12 Best Games Like Skyrim for Open-World RPG Fans

What Makes a Game Similar to Skyrim?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition is a single-player open-world fantasy action RPG developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Players create a character, explore the province of Skyrim, learn skills through use, join factions, complete quests, discover dungeons, use weapons and magic, fight dragons, and choose personal goals beyond the main story.

A meaningful Skyrim alternative should share several defining attributes:

• Open-world exploration: mountains, forests, cities, ruins, caves, roads, and hidden locations reward wandering.
• Character customization: appearance, equipment, skills, abilities, background, class, or vocation shape the protagonist.
• Flexible builds: melee, archery, stealth, magic, crafting, dialogue, or hybrid approaches remain viable.
• Player-directed progression: the player can ignore the central storyline and pursue unrelated activities.
• Quest density: main quests, factions, side stories, contracts, encounters, and environmental mysteries provide varied objectives.
• Faction relationships: guilds, political groups, settlements, companions, or rival powers create social identity.
• Fantasy worldbuilding: mythology, magic, creatures, cultures, history, religions, and artifacts support a coherent setting.
• Action RPG combat: weapons, spells, abilities, armor, items, positioning, and enemy behavior shape encounters.
• Environmental storytelling: ruins, journals, objects, architecture, and landscapes reveal stories outside direct dialogue.
• Exploration rewards: new gear, powers, quests, shortcuts, companions, lore, or resources justify leaving the main path.
• First- or third-person immersion: direct control makes travel and interaction feel personal.
• Replayability or moddability: alternate builds, choices, factions, difficulty settings, generated situations, or mods support new playthroughs.

No single game reproduces Skyrim’s exact province, Dragonborn identity, shouts, skill-use progression, faction structure, radiant quests, dragons, Creation Engine sandbox, and mod ecosystem. The games below are ranked by overlap with its exploration, role-playing freedom, fantasy systems, character development, quests, and world interaction.

Games Like Skyrim at a Glance

1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Closest match for: the Elder Scrolls universe, open-world freedom, character creation, skills, factions, magic, first-person exploration, and moddability
Developers: Bethesda Game Studios and Virtuos
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release date: April 22, 2025
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action and RPG

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is the closest overall alternative because it preserves the same fundamental Elder Scrolls structure inside Cyrodiil.

Players create a character, explore freely, improve skills, use weapons and magic, join factions, enter dungeons, interact with towns, and decide whether to follow the central crisis or pursue unrelated goals.

The remastered presentation updates the visual experience while retaining Oblivion’s world and role-playing identity. Its setting is brighter and more cosmopolitan than Skyrim, with the Oblivion Gates providing the central supernatural threat.

How Oblivion Remastered Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: Elder Scrolls lore, open world, first- and third-person play, character customization, factions, quests, skills, magic, exploration, dungeons, crime, and moddability.
• Different: Oblivion takes place in Cyrodiil, centers on Daedric invasion, and uses a different progression and world structure.
• Choose it if: you want the most authentic extension of Skyrim’s core design.

2. Dragon’s Dogma 2

Closest match for: fantasy exploration, character creation, vocations, party composition, magic, large creatures, dragons, emergent travel, and action combat
Developer and publisher: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Release date: March 22, 2024
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action, adventure, and RPG

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the strongest non-Bethesda alternative because it combines a customizable protagonist with open exploration, fantasy creatures, vocations, magic, and unscripted encounters.

The Arisen travels with Pawns whose skills and behavior affect combat and exploration. Party composition changes how the group handles flying enemies, armored targets, healing, elemental weaknesses, and environmental hazards.

Combat is more physical and action-focused than Skyrim. Large creatures can be climbed, knocked down, or manipulated through terrain, while travel is deliberately risky and less dependent on instant convenience.

How Dragon’s Dogma 2 Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: open-world fantasy RPG, character creation, customizable builds, melee, archery, magic, dragons, quests, exploration, towns, equipment, and player-directed travel.
• Different: Dragon’s Dogma 2 uses vocations, Pawns, large-monster climbing, stronger physical simulation, and third-person action combat.
• Choose it if: dragons, flexible combat roles, and emergent party adventures are your priorities.

