13 best games to play like Dark Souls in 2023 for PC & console

Few series have been as inspirational in modern gaming as Dark Souls. The games by FromSoftware birthed the Soulslike genre of challenging, dense and satisfying games that reward a player's patience and perseverance, while still respecting their ability. 

For some, the challenge and gameplay are the draw, but the aesthetic of Dark Souls just isn't for everyone. The games in this list capture the essence of Dark Souls but bring their own unique flavour. This list should have something for everyone, from players who just want to dip their toes in, to hardcore fans of the genre.

Keep reading for a comprehensive list of the best Soulslike games you can play right now on PC and console in 2023.

Best games like Dark Souls for PC and console in 2023

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Respawn | Team Cherry | FromSoftware

Dark Souls and the Soulslike genre are largely defined by their punishing difficulty, but there are a few other consistencies that have stuck too. Things like losing your experience and resources after death, 'bonfires' that you can rest at that restore fallen enemies, challenging but fair combat, a loose narrative, and vast, complex areas interconnected with shortcuts.

While not every game we have chosen on this list will have all of the features listed above, they will have at least a couple - making them eligible to be called one of the best Soulslike games.

We won't leave you resting at a bonfire any longer, however, so make sure to keep reading to see our picks for the best games like Dark Souls you can play in 2023:

#13 - Mortal Shell

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Cold Symmetry

Mortal Shell details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: PlayStation Plus Extra 
• Release date: 2020
• Key features:
  • Clear Dark Souls influence
  • Intriguing story
  • Heavy and deliberate combat

If there was any game that was unashamedly indebted to the Souls series on this list, it would be Mortal Shell, as the developers have not been shy about their adoration for FromSoftware's work.

This action RPG is one of the best Soulslike games out there purely due to how closely it sticks to the formula, emulating the heavy and deliberate combat that was especially prevalent within Dark Souls.

It also introduces its new core 'shell' system, where you take on various lost warriors to gain new abilities and completely change playstyles. If you're looking for a game with plenty of bite, then Mortal Shell might be the one for you.

#12 - Demon's Souls

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Image via BluePoint

Demon's Souls details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5
• Subscription Service: PlayStation Plus Extra
• Release date: 2020
• Key features:
  • Genre-defining game
  • Faithful remake with gorgeous visuals
  • Showcase for PS5 graphics

When it comes to Soulslike games, one title that should not be overlooked is the progenitor of the genre, remastered in all its glory. Demon's Souls, the FromSoftware title that preceded Dark Souls, laid the blueprint for the Souls series and established the mechanics that would go on to become series staples.

Remade with intricate detail by BluePoint (who also remade The Shadow of the Colossus for the PS4), the Demon's Souls remake was a launch title for the PS5, and worked as an excellent showcase for the graphical fidelity players could come to expect from the console.

#11 - Blasphemous

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The Game Kitchen

Blasphemous details & key features:

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: PlayStation Plus Extra
• Release date: 2019
• Key features:
  • Metroidvania with Soulslike influence
  • Detailed 2D visuals
  • Eerie story and challenging combat

While slightly more Metroidvania than completely Souls, it is undeniable the influence that games like Dark Souls had on Blasphemous. Set in the deeply religious realm of Cvstodia, Blasphemous offers brutal 2D combat and stunning visuals that you won't quickly forget, making it easily one of the best Soulslike games you can play right now.

It has many of the hallmarks of a great game like Dark Souls too, with the aforementioned challenging combat, a relatively loose narrative, and checkpoints where you can replenish your health and reset the area.

If you're looking for something a little different than the standard Soulslike experience, then definitely check out Blasphemous as we're sure you won't regret it.

#10 -  Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

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Respawn

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: N/A
• Release date: 2023
• Key features:
  • Lightsaber combat
  • Continues story from Jedi: Fallen Order
  • Cinematic performances from the cast

Who would have thought that Dark Souls would make its way into an IP as big as Star Wars? Both Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and its predecessor Fallen Order certainly proved us wrong. Like many of the best Soulslike games, there are fingerprints of Dark Souls on every corner, with the added flavour of Star Wars that makes it even more appealing to many.

Unsurprisingly, it works incredibly well - with lightsaber combat suited perfectly to the conscious action of the genre, making for one of the best games like Dark Souls out there.

