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Soulslike games can be very challenging, but they are not automatically too hard for beginners. Their difficulty usually comes from learning enemy patterns, managing timing and positioning, and accepting that mistakes may mean repeating part of an encounter. The best first game depends less on a universal difficulty ranking than on what helps you keep making progress: room to explore elsewhere, flexible combat options, help from other players, or a focused test of timing and skill.
For most worried newcomers, Elden Ring is the safest starting point because its open world gives you ways to step away from a difficult fight and return with a different approach. It is not an easy-mode game, though. If you want a more focused single-player experience, a deliberate combat challenge, or the genre’s classic formula, other choices may fit you better.
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| Name | Best for | Key spec | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elden Ring | Beginners who want room to explore and change tactics | Open world; varied weapons and abilities; stealth and multiplayer options | Nov 2026 |
| Lies of P | Players who want a focused single-player Soulslike | Single-player; no multiplayer functions | Nov 2026 |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Players drawn to demanding, deflection-oriented combat | One-player action adventure | Nov 2026 |
| Dark Souls | Players who want the classic Souls formula | Tense dungeon exploration, fearsome enemies, and discovery | Nov 2026 |
Are Soulslike games too hard?
They are designed to challenge you, but whether that challenge feels too hard depends on what you enjoy and how much flexibility a particular game gives you. There is no reliable, universal difficulty score that can tell you which Soulslike every beginner will find easiest.
In these games, progress often means learning rather than simply increasing a number. You observe an enemy, recognize a cue, adjust your distance or timing, and try again. A death can show you that an attack reaches farther than expected, that you spent too much stamina, or that healing in a certain moment is unsafe. That learning loop can be satisfying if you like gradual mastery; it can feel punishing if repeated attempts are not fun for you.
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Difficulty is not the only point. FromSoftware’s official description of Dark Souls emphasizes tense dungeon exploration, fearsome enemies, discovery, and a “high sense of accomplishment.” That framing captures a central appeal of the genre: the reward is not just winning a fight, but understanding a dangerous place and feeling that your decisions made the difference.
The label “Soulslike” is broad. Games associated with it may share demanding encounters, repeated deaths, pattern recognition, sparse checkpoints, or environmental storytelling, yet differ substantially in combat, world structure, and available support. So the useful question is not simply “Which one is easiest?” but “Which one gives me the kind of challenge I want, and what can I do if I get stuck?”
What makes Soulslikes feel difficult?
They often ask you to pay attention to several things at once: an enemy’s behavior, your distance from it, the timing of your response, and the resources you spend while attacking or defending. They may explain some systems indirectly, so understanding how to respond can take experimentation.
- Enemy patterns: An enemy may telegraph an attack, vary its timing, or punish an approach that worked against a different foe. Recognizing what happens before a hit is often more useful than reacting in a panic.
- Positioning: Standing too close, getting cornered, or attacking from a poor angle can make a fight harder. Space and movement matter alongside attack timing.
- Resource management: Spending stamina or another combat resource carelessly can leave you without a safe response. A long attack sequence may be less useful than keeping enough capacity to move or defend.
- Risk and recovery: Healing, retrieving progress, or trying to land one more hit can create danger. Part of learning is noticing when to stop attacking and take a safer opportunity.
- Indirect explanation: You may need to infer a system’s purpose through play or environmental clues rather than expecting every rule to be laid out at once.
That combination makes early encounters feel unfamiliar, but unfamiliar is not the same as impossible. The genre expects players to study what happens and learn from mistakes. FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki has said, “We don’t try to force difficulty or make things hard for the sake of it.” The intended challenge is something to learn, not merely endure.
What is the best Soulslike for beginners?
For a beginner who worries about being trapped by one difficult encounter, Elden Ring is the strongest default recommendation. Its main advantage is flexibility, not an easy mode: if one fight is going badly, you may be able to explore elsewhere, strengthen your character, change your gear or tactics, and return later.
PlayStation’s editorial team describes the game as offering a huge, diverse open world, stealth, new movement mechanics, a mount, and an overhauled approach to multiplayer. The team says that this creates “a new degree of freedom compared to its predecessors,” making it “perhaps the most accessible ‘Soulslike’ for newcomers to the genre in years.” That is an editorial assessment of its accessibility, not a promise that it will feel easy to every player.
