7 best games like Lies of P to play in 2024, from Bloodborne to Steelrising
Lies of P, inspired by the classic Pinocchio tale, combines Victorian gothic horror with Soulslike mechanics to make for a wholly unique experience.
Whether you're hunting for a new Soulslike game or want to embrace some unique horror, our guide for the best games like Lies of P is sure to help you find a new favourite that features similarities to the game’s elements and leaves you wanting more.
How I chose the best games like Lies of P
I loved Lies of P, but I'm admittedly a bit of a sucker for this genre, so it was always going to be a perfect marriage for my tastes. And yet, Lies of P was still a surprise because it delivered on a tried and tested formula in a way few games have.
It made making this list a bit easier, though, as all the games on the list below deliver on what they set out to - even if they deviate and iterate on what's come before. Most of all, all these games are going to test your patience, so I wish you luck with them.
Best games like Lies of P
#7 – Remnant 2
Click to enlargeRemnant 2 details & key features
- Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Release date: 2023
- Key features:
- Procedurally generated worlds make playthroughs feel unique
- Simple but challenging combat
- The whole game can be played co-op
Machine guns? In a Soulslike? That's what Remnant 2 is bringing to the table by being a third-person shooter but with the sensibilities and challenge that can be found in games like Lies of P.
The shooting feels good, you'll be rolling and weaving to try and beat bosses, but what elevates the game is being able to play through the whole game with pals - something I have been desperate for in a more traditional Soulslike.
#6 – Steelrising
Click to enlargeSteelrising details & key features
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5
- Release date: 2022
- Key features:
- Alternative history setting
- Unique robotic abilities
- Soulslike elements
If you thought Lies of P was the first Soulslike game to feature malevolent automatons, then think again. Steelrising takes place in an alternate version of the French Revolution, where you, a decadently decorated robot, must put an end to the tyranny of King Louis XVI and his newfound mechanical army.
While not a perfect game mechanically (pun intended), it certainly provides an insight into similar themes of Lies of P, namely the use of automatons in a conflict, the question of what it means to be human, and, of course, some lavish décor.
#5 – Hollow Knight
Click to enlargeHollow Knight details & key features
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac
- Release date: 2017
- Key features:
- Beautifully designed world
- Fast, enjoyable movement
- Punishing combat and gameplay
If you've not played Hollow Knight, it appearing on lists like this one may come as a surprise from a glance, but it has everything you would want from a game post Lies of P. In recent years, this genre (and takes on it) has only become more frequent - yet Hollow Knight remains one of the best interpretations around.
The world is cruel, brutal and melancholic, yet there is a subtle beauty and charm whilst you explore. You're exposed to a variety of delightful characters in between bosses that don't hold back.
#4 – Vampyr
Click to enlargeVampyr details & key features
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Release date: 2018
- Key features:
- Gothic setting
- Moral decisions
- Semi-open world
While you’ll find plenty of Soulslikes on here, there is also something to be said for the Victorian gothic setting that Lies of P presents. Vampyr is a somewhat underrated title that offers similar choice systems and a vampiric vision.
You’ll be playing as Jonathan Reid, a doctor turned vampire who is forced to choose between his newfound bloodlust and the honour of his Hippocratic Oath. Like Pinocchio grappling with the concept of humanity, Vampyr will have you torn between the light and the dark. The urge to save, and the urge to kill.
#3 – Thymesia
Click to enlargeThymesia details & key features
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
- Release date: 2022
- Key features:
- Indie developed
- Soulslike mechanics
- Unique plague-based powers
Perhaps best described as the indie equivalent of Bloodborne and Dark Souls, Thymesia places you in a world plagued with, well… a plague, and will have you taking up the mantle as a mysterious custom character who has harnessed the power of the deadly disease.
While not the most polished experience, Thymesia is one game like Lies of P that offers an ominous setting and a miasmic menace to pick up and play once the curtain has closed on P's adventure.
#2 – Demon’s Souls
Click to enlargeDemon’s Souls details & key features
- Platforms: PlayStation 5
- Release date: 2020
- Key features:
- A remake of a genre-defining title
- Dark-fantasy setting
- PS5 launch title
The original Souls title remastered to perfection, the Demon’s Souls remake was a launch title for the PlayStation 5 and demonstrates just what the console can do. With beautiful particle effects, haptic feedback and a beguiling story, it is not one to sleep on.
Substituting the gothic setting for a realm of foggy fantasy, dragons and more, FromSoftware’s original Souslike is still an eerie experience. While it may not outwardly seem like a game similar to Lies of P, the game that started the chain of events that led to Lies of P’s genre origins is surely not one to be sniffed at.
What is the best game like Lies of P?
#1 – Bloodborne
Click to enlargeBloodborne details & key features
- Platforms: PlayStation 4
- Release date: 2015
- Key features:
- Aggressive, bloodthirsty combat
- Developed by FromSoftware
- Inspired by gothic literature
It goes without saying that anyone who wants to play Lies of P should also be playing Bloodborne, and it's our pick for the best game like it out there. Hell, you should be playing Bloodborne period. FromSoftware’s unrelenting masterpiece is a gossamer gothic dance of brutality, as you fend off the bestial scourge that has consumed the city of Yharnam.
Bloodborne is the quintessential gothic horror title that delves into so much more than it initially appears. While we may be quite a long way off from getting a PC port or sequel, it is certainly worth playing the original in all its glory on the PlayStation. Do it. Do it now. You won’t regret it.
For more on Lies of P, be sure to check out our Lies of P homepage for all the latest content or our lists homepage for gaming recommendations on the best cosy games or games like Baldur's Gate 3 to find even more titles.
