The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Nightreign are the latest offerings coming soon from the original creator of the Soulslikes, FromSoftware. When the studio released Demon Souls in 2009, the game spawned an entire new genre, with many other games and studios following suit. It's hard to define what a "Soul-like" really is, but the key components are an extremely challenging difficulty, and a deliberate and precise stamina-based combat.

With the two games, the parent of the Soulslike genre is taking the games in a whole new direction. While the Souls games have always had some multiplayer aspects, The Duskbloods and Nightreign place much more emphasis on co-op. If you're looking forward to the cooperative multiplayer element of the two FromSoft games, you can pick up one of the many other co-op Soulslikes out there.

10 The Last Hero of Nostalgaia Is Tongue-In-Cheek Nostalgic Fun

Developed By Over The Moon, Published By Coatsink

If the name and style haven't yet clued you in, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia leans heavily into nostalgia. But it does so in a charming and humorous way, without sacrificing gameplay. The world of video games is devolving back into pixels and it's up to you, a literal pixellated stick man, to save it. Up to two players can traverse the PS1-style world of Nostalgaia together.

The title has plenty of Easter eggs and silly gamer humor, but it also features a solid gameplay loop. Despite being a collection of pixel lines, your character can be customized with unique armor and weapons that change the way the game is played. Combat is simpler than typical Soulslikes but still satisfying and sufficiently challenging to keep players engaged. The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is a fresh take on the Soulslike genre that provides a break from the darkness and grittiness that so often enshroud the games.

9 Outward Adds Challenging Survival Elements

Developed By Nine Dots Studio, Published By Prime Matter

If you didn't find the Soulsborne franchise difficult enough, Outward adds even more challenge on top of the already brutal genre. Outward combines elements of the Souls games with survival and exploration for a game that makes it a lot easier to die than live. Besides the difficulties of surviving in battle, this cooperative open-world survival RPG requires you to satisfy everyday needs, tend to your wounds, and seek shelter.

To make the latter possible, Outward also incorporates city-building into an already robust experience. This mashup of genres makes it even more difficult than usual to survive in the unique take on the Soulslike genre. A sequel to Outward is planned for 2026 release, so you can continue to die in fun new ways.

8 Lords Of The Fallen Draws On Classic Medieval Fantasy

Developed And Published By CI Games

Lords of the Fallen is a very classic fantasy take on the Soulslike genre that takes place across two worlds: the world of the living and the realm of the dead. Players can partner up with a friend online as they traverse both worlds on a quest to take down the demon God Adyr. Both worlds feature their own challenges, giving players plenty of chances to try out hundreds of unique weapons.

The game allows players to tweak their difficulty settings to create an experience perfect for their needs and skills. A sequel to Lords of the Fallen is currently in development, but for now, you can play this 2023 title. Xbox Game holders can try out the game for free, as Lords of the Fallen ed the about a year ago.

7 Salt And Sacrifice Is An Atmospheric 2D Experience

Developed By Devoured Studios And Ska Studios, Published By Ska Studios

A game doesn't have to use realistic 3D models and environments to be considered a Soulslike as long as it follows the formula for a Souls-inspired experience. Salt and Sacrifice and its prequel Salt and Sanctuary combine gorgeous 2D side-scrolling visuals with a challenging and lore-heavy world, making them Souls-inspired titles that shouldn't be missed.

Salt And Sacrifice starts the game in a very typical Soulsborne way: teaching players the bare minimum, then pitting them against a boss that's too challenging for them to beat. It's an excellent way to show players that they're in for a challenging ride right off the bat.

Both games feature the Inquisition (but not the Spanish one), with players taking on the roles of Marked Inquisitors and tasked with tracking and taking down doomed Mages. Players can team up with a friend online or in local co-op as they make their way through the dark and corrupt world, surrounded by gorgeous hand-drawn art and countless monsters and bosses.

6 Windblown Is High-Speed Monster Bashing Fun

Developed By Motion Twin, Published By Motion Twin And Kepler Ghost

The definition of Soulslike is ambiguous enough to include games that may appear at first glance to be unrelated to the entire idea of the Dark Souls and Bloodborne franchises (often affectionately called Soulsborne). This means that even games like the vibrant and fast-paced Windblown can fall under the Soulslike umbrella. Up to three players can work together to make their way as fast as possible through procedurally generated islands in the sky full of enemies to take down.

Just like Soulslike comes from the Dark Souls and Demon Souls games, the roguelike genre originated with the 1980s game Rogue, which features procedurally generated dungeons and permadeath.

