open world for tighter pacing and randomized encounters.

Pick this up if you want co-op soulslike combat with better story clarity, but can live without the expansive seamless world and accept aggressive monetization.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Remnant 2.

Both games anchor their appeal on punishing combat that rewards mastery—you'll die repeatedly, learn patterns, and feel genuine satisfaction when you break through. Elden Ring's build variety mirrors Silksong's combo depth; they're both about learning to move, not just attack.

The atmospheric art direction matters here too, since both games use visual storytelling to compensate for sparse narrative guidance. You'll spend hours absorbing world design rather than reading quest logs.

The real split: Elden Ring is a sprawling open world with grinding and performance baggage; Silksong is a tightly paced 2D metroidvania with zero fat but brutal late-game pacing dips.

Pick Silksong if you want Elden Ring's combat precision and atmosphere but demand zero bloat—and you're fine trading open-world freedom for a focused, hand-crafted experience that respects your time.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Lies of P captures the punishing, rhythmic satisfaction of Elden Ring’s boss encounters by demanding mastery of precision combat and stamina management. This mechanical bridge matters because it preserves the high-stakes intensity that makes FromSoftware titles so addictive.

The primary tradeoff is structure: while Elden Ring offers a vast, non-linear open world, Lies of P is strictly corridor-based and linear. You lose the freedom of exploration but gain a tighter, more focused narrative experience.

Pick this up if you crave relentless, skill-based boss duels but can live without the sprawling discovery of an open-world sandbox.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lies of P.

Packs Nioh 2's punishing feudal Japan combat and deep loot systems into a tighter, mission-based structure that rewards mastery over exploration.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Nioh 2.

Strips away co-op entirely, delivering Black Myth's mythological combat through a tight, cinematic single-player journey rooted in Chinese folklore.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Black Myth: Wukong.

Shifts to gun-based third-person combat in Remnant's shooter-meets-souls formula, where co-op survival against monstrous hordes takes center stage.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Remnant: From the Ashes.

Prioritizes narrative depth and moral choices over exploration, offering Witcher 3's expansive open world as a slower, story-driven experience.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Emphasizes slow, methodical horror in Mortal Shell's oppressive atmosphere where shell-swapping and limited resources create a grimmer pace.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mortal Shell.

Condenses the Souls formula into Salt and Sanctuary's 2D side-scrolling world with local split-screen co-op and Metroidvania exploration.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Salt and Sanctuary.

Brings Ashen's muted indie aesthetic and online co-op partnerships to a harsh, minimalist dark fantasy world that rewards exploration over loot.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Ashen.

Distills Elden Ring's essence into Nightreign's compact roguelike runs, where streamlined co-op raids prioritize replayable sessions over open-world depth.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN.

Leans into Valheim's Viking survival crafting, replacing Elden Ring's combat rigor with base building and cooperative resource gathering in a harsh Nordic world.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Valheim.

Transforms the formula through Monster Hunter's weapon mastery and massive creature hunts, trading dark fantasy for a more approachable, multiplayer ecosystem.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Monster Hunter World.

Strategic turn-based combat and split-screen co-op replace real-time dueling, but maintains deep character builds and story-rich fantasy adventure.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Divinity: Original Sin 2.

This fantasy co-op game shares multiplayer backbone and turn-based tactical gameplay, though specific mechanics remain unclear from available data.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Baldur's Gate 3.

Swaps medieval gothic for post-apocalyptic zombie horror and parkour traversal while preserving open-world co-op exploration and challenging survival combat.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dying Light.

Mecha-piloting action strips away open-world exploration and story for pure PvP and co-op combat challenges with build variety.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

Direct souls-like successor with atmospheric third-person combat and online co-op, but leans harder into gothic darkness and lore-rich storytelling.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lords of the Fallen.

Solo-only indie pivot emphasizing mystery and exploration over multiplayer, retaining action-RPG structure but scaling scope significantly downward.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.

Early-access dungeon crawler trades open-world freedom for claustrophobic first-person Metroidvania design with horror atmosphere and retro aesthetic.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Lunacid.

Historical medieval setting and immersive sim detail dominate over fantasy, removing multiplayer entirely but deepening roleplay and political consequences.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

Minimal shared DNA—solo indie title with unclear mechanics, positioned as a looser thematic connection rather than direct Elden Ring successor.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Virelia.

Souls-like multiplayer co-op emphasizes local split-screen and resource scarcity over Elden Ring's online seamlessness, maintaining third-person difficulty.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Outward.

Swap the vast open world for mission-based levels while keeping the intense stamina-management combat and deep character build customization intact.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to NiOh.

This indie offering provides a vastly stripped-down, focused challenge that prioritizes quick-reflex mechanics over the sprawling exploration found in larger epics.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Leviaclaw.

Experience a condensed, dark-fantasy iteration that replaces extensive character creation with a unique shell-swapping system for diverse playstyle adaptations.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mortal Shell II.

Trading supernatural bosses for grounded historical realism, this experience demands mastery of realistic swordplay rather than magical spellcasting and fantasy builds.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

As a smaller-scale alternative, this title features tight, corridor-focused encounters that diverge from the sweeping vistas and massive scope of modern epics.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dungeon Peplum.

Expect a more narrative-driven journey where cinematic storytelling takes precedence over the environmental lore discovery typical of the genre.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to null.

Translate the punishing combat into a brutal 2D gothic landscape that leans harder into religious horror than traditional high-fantasy exploration.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Blasphemous.

Deeper narrative consequences define this isometric journey, focusing on branching dialogue and player choices that impact the world far more significantly.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Drova: Forsaken Kin.

Utilize an anime-inspired art style to explore a companion-focused journey that emphasizes cooperative party dynamics during high-stakes combat encounters.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to CODE VEIN.

Though the mechanical connection is distant, this classic offers the same unforgiving sense of discovery through complex, turn-based role-playing systems.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game.

Swaps Elden Ring's lonely fantasy wandering for first-person survival horror, aimed at players who want co-op building, crafting, and constant dread.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sons Of The Forest.

Keeps the brutal melee combat and co-op structure, but trades Elden Ring's solemn tension for loud, gore-soaked zombie carnage and dark jokes.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dead Island 2.

This is only a loose fit: it shares the open-ended role-playing freedom, but replaces Elden Ring's action combat with classic isometric turn-based quests.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Fallout 2.

Replaces Elden Ring's vast fantasy expedition with a compact, punchy martial-arts gauntlet built for players who want timing, repetition, and punishment.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Sifu.

This is a much looser recommendation, suited to players who mainly want a solo action challenge without Elden Ring's scale, lore, or polish.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to STRIKEVOID.

Channels Elden Ring's difficult exploration and dark fantasy mood, but wraps it in 2.5D metroidvania structure and heavier story emphasis.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree.

Keeps the open-world action-RPG ambition, yet swaps Elden Ring's bleak mystery for a more companion-driven fantasy adventure with a towering scale.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Dragon's Dogma 2.

For players drawn to Elden Ring's demanding action and strange exploration, but happier with a quirky underwater setting and lighter mood.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Another Crab's Treasure.

Takes the co-op, story-rich fantasy route but abandons Elden Ring's real-time combat for tactical turn-based party planning and spell combos.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to Divinity: Original Sin.

A looser match for Elden Ring fans, trading open-ended exploration for a more linear Witcher tale with political intrigue and brisker pacing.

If you enjoyed this game, see our list of games similar to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.