Both same studio behind No Man's Sky, seems to be centered around more peaceful mechanics of puzzle-solving, exploration, and interaction with spirit NPCs.
In the opening cinematic of Dark Souls, developers at FromSoftware describe the core creation myth of their universe, in which the gods and goddesses overthrow a race of eternal dragons to create an Age of Fire, only for the First Flame that gave them power to slowly fade in the face of encroaching darkness. The nominal goal of each Undead protagonist in the Dark Souls games is to restore the dying Age of Fire, running the gauntlet through ruins filled with undead monsters and unlocking new checkpoints by lighting bonfires with twisted swords driven into their ashen depths.
In contrast to the frantic, punishing fantasy action of Dark Souls, the story of The Last Campfire is more tranquil, a mood enforced by cartoonish graphics and playful main characters. The protagonist, a strange, tiny, sack-wearing humanoid named Ember, awakens in a mysterious forest. To find their way back home, they must find and light "the last campfire." Over the course of their journey, they'll encounter perplexing puzzles and meet strange new critters. The big difference between Dark Souls and The Last Campfire, of course, is that one's a dark action RPG and the other is a puzzle adventure. Gameplay aside, though, the two titles explore wildly different themes despite the symbolism and imagery they share.
In Dark Souls, Friends Fall To Despair
The Undead Curse of Dark Souls is an in-game explanation for all the Hollow zombies and red-eyed knights the main character needs to overcome, as well as a sword of Damocles that hangs over the head of every main character. The Darksign, a pox-like brand of fire, spreads among humans whenever the First Flame starts to fade, rendering its victims immortal while slowly consuming their humanity. Both Undead protagonist and NPCs ranging from Solaire to Siegmeyer maintain their self-awareness by focusing on a personal goal they can work towards in their dying world. The process of Hollowing is nearly inevitable, though, claiming those who fail to achieve their goal as well as those who achieve their goal and have nothing else to do.
In The Last Campfire, the protagonist Ember frequently encounters NPCs called Forlorn, critters like the PC who have fallen into states of melancholic despair and/or petrification. Unlike the Hollows of Dark Souls, the Forlorn aren't violent, but slothful in their lack of motivation: the player can snap them out of their funk and restore their sense of hope by solving the puzzles in each region. These inspired characters will then show up at campfire checkpoints and assist Ember on their journey.
In Dark Souls, Lighting the Fire Delays The End Of The World
The Dark Souls Trilogy never directly tells players what's going on, story-wise, forcing them to search for clues in the world maps, talk with NPCs, and reach their own conclusions. The most common conclusion players reach is that Gods of Dark Souls aren't as malevolent as this prominent fan-theory suggests, Dark Souls III's post-apocalyptic splendor clearly shows the act of "Linking the Fire" only delays the inevitable march of entropy; eventually, the flames will fade, "and only dark will remain".
The titular campfires in The Last Campfire are also bulwarks against the creeping, ominous dark, but the main character's quest, seen in gameplay footage, comes across as ultimately (and literally) more hopeful. The developers have described their game as being about "a search for meaning," a story about "rekindling hope in an otherwise hopeless world," and the behavior of the game's protagonist in the trailer bears this out: time and again, Ember is seen comforting people who are sad, befriending strange animals, and reviving fellow travelers who've been petrified. Unlike Dark Souls, in which fire is a metaphor for entropy and the transitory nature of life, the fire in The Last Campfire seems to be more a metaphor for hope, the stubborn sentiment that keeps people going even in the most depressing points of their lives.