Soulslike Games, Ranked

Won The Game Awards' Game of the Year 2022 and has sold over 30 million copies, expanding the Souls formula into a sprawling open world whose underlying mythology and backstory were written by George R. R. Martin. Its scope, boss design, and freedom make it the genre's definitive statement.

The game that named and popularized the 'soulslike,' with an interconnected Lordran and bonfire loop that defined the category (building on Demon's Souls two years earlier). Its brutal difficulty and cryptic storytelling reshaped action RPGs for a decade.

A PS4 exclusive that traded shields for aggressive rally-based combat and drenched the formula in cosmic Lovecraftian horror. Widely praised for its Gothic Yharnam and still regarded as a FromSoftware peak.

Won The Game Awards' Game of the Year 2019 by swapping RPG stats for a precise posture-and-parry rhythm around a single katana. Its deflection-based dueling redefined what a soulslike could be.

A faster, fan-service-heavy sendoff to the trilogy with the acclaimed Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City DLC. Tightly designed bosses make it many players' favorite of the three.

The original prototype for the entire genre, introducing the Nexus hub, soul economy, and online messages. Bluepoint's 2020 PS5 remake proved how ahead of its time it was.

A Bloodborne-inspired Pinocchio retelling widely praised as one of the strongest non-FromSoftware soulslikes, noted for its Belle Epoque setting and perfect-guard combat. Its 2025 Overture DLC further cemented its reputation.

Deepened the original's stance-switching, ki-pulse combat with yokai transformations and Burst Counters, offering some of the most mechanically dense action in the genre. A high skill ceiling rewards mastery.

The divisive middle child, criticized for disjointed world geography and adaptability-gated i-frames but praised for build variety and its Scholar of the First Sin edition. Its DLC trio is genuinely strong.

Team Ninja's Sengoku-era debut fused Ninja Gaiden speed with Souls structure and loot-driven progression. Mission-based levels and repeated environments hold it a notch below its sequel.

Respawn's sequel expanded the accessible soulslike lightsaber combat with new stances and semi-open zones. Strong design was undercut at launch by notable performance problems.

Brought Souls-style checkpoints and stamina dueling to a mainstream Star Wars adventure, making the genre approachable for millions. Metroidvania traversal broadens its appeal.

A 2D metroidvania that borrows Souls' bench-checkpoint, geo-on-death, and cryptic lore into a hand-drawn Hallownest. Its brutal bosses and atmosphere earned a massive following.

A rare gun-based, co-op soulslike with procedurally generated worlds and a deep archetype/class system. Its shooter twist on the formula won a dedicated audience.

Team Ninja's Three Kingdoms action leaned on a fast deflect-heavy spirit system and reviewed solidly, but its morale mechanic and uneven difficulty spikes drew mixed player reactions. Good, but a step below their Nioh work.

A sci-fi soulslike with a clever limb-targeting system that lets you sever and loot specific gear. Repetitive industrial environments keep it middling.

An ambitious indie built around possessing dead warrior 'shells' and a Hardening defense mechanic. Short length and rough edges limit it despite an atmospheric world.

The 2023 reboot's dual-world Umbral lantern mechanic was inventive, but launch-window performance issues and messy balance held it back. A heavily patched cult curiosity.

An early, sluggish Souls imitator with clunky combat and a forgettable world, notable mainly for being one of the first clones. It aged into a cautionary tale.

A gun-focused soulslike widely panned for stiff shooting, drab levels, and technical jank. It sits among the genre's most notorious low points.