The Best Soulslike Games That Prove Difficulty Can Be Art

"Soulslike" became a genre designation because FromSoftware's Dark Souls was influential enough that developers needed a shorthand for games inspired by its design principles. Demanding combat requiring careful reads, deliberate pace, interconnected worlds, punishing death mechanics that teach through failure, cryptic storytelling — these elements combine into an experience players will put hundreds of hours into despite (or because of) the difficulty.

The genre has exploded over the past decade. Here's the best of FromSoftware plus the indie and AAA studios who've made soulslikes their own specialty.

The FromSoftware Canon

Dark Souls established the genre. The interconnected world of Lordran, the methodical combat, the mystery behind every NPC and item description — it's the template every soulslike is measured against. The Remastered version is the best way to play it now.

Dark Souls III is FromSoftware's most refined traditional souls game. The combat is faster than DS1 while maintaining deliberate weight, the bosses are among the series' best (Gael, Friede, Midir), and the world connectivity echoes the original while offering its own identity.

Bloodborne (PS5 ports when?) took the souls formula to Lovecraftian gothic horror. The faster combat with the rally mechanic rewarding aggression, the Victorian horror aesthetic, and the cosmic horror revelations make it many fans' favorite FromSoftware game.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice changed the formula into a deflection-focused combat puzzle. Instead of dodge-rolling and stamina management, Sekiro demands perfect parry timing. The Sengoku-era Japanese setting and more focused narrative make it feel distinct from Dark Souls.

Elden Ring applied the souls formula to an open world and created one of the most acclaimed games ever made. The Lands Between is massive, the build variety is unprecedented for the genre, and the collaboration with George R.R. Martin on worldbuilding added depth to the environmental storytelling. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is essentially a sequel in scope.

Demon's Souls Remake from Bluepoint brought the genre's ancestor to PS5 with stunning presentation. The original game still holds up as the prototype that would become Dark Souls.

The AAA Soulslikes

Lies of P from Round8 Studio is the soulslike based on Pinocchio. The Belle Époque setting is distinctive, the combat is tight, and the weapon combination system (mixing blade and handle for different movesets) is mechanically interesting. Widely considered one of the best non-FromSoftware soulslikes.

Nioh and Nioh 2 from Team Ninja blend souls combat with Koei Tecmo's hack-and-slash pedigree. The stance system (high/mid/low) creates combat depth, the loot system is denser than souls games typically support, and the Sengoku-era setting has its own flavor.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty from Team Ninja uses the parry-focused combat of Sekiro in a Three Kingdoms China setting. Faster than Nioh, more aggressive, and with morale-based progression that creates distinct pacing.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor from Respawn brought soulslike combat to the Star Wars universe. The lightsaber combat feels appropriate for the franchise, and the exploration structure echoes metroidvanias more than traditional souls.

Code Vein is an anime soulslike with vampires in a post-apocalyptic setting. Divisive for its tonal shift from FromSoftware's grimness but appreciated by fans who wanted souls combat with more accessible storytelling.

The Indie Soulslikes

The indie development scene has produced some of the most distinctive soulslikes, often by taking the formula in unexpected directions.

Hollow Knight is a 2D metroidvania soulslike that set the standard for indie interpretations of the genre. Team Cherry built a world with the depth of Dark Souls' Lordran at a fraction of the development resources, and the combat rewards precision the same way FromSoftware's games do.

Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 from The Game Kitchen apply soulslike design to Spanish Catholic religious horror imagery. The atmosphere is unlike anything else in the genre, and the combat demands the same careful reads as traditional souls games.

Salt and Sacrifice (and its predecessor Salt and Sanctuary) bring soulslike combat to side-scrolling 2D. The mage hunt structure of Sacrifice creates boss-focused gameplay with exploration between fights.

Mortal Shell is a small-scale soulslike where you possess different "shells" (characters) with distinct playstyles. Shorter than FromSoftware games but dense with soulslike design philosophy.

Ashen combines soulslike combat with dynamic co-op and a painterly visual style. The world is more forgiving aesthetically than traditional souls games, but the combat demands the same engagement.

Dark Devotion is a 2D soulslike with religious horror themes. The permadeath mechanics are harsher than most entries, and the atmosphere is relentlessly grim.

The Soulslike-Adjacent Games

Nine Sols from Red Candle Games combines metroidvania exploration with Sekiro-style deflection combat. The Taopunk aesthetic (cyberpunk Taoist mythology) is distinctive, and the parry timing is genuinely demanding.

Thymesia is a smaller soulslike focused on disease-themed combat. Shorter and more focused than most entries in the genre.

The Surge and The Surge 2 are sci-fi soulslikes with limb-targeting combat where you can specifically attack and sever enemy body parts to claim their equipment.

Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant II are soulslike third-person shooters with procedurally generated levels and roguelike elements. The gunplay-first approach gives them a different feel while retaining the deliberate pacing.

The Broader Influence

Soulslike design has influenced games that aren't strictly in the genre. Roguelites like Hades borrow soulslike combat weight. Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight blend the genres explicitly. Even action roguelites like Dead Cells have boss designs that echo FromSoftware's approach.

The shared DNA across these genres is the willingness to challenge players without apology, the respect for mastery, and the belief that difficulty creates meaning. These design principles have spread far beyond pure souls games.

What we make at Choost

We're a small indie studio. Our games: Granny's Rampage — a bullet heaven where grandma grabs a minigun and fights through hell — and Granny's Gambit, a Victorian deckbuilder roguelike starring a card-slinging nan with a chip on her shoulder. Granny's Rampage is $2.99 on itch (Windows) and Google Play (Android), with the Steam launch on June 22 (also $2.99). Granny's Gambit is pay-what-you-want on itch.

Why Soulslikes Matter

FromSoftware's innovation wasn't just making hard games — plenty of games are hard. What FromSoftware figured out was how to make difficulty feel meaningful rather than punishing. Every death teaches something. Every boss fight is solvable if you pay attention. The world rewards curiosity and patience.

That design philosophy produced games people feel genuine ownership over. Beating Malenia in Elden Ring or Ludwig in Bloodborne isn't just a checkbox — it's a personal achievement that people remember for years. Few other genres produce that kind of investment.

The soulslike genre will keep growing because the formula scales across settings, art styles, and development budgets. The best indie games of 2026 will almost certainly include new soulslikes pushing the genre into territory FromSoftware hasn't explored. And FromSoftware themselves continue to iterate, which means the genre will keep evolving.

Start with Dark Souls Remastered or Elden Ring if you want the FromSoftware experience. Hollow Knight or Blasphemous if you want indie soulslike excellence. Lies of P or Nioh if you want modern AAA interpretations. Whatever you choose, expect to die a lot, and expect to feel genuinely accomplished when you stop.