Elden Ring is hands down one of the best open-world games to date, offering thrilling combat, deep character progression, and a massive sense of exploration. As incredible as it is, though, there may come a time when you want to move on from Elden Ring due to having spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours in the Lands Between.
The good news is that many games out there have striking similarities to Elden Ring. Here are the best games like Elden Ring. Below, you will find 10 of the best games that are close to Elden Ring in terms of combat, aesthetics, exploration, and more. If you loved everything about FromSoftware’s open-world masterpiece but have exhausted the game, you will find something that will scratch that itch below.
1. Dragon’s Dogma
Dragon’s Dogma combines monster hunting, soul combat, and hack-and-slash action. Elden Ring is written all over this game’s open world, exploration, and brutal difficulty. You will spend the majority of your time discovering new locations, taking on large and difficult enemies, and mastering the combat. Reading and learning challenging foes’ movesets while you are tested to see if you have optimized your build enough for the challenge is all part of the game in Dragons Dogma.
Dragon’s Dogma was released in 2012, so it’s a little outdated, but a sequel is in the works with a release date of March 22, 2024. While the first is similar to Elden Ring, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is looking to be even more striking in comparison. For example, there is more of an emphasis on magic in the sequel, and we all know how big sorcery was in the Lands Between.
2. Nioh Series
Nioh was brought to action fans by Team Ninja, the developers behind Ninja Gaiden. Some players put the Nioh series into the Soulslike category due to its brutal difficulty and emphasis on mastering the combat. While more fast-paced than Elden Ring, there are certainly similarities between the two, right down to the sense of satisfaction you’ll get when overcoming a challenge that was constantly blocking progression in either game.
Nioh and Elden Ring are also similar in their role-playing aspects including the level of customization when it comes to leveling up and speccing out your character build. You will spend a good chunk of your time in Nioh choosing where to invest points into the eight available stats, a feature present at Site of Graces in Elden Ring. The sequel, Nioh 2, is even closer to Elden Ring as it introduced an in-depth and complex character creation tool, just like FromSoftware’s open-world game.
3. Lies of P
Who would have thought a game based on a children’s fairy tale would be a smash hit? Enter Lies of P, a game based on Pinocchio that smacks it out of the park in the Soulslike genre. Lies of P has some stark similarities with Elden Ring, such as combat and interconnected dungeons, but especially in the massive and epic boss battles you’ll encounter on your journey.
FromSoftware has always been king when it comes to creating some of the best bosses in video game history. That said, Lies of P gives it a run for its money in this regard, with some incredibly designed foes that’ll have you perfecting your reflexes and studying your opponent’s moves for hours on end. If you don’t believe me, just try fighting against Laxasia the Complete, who has a similar move set to Elden Ring’s Radagon.
4. Lords of the Fallen
While some may argue that it’s closer to Dark Souls, there are many comparisons you can make between Lords of the Fallen and Elden Ring. First, the world’s style and art direction feel like they’ve been ripped right out of Elden Ring. Skyrest Bridge and Forsaken Fen are two prime examples that’ll have you thinking about the Lands Between as you’re exploring them.
The combat and leveling in Lords of the Fallen is also almost identical to Elden Ring, too. Considering they both fall under the Soulslike subgenre, you will encounter incredibly challenging enemies that demand the player to have quick reflexes. Vigor, the game’s version of Elden Ring’s “Runes,” is used to level your stats for more survivability, granting you the ability to fine-tune your character build.
5. Mortal Shell
Mortal Shell was a surprise hit when it was released in 2020, and even though it came out two years before Elden Ring, it’s easy to compare the two. While they both have Soulslike-style combat, the striking similarities appear elsewhere, as Mortal Shell is clunkier and has a slower pace compared to other entries on this list. You will see Elden Ring’s Legacy Dungeons in Mortal Shell’s aesthetic, too.
