The Best Games Like ELDEN RING to Play Next

Games like ELDEN RING at a glance

How these ELDEN RING alternatives were selected

The useful question is not whether a game carries the Soulslike label. ELDEN RING combines several different appeals:

• Difficult real-time combat with meaningful builds
• Dangerous bosses that reward pattern recognition
• Dark fantasy and indirect world-building
• Open exploration with secrets and optional paths
• Character progression through equipment, attributes and abilities
• Optional cooperative or competitive multiplayer

Each game below reproduces at least two of those qualities. They also cover different directions: close FromSoftware alternatives, open-world adventures, cooperative games and 2D interpretations.

1. DARK SOULS III

Best overall game like ELDEN RING

DARK SOULS III is the most direct next step because it uses the same core FromSoftware language: stamina management, committed attacks, precise dodges, dangerous bosses, cryptic quests and build decisions that shape combat.

The biggest difference is structure. DARK SOULS III moves through more directed regions rather than presenting a huge field in which you can ride away from a difficult encounter. That concentration produces a strong sequence of levels and bosses, but it gives you fewer options when progress stalls.

Choose it if your favorite part of ELDEN RING was learning bosses and refining a build. Spellcasting, heavy weapons, dexterity setups and mixed characters remain viable, while cooperative and competitive multiplayer add familiar social systems.

DARK SOULS III is less suitable if open-world discovery mattered more than the combat. In that case, start with Dragon’s Dogma 2 or Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT.

2. Lies of P

Best gothic parry-focused alternative

Lies of P turns the Pinocchio story into a dark action RPG set in the ruined city of Krat. Its combat rewards guarding, precise parries and weapon experimentation while maintaining a more focused campaign than ELDEN RING.

Weapons can be adjusted through combinations of blades and handles, giving each build control over damage type, moveset and scaling. The Legion Arm adds another tool, while the P-Organ provides longer-term upgrades.

This is a single-player experience, so it does not replace ELDEN RING’s summons, co-op or invasions. What it offers instead is consistent encounter design and a strong gothic atmosphere without the empty travel time of a large map.

Choose Lies of P if you enjoyed demanding duels and wanted more emphasis on defensive timing. Players who prefer broad exploration or multiplayer should look elsewhere.

3. Black Myth: Wukong

Best for spectacle and boss battles

Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. It follows the Destined One through a sequence of regions filled with transformations, spells, staff techniques and elaborate boss encounters.

The game shares ELDEN RING’s interest in difficult, visually distinctive enemies, but its progression is more directed. You spend less time choosing a distant landmark and more time moving toward the next encounter while refining stances and abilities.

Combat is faster and more ability-driven than a traditional Souls build. Transformations and temporary powers create bursts of momentum, while staff stances change range and attack behavior.

Choose Black Myth: Wukong when the boss spectacle and third-person action were more important than multiplayer or absolute freedom. It is a substantial PC install and has comparatively demanding hardware requirements, so check the game page before buying.

4. Lords of the Fallen

Best co-op dark-fantasy Soulslike

Lords of the Fallen presents two overlapping versions of its world: Axiom, the realm of the living, and Umbral, the realm of the dead. A lantern reveals paths and objects across the boundary, while death can push exploration into the more dangerous realm rather than ending it immediately.

That dual-world system is the clearest distinction from ELDEN RING. It affects routes, puzzles, enemies and recovery, allowing familiar dark-fantasy combat to support a different kind of exploration.

Online co-op and PvP make it a useful choice for players who do not want a purely solo campaign. The game also received substantial post-launch work. Version 2.5 was presented as its final major update and added more aggressive bosses, revised combat behavior and Veteran Mode.

Choose Lords of the Fallen for a darker co-op journey with interconnected exploration. Expect a less open world than ELDEN RING and a greater focus on navigating between two states of the same location.

5. Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition

Best for deep combat and build mastery

Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition is a mission-based action RPG built around fast weapons, stances, loot and Yokai abilities. It resembles ELDEN RING in difficulty and build commitment, but its combat demands more active system management.

Each weapon supports multiple stances, and Ki Pulse timing lets skilled players recover resources and maintain pressure. Yokai Shift and Soul Cores add supernatural attacks, while extensive equipment systems support highly specialized builds.

The Complete Edition includes the major expansions, making it a large package for players prepared to learn its mechanics. Online co-op is available, although the mission structure feels different from exploring one continuous world.

Choose Nioh 2 if you want more mechanical depth and repeatable loot progression. Avoid it if collecting and comparing large amounts of equipment sounds distracting.

6. REMNANT II

Best ELDEN RING alternative for co-op shooters

REMNANT II replaces swords and sorcery with firearms, archetypes and procedurally varied worlds. It preserves several Soulslike ideas: checkpoint resets, deliberate healing, dangerous bosses and character builds that become stronger through equipment and traits.

The campaign supports solo play or online co-op with two other players. Team composition matters because archetypes can specialize in damage, support, defense or utility without becoming fixed MMO classes.

Randomized events and world layouts give groups a reason to revisit areas. Different campaigns may reveal alternate routes, encounters and rewards, making replay more important than completing one definitive map.

Choose REMNANT II when cooperation matters as much as difficulty. Its shooter controls and smaller group structure make it more immediately social than ELDEN RING, while the 80 GB storage requirement is worth checking beforehand.

