The best game to play after Elden Ring depends on which part of it you want to repeat. If you want FromSoftware’s deliberate combat, tense exploration, and boss fights in a more structured format, start with Dark Souls III. If you are willing to trade Elden Ring’s broad build freedom for a more timing-centered action game, consider Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Lies of P and Nioh 2 are additional Soulslike options, but the label alone does not mean they share Elden Ring’s open world, progression, or combat.
This guide separates those choices by combat emphasis, world structure, character-building flexibility, boss focus, and platform certainty so you can choose a genuine follow-up rather than an arbitrary list of difficult fantasy games.
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| 1 |
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Dark Souls Trilogy (PS4) | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dark Souls: Remastered (Nintendo Switch) | $43.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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Dark Souls Remastered - PlayStation 4 | $22.19 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/B1QaL9g82CS._SL160_.jpg)
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Dark Souls Remastered [Online Game Code] | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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What makes Elden Ring difficult to replace?
Bandai Namco’s official description presents Elden Ring as an action RPG set in a connected fantasy world of landscapes and dungeons. It emphasizes choice: you decide where to explore, how to approach combat, and which weapons and magic to use while developing a character. That combination is why “games like Elden Ring” is a harder search than “games with difficult bosses.” A replacement may reproduce the combat but lose the open-ended journey, or offer a large world without the same deliberate encounters.
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- Combat rhythm: Do you want measured attacks, stamina-style exchanges, and careful evasion, or a system built around tighter timing?
- World shape: Are you looking for another open world, a set of interconnected areas, or a clearly linear route?
- Build freedom: Is experimenting with weapons, attributes, and magic essential?
- Boss density: Do you want a steady sequence of memorable boss encounters, even if that means less wandering?
- Multiplayer: Was cooperative or competitive play part of your Elden Ring routine?
The official Souls-series material describes a design tradition built around dangerous enemies, discovery, environmental attention, precise timing, evasion, and the satisfaction of overcoming a threatening encounter. Those are useful comparison points, but they do not guarantee identical systems from one game to another.
Quick comparison: which Soulslike should you try next?
| Game | Best fit for an Elden Ring player who wants… | Combat emphasis | World structure | Build and platform notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls III | The closest continuation of FromSoftware’s combat and boss tradition | Deliberate evasion, spacing, and attack timing; editorial comparison based on Souls-series descriptions | More structured and area-based than Elden Ring’s open world | Specific build variety and current platform editions were not stated in the supplied official material; verify the store page for your region |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | A different, more timing-centered action experience | Timing-focused play rather than an Elden Ring-style build experiment; detailed mechanics were not independently established in the cited material | Not stated in the supplied material | Verify current platform and edition availability before buying |
| Lies of P | A third-party game commonly grouped with Soulslikes | Not stated in the supplied material | Not stated in the supplied material | Verify current platform, edition, and regional availability |
| Nioh 2 | Another third-party Soulslike example | Not stated in the supplied material | Not stated in the supplied material | Verify current platform, edition, and regional availability |
This table intentionally distinguishes editorial fit from verified specifications. “Soulslike” is a useful descriptive category, not a promise that every game has Elden Ring’s connected map, character system, or multiplayer model.
Dark Souls III: the closest FromSoftware follow-up
Why it is the first recommendation
Dark Souls III is the most sensible first stop when what you really want is the FromSoftware combat-and-boss tradition. FromSoftware’s catalogue describes the Dark Souls series through tense dungeon exploration, dangerous enemies, discovery, and a sense of accomplishment. Bandai Namco’s Souls-focused editorial material also highlights precise timing, evasion, memorable bosses, and exploration that rewards attention to environments and enemy behavior.
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That makes Dark Souls III a strong continuation of Elden Ring’s moment-to-moment tension. You still read an enemy, look for a safe opening, commit to an attack, and learn from a failed attempt. The recommendation is an editorial synthesis of those series descriptions, not a publisher claim that the two games are equivalent.
