The Best Soulslike Games to Play Right Now

The best soulslike games right now are Elden Ring for its scale and freedom, Sekiro for pure combat mastery, and Lies of P for the strongest story outside FromSoftware. Round that out with Bloodborne, Dark Souls III, Nioh 2, Remnant 2 and Lords of the Fallen, and you have a genre that has never been deeper or more welcoming to newcomers.

What actually makes a game a soulslike?

The term gets thrown at anything hard, but a true soulslike shares a specific DNA that FromSoftware defined with Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. You gather a currency by defeating enemies, spend it to level up, and drop all of it on death – with one chance to recover it from where you fell. Checkpoints (bonfires, lamps, shrines) reset the world’s enemies when you rest. Combat is deliberate and stamina-gated, so mashing attack gets you killed. And the difficulty is not artificial: enemies telegraph their moves, and learning those tells is the whole point.

Everything below honours that loop. Some soften it with guns or co-op, some make it harder, but they all reward patience over reflexes and punish greed. If you have never finished one, that is fine – the genre in 2026 has more difficulty options, better tutorials and stronger multiplayer than it did a decade ago.

Which soulslike should you play first?

Start with Elden Ring. It is the most forgiving entry point precisely because it is open. When a boss walls you, you can ride away, explore a new region, grind some levels and come back stronger – an escape valve the older, linear games never offered. Summons and spirit ashes let you share the aggro, and the sheer volume of gear means almost any playstyle is viable.

If Elden Ring’s open world feels overwhelming, Dark Souls III is the tighter, more curated FromSoftware experience and a perfect crash course in the fundamentals. Prefer a story you can actually follow? Lies of P holds your hand more than most while still delivering real challenge. Only jump straight into Sekiro or Bloodborne if you already know you love the genre – both demand a specific rhythm that punishes Souls habits.

The best soulslike games at a glance

Elden Ring: still the peak

Years on, Elden Ring is still the best soulslike you can buy, and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion added a region so large it rivals a full game. The Lands Between rewards curiosity constantly – a suspicious cave, a distant glow, a merchant’s cryptic hint all lead somewhere worth going. Because you set your own pace and difficulty through exploration, it is the rare hardcore game your less-experienced friends can actually finish. Prices vary as of 2026, but the base game frequently drops well below launch during sales, and the expansion is worth every penny.

Sekiro and Bloodborne: mastery and aggression

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice strips out RPG stats and asks one thing: can you read an attack and deflect it on the exact frame? Its posture system turns fights into lethal rhythm games, and once it clicks there is nothing else like it. It is arguably the hardest game on this list because you cannot grind your way past a wall – you have to get better.

Bloodborne pushes the opposite philosophy: aggression is safety. Take a hit and you can win health back by immediately striking the enemy, so backing off is often the wrong move. It remains a PlayStation exclusive, playable on PS5 through backward compatibility, and its Lovecraftian world of Yharnam is one of gaming’s finest. If you own a PlayStation, do not skip it.

Lies of P and Nioh 2: the best non-FromSoftware picks

Lies of P is the strongest soulslike ever made outside FromSoftware. Its Belle Epoque reimagining of Pinocchio has no business being this good, but the parry-focused combat, the weapon-assembly system that lets you bolt any blade onto any handle, and multiple endings make it a genuine rival to the masters. The Overture DLC deepens an already excellent package.

Nioh 2 goes the other direction – fast, flashy and stuffed with loot. Its stance system lets you switch a single weapon between high, mid and low guards mid-combo, and the yokai abilities add a supernatural layer FromSoftware never touches. If you love theorycrafting builds and replaying missions for better gear, nothing here offers more hours. Nioh 3 arrived in early 2026 and is the strongest new entry of the year, so keep it on your radar too.

What about co-op and shooter soulslikes?

Remnant 2 is the answer for players who want to bring friends without wrestling FromSoftware’s fiddly summon system. It is a third-person shooter at heart, built around drop-in co-op and procedurally varied worlds, so no two campaigns play the same. The gunplay is crunchy and the boss design is genuinely soulslike in its punishment.

