TheDark Soulsfranchise set a new standard for melee action RPGs, and their influence on the game industry is still felt today. Dark Souls, among other IPs in the FromSoftware library such as Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring all introduce new flavors of gameplay as innovative as they are challenging.
This inspiration led to many developers dipping their hands into the Soulslike style for their games, some with much avail. From taking on the Empire as a Jedi Knight to finding the balance between being a real boy or a puppet, here are some Soulslike games not made by FromSoftware.
Release Date
May 25, 2025
Let It Die is about as good as a freemium Soulslike can get, but that’s not a bad thing by far. In this game, you’re climbing a superstructure called the Tower of Barbs and each level of the tower has a set number of enemies to fight, sort of reminiscent of Tartarus from Persona 3.
A more modern-setting take on the “ruined utopia” trope from the Souls games, along with weapon and armor design reflecting the post-apocalypse, Let It Die is arcade-y Soulslike fun you can jump in and out of any time. The best part is that it’s free, and has been out for quite a while. Give this one a shot.
June 03, 2025
The Surge asks the question: “What if we did Dark Souls, but instead of fantasy it was sci-fi?” The Surge is a unique game revolving around man versus machine, with combat being lightning quick with you trying to outmaneuver superior combat robots during your time here. You’ll be finding yourself fighting a range of enemies such as ranged flying drones and even giant warmechs.
It admittedly reflects Bloodborne more in its narrative and combat design, showing a world decimated by its overreliance on life-changing technology, with dodging and parrying being essential to the overall gameplay experience. If the fantasy aspect of Dark Souls or Bloodborne doesn’t suit your fancy, this may be the game for you.
August 02, 2025
Mortal Shell feels first and foremost like a love letter to the Dark Souls games, mirroring apathetic enemies and level design but quickly comes into its own with the many unique mechanics featured throughout the game. For starters, instead of blocking, you can “harden your shell” to avoid incoming damage, turning yourself into stone.
The shell mechanicon its own gives merit to this game’s existence as a Soulslike, as there’s nothing like it in other games of its kind. Hardening and Resolve both work towards your defense and offense respectively, and using new shells can enhance your experience throughout the game. If you’re looking for something reminiscent of the Dark Souls trilogy, this is your stop.
June 24, 2025
Blasphemous is an avant-garde spin on the Souls formula, and the most eye-catching thing here is that it’s a 2D platformer with sword/parry combat. While it plays similarly to Hollow Knight or Dead Cells, the XP mechanics work like the Souls series wherein if you are defeated, you have to go and retrieve your XP while getting another chance to fight the enemy that bested you.
While the gameplay isn’t 1:1 to Dark Souls, the aesthetics, tone, and general design are inspired by it. The levels are bleak and the bosses even bleaker. If you’re looking for a new spin on Souls, Blasphemous is a good place to start.
Jun 21, 2025
The publishers of Stray have their own Soulslike experience in the form of Ashen, a minimalist open-world game that comes into its own quite quickly. Annapurna games are usually great at using environments to tell a story, and making a Soulslike was the perfect choice for them seeing as how environmental storytelling is one of the biggest strengths of Dark Souls and FromSoft titles in general.
What’s cool about Ashen is how it made this open-world Soulslike back in 2019, years before Elden Ring came out. Overall, if you’re looking for something specifically like Elden Ring, you should pick Ashen. Co-op is also featured, andit can be short and sweet or quite lengthydepending on how much you want to do.
May 19, 2025
Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja make their way onto the list with their Sekiro-inspired Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Where Sekiro encouraged you to get good at parrying enemies' attacks, this game lets you know early on that parrying is essential to its combat. Whereas Sekiro was a bit more linear with its progression, here are RPG elements that can change how you approach encounters.
Various weapons and their skills, magical attacks and abilities, and cool enemy variety keep Wo Long afloat between its challenging boss fights, so if you’re looking for something to scratch the Sekiro itch specifically, this should be your choice. Not to mention that there’s a pretty in-depth character creator as well.
May 12, 2025
Code Vein might be the most unique Soulslike ever launched. Bandai Namco, the publishers of Dark Souls, made this game in-house. A striking anime art style mixed with hyper-edgy aesthetics throughout gives a striking visual and narrative tone throughout the experience. Using your blood as magic, take on the end of the world with increasingly difficult and off-the-wall boss fights in true anime style.
While it can be pretty insane at times, Code Vein grounds itself through its various combat systems in place, where you’re using your blood powers and various weapons to stagger your enemies and then beat them down. It’s fast-paced and doesn’t skip out on any of the edges. It is unapologetically a lot to take in, but if you’re a Souls fan, you might appreciate many of its design choices.
July 22, 2025
Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja are back on the list with one of the more popular Soulslikes on the market, Nioh. The Nioh titles put players in the middle of Japan during the Sengoku period, where monsters and humans alike are fighting each other in a chaotic war for unification.
One of the big mechanics is being able to use different stances with your weapons, and each stance determines your attack, block, and speed/recovery. You can also use ki pulses to regenerate your stamina if it’s super low, giving you a second chance in combat. Between the world, the magic, and the true, albeit heavily embellished, history that’s featured throughout Nioh will be a joy to Souls fans everywhere.
Release Date (Survivor)
July 12, 2025
If you’re a Souls fan and a Star Wars fan, you’re missing out if you haven’t played these games. Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor are both solid Soulslikes, taking inspiration from Dark Souls in the former and then coming more into their own in the latter. The series puts you in the shoes of a Jedi padawan by the name of Cal Kestis, and you follow his journey learning what it means to be a Jedi both in spirit and brutal combat.
Force powers are the big draw, along with the lightsaber styles and deep customization. Both entries in this series have something for Souls fans, be it the inspired combat, novel Force abilities, Elden Ring-esque open world in Survivor, and so, so much more. These games wear their inspiration on their sleeve and become something unique because of it.
Jun 23, 2025
This game has a cool concept, cool enemy design, combat mechanics, and music. Everything about Lies of P just shows the developers had fun making it. Many people quote it as being the true spiritual successor to Bloodborne, and it shows with its ruined Victorian world and the struggle between being a human and not.
Lies of P is the peak of using Public Domain to make a great piece of media. Not only it is a great Soulslike in form and mechanics, but it’s also pretty accessible to players unfamiliar with the Souls formula. If you’re a Souls vet or someone new to the genre, be sure to check this one out.
