FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls helped establish the modern Soulslike, but the last decade has shown how flexible the formula can be. These games usually combine demanding combat, exploration, checkpoint-based progression and meaningful consequences for dying.
This ranking covers one game per series and excludes FromSoftware’s own Soulsborne catalogue. The selection includes grim fantasy adventures, colourful underwater worlds, science-fiction shooters and games that borrow the genre’s structure without following every convention.
Honourable mention: Mortal Shell 2. Cold Symmetry’s follow-up had earned a Very Positive Steam player rating only a few days after release. It deserves more time to settle before receiving a definitive ranking.
10. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (2025)
Where to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is unusually interested in making its protagonist feel powerful. Its clash mechanic lets attacks continue through enemy blows, while suitable buffs can restore health with every successful hit. Magic and the Madness system add further layers to its combat design.
The game’s ideas may receive another iteration in a future instalment. A sequel has been announced, although reports that the development team had disbanded leave its eventual direction uncertain. For more gaming coverage, browse the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
9. The First Berserker: Khazan (2025)
Where to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
The First Berserker: Khazan combines bleak fantasy scenery with cel-shaded anime presentation. Although it is a prequel to the Dungeon & Fighter series, the story takes place 800 years before the original game, making it approachable without prior knowledge.
Players take the role of General Khazan in a campaign built around harsh combat and bloody boss encounters. Its distinctive visual direction and demanding fights make it an easy recommendation for experienced action players.
8. Another Crab’s Treasure (2024)
Where to play: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Another Crab’s Treasure places a small crab at the centre of a surprisingly substantial Soulslike adventure. Its bright underwater environments replace the genre’s usual gloom with a broad, colourful palette, while discarded ocean rubbish serves as replacement shells.
Capsules, cups and other debris become part of the game’s visual customisation. The result is charming without abandoning serious challenge, and useful accessibility settings include the ability to pause the game.
Its playful approach also makes it a good reminder that a home gaming setup does not need to look conventional. RETROCADE’s compact bartop arcades are another space-conscious option for Australian game rooms.
7. Remnant 2 (2023)
Where to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Remnant 2 takes the Soulslike framework into post-apocalyptic shooter territory. Firearms, rather than melee weapons, are the main way to deal with its monstrous enemies, giving every encounter a different rhythm from the genre’s sword-and-shield staples.
Procedurally generated areas keep routes and encounters changing, rather than relying on tightly connected, fixed maps. When the difficulty becomes overwhelming, cooperative multiplayer lets you bring a friend into the adventure.
6. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (2023)
Where to play: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Team Ninja’s experience with demanding action games is clear in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The game combines Chinese wuxia influences with a parry system reminiscent of Sekiro, creating battles that reward timing, patience and repeated practice.
It is one of the tougher entries here, but its rhythm becomes satisfying once its defensive systems click. Team Ninja has also produced Nioh and Rise of the Ronin, showing a sustained interest in the form.
5. Black Myth: Wukong (2024)
Where to play: PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X.
Black Myth: Wukong draws from Journey to the West and fills its roughly 60-hour campaign with more than 100 bosses. Insects, rats and enormous monsters provide a varied parade of opponents, while the game’s structure often feels closer to a boss-focused action adventure than a traditional Soulslike.
Wukong uses a customisable staff with a comparatively limited moveset, but spells, transformations and spirit abilities keep encounters varied. It is more forgiving than many games in the genre while still offering a substantial challenge.
4. Hell Is Us (2025)
Where to play: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. The Switch 2 version is listed for 8 October.
Hell Is Us finds a productive middle ground between direction and discovery. Its war-torn setting rewards careful exploration and conversations with characters ranging from cruel opportunists to people simply trying to survive a civil war.
Unlike games that leave their lore deliberately impenetrable, Hell Is Us treats its mysteries and storytelling as central strengths. The result is an adventure where understanding the world is as important as surviving its combat.
3. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)
Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor blends lightsaber battles and parrying with environmental puzzles and Metroidvania-style exploration. Stormtroopers provide familiar targets, while tougher bosses test the player’s timing and patience.
Both Fallen Order and Survivor are excellent Star Wars adventures, but the sequel expands the lightsaber options and builds towards a stronger third-act twist villain. Whether the series fully qualifies as Soulslike remains debatable, but its combat clearly belongs in the conversation.
2. Nioh (2017)
Where to play: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC.
Team Ninja’s original Nioh sends players into 16th-century Japan, where hostile yokai and brutally difficult human enemies stand between the protagonist and survival. Its demonic bosses are formidable, but even ordinary encounters can punish careless play.
The game’s depth comes from its enormous range of equipment choices. Weapons, armour and guardian spirits can all be tailored to different approaches, giving Nioh remarkable flexibility beneath its severe difficulty.
1. Lies of P (2023)
Where to play: Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Lies of P is the strongest Soulslike on this list. Neowiz and Nough, formerly Round8 Studio, reshape the Pinocchio story into a violent, parry-heavy journey through Krat, a city devastated when its puppet servants revolt.
Playing as P, you investigate the Puppet Frenzy while testing the boundaries of your humanity. Lying to other characters helps P become more human, giving the narrative a clear mechanical connection to its central theme. The Overture expansion further builds on the game’s storytelling strengths.
Combat is equally well considered. Weapon components can be combined to alter movesets, while P’s interchangeable mechanical arm can become a flamethrower, shotgun and more. Most importantly, its parry system feels precise and rewarding.
A sequel is in development and may explore additional fairy tales, potentially including The Wizard of Oz. If Neowiz and Nough can improve on this foundation, the next chapter has considerable potential.
For players building a dedicated home setup, the Arcade Machine Buying Guide can help compare cabinet formats and room requirements before making a decision.
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