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What’s the difference between a Soulslike and a Soulslike-inspired action RPG? A Soulslike makes the design logic associated with FromSoftware’s Souls games central to its overall play loop. A Soulslike-inspired action RPG borrows some of that design—perhaps deliberate combat, stamina pressure, checkpoints, or boss-learning—while another structure or goal shapes more of the experience. There is no formal certification or universally binding checklist, so the distinction is best judged by how the systems work together.
What makes a game a Soulslike?
Soulslike is an emergent genre label, not a fixed technical category. In a 2025 DiGRA analysis, Haoning Li describes it as a term that grew out of player discourse around the shared experience of FromSoftware games, beginning with Demon’s Souls (2009). The paper emphasizes a cohesive design paradigm rather than any one required mechanic. Read the DiGRA proceedings.
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That makes the label a continuum rather than a pass-or-fail test. A game can use familiar Soulslike conventions and still interpret them in its own way. The useful question is whether those conventions organize the experience or simply appear within it.
How to tell whether Soulslike systems organize the game
Consider how the following elements interact, not just whether the game contains them:
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- Explore a land of vast wonders - A world unseen, where new sights rise with every stride- Enter a fascinating realm filled with the wonders and discoveries of ancient Chinese mythology! Confront mighty foes, old and new - Heroic Monkey, might and fame, adversaries rise, to test his name. One of the major highlights of Journey to the West is its diverse cast of adversaries, each with unique strengths.
- Temper your mastery of varied spells - Spells unbound, knowledge's flight, infinite abilities take their height. Spells, transformations, and magic vessels in all manifestations, complementary yet adversarial, have long been iconic combat elements of Chinese mythology.
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- Languages – In-game voice: Chinese and English. In-game text: English, French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.
- Combat commitment: Do attacks, dodges, blocks, parries, healing, and positioning require deliberate timing and expose the player to risk? Does success depend on reading opponents and choosing when to act?
- Failure and recovery: Does defeat create a meaningful recovery or resource-risk loop? Does returning to a fight involve learning an encounter, executing a route, or both?
- Checkpoints and spaces: Do checkpoints divide dangerous areas, reset enemies, and make shortcuts and spatial memory important? Are routes part of the challenge rather than just a way to reach the next objective?
- Progression and builds: Do attributes, weapons, abilities, equipment, or consumables let players change how they approach obstacles?
- Overall emphasis: Are these systems the game’s main organizing logic, or does another structure—such as quest-driven exploration, broad buildcrafting, or a different action style—take the lead?
The DiGRA analysis discusses elements such as stamina-based combat, dodge rolls with invincibility frames, checkpoints as progression nodes, and environmental storytelling. None decides the label alone; their orchestration matters.
Does Soulslike combat alone make an action RPG a Soulslike?
Not necessarily. A difficult boss, a parry, or a dodge roll can appear in many kinds of games. Difficulty by itself is not decisive either: what matters is what the challenge asks players to learn and how failure fits into the wider progression loop. A hard action RPG may not have the connected combat, checkpoint, route, and recovery structure associated with Soulslikes.
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- Soulslike Video Game design.
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“Soulslike-inspired” is a useful description when a game borrows recognizable conventions without claiming that they define its whole structure. Be specific about the influence: for example, a game might use stamina-conscious combat and demanding bosses while giving greater weight to quests, exploration, or flexible builds.
Examples that show the boundary
Lies of P: a clear Soulslike with its own interpretation
Round8 Studio has identified Lies of P as its first Soulslike game and discussed the importance of combat and player options. Its distinct setting and weapon systems show that a game can belong to the category while adding its own design choices. See the game’s PlayStation page.
Rank #3
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Steelrising: leaning into a formula without reducing the game to it
In a September 2022 PlayStation.Blog feature, Spiders gameplay manager Sébastien Di Ruzza said the team wanted to pay homage to the genre while giving the game a distinct combat experience and an assist mode. He summed up the approach this way: “Steelrising leans into the Soulslike formula, but with the unique heart of a Spiders game.” That wording captures the distinction: recognizable influence, alongside a broader identity. Read the PlayStation.Blog feature.
Sands of Aura: Soulslike combat among other priorities
An Xbox Wire feature published February 27, 2026, describes Sands of Aura as a dark-fantasy action RPG with fast, reactive combat and buildcrafting. Its developer also discussed making the world and story more directly understandable. The example shows how Soulslike conventions can coexist with a stronger emphasis on other parts of an action RPG; it does not make any single feature a deciding test. Read the Xbox Wire feature.
Rank #4
- Overhauled Character Creator – Create more lifelike characters with improved facial detail, body shapes, and visual fidelity
- Shared-Progression Cross-Play Cooperative Play – Both players now save all main story progress as long as they’re on the same “New Game” and have defeated a similar number of main bosses within one. Both players retains all loot, 100 percent vigor, and can revive each other in all online sessions.
- Free Friend’s Pass – Invite any friend to join your adventure in online co-op even if they don’t own the game. Friends keep loot and character progress, plus get full offline access to the tutorial and character creator
- Revamped Combat and Movement – V2.0 adds smoother animations, better weapon response, refined lock-on, improved evasions, and new grievous strike prompts
What to compare when choosing a game
Genre labels are shorthand, and their meaning can vary with player and industry usage. If you want to know what a particular game will feel like, compare its systems directly:
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- What happens after defeat, and what must you do to return to the challenge?
- Do checkpoints, enemy resets, routes, and shortcuts make navigation part of the difficulty?
- How much do builds and equipment change your approach?
- Which elements take priority beyond combat: exploration, quests, story, or another action style?
Those answers give a clearer picture than the label alone: whether Soulslike design is the game’s backbone or one influence among several.
Quick Recap
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- The essence of battle: Wield and master various weapons with unique combinations of Fable Arts and Legion Arms to find out what fits your playstyle
- Variety of attraction: Enjoy the beautiful, yet dark atmosphere of the Belle Époque era and explore the once prosperous city of Krat
- Lie system: P is made of a puppet's heart, but he learns how to think and feel like a human by lying
- Legacy of the classics: The city of Krat, the characters, and even the smallest objects reflect our deepest admiration for the original tale of Pinocchio
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