17 Games Like Dark Souls
Our curated list of games like Dark Souls offers titles with similar combat and mechanics that result in dark and difficult adventures across a diverse range of game settings.
Starting in 2009 with Demon's Souls before transitioning to the now familiar Dark Souls naming convention the series offers an action role playing experience that emphasises high difficulty. Exploring various storylines the setting of the franchise is medieval themed with swords, axes, spears, hammers, daggers, crossbows as your primary weapons alongside fantasy magic. These settings are also on the darker side of the genre with small and large foes of demonic and undead designs to overcome through combat.
To achieve success in this combat players will need to master enemy attack patterns to dodge attacks and counter attack at the appropriate moment. Played from a third person perspective the mechanics of the series have remained relatively stable and encourage players to explore the world at will while uncovering various secrets, grow their power over time through experience and equipment, overcome penalties for death, fight challenging bosses and utilise the scattered safe locations. The success of the franchise has given birth to the term "soulslike" which is used for games that feature similar combat, storytelling, difficulty and the other mechanics popularised by Dark Souls.
The games like Dark Souls here focus on other action role playing games with a similar dark atmosphere, higher than average difficulty level and similar mechanics that are ideal for those wanting another challenging RPG adventure.
Salt and Sanctuary
Converting the Dark Souls formula into the fabulous world of 2D is Salt and Sanctuary a title for both console and PC gamers to challenge themselves within its dark setting. With several classes to master which includes unique challenges like the chef class you’ll have plenty of tools to dispose of the darkness before you that also comes with reasonable replay opportunities. The world of Salt and Sanctuary that players find themselves in has been at war for a long time but now finds itself...[Read Review]
Titan Souls
Breaking down the gameplay of impressive titles such as Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus is Titan Souls, a 16-bit style adventure about uncovering the best approach given the situation at hand which generally involves a large and unique boss battle to overcome. Released in 2015 across Windows, Mac and PlayStation consoles players will find a challenge akin to Dark Souls albeit in a smaller game package and with significantly more colour. Set between planes of existence you’ll explore ...[Read Review]
Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is a fast title available across popular platforms that will rekindle memories of the likes of the Zelda franchise although features combat more in tune with the difficult Dark Souls series due to the difficulty and pace you’ll have to adopt to dodge attacks that come your way. The result is an interesting action adventure and RPG blend that paired with the impressively simple design is a visual and mechanical treat to experience on all the released platforms. Presentat...[Read Review]
Shrouded in Sanity
Gritty horror and blood is the focus of Shrouded in Sanity, a game inspired by similarly dark titles to deliver an adventure that is simple on the surface although deep and difficulty underneath which ensures countless deaths lie before you as you try to master combat and uncover the secrets of the game world.. Partially available for free (base game only) through the Shrouded in Sanity: Freebirth game version further content is available through the paid Skautfold: Shrouded in Sanity edition. T...[Read Review]
DarkMaus
Handing you control over a mouse in top-down perspective is the amazingly difficult DarkMaus, a game from an independent developer that captures the Dark Souls experience through a skill based combat system while adding their own flair into the mix. Taking place in the dark world setting of Hazath players lead their solo mouse across a land of corrupted inhabitants which includes fellow fallen mice in some instances. Facing archers, warriors, spiders, various bosses and traps the world is one wh...[Read Review]
Shadow Warrior
Shadow Warrior (2013) remakes the highly popular original game which was released in 1997, sharing the same name and core gameplay although modernised. While Shadow Warrior is fundamentally a first person shooter players will also need to rely heavily on their melee combat abilities which is both highly effective and visually appealing. In this demonic adventure players will assume the role of Lo Wang, a Japanese assassin who has a range of specialties that make him one of the deadliest in the d...[Read Review]
Dragon’s Dogma
Dragon’s Dogma is an action RPG in a fantasy world that combines elements of popular franchises before it as you fight an array of towering enemies across the land. Originally for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles with a 2012 release an enhanced version titled Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen was launched later expanding the list of available platforms while offering additional core content. Dragon’s Dogma takes place in the fantasy lands of Gransys where monsters roam and countless NPC...[Read Review]
