On this page 8 games
A soulslike kills you, sends you back to the last bonfire and waits for you to learn. The name comes from Dark Souls, but the genre now has 2D games, open worlds, samurai and even Pinocchio.
These are eight of the best-reviewed on PC. If you've never played one, start with the first. If you've finished every FromSoftware game, the middle of the list is for you.
The list in 10 seconds
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LoadedWhere to start
- First soulslike: Elden Ring. The open world lets you go somewhere else when a boss blocks the way, and that changes everything while you're learning.
- The hardest: Sekiro. You can't grind levels until you're strong enough: either you learn to deflect, or you don't get through.
- In 2D: Hollow Knight or Salt and Sanctuary. Same logic, a different perspective and a much lower price.
- With friends: Elden Ring, Dark Souls III and Nioh 2 have online co-op. Salt and Sanctuary has couch co-op.
How we picked
- Quality of 74 or more on the GameValio index in October 2026, which blends Steam reviews with critic scores. Seven of the eight were at 87 or higher.
- True soulslikes: hard, precise combat, deaths that cost you progress, and rest points that respawn enemies.
- Variety. At most three FromSoftware games, to leave room for studios that did something different with the formula.
FromSoftware took everything from Dark Souls and dropped it into a huge open map, with world-building by George R. R. Martin. You choose where to go, what to fight and when to come back stronger. The 2024 Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is practically another game.
It's the best way into the genre and also the one with the most to do. Plenty of people pass 150 hours.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $38.99, in December 2025. Discounts are small, so waiting gets you little.
A shinobi in Sengoku-era Japan with a prosthetic arm full of tools. Combat is about deflecting strikes at the right moment until the enemy's posture breaks, and every duel turns into a sword dance.
It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019. The most demanding game on this list, and the most satisfying when it finally clicks.
Over twelve months it went on a 50% Steam sale five times. The lowest was $29.99, in November 2025. Wait for the next one.
The fastest and most approachable Dark Souls, with some of the best bosses FromSoftware has made. Lothric is beautiful and depressing in equal measure.
If you played Elden Ring and want something more linear and focused, this is the natural next step.
We started tracking its price in September 2026, and through October there was no Steam discount. Check the store comparison next to this before you buy.
A hand-drawn underground kingdom of bugs with dozens of bosses and a map you have to buy and fill in yourself. The logic is pure soulslike: you drop your currency when you die and have to go back for it.
The cheapest game on the list and one of the longest. The sequel, Silksong, came out in 2025.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $7.49, in December 2025. Half-price sales have happened, so wait.
Feudal Japan full of folklore demons, and the deepest combat system in the genre: three stances, a dozen weapon types, magic and a timing mechanic to recover stamina. Loot drops like in an action RPG, so every mission brings new gear.
The Complete Edition includes all the expansions.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $19.99, in November 2025. Worth waiting for a sale.
Pinocchio in a Belle Époque city overrun by murderous puppets. It sounds like a joke and it's one of the best soulslikes made outside FromSoftware, with a system for building weapons by swapping blades and handles.
The deflect-heavy combat recalls Sekiro, but it's more forgiving.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $29.99, in December 2025. Half-price sales have happened, so wait. Resellers went lower in the same period.
The game that named the genre. Slower and heavier than the others, but with the best-connected world in the series: places that seemed far apart link up through shortcuts you only find much later.
For anyone who wants to see where all of this came from.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $19.99, in November 2025. Worth waiting for a sale.
Dark Souls in 2D with almost nothing taken out: a huge skill tree, dozens of weapons and bosses that demand patience. It was made by a husband-and-wife team, and it's the only game here with couch co-op.
Between October 2025 and October 2026, the lowest Steam price was $4.49, in December 2025. Worth waiting for the next big sale. Resellers went lower in the same period.
Just missed the cut
- Blasphemous: a 2D soulslike with Spanish religious imagery, brutal and gorgeous.
- Remnant II: the formula with guns and three-player co-op.
- Elden Ring Nightreign: an Elden Ring spin-off built around co-op and short runs. Fun, but no substitute for the original.
Torn between the two FromSoftware games people ask about most?
ELDEN RINGDARK SOULS™ IIIFAQ
What's the best soulslike for beginners?
Elden Ring. The open world lets you explore somewhere else when a boss is too hard, and summons help in tough fights. If you prefer 2D, Hollow Knight.
What's the hardest soulslike?
Of the games on this list, Sekiro. It won't let you make up for difficulty by leveling or bringing friends: you have to master deflecting.
Which ones have online co-op?
Elden Ring, Dark Souls III, Dark Souls: Remastered and Nioh 2. Salt and Sanctuary has local co-op. Sekiro, Hollow Knight and Lies of P are single-player.
Are the prices on this page current?
Yes. Each game's price, discount and recommendation come from today's data. The words are ours; the numbers are live.