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Miyazaki has also said players can “come back to something later when they’re at an impasse” and that the game offers many ways to confront difficult situations. That is why Elden Ring suits a cautious first-timer: you are not always required to turn one frustrating boss attempt into the only path forward.
It still expects you to learn its combat and systems. A player looking for a gentle introduction with little repetition may find it demanding. But if you are willing to experiment and want options when a fight becomes a wall, its route freedom and variety make it a sensible place to start.
Which Soulslike should I choose for my play style?
Choose by the kind of challenge you want, not by an unsupported claim that one game is objectively easiest. Route freedom, combat focus, build options, multiplayer, world structure, and tolerance for repeated attempts are more revealing than a single difficulty label.
Choose Elden Ring if you want freedom
Pick Elden Ring if the idea of having alternatives matters to you. Its open world can let you leave a difficult area and make progress elsewhere, while varied weapons, magical abilities, and skills let you experiment with different approaches. Stealth can help in some situations, and multiplayer is available as another possible form of support.
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Choose Lies of P if you want focused single-player play
Lies of P is a Soulslike in a reimagined Belle Époque world based on Pinocchio. Its official support information describes it as single-player, with no multiplayer functions. That makes it a fit for someone who wants a focused solo experience rather than one that offers multiplayer help.
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There is not enough evidence here to call Lies of P easier or harder than Dark Souls or Elden Ring overall. If difficulty is your deciding factor, do not assume its single-player structure means it will be more forgiving; compare the kind of play you want and whether you are comfortable working through encounters on your own.
Choose Sekiro if you want concentrated combat mastery
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a one-player action adventure suited to someone who actively wants a demanding combat focus centered on timing and deflection. It is a play-style recommendation, not a claim that it holds a formal position on an objective easiest-to-hardest scale.
Before choosing it as a first game, ask whether learning a concentrated set of combat skills sounds appealing. If you want to be able to leave a tough fight and make progress in a wide world, Elden Ring offers a clearer route-freedom advantage. If you specifically want to refine timing and deflection, Sekiro may be the more compelling fit.
Choose Dark Souls if you want the classic formula
Choose Dark Souls if you want to experience the classic appeal associated with the genre: tense dungeon exploration, threatening enemies, discovery, and the satisfaction of overcoming danger. It is the foundation many people have in mind when they talk about Soulslikes.
It is a reasonable first choice if that style is exactly what interests you. But if your main concern is having several ways around one difficult encounter, the available evidence makes Elden Ring the clearer recommendation because of its open-world freedom and varied approaches.
How do the games differ beyond difficulty?
Comparing the games by the choices they give you can make a better first-game decision than trying to rank them by difficulty. The known distinctions are qualitative; they do not establish a universal easiest-to-hardest order.
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| Game | Route freedom and world | Combat and approach | Support and structure | Good fit if… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elden Ring | Open-world freedom; you can explore elsewhere rather than stay at one obstacle | Varied weapons, magical abilities, skills, and some stealth possibilities | Multiplayer is available; PlayStation’s description highlights a mount and new movement mechanics | You value options when stuck and want to experiment |
| Lies of P | Officially described as a Soulslike set in a reimagined Belle Époque world; the supplied information does not establish a comparative route-freedom rating | The available official details establish the genre, not a universal difficulty comparison | Single-player, with no multiplayer functions | You want a focused solo experience |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | The supplied official portfolio identifies it as a one-player action adventure, not an open-world comparison | Suited to players seeking demanding timing and deflection-oriented combat | One player | You want concentrated combat mastery |
| Dark Souls | Official series description stresses tense dungeon exploration and discovery | Fearsome enemies and a high sense of accomplishment are part of the series’ stated appeal | Classic Souls progression; the supplied information does not support a comparative multiplayer assessment | You want the classic genre reference point |
The available evidence does not establish a universal ranking for difficulty, completion rates, or beginner success. In particular, it does not justify saying that Lies of P is easier than Dark Souls, or that any one game is easy for everyone. Use the differences you can identify—especially what you can do when stuck—to make the choice.
Do I have to be good at hard games to enjoy Elden Ring?