The major adjustment: less open-world freedom
Do not choose Dark Souls III expecting another Lands Between. Its experience is more structured and area-based than Elden Ring’s open world. Progression asks you to work through designed zones and connected routes rather than freely crossing a continent, riding between optional discoveries, or leaving a difficult objective to explore somewhere else.
That narrower structure can be an advantage. Because the route is more directed, environmental clues, shortcuts, enemy placement, and boss run-backs carry more of the experience. You spend less time deciding where to go and more time mastering the path in front of you. If your favorite Elden Ring memories involve wandering for hours, this is a meaningful trade-off; if they involve learning a boss’s patterns, it is probably the right trade.
Rank #2
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armour, magic and crafting options to create your own play style and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategise freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Compatible with Nintendo Switch only
Who should start here
- Choose it if you want the familiar FromSoftware tone of danger, discovery, and earned progress.
- Choose it if boss encounters mattered more to you than a huge map.
- Choose it if a linear or area-based journey sounds refreshing after an open-world game.
- Skip it as your first choice if unrestricted exploration and constant build experimentation are non-negotiable.
Current editions and platform compatibility were not confirmed in the supplied official material. Check the publisher or platform store for your country and hardware before purchasing, especially if you need a specific console or PC edition.
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Why it belongs on the list
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is commonly grouped with Soulslikes, but that classification should not be read as “Elden Ring with a new setting.” The useful reason to consider it is its positioning as a more timing-centered action experience. If you want to sharpen your reactions and engage with encounters on their own terms, it is a better fit than a game chosen merely because it has a fantasy world and hard enemies.
The surfaced material does not independently establish a full mechanical breakdown for Sekiro, so this guide keeps the recommendation deliberately narrow: approach it as a different combat emphasis, not as a promise of identical weapons, magic, builds, or map design.
How to decide whether the change will suit you
Ask yourself whether you enjoyed Elden Ring’s fights because you could change your equipment and strategy, or because you enjoyed reading a narrow timing window and executing it consistently. The first preference points toward the broader Souls tradition; the second makes Sekiro worth investigating.
It is also a poor choice if your main goal is to recreate Elden Ring’s open-ended character planning. The cited material does not establish comparable build flexibility or world structure, so verify those details on the current official product page before committing.
Lies of P and Nioh 2: third-party Soulslike options
Lies of P
Lies of P appears in secondary genre overviews as a game commonly labeled a Soulslike. That makes it a reasonable search term for players who have already exhausted FromSoftware’s catalogue and want to sample another developer’s interpretation of the formula.
Rank #3
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
The available material does not establish its current editions, supported platforms, world structure, combat systems, or a direct comparison with Elden Ring. Treat it as an exploratory recommendation rather than a verified one-to-one substitute. Confirm the release edition and platform for your region, then read the game’s current official description for the features you care about most.
Nioh 2
Nioh 2 is another title commonly included in Soulslike taxonomies. It belongs in the same “look beyond FromSoftware” category as Lies of P, not in the “closest Elden Ring match” category. The genre label indicates a family resemblance in difficulty and action-RPG structure, but it does not establish that its map, progression, weapon handling, or character building works like Elden Ring’s.
Because current availability and edition details were not verified in the supplied material, check the relevant publisher or store listing before buying. This is especially important when a game has separate console and PC releases or multiple editions in a particular market.
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Choose by the Elden Ring feature you want to repeat
If exploration was your favorite part
Start by acknowledging that no recommendation in the available evidence is confirmed as a direct replacement for Elden Ring’s connected open world. Dark Souls III offers environmental discovery and interconnected progression, but in a more structured, area-based format. For this preference, adjust expectations before you choose: you are selecting a different scale of exploration, not another Lands Between.
If bosses and combat were the main attraction
Pick Dark Souls III first. The official Souls descriptions directly support the focus on dangerous enemies, precise timing, evasion, memorable bosses, and the satisfaction of overcoming them. If you want a more timing-centered departure rather than a continuation of that tradition, consider Sekiro.