3. ELDEN RING

Closest match for: open-world discovery, character builds, magic, weapons, dungeons, dragons, environmental storytelling, hidden areas, and major bosses
Developer: FromSoftware, Inc.
Publishers: FromSoftware, Inc. and Bandai Namco Entertainment
Release date: February 25, 2022
Modes: Single-player, PvP, co-op, multiplayer, online PvP, and online co-op
Genres: Action and RPG

ELDEN RING creates a dark fantasy open world where landmarks, ruins, caves, castles, underground regions, and distant structures continually invite exploration.

Weapons, attributes, spells, armor, summons, and special abilities support many character builds. Discovery often provides practical rewards, including equipment, upgrade materials, quests, shortcuts, and access to new regions.

The game provides less direct quest guidance and requires more precise combat. Skyrim is more conversational and socially simulated, while ELDEN RING places greater emphasis on environmental inference and boss mastery.

How ELDEN RING Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: open-world fantasy RPG, character customization, flexible builds, magic, melee, dragons, dungeons, castles, exploration, environmental storytelling, and hidden content.
• Different: ELDEN RING uses Souls-like combat, checkpoint-based progression, difficult bosses, indirect quests, and online invasions or summons.
• Choose it if: discovery and challenging combat are the Skyrim attributes you value most.

4. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Closest match for: first-person open-world fantasy, character builds, melee, magic, exploration, choices, quests, equipment, and dark mythology
Developer: Questline
Publisher: Awaken Realms
Release date: March 30, 2023
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action, adventure, RPG, and indie

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon presents a dark reinterpretation of Arthurian legends inside an open world trapped in everlasting autumn.

Character customization, weapons, magic, equipment, exploration, and branching choices support different approaches. Settlements, ruins, legends, and corrupted landscapes connect personal quests to Avalon’s decline.

Its first-person structure makes the relationship to Skyrim immediately recognizable. The atmosphere is darker, the mythology is more focused, and the world places greater emphasis on decay and moral uncertainty.

How Tainted Grail Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: first-person open-world RPG, dark fantasy, character customization, exploration, melee, magic, equipment, quests, choices, dungeons, and single-player immersion.
• Different: Tainted Grail uses Arthurian mythology, a branching central story, a more oppressive tone, and a smaller independent production scope.
• Choose it if: you want a darker first-person fantasy RPG with strong Skyrim-like foundations.

5. Avowed

Closest match for: first-person fantasy combat, magic, melee and ranged weapons, companions, character customization, choices, factions, and exploration
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Release: 2024
Mode: Single-player
Genre: RPG

Avowed takes place in the Living Lands of Eora, where war, ancient mysteries, alliances, and rivalries shape the protagonist’s mission.

Its combat supports combinations such as weapon and shield, dual weapons, ranged attacks, or magic. Companion abilities and dialogue add additional tactical and narrative context.

Avowed is more region-based and story-focused than Skyrim’s continuous province. It preserves first-person fantasy role-playing while providing clearer narrative direction and more concentrated locations.

How Avowed Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: first-person fantasy RPG, character customization, magic, melee, ranged combat, exploration, companions, factions, choices, story, and build flexibility.
• Different: Avowed uses connected regions, stronger companion involvement, a defined protagonist role, and a tighter narrative structure.
• Choose it if: you want Skyrim-like combat and magic inside a more focused choice-driven adventure.

6. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Closest match for: first-person open-world immersion, skills, reputation, crime, quests, towns, wilderness, equipment, and player choice
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release date: February 4, 2025
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action, adventure, and RPG

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II replaces fantasy with a historically grounded journey through fifteenth-century medieval Europe.

Skills, clothing, equipment, reputation, dialogue, crime, training, and social status influence how Henry moves through the world. Towns and wilderness support questing, exploration, travel, and ordinary routines.

There are no dragons, spells, or fantasy races. Its Skyrim relationship comes from inhabiting a first-person medieval world where preparation, progression, and personal decisions shape the journey.

How Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: open-world RPG, first-person immersion, skills, equipment, quests, crime, reputation, towns, wilderness exploration, horses, and player choice.
• Different: Kingdom Come uses historical realism, a defined protagonist, simulation-oriented sword combat, social class, and no magic.
• Choose it if: Skyrim’s medieval world matters more than its supernatural elements.

7. Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Closest match for: large fantasy regions, flexible classes, melee, archery, magic, quests, factions, equipment, crafting, and fast action combat
Developers: KAIKO, Big Huge Games, and 38 Studios
Publisher: THQ Nordic
Release date: September 8, 2020
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action, adventure, and RPG

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning offers a sprawling fantasy world with customizable character progression and fluid third-person combat.

Might, Finesse, and Sorcery abilities can be combined into hybrid builds. Weapons, armor, crafting, destinies, quests, and factions provide several ways to shape progression.

Its world is divided into broad connected regions rather than one seamless simulation. Combat is faster and more arcade-like, while Skyrim provides more environmental interaction and first-person immersion.

How Kingdoms of Amalur Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: fantasy action RPG, open regions, character customization, flexible builds, melee, archery, magic, quests, factions, crafting, exploration, and lore.
• Different: Amalur uses fast third-person combos, destiny cards, colorful visual design, and a more structured regional world.
• Choose it if: Skyrim’s build freedom appeals to you but you want faster combat.

8. Hogwarts Legacy

Closest match for: open-world fantasy, magic, character customization, exploration, secrets, quests, creatures, crafting, and environmental puzzles
Developer: Avalanche Software
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Release date: February 10, 2023
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Action and RPG

Hogwarts Legacy places a customizable student inside Hogwarts and the surrounding wizarding world.

Spells support combat, traversal, puzzle solving, interaction, and environmental discovery. The castle, Hogsmeade, ruins, forests, hamlets, and hidden rooms continually reward exploration.

The role-playing systems are more constrained than Skyrim’s classless skills and factions. Its strongest overlap lies in magical exploration and the pleasure of finding secrets inside a recognizable fantasy world.

How Hogwarts Legacy Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: open-world fantasy, character customization, magic, exploration, quests, creatures, equipment, crafting, secrets, environmental puzzles, and single-player story.
• Different: Hogwarts Legacy centers on wizard education, spell sets, school relationships, third-person combat, and a more defined student narrative.
• Choose it if: magic and environmental discovery are your favorite parts of Skyrim.

9. Starfield

Closest match for: Bethesda RPG structure, character creation, open exploration, factions, quests, equipment, crafting, companions, building, and moddability
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release: 2023
Mode: Single-player
Genres: Adventure and RPG

Starfield translates Bethesda’s exploration and quest framework into a science-fiction universe of cities, planets, stations, ships, and factions.

Character backgrounds, skills, weapons, dialogue, companions, crafting, ship customization, and outpost construction support different playstyles. The player can follow the central mystery or spend time on faction stories and independent exploration.

The setting and combat tools differ radically from Skyrim. The strongest relationship is structural: both games encourage players to become distracted by side objectives and define a personal route through a Bethesda sandbox.

How Starfield Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: Bethesda Game Studios, character creation, first- and third-person play, skills, factions, quests, companions, exploration, crafting, building, player freedom, and moddability.
• Different: Starfield uses science fiction, spacecraft, firearms, planets, research, outposts, and a segmented interstellar world.
• Choose it if: you want Bethesda’s RPG structure without the medieval fantasy setting.

10. Baldur’s Gate 3

Closest match for: character creation, fantasy lore, magic, companions, factions, quests, choices, multiple solutions, and replayability
Developer and publisher: Larian Studios
Release date: October 6, 2020
Modes: Single-player, LAN co-op, co-op, multiplayer, and online co-op
Genres: Adventure, RPG, and strategy

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a party-based fantasy RPG where dialogue, exploration, abilities, relationships, and tactical choices shape the story.

Classes, subclasses, spells, skills, equipment, backgrounds, and companions create extensive build options. Quests often support persuasion, deception, stealth, combat, magic, environmental manipulation, or avoidance.

Unlike Skyrim, combat is turn-based and the world is divided into authored regions. Baldur’s Gate 3 offers much stronger narrative reactivity and companion involvement.

How Baldur’s Gate 3 Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: fantasy RPG, character creation, flexible builds, magic, exploration, quests, factions, companions, choices, secrets, lore, and replayability.
• Different: Baldur’s Gate 3 uses turn-based party combat, Dungeons & Dragons rules, cooperative play, cinematic dialogue, and highly branching outcomes.
• Choose it if: narrative choice and role-playing consequence matter more than first-person freedom.

