Games Like Deus Ex: The Best Cyberpunk Immersive Sims
The best games like Deus Ex — cyberpunk immersive sims with player choice, supernatural augmentations, and the freedom to solve problems your way.
Deus Ex invented a specific kind of RPG-shooter-immersive-sim hybrid in 2000 that nobody has quite replicated. You were an augmented agent in a near-future conspiracy world. Every level let you sneak, shoot, hack, or talk your way through. Every choice had consequences. The conspiracy plots were actually good. It was ahead of its time in ways that still feel progressive today.
The series struggled with sequels (Invisible War was rough, Human Revolution and Mankind Divided were great but Square Enix killed the series before completing the trilogy). The immersive sim genre it represents is mostly dormant in AAA but alive in smaller studios. Here's what captures Deus Ex's essential appeal.
The direct Deus Ex family
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Director's Cut) is the accessible modern entry point. Cyberpunk Detroit, augmented protagonist, multiple approaches to every mission. Still excellent.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the direct sequel. Prague hub city is incredible. Shorter than HR but tighter. Tragically no sequel coming.
Deus Ex: The Fall — yes, technically it exists. Skip it. Mobile port that made it to PC. Not representative of the series.
Invisible War remains divisive. Not available on Steam officially but available on GOG. Play the original Deus Ex before deciding if you want to try it.
The immersive sim classics
Dishonored is the post-Deus Ex immersive sim that carried the torch. First-person supernatural stealth action. Arkane Studios at peak form.
Dishonored 2 refines the formula. The Clockwork Mansion level is genre-defining.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is the standalone expansion. Shorter but excellent.
Prey (2017) from Arkane Austin is sci-fi immersive sim on a space station. The games like Prey post has more.
The System Shock heritage
Deus Ex shares DNA with the System Shock series. Both were created by Warren Spector and his immersive-sim circle.
System Shock Remake (2023) is the modern remake. SHODAN is still one of the best AI villains in gaming.
System Shock 2 is still one of the most atmospheric games ever made. Aged visually but the gameplay holds up.
System Shock 3 is in development purgatory. Not holding breath for it.
The BioShock cousins
BioShock is System Shock's spiritual successor. Less immersive sim than originally promised but great atmospheric action.
BioShock 2 improves on the first game's combat significantly.
BioShock Infinite is more linear but has the same commitment to worldbuilding.
The Thief heritage
Thief is the stealth half of the immersive sim genre that Deus Ex inherited from.
Thief: The Dark Project and Thief II: The Metal Age are essential classics. Medieval-ish fantasy with first-person stealth and genuine environmental interaction.
Thief (2014 reboot) is more divisive but still has moments.
The cyberpunk alternative picks
Cyberpunk 2077 after patch 2.0 is genuinely the spiritual heir to Deus Ex in many ways. Augmented protagonist, multiple playstyles, complex moral choices. Works as a Deus Ex descendant. The cyberpunk 2077 tips and cyberpunk 2077 best builds posts cover it.
Watch Dogs: Legion has immersive sim DNA in its "recruit any NPC" system. Not as tight as Deus Ex but genuinely ambitious.
Detroit: Become Human is narrative-heavy sci-fi with Deus Ex-adjacent themes about augmentation and identity.
The ex-Arkane studio work
Several Arkane alumni have formed new studios. Worth watching their output:
Weird West from WolfEye Studios (ex-Arkane developers) is top-down immersive sim in a weird-fiction Western.
Paradise Lost is atmospheric first-person exploration from similar developers.
The indie immersive sims
Consortium and its sequel Consortium: The Tower are indie immersive sims with deep dialogue systems. Small budget but ambitious.
Cruelty Squad is aggressively strange immersive sim. Deliberately ugly, brilliantly designed.
Peripeteia is an indie cyberpunk immersive sim heavily inspired by Deus Ex. Still in early access.
The recent notable releases
Atomic Heart is alternate-history USSR immersive sim action. Uneven but captures some of the feel.
Starfield has immersive sim moments among its open-world RPG structure. Inconsistent execution but tries.
Deathloop from Arkane Lyon is time-loop assassin game. Less pure immersive sim than Dishonored but shares philosophy.
The RPG alternatives with immersive sim elements
Baldur's Gate 3 has immersive sim philosophy in its problem-solving depth. Many approaches to every encounter. The games like Baldur's Gate 3 post has more.
Divinity Original Sin 2 is the other CRPG with immersive sim depth.
Disco Elysium takes immersive sim philosophy into dialogue-only detective work. Best writing in gaming.
What we make at Choost
We don't make immersive sims — the design depth needed is enormous. But we love Deus Ex's commitment to player choice. Granny's Rampage lets players pick builds and playstyles within its bullet-heaven structure, just at a much smaller scope. For more RPG-adjacent content, the games like Cyberpunk, best CRPG games, and games like Control posts have more.
The short answer
For direct Deus Ex experience: Human Revolution or Mankind Divided.
For Dishonored's take: Dishonored 2.
For sci-fi immersive sim: Prey (2017) or System Shock Remake.
For cyberpunk heir apparent: Cyberpunk 2077 (post-2.0).
For indie immersive sim: Weird West or Cruelty Squad.
For CRPG immersive sim philosophy: Baldur's Gate 3.
The immersive sim genre Deus Ex represents is quieter than it should be. But what exists is concentrated quality. Pick one that matches the setting you want and dive deep.