Elden Ring is massive and dense. It transplants FromSoftwares tried-and-true design pillars of difficulty and experimentation into the sprawling Lands Between. And after 100-plus hours with FromSoftwares magnum opus and its DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, you may be ready for something else. It might not be the multiplayer spin on the formula, Nightreign.
So where do you go next? We can help you with that.
Weve broken 17 games into nine unique categories. Each group will offer one suggestion thats similar to Elden Ring and another thats nothing like Elden Ring. But each pair will also have a theme that unites them, to better guide your choice of genre or vibe.
Youre never going to get that perfect one-to-one Elden Ring feeling without jumping into Bloodborne, the Dark Souls games, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. But with our list, you can try to maintain that high with a differently themed but similar game, or gently ride back down to Earth with something completely different.
Group 1: Cute wanderers Image: Nintendo EPD/NintendoSimilar: Tunic
Tunic captures some of Elden Rings freedom, complexity, and opaqueness. Its a game about a little fox tasked with roaming around a world and solving puzzles. At times, its frustratingly difficult and it tells you almost nothing about how it works or what you need to do. But its also cute and colorful and bright. Tunic will give you different vibes while also making for a natural transition if youre still looking to punish your reflexes and scratch the old noggin.
Dissimilar: Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Tonally, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is about as far from Elden Ring as you can get. Sure, it takes place in the ruins of a once great land, but thats the only thing the two games have in common. Kirby is simple, easy, and linear. You can deviate from the path, but only in short bursts, and its usually just for a breezy puzzle that will eventually funnel you back to where you need to go next. If you need something thats “no thoughts, just cute” or a co-op adventure with a kiddo or a friend, Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a great post-Elden Ring pickup.
Group 2: Romance, if youre horny Image: Game GrumpsSimilar: Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen
Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen is like Elden Ring in that its difficult, archaic, and takes place in a grim medieval setting. But unlike Elden Ring, you can date around in Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen. If youve always wished you could smooch the NPCs in FromSoftware games and then also crawl around on a giant monster for hours, start your post-Elden Ring life off right with Dragons Dogma.
Dissimilar: Dream Daddy
Dream Daddy is very much not Elden Ring. In fact, it may be the least Elden Ring-like game on this list. In Dream Daddy, you play as a single dad who goes around dating other single dads. You get to chat, go on dates, and try to keep up with your teenage daughter in a new town. Its delightful, cute, and romantic, and there are no Elden Lords or horrible plagues to be found.
Group 3: Exploration, with monsters and without Image: Thekla, Inc.Similar: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
While Skyrims mechanics may not have much in common with Elden Ring, the exploration is part-and-parcel. Part of the fun of Elden Ring is going off in a random direction and coming across a new catacomb, town, or massive boss. In 2012, Skyrim practically boiled that thrill down to a science, giving you mountains of random dungeons and encounters to stumble on as you explore Bethesdas massive, icy world.
Dissimilar: The Witness
If youre eager to explore but want something completely different than Elden Ring, The Witness is a great place to start. This is a puzzle game that uses subtle and unexplained rules to help you draw a line over a variety of maze-like tablets. Its mysterious and gigantic, but completely free of combat. Its all about majesty and discovery in a colorful world, and will help you keep your mind off Godricks disturbing dragon arm.
Group 4: Death and 2D worlds Image: Team CherrySimilar: Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is an excellent metroidvania with some serious FromSoftware leanings. Its punishing, its systems are obfuscated, and failure comes with a price. Its also got some of the light horror elements seen in Elden Ring, although filtered through a much cuter art style. While its certainly much simpler than Froms latest, and not nearly as long, its a great little adventure that wont feel like whiplash after the punishing Lands Between.
Dissimilar: Spiritfarer
Spiritfarer may be about death, but it has very little in common with Elden Ring. In Spiritfarer, you ferry the souls of the dead through the afterlife and to their final resting place. But instead of being grim and creepy, its wholesome. You create bonds with each soul, and help them embrace eternity comfortably, when theyre ready. Its definitely sad, in the way loss always is, but theres a hopeful twinge there. If you need something with a more loving undertone that still deals with the finality of death, Spiritfarer is a great jump after Elden Ring.
Group 5: (Kinda) chill vibes Image: FuturLab/Square EnixSimilar: Deaths Door
Deaths Door is about a cute little crow who serves as the grim reaper, and its combat is often reminiscent of FromSoftwares. Its both punishing and remarkably chill, with the world acting as its own, low-stakes puzzle to solve. Sure, youll have to get into the zone when you reach a boss, but otherwise you can use your little bird legs to explore far and wide in this relaxing adventure. Its a great mix between the jaw-clenching combat of Elden Ring and a chill romp around the world.
Dissimilar: PowerWash Simulator
PowerWash Simulator is one of the most “no thoughts” games out there, and it has nothing in common with Elden Ring. The entire goal of PowerWash Simulator is to use a power washer to clean off grime and filth from various vehicles and locations. The more you clean, the more cash youll get, and the better equipment and soap you can afford. There are stains that will take you longer to defeat than any boss in Elden Ring, but its still just an extremely chill game all about making the world cleaner.