11. Monster Hunter Wilds

Closest match for: character customization, open environments, large creatures, weapon specialization, equipment crafting, exploration, dragons, and cooperative play
Developer and publisher: CAPCOM Co., Ltd.
Release date: February 28, 2025
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and online co-op
Genres: Action, adventure, and RPG

Monster Hunter Wilds places hunters inside changing environments populated by large creatures whose behavior and habitats affect each expedition.

Weapon choice defines combat identity, while harvested materials become armor and equipment for harder encounters. Environmental change and creature movement alter preparation and positioning.

It lacks Skyrim’s factions, freeform civilian quests, and classless role-playing. Its relevance comes from fantasy wilderness, character customization, dragons, crafting, and learning how to overcome powerful creatures.

How Monster Hunter Wilds Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: fantasy creatures, dragons, character customization, open environments, exploration, weapons, armor, crafting, progression, and large enemy encounters.
• Different: Monster Hunter Wilds is structured around hunts, weapon mastery, creature materials, expedition preparation, and online co-op.
• Choose it if: fighting dragons and crafting better equipment are your priorities.

12. Grounded

Closest match for: open-world exploration, character builds, crafting, equipment, environmental storytelling, hidden locations, survival, base building, and co-op
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Release date: July 28, 2020
Modes: Single-player, co-op, multiplayer, and online co-op
Genres: Adventure and indie

Grounded turns a backyard into a vast survival world after the protagonists are reduced to the size of insects.

Players explore landmarks, gather resources, craft weapons and armor, build shelters, investigate laboratories, and develop specialized equipment. Environmental scale makes ordinary objects function like fantasy architecture.

The game is survival-focused rather than a traditional RPG. It enters this list through exploration, builds, environmental discovery, dangerous creatures, and the freedom to pursue shared projects with friends.

How Grounded Compares with Skyrim

• Shared: open-world exploration, player-directed goals, equipment builds, crafting, hidden locations, environmental storytelling, dangerous creatures, progression, and discovery.
• Different: Grounded uses survival needs, base building, giant insects, scientific mystery, and online co-op instead of fantasy factions and magic.
• Choose it if: exploration and discovery matter more than traditional fantasy role-playing.

Which Skyrim Alternative Should You Play First?

Choose according to the Skyrim attribute you most want to preserve:

• Closest Elder Scrolls structure and freedom: Oblivion Remastered
• Fantasy exploration, dragons, and action combat: Dragon’s Dogma 2
• Hidden discoveries and demanding bosses: ELDEN RING
• Dark first-person fantasy role-playing: Tainted Grail
• Focused first-person magic and choices: Avowed
• Historically grounded medieval immersion: Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Flexible builds and fast third-person combat: Kingdoms of Amalur
• Magic, secrets, and environmental puzzles: Hogwarts Legacy
• Bethesda exploration and factions in space: Starfield
• Narrative choice, companions, and replayability: Baldur’s Gate 3
• Large monsters, dragons, and equipment crafting: Monster Hunter Wilds
• Cooperative exploration and survival building: Grounded

Other Relevant Skyrim Alternatives

Several other games match narrower parts of Skyrim’s profile:

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition (2009) preserves the original Elder Scrolls experience through open exploration, factions, character customization, magic, quests, and extensive modding.
• Mortal Online 2 combines first-person fantasy exploration, character customization, crafting, housing, swordplay, magic, and a player-driven world, but its full-loot multiplayer focus creates a very different risk model.
• Rooftops & Alleys: The Parkour Game shares open exploration and movement freedom but lacks Skyrim’s fantasy world, quests, characters, and RPG progression.
• POSTAL 2 shares open-world sandbox freedom and moddability but differs completely in tone, genre, setting, and role-playing intent.
• Emergency Call 112 – The Fire Fighting Simulation 2 shares first- or third-person open-world simulation and moddability, but its professional emergency-response focus is not a meaningful fantasy RPG substitute.

How we chose these games

Every game here either sits among the PC games we price for this topic or shares at least four of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition’s most characteristic Steam user tags (read on 7 October 2026). We then ordered them by how much of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition’s core loop they keep.