Furthermore, these two games have a more traditional narrative approach than what we typically see from FromSoftware, so if you want a more immediate story with a wide cast of characters then make sure to look Cal Kestis' way.

#9 - Nioh 2

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Koei Tecmo

Nioh 2 details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC (Steam)
• Release date: 2020
• Key features:
  • High-difficulty ceiling
  • Unique Japanese settings and aesthetic
  • Stance-based combat

Bringing the Ninja Gaiden flair to the Dark Souls formula, Nioh 2 is easily one of the best Soulslike games you can play right now on PC and console.

Many might even argue that Nioh 2 is the hardest Souls-like game out there, offering an immeasurably punishing experience to even the most experienced of Dark Souls veterans. You'll have to balance three different stances and the unique Ki pulse system to overcome Nioh 2's toughest challenges, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart or mind.

If somehow FromSoft's games are a bit too easy for you, then buckle up with Nioh 2, as you will likely find the challenge that you're searching for in late 16th Century Japan, in one of the best Soulslike games.

#8 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

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FromSoftware

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice details & key features:

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC (Steam)
• Release date: 2019
• Key features:
  • Won Game of the Year
  • Rewarding and satisfying combat
  • Narrative and character-driven

Speaking of 16th Century Japan, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the first of three games that we're cheating a bit with, as it is a bit too obvious of a choice. Developed by FromSoftware themselves, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is hands down one of the best games like Dark Souls on PC and console that you can pick up and play.

It is the furthest departure FromSoftware have taken from the formula since the release of Dark Souls back in 2011, featuring no weapon flexibility, a rather rigid combat system, and less punishment upon death.

However, it retains the same exceptional challenge that the series has become known for, with some of FromSoft's greatest-ever bosses and fan favourite areas featured in Wolf's journey, making Sekiro impossible to ignore when considering the best Soulslike games.

#7 - Hollow Knight

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Team Cherry

Hollow Knight details & features:

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: Xbox Game Pass / PlayStation Plus Extra 
• Release date: 2017
• Key features:
  • Lovingly crafted world
  • Unique setting and design
  • Metroidvania with Soulslike qualities

Offering a hybrid between the Metroidvania and Soulslike genres, Hollow Knight is an absolute must-play if you've not had the chance to yet. Featuring stunning maze-like levels, hard-to-master combat, and rest points that restore fallen enemies, Hollow Knight is positively overflowing with Souls influence, and we can't help but love it.

You'll visit beautiful and varied locales, fight a wide selection of extremely challenging bosses, and piece together a storied history full of myth and legend. It is best to go into Hollow Knight will no knowledge of the game at all if you can, as it truly benefits from the sense of discovery - no matter how daunting it might seem at first.

One thing we can guarantee is that there is a lot that you will be familiar with if you're a lover of Dark Souls, making Hollow Knight stand out as one of our top picks for the best Soulslike games out there right now.

#6 - Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon

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Armored Core 6 details & features:

• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: N/A
• Release date: 2023
• Key features:
  • Challenging, fast-paced combat
  • Fully customisable mechs
  • Soulslike gameplay in a sci-fi setting

Hot off the press, Armored Core 6 is another title from FromSoft - and while it's not quite your typical Soulslike game, it does borrow a lot of DNA.

For starters, it has a similar stagger mechanic to Sekiro, another Soulsike game from the developer. Here, you'll need to ensure that you deal enough damage to stagger the enemy before actually piling on the hit points to take them down.

Armored Core 6 opts for a linear level design, but it's in the mech-building that this game truly shines as a Soulslike RPG. Just like your Dark Souls character, there are endless customization options to truly make your mech your own. Oh, and you can customise the liveries too for that extra personality flair.

Of all the games on this list, Armored Core 6 is likely the biggest departure from the Soulslike genre. However, that might be just what you're after if you're looking to play a game that's similar to Dark Souls, but not quite the same.

#5  - Lords of the Fallen (2023) 

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Lords of the Fallen details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5, PC, Xbox Series X|S 
• Release date: 2023
• Subscription Service: N/A
• Key features:
  • Unique take on well trodden format
  • Gorgeous visuals 
  • Interesting NPCs & world 

This is not to be confused with the 2014 game of the same name, with 2023's offering acting as a sequel to the original. Lords of the Fallen picks up the story a thousand years later and the world is once again being threatened by the return of the demon God.

