Souls Like Games: Top Five Games Like Dark Souls

In just a few years, FromSoftware managed to create a new genre with games like Dark Souls. The so-called Souls Likes are extremely popular among players. To satisfy your thirst for more Souls-like games, we have compiled a top-five list of the best Souls games for you.

We’ve all been there: You’ve played through Dark Souls, and now you’re faced with the problem of wanting more. Fortunately, there are a number of games like Dark Souls that carry the success formula and offer a similar gaming experience. Good luck.

5. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

If you’re interested in a novel take on a Souls-like game, then give Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice a try. This title is the spiritual successor to Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Bloodborne, and the combat is extremely tough, as usual. However, Sekiro is also exciting in another way because it breaks with FromSoftware’s own traditions: Put aside the axe and grab the samurai sword in feudal 16th century Japan as a shinobi to face the war that has broken out across the country. The story framework is particularly clear, unlike its predecessors. Nevertheless, the game doesn’t lose its Souls-like charm: Conversations and characters remain rather cryptic as usual, and connections are unclear, which awakens the natural curiosity. The world is also very rich and invites us to explore.

Here we can see a screenshot from the game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. We are looking at a dark stone street illuminated by fire from an oblique perspective. The entrance of a wooden, elongated building can be seen behind it. The scene is set in Japan. The protagonist of the picture, a shinobi named Sekiro, is shown from the front in the center of the image in a long shot with his katana sword raised as he slowly approaches two enemy characters, shown from the back on the left and right in the foreground, who also have their swords drawn. In the lower-left corner, we see a hand with a katana in the gating. — Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Source: FromSoftware)

This game is available on PS4, Xbox One, and for PC, it can be purchased on Steam.

4. The Witcher 3

Not the most common comparison, but The Witcher 3 should also be in our list of games like Dark Souls. If you haven’t already, don’t miss out on this one because the title is great and has some similarities to Dark Souls, especially in combat scenarios with higher difficulty levels. To survive, you’ll have to rely on constant parrying and dodging. The Witcher 3 uses the success formula of Dark Souls but still comes with very special gameplay, integrating, for example, a detailed potions system to affect the enemies in the fights and letting the player explore a huge world with beautiful landscapes, detailed quests, and compelling stories on foot or at a gallop.

Are you looking for the best Souls game? Then The Witcher 3 might be just the thing for you. Here we see a screenshot from the game with the protagonist on his horse shown in a long shot, galloping along a narrow path on the left, kicking up dust behind him. The path runs from the top left to the front right of the image. On the right side, a wide valley with blue lakes and islands with numerous trees can be seen in light haze and behind it, the mountains open up. In the front left of the picture, there is a flying mythical creature that looks like a mixture of a bird and a lion. It has a reddish coloring and has both fur and feathers. Above it, we see the blue sky covered with clouds. — The Witcher 3 (Source: CD Project RED)

This popular game is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and for PC it can be purchased on Steam.

3. Demon’s Souls

The real origin of Souls like games is actually not in Dark Souls but Demon’s Souls. Why? Demon’s Souls was also developed by FromSoftware and is considered the spiritual forerunner of Dark Souls. Thus, the popular Souls formula goes back to this game. The title received a remake in 2020 with gameplay improvements and modern graphics. So if you’re looking for games like Dark Souls, we recommend playing the grandfather of Dark Souls, which plays like the successor, especially in its level structure and gameplay.

A screenshot of Demon's Souls can be seen. In the screenshot, a boss fight is taking place. The player is shown in armor and helmet in the third person, who is centered in the picture in a slight bottom view. In his left hand, he holds a shield, and in his right hand his sword. He is in a dark cave looking up at a huge diabolical monster in front of him with glowing yellow eyes, horns on its head, a spiky mouth, huge bloody hands, pale skin, and wings on its back. The image is heavily desaturated and looks almost black and white. Scattered grasses and blood puddles can be seen on the ground. If you are looking for games like Dark Souls, you should definitely play this title. — Demon’s Souls (Source: FromSoftware)

The game is available on PS5 via the PlayStation Store. The original is available for PS3 and can be played via PlayStation Now in supported regions.

2. Bloodborne

FromSoftware fans consider this title the highlight of the developer, and there’s a good reason for that. The gameplay mechanics of the Souls series are taken to another level by Bloodborne. The omission of shields and the rather moderate pace provides the player with extremely intense and dynamic combat in the midst of a gothic world. This title, with its very dark setting, returns to the old form of Dark Souls, and many consider it to be one of the best Souls games. A dark adventure with fantastic settings, surprising twists, and challenging battles that can excite and frustrate in equal measure.

Here we see a screenshot from the game Bloodborne, which shows a boss fight. We see a very dark cobblestone street in the middle of a gloomy city at night with gothic-looking building facades and roofs. The protagonist and demon hunter is shown in the third-person perspective on the left side of the image. He has a dark gray cloak and hat on and is currently in a crouched position. In his left hand, he carries a burning torch, and in his right hand a kind of huge scythe. His gaze falls on a huge, black werewolf with a white-open mouth, sharp teeth, and bright white eyes staring back at him. This game is very popular among Souls-like games. — Bloodborne (Source: FromSoftware)

The title can be played on PS4 and PS5 and purchased via the PlayStation Store. Rumors suggest it might even be released for the PC at some point. Fingers crossed.

1. Elden Ring

If you are looking for Souls-like games, you should definitely check out Elden Ring. After all, this open-world role-playing game comes from the same developer. A 2022 released sequel that has taken the Souls formula to perfection. Enter an open, very beautiful world that has many brutal battles, tough bosses, and dungeons in store for you, embedded in expressive storytelling that clearly bears FromSoftware’s signature. Elden Ring combines the advantages of a free open world with the narrow corridors of Dark Souls and thus creates fresh gameplay that builds on the successes of its predecessors.

We see a screenshot from Elden Ring as an example of Souls-like Games. Two characters are sitting in front of some kind of glowing feather or imaginative fireplace. They are shown in the center bottom of the image in a long shot and both are facing the fireplace, which puts their backs to us. The left character resembles a knight in armor, and the right one is an elvish character with a long robe and white long hair. They are sitting in tall green grass, which extends from the foreground to the center of the picture and is illuminated by the fire. In the background, we see several fir trees and cliffs, which are only dimly visible in the blue night. Above them is depicted a magnificent starry blue sky. At the top right of the picture, we see the golden shining leaves of a high tree in the middle of the darkness. — Elden Ring (Source: FromSoftware)

The game is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and for PC, you can buy it via Steam.

What Souls-like games do you want to explore next?

We hope to help a bit in your search for your next Soulslike with this article. If you are looking for other genres as well, feel free to check our lists for the best free RPG games, the best free FPS games, Co-op games like It Takes Two, the best Survival Games on PS4 / PS5 or the best RTS games.

What does a good Souls like need to excite you? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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