While the open world of Elden Ring is a standout of the game, the Legacy Dungeons and exploration within it make the game truly shine. The same superb level design, where each hallway, corridor, or path leads to a secret, is present in Mortal Shell. If the dungeons were your favorite part of Elden Ring, check out Mortal Shell, as the backtracking and exploration here feel incredibly similar.
6. Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring are both massive RPGs that fans of the genre will put at the top of their list. And rightfully so. Both have a massive open world with their own character, identity, and secrets. Combat doesn’t fall under the same category as “Souls,” but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other similarities to be found if you dig a little deeper.
For example, The Witcher 3 has its own fair share of spells and focuses on dodging and reading the opponent you are facing. Outside of combat, you’ll find a deep progression system where knowing which skills and abilities to unlock to create a deadly build is important. Use fire as a primary way to attack, or go full tank mode and use a combination of sword and magic — the choice is yours in Witcher 3. Elden Ring and Witcher 3 are two of the best RPGs ever made, and if you are looking for a game like FromSoftware’s hit, look no further.
7. Outward
Outward is an underappreciated role-playing game that came out in 2019 with a style inspired by Elden Ring. Like Elden Ring, Outward is set in an open-world fantasy setting, primarily focusing on exploration and progression. Funnily enough, the gaming community has dubbed Outward as “we have Elden Ring at home.”
With that quote in mind, you’re probably thinking that it’s not as good as Elden Ring. You would be right. Even so, Outward has its own charm that can still provide a good time for anyone looking for a game that gives off the same vibes as Elden Ring’s open-world exploration and character/build progression. You can create a build focusing on a Bow, Axe, and Pistol or make magic your primary source of damage. A ton of freedom is available to the player in Outward when optimizing a build, similar to Elden Ring.
8. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Another game by developers Team Ninja is Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and it is for sure a game that will please Elden Ring fans. Wo Long is quite similar to Nioh, with a fast-paced and unforgiving combat system, but it borrows ideas from FromSoftware to make a superb Souls-like game, too. This is shown through its brutal difficulty, massive boss fights, and interconnected level design that will remind any player of Legacy Dungeons in Elden Ring.
Like Elden Ring, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty demands a lot from the player. You must learn bosses’ movesets, master the combat mechanics, and die a lot to eventually come out on the other end with a win. In other words, it’s a learning game with Wo Long. Sound familiar? This game will knock you off your feet, just like how Elden Ring punished you over and over again.
9. Skyrim
Skyrim is a game that will stand the test of time as it continues to be a significant inspiration for open-world games today. The fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series was a truly unique and special game that took the world by storm, mainly because of its freedom of choice in the narrative, exploration, and its vast list of options (spells, weapons, etc) for creating a unique build.
And that is where Elden Ring and Skyrim have so much in common. Elden Ring gives the player so much freedom in where to go, when to tackle objectives, and which weapons and spells to use. While the director of Elden Ring, Hidetaki Miyazaki, hasn’t officially confirmed that Skyrim inspired Elden Ring, he has confirmed the Elder Scroll series has influenced him as a director. He mentions this in an interview with Xbox Wire Japan, which you can use Google Translate to switch to the English version!
10. Dark Souls Trilogy
This wouldn’t be a “games like Elden Ring” list without mentioning the Dark Souls series. This is as close as you’ll get to Elden Ring, which makes sense, considering it comes from the same developer — FromSoftware. Simply put, FromSoftware took every feature, mechanic, and aspect of what made Dark Souls work so well, improved upon it, and placed it into an open-world experience, Elden Ring.
The level and enemy design, aesthetic, boss fights, lore, and brutal combat in Elden Ring are more or less identical to what you’ll find in the Dark Souls trilogy. At the end of the day, Elden Ring is just a more expansive version of the Dark Souls world. The only apparent differences between the two are the scope and size of the game’s map.
There you have it, the best games like Elden Ring. As we wait patiently for the incoming DLC for Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, make sure to try the heavy hitters mentioned on this list. You won’t regret it.
