Games Like Elden Ring: 9 Picks Worth Your Time (and Your Money)

The best games like Elden Ring are Dark Souls 3, Sekiro, Lies of P, Nioh 2 and Lords of the Fallen. Dark Souls 3 is the closest in feel, Sekiro is the sharpest, and Lords of the Fallen is the easiest one to grab cheap right now. Which one is right for you depends on what you actually loved about Elden Ring, and that's what I'll sort out below.

Why this question keeps coming up

I've been watching r/pcgaming this week and the mood is grumpy about money. The Talos Principle 2 jumped from $29.99 to $39.99 right after sitting at $2.99 on sale. An RTX 5080 is reportedly pushing $2,000 at US retailers. Everything costs more, so "what do I play after Elden Ring" is now also "what's worth paying for."

That's a fair way to look at it. Soulslikes are the one genre where a single game can eat 80 hours, so a cheap key goes a long way. A lot of these also run fine on hardware that isn't a $2,000 GPU.

First, figure out what you loved

People say "like Elden Ring" and mean totally different things. Pick your camp:

• The open world and exploration. Wandering into a swamp at level 12 and getting folded by a giant crab.
• The build variety. Swapping Ashes of War, summoning spirits, going full sorcery.
• The boss fights. Learning a pattern over twenty attempts and finally nailing it.
• The atmosphere. Ruined cathedrals, cryptic item descriptions, nobody explaining anything.

No single game nails all four. Elden Ring is weirdly good at everything at once, which is why it sold like it did.

The closest matches

Dark Souls 3

If you want the DNA, start here. It's linear compared to Elden Ring, but the level design is gorgeous and the bosses are some of the best FromSoftware has made. Combat is faster than Dark Souls 1 or 2, and it leans on stamina management the same way Elden Ring does. There's no Torrent and no jump-attack cheese. You'll miss both.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

This one is a different animal. No builds, no summons, no leveling your way out of a problem. You get a katana and a posture system, and you either learn to deflect or you die. I bounced off it the first time because I was playing it like Elden Ring, hiding behind a shield. Once I stopped doing that, it clicked hard. It's the best pure combat game of the bunch.

Lies of P

This is the soulslike that surprised everyone. It's Pinocchio in a Belle Epoque city that's gone horribly wrong. Parrying is the whole game, and the weapon assembly system lets you swap blades and handles to tune your moveset. It's more linear than Elden Ring, and the bosses can be brutal, but it's tight and well-made.

Lords of the Fallen

The 2023 reboot has the exploration-heavy feel closest to Elden Ring among the non-FromSoftware options. The big hook is the Umbral lamp, which lets you peek into a second, nastier version of the world. You use it to find shortcuts and hidden paths, and it's genuinely clever when it works. Launch was rough on performance, but it has been patched a lot since. Hardware matters here, since it's an Unreal Engine 5 game, so don't expect it to purr on an old card.

There's a Lords of the Fallen Steam key on GameRealm for $5.61. Check the listing details to confirm which edition you're getting before you buy. At that price, it's easy to justify even if you only get 30 hours out of it.

If you want more build freedom

Nioh 2

This is the loot goblin's soulslike. You've got a pile of weapon types, three stances per weapon, and a ki pulse mechanic that rewards good stamina recovery. It's more complicated than Elden Ring, and the menus will make you tired. But once the combat opens up, it's incredibly satisfying. Missions are level-based, not open world, so it won't scratch the exploration itch.

Code Vein

Anime vampires, a companion who actually helps, and a blood code class system you can swap on the fly. It's the easiest game on this list, which is a feature if you want a softer landing. The bosses are less memorable, but the build flexibility is real.

Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2

Third-person shooters with soulslike pacing. Bosses hit hard, checkpoints are sparse, and the randomized worlds mean replays feel different. Great in co-op, which Elden Ring only half-supports.

If you want the vibe without the pain

Mortal Shell

Shorter and tighter than the others. The harden mechanic lets you freeze in place and absorb a hit, then counter. It's a clever twist, and the whole game fits in about 15 hours.

Hollow Knight

Yes, it's 2D. But the "die, retrieve your shade, figure out the map yourself" loop is pure Souls philosophy. If what you loved about Elden Ring was the lonely wandering and the mystery, Hollow Knight delivers that at a fraction of the price.

Quick comparison

• Closest overall feel: Dark Souls 3
• Best combat: Sekiro
• Best new-ish pick: Lies of P
• Best exploration (non-FromSoft): Lords of the Fallen
• Deepest builds: Nioh 2
• Easiest entry point: Code Vein
• Best co-op: Remnant 2

How to play these without overspending

Soulslikes get discounted constantly, but prices shift around and some publishers are clearly nudging base prices up. The Talos Principle 2 situation is a good reminder that a sale price isn't guaranteed to come back.

A few habits I use:

1. Check the offer of the week before you buy anything at full price.
2. Wishlist the game you want and don't pay launch price for a game with a launch-day performance patch coming.
3. If you're not sure what you want, the mystery boxes are $2 per random key. It's a gamble, not a guarantee, but I like it for filling a backlog with surprises.
4. If you're new to buying keys, the FAQ covers activation and delivery.

Paying in USDT is quick if you already hold stablecoins, and it skips the card verification headaches people keep complaining about on r/Steam lately. Just make sure you pick the right network when you send it.

My honest recommendation

If you finished Elden Ring and want more of the same, play Lords of the Fallen first because it's cheap and open-ended, then Lies of P. If Elden Ring's combat is what stuck with you, go straight to Sekiro, but be ready to unlearn habits. If you just want something that won't punish you, Code Vein is fine, and no one needs to know.

Whatever you pick, expect to die in the first hour. That's the genre. Learn the boss, take the loss, and try again. The wins feel better because of it.