From the makers of Dead Cells, the isometric 3D style of Windblown makes it look more like a colorful take on Hades than a Soulslike. In fact, the game takes inspiration from both, combining the randomized playthrough elements of roguelikes with the unforgiving challenge of Soulslikes. The title is still in Early Access, so it will continue to grow and evolve, but it's already garnered a lot of love and attention from early players.

5 Hellpoint Is A Sci-Fi Take On The Soulslike Genre

Developed By Cradle Games, Published By TinyBuild

Hellpoint begins, as many Souls games do, with the awakening of your body from its eternal slumber. Except instead of being in a fantasy world full of natural hazards like toxic swamps, you find yourself in an abandoned space colony. Players control the Spawn, created by a mysterious entity called the Authority, to investigate what caused the massive catastrophe that wiped out the colony and left only strange and hostile creatures to roam the space station.

Players can team up online or in person to explore the Irid Novo space station, an interconnected world of metal structures built to sustain a society that's now overrun by enemies. Hellpoint has received plenty of criticism for being buggy and leaning too hard into the faceless Soulslike clones, but it still provides a fun co-op experience. And if the game isn't challenging enough for you and your friend, Black Hole events bump up the difficulty and spawn new boss monsters to take down.

4 Code Vein Features Post-Apocalyptic Anime Vampires

Developed And Published By Bandai Namco

With its over-the-top visuals and style, and its anime cutscenes, gamers can be forgiven for thinking that Code Vein is just another JRPG title. However, this JRPG takes a page from the book of Demon Souls, with difficult monsters and bosses to take down. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where vampires called Revenants need to feast on human blood or become cannibalistic lost souls doomed to wander a world where the very air around them is poisoned.

Co-op is integral to the game, which will even bring along an AI companion if no human friend is available. Together, players progress through 12 dungeons called The Depths, with a central hub area acting as a respite and restock, much like The Nexus in the original Demon Souls. While Code Vein's mechanics and combat aren't as complex as a typical Soulslike, the game is a fun cooperative experience to tide you over until The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Nightreign are released.

3 Ashen Focuses On Multiplayer World-Building

Developed By A44 Games, Published By Annapurna Interactive

Ashen is a divisive multiplayer title from a small indie team. The game is currently sitting at a "mixed" rating on Steam, with players citing some poor design and combat mechanic decisions as their main source of frustration with the title. However, the game has just as many fans for whom those same elements made it their favorite Soulslike game aside from the original franchise. Whether you love it or hate it will depend on how much you enjoy the fresh take on the established genre that Ashen provides.

In Ashen, players set out to rebuild a community in the world, literally befriending and inviting players and characters into their settlement. The multiplayer element is integral to the game, with players accompanying you on your quests and working together to defeat enemies and difficult bosses. While the unique painting-like visuals of Ashen look very different from the Souls series, the fights are just as demanding, and the world-building is as intriguing.

2 Nioh 2 Is Dark Souls In Feudal Japan

Developed By Team Ninja, Published By Koei Tecmo

This followup to Nioh from Team Ninja is one of the best-known and most beloved Soulslikes to come from a studio that isn't FromSoftware. The title sends players back in time to the Sengoku period of Japan, where players will have to defeat both humans and monsters along their journey. Best of all, the entire game can be played by up to three people in a -based multiplayer that lets friends drop in on your game.

While the game's unique setting makes it stand out among other fantasy RPGs, the combat system makes it even more compelling. Players will need to balance stances, weapon abilities, a unique ki pulse mechanic, and special abilities picked up from yokai (mythical Japanese spirits) met along their travels. While it sounds like a lot to juggle, the resulting combat works remarkably well, providing players with a system that's difficult to perfect but satisfying to play.

1 Remnant 2 Is A Dark Tale With Many Branching Paths

Developed By Gunfire Games, Published By Arc Games

Remnant 2 by Gunfire Games doesn't pull its punches, offering an incredibly challenging experience for up to three people to experience together. Although the title is a sequel to the first game, Remnant: From the Ashes, it's not necessary to play the first game to completely enjoy the second. Remnant 2 places players in a world where they must battle against god-like, larger-than-life boss monsters that are determined based on the storyline you're currently exploring.

The game also incorporates other classic Soulslike elements, with environmental storytelling and a dark aesthetic taking center stage. Keep your wits about you as you and two other players unravel the lore behind the dying world you find yourselves in. Remnant 2 incorporates features from the different Soulsborne franchise games, including Bloodborne-style gun-centric combat. All these features make Remnant 2 a perfect game to play while you wait for the release of The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Nightreign.