7. Dragon’s Dogma 2

Best open-world fantasy alternative

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the best match for players who valued ELDEN RING’s journeys through an unpredictable fantasy world more than its exact Souls combat.

The Arisen travels with AI-controlled Pawns whose vocations, knowledge and behavior shape each encounter. Large creatures can be climbed, vulnerable areas targeted and environments used during combat. Changing vocation alters weapons and active skills, allowing the same character to take on a different role.

The world emphasizes travel and physical interaction. Night changes the danger of a journey, large enemies can interrupt routes and Pawns comment on locations based on knowledge gained in other players’ worlds.

It is single-player despite the connected Pawn system. Choose Dragon’s Dogma 2 for exploration, party composition and emergent combat. Choose a different game if direct co-op was essential.

8. Monster Hunter: World

Best for repeated large-monster battles

Monster Hunter: World turns the boss-fight appeal of ELDEN RING into the entire progression loop. Players investigate monsters, prepare equipment, complete hunts and craft stronger weapons and armor from gathered materials.

Its weapon types are closer to separate combat disciplines than simple gear swaps. A Great Sword rewards prediction and heavy commitment, while faster weapons, ranged options and technical choices produce very different roles.

The campaign supports single-player and co-op, although story progression has some setup restrictions before friends can join certain hunts. Once a hunt is available, teamwork helps with positioning, status effects, healing and controlling the monster.

Choose Monster Hunter: World if preparation and mastery were your favorite parts of ELDEN RING. The game is less interested in cryptic exploration and more focused on learning a target well enough to defeat it efficiently.

9. Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT

Best more-accessible open-world sword game

Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT offers open-world exploration, sword combat and character progression in a more guided structure. Jin Sakai can approach enemy camps through direct confrontation, stealth or a mixture of both.

Combat uses stances suited to different enemy types, while precise parries and dodges reward timing. Difficulty options make the experience more approachable than ELDEN RING without removing the satisfaction of mastering swordplay.

The Director’s Cut includes the main game and Iki Island content. Legends provides online co-op modes alongside the single-player campaign, although it is a distinct multiplayer experience rather than seamless campaign co-op.

Choose it for visual exploration, historical atmosphere and responsive sword combat. It is a weaker match for players seeking deep build crafting or punishing bosses.

10. Rise of the Ronin

Best open-world Team NINJA alternative

Rise of the Ronin combines Team NINJA combat with an open world set in 19th-century Japan. Weapon types support multiple combat styles, and choices can affect faction relationships and story outcomes.

The open structure makes it a closer exploration match to ELDEN RING than Nioh 2, while its combat remains built around timing, counters and adapting to enemy weapons. Firearms and traversal tools broaden the available approaches.

The PC release supports features including ultrawide displays, high frame rates, ray tracing and configurable keyboard and mouse controls. Official material describes it as a combat-focused open-world action RPG rather than a direct Soulslike.

Choose Rise of the Ronin if you want historical open-world exploration and technical sword combat. Nioh 2 is better for deeper loot and mission-based challenge.

11. WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers

Best recent dark-fantasy Soulslike

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a single-player action RPG set in Shu during the late Ming period, where war and the Feathering illness have produced a world of factions and monsters.

Its combat uses several weapon types, spells and techniques linked by Skyborn Might. A well-timed dodge can contribute to the resource used for stronger actions, encouraging aggressive flow instead of simple attack-and-retreat play.

The interconnected world, dark fantasy and build options make it one of the closest recent alternatives. Its Inner Demon system also ties increased power to additional risk, creating pressure after combat mistakes.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers released in July 2025 and has continued receiving updates since launch. Choose it if you want a newer solo Soulslike with a Chinese historical-fantasy setting.

12. Hollow Knight

Best 2D game like ELDEN RING

Hollow Knight translates several ELDEN RING strengths into two dimensions: difficult combat, a ruined world, sparse guidance, cryptic stories and the satisfaction of finding a route that was hidden in plain sight.

Hallownest is interconnected rather than open world, but exploration feels similarly driven by curiosity. New movement abilities reveal paths through earlier areas, while charms allow the Knight’s build to shift toward healing, spell damage, survivability or aggressive combat.

Boss fights demand timing and pattern recognition, and death creates a recovery task without reproducing the exact Souls system. The game is strictly single-player and has no equipment loot loop comparable to ELDEN RING.

Choose Hollow Knight if atmosphere, discovery and difficult bosses mattered more than three-dimensional combat. Its modest hardware requirements also make it the easiest game on this list to run.

Which ELDEN RING alternative should you choose?

Match the game to the part of ELDEN RING you want to keep:

• Closest FromSoftware combat: DARK SOULS III
• Parrying and gothic horror: Lies of P
• Boss spectacle: Black Myth: Wukong
• Dark fantasy with co-op: Lords of the Fallen
• Deep combat builds: Nioh 2 – The Complete Edition
• Co-op shooting: REMNANT II
• Open-world fantasy: Dragon’s Dogma 2
• Repeated monster hunts: Monster Hunter: World
• Approachable swordplay: Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR’S CUT
• Historical open-world action: Rise of the Ronin
• Recent single-player Soulslike: WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers
• 2D exploration and difficulty: Hollow Knight

If you want to stay in the Lands Between, continue with our ELDEN RING Samurai build guide, guide to every ELDEN RING ending and ELDEN RING versus Skyrim comparison.