If character builds and equipment experimentation mattered most
Elden Ring’s official description specifically emphasizes choices involving weapons, magic, and character development. The supplied evidence does not provide a verified feature-by-feature build comparison for the other recommendations. Do not assume that a game’s Soulslike label guarantees the same breadth. Check each title’s current official feature list for attributes, equipment, magic or skills, respec options, and multiplayer before purchase.
Rank #4
- Delve into an epic dark fantasy universe stricken by decline and the Curse. Explore its intricate world design - full of hidden passages, dungeons and secrets - and uncover its deeply rooted lore
- Each playthrough surprises you with new challenges and unexpected facets of the game. Don't bet on completing the game only once
- Hundreds of unique combinations of weaponry, armor, magic and crafting options to create your own playstyle and gaming experience
- From your first steps to mastery, build your character while refining your playing skills. Learn to strategize freely and experience the rewarding taste of overcoming daunting foes
- Whatever your motivations are to play online - collaboration or confrontation, support or betrayal - you'll find your true home among the nine covenants. Which allegiance will you choose?
If you want a third-party interpretation
Use Lies of P or Nioh 2 as starting points for broader genre exploration. Their inclusion comes from a secondary taxonomy, so regard it as descriptive. It tells you why they appear in a “Soulslikes to play next” search, not how closely they reproduce Elden Ring.
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Bandai Namco’s launch announcement states that Elden Ring released on February 25, 2022 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam, with cooperative and competitive multiplayer. Those details describe Elden Ring’s launch, not every recommendation in this guide.
No equivalent platform, edition, physical-stock, or multiplayer verification was established here for Dark Souls III, Sekiro, Lies of P, or Nioh 2. Before you attach a purchase to any recommendation, run this checklist:
- Open the publisher or platform store page for your country.
- Confirm that the exact game and edition run on your console or PC operating system.
- Check whether online features require a platform subscription and whether the edition includes the content you expect.
- Compare the store’s current listing with the title and edition named in your cart.
- Read the current availability and refund terms for your region.
This avoids treating a launch-era platform list or a genre article as a guarantee of current regional availability.
A practical order for playing after Elden Ring
1. Begin with Dark Souls III
Choose it when you want the most defensible continuation of FromSoftware’s combat, exploration, and boss philosophy, while accepting a more directed world.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2. Move to Sekiro if you want a deliberate change
Choose it when a timing-centered action experience sounds more appealing than carrying an Elden Ring-style build across another setting. Verify its current feature and platform details first.
3. Try Lies of P or Nioh 2 to widen the genre
Choose one when you want to see how another developer interprets the Soulslike idea. Keep the taxonomy caveat in mind and investigate the current official listing before purchase.
Common mistakes when choosing a Soulslike
- Equating difficulty with similarity: A hard game may lack Elden Ring’s exploration, combat rhythm, or build decisions.
- Assuming “Soulslike” is a technical standard: The term is descriptive and used inconsistently across secondary references.
- Ignoring world structure: An area-based journey can feel very different from an open world even when encounters are demanding.
- Buying before checking the edition: Platform and regional availability can differ, and the supplied material does not verify current listings for the recommendations.
- Expecting every recommendation to support the same multiplayer routine: Elden Ring’s launch announcement confirms cooperative and competitive modes for Elden Ring; it does not establish identical modes elsewhere.
Bottom line: the best next game depends on the sacrifice you accept
For most Elden Ring players, Dark Souls III is the clearest first recommendation: it preserves the FromSoftware emphasis on tense exploration, precise combat, dangerous enemies, and memorable bosses, but replaces the open world with a more structured route. Choose Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice when you want a timing-centered change rather than a close continuation. Choose Lies of P or Nioh 2 when your goal is to explore the wider Soulslike category, verifying their current platform and edition details before you buy.
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