Elden Ring didn't just sell millions of copies — it rewired an entire generation's expectations of what an action RPG can be. The Lands Between handed players a vast, merciless open world and asked a simple question: how bad do you want it? If your answer was "very, very badly," there's a good chance you're already hunting for the next fix.
We've curated eight games that scratch that same itch — titles built on deliberate combat, rewarding exploration, punishing-but-fair difficulty, and worlds that make you feel genuinely small. Whether you want more FromSoftware DNA, a lateral genre leap, or something that pushes the formula in bold new directions, this list has you covered.
If Elden Ring is FromSoftware's epic poem, Sekiro is its razor-sharp haiku. Stripping away stats, builds, and multiplayer, it distills the studio's philosophy into pure parry-based duel gameplay set in Sengoku Japan. The "Posture" system reframes every boss fight as a brutal rhythm game — you're not depleting health bars, you're breaking wills. It's arguably the hardest game on this list and unquestionably one of the most rewarding to finally conquer.
Why It's Here: FromSoftware's purest distillation of difficult, rewarding combat — if the Elden Ring loop brought you joy, Sekiro amplifies it to an almost unbearable pitch.
Set in a Belle Époque nightmare world populated by killer marionettes, Lies of P is the soulslike that finally proved a third-party studio could match FromSoftware's formula beat for beat. The weapon assembly system — mix handles and blades from different weapons — delivers genuine build variety, while its Pinocchio allegory carries surprising emotional weight. The guard-parry timing feels instantly familiar to Elden Ring veterans but introduces enough novelty to feel fresh.
Why It's Here: The closest thing to a FromSoftware game not made by FromSoftware — with a uniquely dark atmosphere that stands entirely on its own.
For fans obsessed with Elden Ring's cryptic world-building and grotesque boss designs, Blasphemous 2 is mandatory. A 2.5D Metroidvania drenched in Spanish Catholic horror imagery, it layers its lore through item descriptions, environmental storytelling, and boss monologues in a way that will feel immediately familiar to Soulsborne veterans. The pixel-art animation gives each boss fight a nightmarish, hand-painted quality no 3D game has yet replicated.
Why It's Here: Its world-building density rivals Elden Ring's, and the boss roster is among the most visually inventive in the genre.
It would be dishonest to call Dark Souls III an alternative to Elden Ring — it is, in many ways, its direct ancestor. But if you came to the Lands Between as your true genre entry point, going back is essential homework. Its linear level design is impeccably crafted, its build variety is deep, and its boss gauntlet — from Pontiff Sulyvahn to Soul of Cinder — remains among the finest in action RPG history.
Why It's Here: Understanding Dark Souls III is understanding Elden Ring's DNA — and the linear level design teaches things the open world can't.
Team Ninja's Three Kingdoms action RPG cranks the aggression dial past eleven. Built on a deflect-heavy system that punishes defensive play and rewards relentless forward momentum, Wo Long fuses Sekiro's posture mechanics with Nioh's loot-driven gear system against a mythological Chinese backdrop teeming with demons and martial arts heroes. The co-op integration is seamless — ideal for players who loved summoning help in Elden Ring.
Why It's Here: Perfect for players who loved Elden Ring's co-op and want a faster, more frenetic combat pace with equally punishing boss encounters.
Hollow Knight earns its place by nailing the single most important thing Elden Ring veterans crave: the feeling of being lost in a world indifferent to your survival. The kingdom of Hallownest is a collapsed civilization told entirely through enemy design, environmental art, and brief, devastating NPC interactions. Its boss roster rivals any FromSoftware game in creativity and difficulty, and the sheer scale of its interconnected map will absorb dozens of hours before the credits roll.
Why It's Here: The atmosphere of a world in mourning, told through exploration alone — exactly what Elden Ring fans are addicted to, just in 2D.
For players whose Elden Ring journey was their first soulslike, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the perfect gateway to wider action-adventure design. It lifts the checkpoint and death-recovery systems almost wholesale from FromSoftware while wrapping everything in approachable storytelling, beloved IP, and multiple difficulty options. The lightsaber stances give it genuine mechanical depth, and Koboh rewards exploration with the same quiet discovery that makes Elden Ring's map so compelling.
Why It's Here: The most accessible game on this list — and an excellent one in its own right.
Where Elden Ring gives you a vast open world and tells you to figure it out, Nioh 2 gives you an intricate stance-based combat system and a Diablo-scale loot engine and tells you the same thing. Mastering Ki Pulse timing and the three-stance system takes real commitment — but the payoff is a combat depth that arguably surpasses anything else in the soulslike genre. For players who loved min-maxing Elden Ring builds, Nioh 2's build ceiling is essentially infinite.
Why It's Here: For build-obsessed Elden Ring players who want more mechanical complexity than any other game on this list can offer.
The Bottom Line
The soulslike genre is no longer a niche — it's become the defining template of modern action-RPG design. Elden Ring is its mainstream breakthrough, but the best version of this experience for you might not be an open world. It might be a 2D Metroidvania, a lightning-fast hack-and-slash, or a deep loot-driven simulation. Start from your comfort zone and branch outward.
★ Honorable Mention
Don't sleep on Mortal Shell for a shorter, more focused soulslike experience. And if you want to understand Hidetaka Miyazaki's full creative arc, playing Bloodborne on PS4/PS5 remains the single best argument for staying in the PlayStation ecosystem.
Join The Debate
Which soulslike cured your Elden Ring hangover — and which one sent you rage-quitting straight back to the Lands Between? Tell us in the comments.
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