Best Souls-Like Games on PC

Short List

FromSoftware Classics

Elden Ring. The best entry point into the genre despite its scale. The open world lets you walk away from a difficult boss, explore other regions, and come back stronger, while summoning spirit helpers softens the toughest fights. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is one of the largest and hardest in the genre's history.

Dark Souls 3. The fastest-paced entry in the Dark Souls series and a good introduction to its classic formula: an interconnected world, shortcuts, and boss fights that require learning enemy behavior.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. FromSoftware's strictest game. Instead of stamina management, it relies on posture and parrying, with no co-op and no summoning of helpers. The game does not forgive attempts to play it like Dark Souls, but it delivers a unique sense of sword-fighting rhythm.

A separate note: Bloodborne has never been officially released on PC, so it is not included in this list.

Best Souls-Likes from Other Studios

Lies of P. The closest project to FromSoftware's level from another studio. A dark take on the story of Pinocchio, a polished parry-based combat system, and weapons assembled from separate blades and handles. The Overture expansion extended the game.

Lords of the Fallen. A 2023 reboot built around two parallel worlds, the living and the dead, which the player moves between using a lantern. It runs on Unreal Engine 5 and puts a noticeable load on the graphics card.

Black Myth: Wukong. A spectacular action game inspired by Journey to the West. Strictly speaking, it is a lighter version of the genre: there is no currency loss on death, and the world is more linear. But it has some of the most impressive bosses in the genre, and it is a good transitional option for players just getting to know the formula.

No Rest for the Wicked. An isometric action game from Moon Studios, the creators of Ori. Heavy, weighty combat and systems familiar to genre fans. The game is in early access and is actively updated.

2026 Releases

Nioh 3. Released on February 6, 2026. Its main new feature is switching between samurai and ninja modes mid-combat, which adds flexibility and lets you adapt your style to a specific opponent. The Nioh series is traditionally one of the hardest and deepest in terms of gear systems.

Code Vein 2. Released on January 29, 2026. Anime visuals and combat built on timing and stamina management. A good alternative for those who prefer the style of Japanese role-playing games.

Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The return of Capcom's samurai series, released on September 4, 2026. Formally it is an action game, but its combat, focused on parrying and precise timing, will feel familiar to souls-like fans.

Elden Ring Nightreign. A three-player co-op spin-off: short runs across a shrinking map and joint boss fights. The best choice if you want to play a souls-like with friends. More games to play together can be found in our selection of the best co-op games of 2026.

Best 2D Souls-Likes

Hollow Knight: Silksong. The long-awaited sequel to Hollow Knight, released in 2025. A metroidvania with brutal bosses and a huge interconnected world.

Nine Sols. A 2D action game with a parry system often compared to Sekiro. A strong story and one of the most polished combat systems among 2D takes on the genre.

Where Beginners Should Start

• Elden Ring — the best start: the open world lets you bypass a difficult area and come back later.
• Black Myth: Wukong — if you want spectacle and a gentler entry barrier.
• Lies of P — if you liked a linear structure and want polished combat without an open world.
• Sekiro and Nioh 3 are best saved for later: both require completely rebuilding the habits you picked up in other games.

What Hardware You Need for Souls-Likes

In souls-like games, frame stability matters more than maximum FPS. Combat is built on precise dodge and parry timing, and a frame stutter at the wrong moment costs you the attempt.

• Stable frame rates matter more than high ones. A steady 60 FPS is better than an average of 90 with drops to 45.
• Elden Ring on PC is capped at 60 FPS. A powerful graphics card is needed here not for a higher frame rate, but to hold 60 FPS without drops at high settings.
• Demanding Unreal Engine 5 titles. Lords of the Fallen and Black Myth: Wukong put a heavy load on the graphics card: 1440p requires an RTX 4070 or RTX 5070 class card, and maximum settings with ray tracing require something higher.
• Stutters when entering a location for the first time are often caused by shader compilation rather than weak hardware. They usually disappear after the first pass.
• An SSD is a must. Loading after death happens constantly in souls-likes, and on a hard drive this noticeably ruins the pace.

You can choose a configuration for your target resolution in the gaming PC catalog. If a game crashes or will not launch, check the runtime libraries; see our guide on Visual C++ Redistributable for games.

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