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is an action role playing game with a dark fantasy setting that was released on Windows in 2006 with a subsequent Xbox 360 release in 2008 known as Elements which expanded on the core game content further. Giving players ample choice over how they approach the story and combat you’ll be able to wield sword, magic and stealth playstyles. The setting of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic feels right out of the Lord of the Rings or similarly themed universe with t...[Read Review]
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is an action adventure of grand scale that was first launched in 2005 on the PlayStation 2. In time the game was remastered for PlayStation 3 (2011) and PlayStation 4 (2018) that both offered an almost identical experience to the original albeit with higher quality graphic assets. Regardless of your choice of release/platform players will find themselves in a unique fantasy setting that is centred around the adventure to defeat a number of large scale colossi that each pre...[Read Review]
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning takes players to a fantasy world where you’ll explore a diverse range of regions with their own story, battles and challenges. As an action role playing title this sprawling game world is paired with a dynamic combat system that lets you swing melee weapons or cast powerful magic on your enemies. Originally released in 2012 a remastered version (Re-Reckoning) was released in 2020 that brought the adventure to modern consoles in the process. Offering revitalise...[Read Review]
Nioh
Originally for PlayStation 4 and PC with a subsequent PlayStation 5 remaster Nioh explores the Sengoku period of Japan and pairs it with a dark difficultly setting akin to that of the Dark Souls series. As you fight your way through the chaotic civil war period of Japan you’ll fight both fantasy creatures and men throughout your adventure with brutal sword efficiency. For those unfamiliar with the Sengoku period of Japan this was a time of great civil war between the clans that occupied Ja...[Read Review]
Soul Sacrifice
Soul Sacrifice is a unique and dark action adventure game for the PlayStation Vita that launched in 2013 that introduces a unique premise onto the standard action RPG hack and slash experience. In the game players will sacrifice parts of themselves (or items) to unleash powerful and reckless attacks on their enemies with a finite self sacrifice ability and the build up of scars on the player’s body. In addition to these unique ideas Soul Sacrifice is definitely not short on story elements ...[Read Review]
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is a new breed of action RPG for the PlayStation 4 exclusively that follows the adventures of the Hunter in a dark gothic setting you’ll be treated to brutal combat, intriguing story and hidden treasures. Set within the city of Yharnam this Victorian themed city is under threat from a bloodborne plague and equally mysterious evil beasts that leave none safe. With the dark city having advanced medicine science rapidly through the use of blood the appearance of a blood based disea...[Read Review]
Lords of The Fallen
Set in a dark and gritty game world Lords of The Fallen brings hardcore action role playing to the latest generation of consoles with a rich fantasy story. Explore both the human and demonic worlds in this richly diverse title for Windows and consoles. Note an iOS and Android spin-off is available that features similar mechanics although is closer to an arena RPG than the full Lords of The Fallen experience. Set in a world where the Gods have all but abandoned the human race players will assume ...[Read Review]
Enclave
Enclave is an action orientated game set within a fantasy realm where players fight on behalf of good or evil with separate missions based on their choice of alliance. Originally launched in 2002 for Xbox and Windows the game was subsequently released on the Wii, Mac and Linux platform a decade later. Enclave is set 1,000 years after the high wizard Zale erected a dome of protection around the town of Celenheim to protect it from the dominating armies of the evil demon Vatar. With the hope to gi...[Read Review]
The Surge
Mixing in science fiction to the popularised Dark Souls like formula The Surge is an action role playing title that also serves as a spiritual successor to Lords of the Fallen video game albeit in a sci-fi setting instead. Set in a dystopian future where our relentless use of resources has lead to exhaustion of resources which has put intense strain on the social and environmental elements of the world. It’s a grim future as players awake in an exoskeleton within a destroyed complex of the CREO ...[Read Review]
Necropolis
Opting to lean heavily on the action role playing framework established by games before it Necropolis mixes the likes of randomisation, loot and varied equipment to create a randomised Dark Souls like Adventure game with rouge-like undertones providing ample challenge. Following it’s original release and player feedback a Necropolis: Brutal Edition version was released expanding further on the game world with a new character, biome, AI and loot. Something that stands out early on in your N...[Read Review]