No. You do not need to arrive as an expert at difficult games, but you do need some patience for learning, setbacks, and trying different approaches. Elden Ring is more approachable for many newcomers because it provides ways to change the circumstances around a hard encounter, not because it removes the challenge.
For example, if a boss keeps defeating you, you can decide that the fight can wait. Explore another area, improve your character, change equipment, or try a different tactic; consider multiplayer support if you want it. You are learning both how to fight and how to use the game’s broader options. That second kind of problem-solving is part of why an open world can help a beginner.
If you dislike repeated attempts altogether, the game may still frustrate you. There is no reliable promise that flexibility will make every encounter enjoyable. But being inexperienced is not, by itself, a reason you cannot enjoy the game.
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What should I do when I keep dying?
Pause long enough to identify one lesson from the last attempt. Treat a death as information about a particular attack, positioning choice, resource problem, or unsafe moment—not as proof that you are incapable.
- Name what went wrong. Was there an attack cue you missed, a spacing mistake, too little stamina, or an attempt to heal at an unsafe time? Choose one likely cause rather than deciding that everything needs to change.
- Change one thing next time. Try keeping more distance, waiting for a clearer opening, spending fewer resources on attacks, or delaying your heal. Changing one variable makes it easier to learn whether that adjustment helped.
- Watch before committing. On a new attempt, use the opening moments to observe how the opponent behaves. Learning an attack’s cue and reach can matter more than rushing to deal damage.
- Reassess your equipment and approach. If a method is not working, consider whether a different weapon, ability, or tactic suits the situation better. Elden Ring in particular offers varied weapons, magical abilities, and skills to experiment with.
- Leave if the game gives you a way to leave. In Elden Ring, explore elsewhere and return later if the encounter feels like a wall. Miyazaki has described returning to a problem later as an option and encouraged players to use cunning, study what happens, and learn from mistakes.
- Use support available in that game. Elden Ring offers multiplayer; Lies of P is single-player and has no multiplayer functions. Do not plan around co-op help in a game that does not provide it.
Small changes are more useful than panic-switching every weapon, tactic, and build after each failure. Give an adjustment enough attempts to tell you something, then reassess.
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How can I tell whether the genre is right for me?
You are more likely to enjoy a Soulslike if you find it rewarding to study a pattern, adapt after failure, and slowly become more capable in a world that does not explain every detail. You may be a good fit even if you struggle at first, as long as the learning itself feels worthwhile.
You may find the genre a poor fit if repeated attempts feel like wasted time, if you want the game to explain every rule explicitly, or if you strongly prefer to move through a story without challenging combat as a central part of play. That is a preference, not a measure of gaming skill.
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When you are unsure, start by choosing the structure and combat that appeal to you. If flexibility is important, Elden Ring gives you the clearest option to step away from a difficult encounter and try another route. If a focused solo adventure or narrow combat specialization sounds more appealing, Lies of P or Sekiro may fit your interests better. If the classic formula is the draw, Dark Souls is the natural reference point. None is guaranteed to feel easy; each offers a different reason to take on the challenge.
How we picked
These recommendations use the supplied official product and series descriptions, PlayStation’s editorial discussion of Elden Ring’s freedom, and Miyazaki’s comments about challenge and returning to difficult encounters later. The comparisons focus on route freedom, combat demands, build and equipment variety, multiplayer availability, world structure, and the kinds of player each game may suit. They do not assign numeric difficulty ratings or claim that one game is universally easiest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I enjoy a Soulslike if I usually play on easy difficulty?
Possibly. What matters is whether the process of learning through setbacks is enjoyable to you; a game with more ways to change your approach may help, but it cannot guarantee a comfortable difficulty level.
Is there an official easiest-to-hardest Soulslike ranking?
No authoritative genre-wide numeric ranking is established by the available sources. Difficulty depends on the player and the game’s particular demands, so a list that treats one ordering as settled fact can be misleading.
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The supplied information specifically confirms that Lies of P is single-player and has no multiplayer functions. Elden Ring has multiplayer options, but the sources here do not establish every game’s offline requirements or feature behavior, so check the relevant platform and edition information before buying.
Are Soulslikes mainly about reflexes?
Timing matters, especially in a game centered on deflection, but the genre’s challenge also involves reading patterns, managing space and resources, and deciding when to change tactics. A player who learns carefully may improve without relying on fast reactions alone.