Lords of the Fallen (the 2023 reboot, not the 2014 original) is the natural next step after Elden Ring. Its clever hook is two overlapping worlds – the living Axiom and the deathly Umbral – that you shift between using a lantern, changing the level layout and enemy placement. It stumbled at launch but a long run of patches turned it into a solid, atmospheric ride.

How hard are these, really?

Harder than most games, but not unfair. Every death in a good soulslike is a lesson, and the genre’s reputation for cruelty oversells it. Elden Ring, Lies of P and Remnant 2 all offer meaningful ways to lower the pressure, whether through summons, co-op or simply out-leveling a wall. Sekiro and Bloodborne are the true tests of skill. The key mindset shift is patience: watch the enemy, learn the pattern, and treat each attempt as practice rather than failure.

Hardware matters less than you might think – all of these run well on a modest rig, and a handheld like the Steam Deck handles most of them beautifully. If you are building or buying to play these, our best gaming laptops guide and budget gaming setup guide will get you sorted without overspending.

Are there upcoming soulslikes worth waiting for?

The genre shows no sign of slowing. Nioh 3 landed in early 2026 and is the strongest new entry of the year, refining the stance-switching combat that made Nioh 2 so replayable while opening up its structure. FromSoftware itself continues to loom over everything – anything the studio ships instantly becomes the game to beat, and its influence is visible in every title on this list. Beyond the headline releases, a steady stream of ambitious independent soulslikes arrives each year, some experimenting with settings and mechanics the big studios will not touch.

The practical takeaway is that you do not need to wait. The back catalogue above will keep you busy for hundreds of hours, and the fundamentals you learn in Elden Ring or Dark Souls III carry directly into whatever comes next. Master the loop once – watch, learn, punish – and every future soulslike becomes more approachable. Start with one of the picks here, get comfortable, and the newer releases will feel like a natural continuation rather than a fresh mountain to climb.

How long do soulslike games take to finish?

It varies enormously with the game and your skill. A focused run of Sekiro or Lies of P can take 30 to 40 hours, while Elden Ring’s main path runs 50 to 60 and balloons past 100 if you explore everything and tackle the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Nioh 2 and Remnant 2 are effectively endless thanks to loot grinding and procedural replay. Expect to die often early on – that is the design working as intended, not a sign you are doing it wrong. Progress in these games is measured in understanding, not hours, and the sense of finally toppling a boss that walled you for a week is exactly why the genre has such a devoted following.

Where to go after you finish these

Once the genre grips you, the appetite for punishing, rewarding games only grows. Many soulslike fans branch into roguelikes for the same loop of death and mastery in a different shape – our best roguelike games roundup is a great next stop. If you are gaming on a handheld, plenty of these run superbly on the Deck, as covered in our best Steam Deck games list. For everything else we cover, browse the full gaming section or head back to WorldGeek for the latest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest soulslike for beginners?

Elden Ring is the friendliest starting point because its open world lets you explore, grind and use summons whenever a boss proves too tough. Lies of P is a close second thanks to its clearer story and generous parry timing.

Is Elden Ring the best soulslike game?

Yes, most players and critics still rate Elden Ring as the genre’s high point in 2026, especially with the massive Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Its scale, freedom and build variety are unmatched.

What is the hardest soulslike?

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is widely considered the hardest because it removes leveling shortcuts and demands frame-perfect deflections. You cannot grind past its walls – you have to master the combat.

Can I play soulslike games with friends?

Yes. Remnant 2 is built around drop-in co-op, and Elden Ring, Dark Souls III and Lords of the Fallen all support online summoning so a friend can help with tough bosses.

Do I need a powerful PC to play soulslikes?

No. Most soulslikes run well on modest hardware and even handhelds like the Steam Deck. A mid-range GPU comfortably handles Elden Ring and the rest at solid frame rates.

Is Bloodborne available on PC?

Not officially as of 2026. Bloodborne remains a PlayStation exclusive, playable on PS4 and via backward compatibility on PS5. There is no confirmed PC or remaster release.