Games Like Elden Ring for Your Next Open World Suffering

Elden Ring from FromSoftware broke records for good reason. The combination of souls-style combat with massive open-world exploration produced one of the most acclaimed games ever made, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC added essentially a full sequel's worth of content. Beating Malenia, cheesing Radahn (or losing to him legitimately), exploring Siofra River, these moments define modern gaming.

Finding what comes next after hundreds of hours in the Lands Between is the question this guide answers.

What other FromSoftware games should I play after Elden Ring?

The best FromSoftware games to play after Elden Ring are the Dark Souls trilogy, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon's Souls (PS5 remake), and Armored Core VI. Each shares Elden Ring's core design philosophy of punishing but fair combat, cryptic lore, and rewarding exploration, though none are fully open world.

Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, and Dark Souls III are the trilogy Elden Ring evolved from. Different pace than open world (each game takes 40-60 hours rather than 80-150), but the combat philosophy and world-building are FromSoftware at their most refined.

Bloodborne is Elden Ring's spiritual cousin. The faster Victorian gothic combat, the cosmic horror themes, the Rally mechanic rewarding aggression, Bloodborne feels like Elden Ring's aggressive sibling. PS4/PS5 exclusive, which remains tragedy.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is FromSoftware's deflection-focused Sengoku-era Japan soulslike. More focused than Elden Ring but equally brilliant.

Demon's Souls (Bluepoint PS5 remake) is the genre's ancestor with modernized presentation.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon took FromSoftware's design philosophy into mecha action. Not traditionally a soulslike but shares DNA.

What soulslikes have open world exploration like Elden Ring?

Very few games combine souls-style combat with true open world design. The closest options are Lords of the Fallen (2023) with its interconnected realm-shifting areas, Dragon's Dogma 2 with its massive explorable map and challenging combat, and Lies of P and Nioh 2 for combat that feels closest to Elden Ring in tighter level structures.

The tricky part about Elden Ring is that very few games combine souls combat with open world design. Most soulslikes stick to interconnected corridors rather than massive open spaces.

Lies of P delivers Bloodborne-style combat in linear form. Not open world but close to Elden Ring in combat feel.

Nioh 2 has linear missions in procedural variations. Massive content, deep combat depth, but not open world.

Lords of the Fallen (2023) has interconnected areas and a realm-shifting mechanic. Closer to open-world exploration than most soulslikes.

Dragon's Dogma 2 isn't a soulslike but offers massive open-world exploration with challenging combat and a focus on environmental danger. The Pawn system (AI companions) creates unique tactical situations.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty from Team Ninja has Sekiro-style deflection combat in Three Kingdoms China setting.

What are the best open world games like Elden Ring?

If you loved Elden Ring's open world scope above all else, the top alternatives are The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon Forbidden West, and Baldur's Gate 3. Each delivers massive explorable worlds with deep content, though combat styles vary widely.

If what you loved about Elden Ring was primarily the open world scope, the broader open world genre has plenty to offer.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has comparable scale with very different combat. Three massive regions, dense side quests, mature storytelling.

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom redefined open-world design with physics-driven exploration and emergent problem-solving.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is the most atmospheric open world ever made. Slower pace than Elden Ring but equally impressive in scope.

Horizon Forbidden West has beautiful post-apocalyptic vistas with robotic dinosaur combat.

Baldur's Gate 3 is open-world CRPG at massive scale. Different pacing completely but equivalent depth.

What are the best indie soulslikes like Elden Ring?

The best indie soulslikes for Elden Ring fans are Hollow Knight, Blasphemous 1 and 2, Nine Sols, Another Crab's Treasure, and Salt and Sacrifice. These 2D titles capture the punishing combat, cryptic worldbuilding, and exploration-driven design that define the soulslike genre, all at a fraction of the price.

Hollow Knight is a 2D metroidvania with soulslike sensibilities. Team Cherry built a world with depth comparable to what Elden Ring offers at a fraction of the production budget.

Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 apply soulslike combat to Spanish Catholic religious horror imagery.

Nine Sols combines metroidvania exploration with Sekiro-style deflection.

Another Crab's Treasure is a whimsical soulslike about a hermit crab. Genuinely challenging underneath the charm.

Salt and Sacrifice is 2D side-scrolling soulslike with a mage-hunt structure.

What challenging action games are similar to Elden Ring?

If Elden Ring's difficulty is what hooked you, the most challenging alternatives are Nioh 2, Remnant II, Stellar Blade, Code Vein, Thymesia, and The Surge series. These games all deliver punishing combat with soulslike mechanics, ranging from complex loot-driven RPGs to focused, smaller-scale experiences.

If it was the challenge that hooked you in Elden Ring rather than the FromSoftware aesthetic:

Nioh and Nioh 2 are dense, demanding action RPGs with the most complex loot system in any soulslike-adjacent game.

Remnant II is a soulslike third-person shooter with procedurally generated levels and co-op.

Stellar Blade offers action-RPG combat with souls influences but more linear structure.

Code Vein is anime soulslike with vampires.

Thymesia is focused smaller-scale soulslike centered on disease-themed combat.

The Surge and The Surge 2 are sci-fi soulslikes with limb-targeting combat.

What games have lore and storytelling like Elden Ring?

Games that deliver lore through environmental clues and item descriptions, similar to Elden Ring's approach, include Hollow Knight, Death Stranding, Shadow of the Colossus, and Ico. These titles trust players to piece together the narrative themselves rather than relying on cutscenes or exposition dumps.

Elden Ring's dense lore delivered through item descriptions and environmental storytelling is distinctly FromSoftware. Games with similar approach:

Hollow Knight (again) tells its story through environment and item descriptions.

Death Stranding uses environmental storytelling and cryptic narrative.

Shadow of the Colossus lets you piece together its story through observation rather than exposition.

Ico shares Team Ico's storytelling approach of wordless emotional narrative.

Which Elden Ring alternative should I play based on what I want?

Your ideal Elden Ring alternative depends on what part of the experience you loved most. The table below matches your preferred playstyle or mood to the games that best deliver on that specific appeal, from deep lore junkies to open world explorers to players chasing pure mechanical precision.

If you want more lore: Dark Souls I and III for pure FromSoftware worldbuilding, Hollow Knight for indie equivalent depth.

If you want open world scope: The Witcher 3, Baldur's Gate 3, Breath of the Wild.

If you want precision combat: Sekiro, Nioh 2.

If you want accessibility: Dragon's Dogma 2 is more forgiving than FromSoftware titles while offering similar "explore and find dangerous things" satisfaction.

If you want indie equivalents: Hollow Knight is essential. Nine Sols for Sekiro-adjacent. Blasphemous for unique aesthetic.

Why Elden Ring Resonated

Elden Ring succeeded because it was the first game to truly merge FromSoftware's punishing soulslike combat with genuine open world exploration. That combination felt fresh even for veteran Dark Souls players, and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC proved the formula has room to grow even further.

Elden Ring succeeded by combining FromSoftware's design philosophy with open-world design in a way nobody had done before. The genre's tradition of linear or semi-linear maps got replaced with genuine exploration, and the result felt fresh even to players who'd played every Dark Souls game.

The soulslike genre will keep evolving because FromSoftware keeps iterating (Shadow of the Erdtree expanded Elden Ring to essentially sequel-scale, and rumors about Bloodborne sequels and Elden Ring 2 won't die). Plus dozens of other studios are attempting their own takes on souls-style design.

Start with Dark Souls III if you want the most polished traditional FromSoftware experience. Bloodborne if you have PlayStation access. Dragon's Dogma 2 if you want open-world exploration with different combat. Hollow Knight if you want indie soulslike excellence. All will deliver on the core appeal that made Elden Ring special, the satisfaction of conquering challenges through patience, observation, and mastery.