Group 6: Games with friends Image: Gunfire Games/Perfect World EntertainmentSimilar: Remnant: From the Ashes
Remnant: From the Ashes is a FromSoftware game turned into a third-person shooter. Theres melee combat, yes, but its mostly about dodging enemies while shooting cool guns. And, most importantly, its co-op. Remnant: From the Ashes is a ton of fun to play alongside a buddy, and still quite punishing. If youre looking for that Elden Ring feeling of accomplishment but you also want to go questing with a friend, Remnant: From the Ashes is a great place to start.
Dissimilar: Golf with Your Friends
Golf with Your Friends is exactly what it sounds like: You play online digital mini-golf with your pals. You can also run special courses with skulls and pirate ships and try to get a hole in one while talking smack over Discord. If you need something to get your mind off of Radhan or Godfrey, Golf with Your Friends is the perfect distraction.
Group 7: Elden Ring + The Industrial Revolution Image: NeowizSimilar: Lies of P
Lies of P is probably the best FromSoftware game not made by FromSoftware. It stars Pinocchio (you know, the puppet thats also a habitual liar) and tasks you with beating up powerful automatons and monsters. Like Elden Ring, its a game filled with satisfying combat and build choices. And also like Elden Ring, itll have you screaming obscenities at your TV because you keep getting killed by the stupidest-looking boss youve ever seen. What sets Lies of P apart is that it takes place in the late 1800s and is filled with modern inventions for you to fight against and with. So if you ever looked at the Extreme Fantasy world of the Lands Between and thought “I love this, but I wish I could fight a big boss robot thats also a 20th century British cop,” Lies of P is your only logical next step.
Dissimilar: Satisfactory
Satisfactory is a game where you build factories, and its almost nothing like Elden Ring. In Satisfactory, your mission is to use resources to build mechanical pieces that you can then assemble into more intricate mechanical pieces. To do this, you need to build machines, which take in resources via a conveyor belt and spit out something new on the other side. But this is not a relaxing or cozy building game where you just kick your feet up and watch. Your machines may be doing the work for you, but in the meantime youll be rearranging your factory to improve output and running across a hostile wilderness to find new resources that you can ship back to your home base. So if youre finished being stressed by difficult combat encounters in the Lands Between, its time to face down humanitys true nemesis: logistics.
Group 8: Limp Bizkit, obviously This blinged-out pirate is the de facto mayor of a town, apparently.Image: Koei Tecmo/Square EnixSimilar: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins
OK, no, Limp Bizkits music isnt actually in Stranger of Paradise, but thats the joke thats going around, and honestly, I cant tell the difference. (And if you can, keep it to yourself). If ever a game screamed Limp Bizkit vibes, its Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins. Even better, it actually shares quite a bit of DNA with Elden Ring, so hear me out. Jack — the rejected Abercrombie model that serves as the butt-rock-listening protagonist — collects currency from enemies to level himself up. This empowers him to emerge victorious from tightly balanced combat encounters that require a great deal of focus to survive. It may not have that gothic atmosphere, but its got the classic FromSoftware frustration/accomplishment seesaw. So if you played Elden Ring and, like the rest of us, thought “this is missing something, and that something is Limp Bizkit,” Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins is as close as youre gonna get to fulfilling that dream.
Dissimilar: Rock Band 4
Fine, you got me. I initially put Rock Band 4 here to make the Limp Bizkit joke work (although Limp Bizkit is actually in this game, as long as youre willing to pay for the DLC). But the more I think about it, the more Im sure that Rock Band belongs on this list. Its a cathartic chaser after Elden Ring, so lets run with it. Rock Band lets you just throw yourself into the music (Bizkit or otherwise), channeling very different emotions, and helping you forget about all the horrible plague dogs and dragons that gave you so much trouble in The Lands Between. You dont even have to use a real controller, which is especially useful if you broke yours while playing Elden Ring. And when you factor in Limp Bizkit Pack 01 (sadly there is no Limp Bizkit Pack 02), its the perfect way to re-center your mind.
(Note: I have never intentionally listened to a Limp Bizkit song.)
[Ed. note: Lets not lie to our readers, Ryan.]
Group 9: Breath of the Wild and Breath of the Wild Image: Nintendo EPD/NintendoSimilar and dissimilar: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the most common comparison point for Elden Ring, and for obvious reasons. Its massive, built for exploration, and has tons of secrets to uncover. But The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is also peaceful, colorful, and cute. Its low stakes exploration, and its one-shot combat against Guardians.
For all of Elden Rings flexibility, its still a punishing FromSoftware game all about bashing your head against one struggle or another. Breath of the Wild has some of that as well, but with the ability to play with a physics puzzle for a while, or climb a mountain and just look over the vista. For every big boss theres a serene moment waiting just on the other side of a hill, and that makes Breath of the Wild the perfect chaser after playing Elden Ring.
