Games like Elden Ring: picks for exploring, bosses, builds and co-op, plus easier and Switch 2 options

02 / Exploring

If you loved riding into the unknown

Elden Ring's map rewards curiosity: a ruin on the horizon, a cave behind a cliff, a boss you were not ready for. Steam players still rate it 94 percent positive from about 437,000 English reviews on 23 October 2026. These three keep the sense of discovery, with very different combat.

• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomThe other great go-anywhere world, with sky islands, deep caves and a building system that solves problems in surprising ways. Oruvai's read: its combat is far more forgiving, which makes it the best easier pick. Platforms: Switch, plus a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition with smoother frame rates; Switch owners can buy an upgrade pack.
• Crimson DesertPearl Abyss's huge single-player open-world action adventure on the continent of Pywel, released on 19 March 2026, with heavy combat and a lot of ground to cover. Platforms: PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Steam rates it 86 percent positive from about 63,000 English reviews on 23 October 2026.
• Dragon's Dogma 2A fantasy world built for wandering, where you travel with your own AI companion, called a Pawn, and up to two more Pawns made by other players. The Dark Arisen expansion arrived on 9 October 2026, and that edition is also on Switch 2. Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2 (Dark Arisen). The base game's Steam score is a weaker 69 percent positive on 23 October 2026.

03 / Bosses

If you loved learning a boss until you beat it

Some players stay for the moment a boss that killed them twenty times finally falls. These games put that loop front and centre, with less open space between fights.

• Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceFromSoftware's purest boss-mastery game: single-player only, with a fixed hero instead of builds and combat built around deflecting each attack. Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Steam rates it 93 percent positive on 23 October 2026. For most players, the hardest pick on this list.
• Lies of PA dark Pinocchio story in a Belle Epoque city, with parrying, weapon crafting and bosses close to FromSoftware's. Steam lists adjustable difficulty, and the Switch 2 Complete Edition (August 2026) adds the Overture expansion and new difficulty modes. Platforms: PC, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Switch 2.
• Black Myth: WukongA boss-heavy action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology, built more as a series of spectacular fights than an open world. Platforms: PC, PS5 (since August 2024) and Xbox Series X|S (since August 2025). Steam rates it 93 percent positive on 23 October 2026.

04 / Builds and lore

If you loved builds and piecing together the lore

Planning a character around a new weapon, or reading item descriptions to understand what happened to the world: if that was your Elden Ring, look at the last Dark Souls, at a series that pushes loot further, and at FromSoftware's darkest world.

• Dark Souls IIIThe closest relative in tone, build variety and story told in fragments, with online co-op. Platforms: PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Steam rates it 94 percent positive on 23 October 2026.
• Nioh 3Koei Tecmo's dark samurai action RPG, where you switch between Samurai and Ninja styles and chase loot, now with what Steam calls an open field to explore. It supports online co-op. Platforms: PC and PS5 (since February 2026). Steam shows 80 percent positive on 23 October 2026, with recent reviews lower.
• BloodborneFromSoftware's gothic horror classic, faster and more aggressive than Elden Ring, with a lore that rewards close reading. Platforms: PS4 only. There is no PC, Xbox or Switch version.

05 / Co-op and easier

If you want co-op, or the same feeling a little easier

Elden Ring Nightreign is the obvious co-op pick: a standalone game in the Elden Ring universe where three Nightfarers get two in-game days to explore the shifting land of Limveld before facing a Nightlord. It is on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, and Steam rates it 87 percent positive on 23 October 2026. For a classic co-op campaign, Dark Souls III and Nioh 3 both support online co-op.

If you want it easier, pick by the part you liked. Tears of the Kingdom gives you open-world discovery with gentler combat. Lies of P lists adjustable difficulty. Dragon's Dogma 2 puts Pawns at your side in every fight. Oruvai's read: Sekiro, Bloodborne and Nightreign are the ones to avoid if difficulty was the problem.

06 / Platforms

Games like Elden Ring on Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox

Elden Ring Tarnished Edition arrived on Switch 2 on 28 August 2026. Nintendo lists the base game, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion and new armor and Torrent customization; on Steam, the Tarnished Pack DLC released the same day with two new starting classes, new armor and Torrent customization.

• Switch 2Elden Ring Tarnished Edition, Tears of the Kingdom (Switch 2 Edition), Lies of P: Complete Edition and Dragon's Dogma 2: Dark Arisen. FromSoftware's The Duskbloods is listed for 2026 with no exact date on 23 October 2026.
• PS5Crimson Desert, Dragon's Dogma 2, Lies of P, Black Myth: Wukong, Nioh 3 and Nightreign, plus the PS4 versions of Sekiro, Dark Souls III and Bloodborne.
• Xbox Series X|SCrimson Desert, Dragon's Dogma 2, Lies of P, Black Myth: Wukong and Nightreign, plus the Xbox One versions of Sekiro and Dark Souls III. Nioh 3 and Bloodborne are not on Xbox.
• PCEvery pick except Tears of the Kingdom and Bloodborne.

07 / Verdict

Which game to play after Elden Ring

Pick by the moment you remember. If it was cresting a hill and seeing something new, play Tears of the Kingdom or Crimson Desert. If it was finally beating a boss like Malenia, play Sekiro or Lies of P. If it was a build coming together, play Dark Souls III or Nioh 3. If it was playing with friends, play Nightreign.

Oruvai's read for Switch 2 owners: Lies of P is the best soulslike to play after the Tarnished Edition, and Tears of the Kingdom the best change of pace.

Best fit: players who can name the part of Elden Ring they want more of. Think twice if: you want an exact clone, because no game matches its open world and its bosses at the same time.