The game, for the most part, is very paint-by-number within the Dark Souls formula but it has one feature that helps it stand out - the Umbral Lamp. It allows players to bounce between the land of the living and the land of the dead, offering puzzles and new exploration options.

#4 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

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Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom details & key features:

• Platforms: Nintendo Switch
• Release date: 2023
• Subscription Service: N/A
• Key features:
  • Epic sequel to Breath of the Wild
  • Hours of gameplay
  • Vast open-world

While it might seem like an odd choice considering the previous entries, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is still one of the best games like Dark Souls even if it might not seem like it at first glance.

The influence of the Zelda series on Dark Souls is clear, and one only has to glance towards Sen's Fortress to see the clearest manifestation of this. However, the comparisons aren't just limited to the dungeons, but instead, the way you move through the world, and the secrets you can discover, making this hard not to consider when thinking of the best Soulslike games.

On the flip side, it is also quite clear the influence that Dark Souls had on the two most recent Zelda games, beyond the bonfires. Dark Souls showed that a game with vague and open-ended storytelling can be successful, a style that the recent Zelda games have embraced.

It seems a bit silly to be recommending a game as unanimously loved as TOTK, but if you love the Souls series but have never tried a Zelda game, then this might be the right place to start.

Find out more about why you should play the latest Zelda in our glowing Tears of the Kingdom review

#3 - Lies of P 

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Lies of P details & key features:

• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC 
• Subscription Service: Xbox Game Pass
• Release date: 2023
• Key features:
  • Atmospheric locations
  • Bone-crunching, fast-paced combat 
  • Unique lie mechanic 

A Pinocchio game may seem out of place on a list of Dark Souls games, but Lies of P wears its Dark Souls inspirations on its sleeve and pays homage to the series incredibly well, whilst also carving out its own identity and space in the genre.

Few games have successfully captured the magic of a Dark Souls game, and to say Lies of P has achieved it is an understatement. The best part is, that you can play it on Xbox Game Pass now. 

If you're on the fence about diving into the world of Pinocchio, here is our Lies of P review 

#2 - Bloodborne

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FromSoftware

Bloodborne details & key features:

• Platforms: PS4
• Release date: 2015
• Subscription Service: PlayStation Plus Extra
• Key features:
  • Spooky gothic setting
  • Gory fast-based combat
  • Deserves a sequel

While it is an incredibly close fight for the top spot, Bloodborne has just been pipped for the number one spot, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not one of the best Soulslike games you can pick up if you somehow haven't already.

Taking the Dark Souls format to a gothic world oozing with blood and horrors is a recipe for greatness in and of itself, but combining that with a fast-paced, parry-focussed combat that might just be FromSoft's most enjoyable, and you get what many consider to be the best game ever made.

If you have somehow never picked up Bloodborne and are looking for a game like Dark Souls, then you should drop everything and play it right now - or at least wait until you've read our last entry.

What is the best Soulslike game in 2023?

#1 - Elden Ring

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FromSoftware

Elden Ring details & key features:

• Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC (Steam)
• Subscription Service: N/A
• Release date: 2022
  • Vast open world rife for exploring
  • Complete creative control
  • Game of the Year winner

This will almost certainly not come as a surprise to many, but our pick for the best Soulslike game you can play in 2023 is Elden Ring.

Many consider Elden Ring to be Dark Souls 4 in all but name, but it is far more than the latest instalment of FromSoftware's defining series. It truly feels like everything that FromSoft have been working towards is encapsulated within a game, with the move to an open world at the heart of its success.

You are of course getting all of the hallmarks that you would expect from a Soulslike game, with outstanding interconnected areas, top-tier dungeons, monumental bosses, and brutal difficulty, but it somehow tops all of these categories and much more within the context of the series.

Much like Bloodborne, you are doing yourself an absolute disservice if you've yet to play Elden Ring, but there's no better time than right now to change that, especially with the Shadow of The Erdtree DLC having been announced.

So, that wraps up this list of the best games like Dark Souls that you can play on PC and console in 2023, giving you some excellent picks to add to your collection if you're a fan of the punishing game series.

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