The game Dark Souls is famous for being incredibly challenging, so much so that people often use it as a comparison point for other difficult games – it’s become a well-known joke. While not the first of its kind, Dark Souls popularized the “Soulslike” genre and established many of its key features. These games usually include tough boss battles, a stamina system, frequent deaths and restarts, interconnected maps to explore, medieval-themed equipment, and a generally high level of difficulty. However, difficult games are now more common, and many newer Soulslike titles are actually easier than Dark Souls, and that’s intentional.
It’s perfectly fine to want a game that feels similar to the challenging masterpieces by FromSoftware, but isn’t quite as hard to learn. Here are some of the best Soulslike games that are a little more approachable – though they’re still definitely challenging, just not to the same extreme degree as others in the genre.
Which Soulslike Is Right for You? Difficulty Breakdown at a Glance
If you’re frustrated with constantly needing to master difficult games, use this guide to find your next one. It’s based on the common reasons people give up playing.
| Game | Best For… | Why It’s Easier | Difficulty Score (vs. Dark Souls) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Another Crab’s Treasure | Absolute Beginners | Massive “Assist Mode” options (including a literal gun) and a helpful “No damage from falling” toggle. | 2/10 (Adjustable; the vanilla campaign is closer to a 5) |
| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | Story Lovers (And, naturally, Star Wars fans) | Features 5 distinct difficulty sliders. “Story Mode” makes you feel like an all-powerful Jedi with zero stress. | 3/10 (on Story) |
| Nioh 3 | RPG Fans | The new Open-Field design lets you explore and over-level. The “Ninja” style is pretty OP against normal world enemies, and it does well against bosses. | 6/10 |
| Steelrising | Steampunk Fans | Includes a built-in “Assist Menu” that lets you reduce damage taken and skip the stamina management mechanic. | 3/10 (With Assists); 4.5/10 (Without Assists) |
| AI Limit | Anime Fans | No Stamina Bar, Mostly Fair Bosses | 5/10 |
Lords Of The Fallen (2023)
Dark Souls, But Easier
Both the original Lords of the Fallen from 2014 and the 2023 version have always been strongly compared to the Dark Souls series, but aren’t made by the same developers. While the 2023 game is an improvement over the first, it still largely follows the Dark Souls formula, with only a few unique features. The most notable of these is a dual-realm system, allowing players to switch between two different dimensions – one of which offers a way to revive if you die. While future installments could explore this mechanic even further, the current version uses it effectively to help Lords of the Fallen stand out.
While not a walk in the park, Lords of the Fallen is one of the more accessible Soulslike games available, particularly when it comes to boss battles. New players should find most bosses manageable, and experienced players will likely breeze through them. The boss fights can be enjoyable, but they don’t consistently offer a strong challenge. Regular enemies are more difficult and better represent the typical Soulslike experience.
Nioh 3
The Easiest Nioh Game, And Easier Than Any Dark Souls Game
Okay, so I’ve played a lot of both Nioh and Dark Souls, and honestly, Nioh is usually tougher. Both series do get easier as you go, but the first Nioh game was way harder for me than the original Dark Souls. Nioh 2 had some seriously difficult moments – tougher peaks than anything in Dark Souls, I’d say. But if I had to pick the easiest of all six games between the two series, it’s definitely Nioh 3. It’s still a challenge, don’t get me wrong, but the difficulty is noticeably lower overall.
Nioh 3 takes a step towards open-world gameplay with four distinct maps, each set in a different time period. These maps are divided into sections with suggested levels, helping players avoid areas that are too challenging. While exploring, you’ll find easier enemies, with only a few hidden bosses or powerful foes offering a real fight. Each map culminates in a ‘crucible zone’ – a more traditional mission area with tough boss battles, but even these aren’t overly difficult compared to other Soulslike games or previous Nioh titles, with a couple of human opponents being the main exceptions.
Compared to Dark Souls, Nioh 3 feels more manageable because it gives players a lot of flexibility. You can switch between two different combat styles – one focused on strong attacks and the other on speed. Powerful spirit skills are available frequently, and by the late game, you’ll be using them constantly. While transforming into a Living Artifact takes a moment, it essentially gives you a powerful, temporary ability similar to a Stand from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. Finally, the Burst Break mechanic is fairly simple to activate, letting you land some guaranteed damage on opponents and bosses.
I recently played Nioh 2, which definitely influenced how I experienced Nioh 3. If you’re new to the series, you might find the 2026 release a little challenging.
Demon’s Souls (2020)
The Boss Fights Are Way Easier Than Dark Souls
The game Demon’s Souls, released in 2009, was a groundbreaking title that essentially created the ‘Souls-like’ genre, paving the way for the hugely popular Dark Souls. FromSoftware’s first installment was known for its challenging gameplay, requiring players to carefully navigate five distinct worlds, each divided into complex and demanding levels.
Okay, so as a Souls player, I think Demon’s Souls has the toughest routes to each boss, hands down. The fact that each area only has one bonfire really stings when you die – and you will die – because you lose so much progress. But here’s the weird thing: the bosses themselves aren’t actually that hard. Most of them have pretty clear weaknesses you can use to your advantage. There are two bosses in that game that give me trouble – Maneater and Flamelurker – but honestly, if you dropped them into a Dark Souls game, they’d be pretty average difficulty.
This remake is the main focus, and that changes things. When the original game came out in 2009, its difficulty felt unique because there weren’t many similar games around. But by 2020, when Bluepoint released their version of Demon’s Souls, players had already spent years playing games of this type. Many of the original’s secrets and strategies were well-known, and the remake even includes an item that makes one of the toughest parts of the game (the Swamp of Sorrow) easier.
If you’re new to Soulslike games, Demon’s Souls could feel as challenging, or even more so, than Dark Souls. Your familiarity with this type of game will greatly impact how difficult it seems.
AI Limit
An Anime Soulslike That Packs A Punch But Is Not Too Difficult
When AI Limit launched on the same day as Neople’s The First Berserker: Khazan, it didn’t get much attention. Khazan was a more traditional, challenging action game, while AI Limit took more inspiration from the Dark Souls series, but with its own unique features. Notably, AI Limit removed the stamina bar, allowing players to attack freely. Instead, it introduced a Sync Rate system, which boosts or lowers the player’s strength based on a percentage. This encourages players to be aggressive, but still requires them to pay attention to enemy attacks.
AI Limit isn’t a walk in the park, and surprisingly, regular enemies can actually be tougher than the bosses – some of their attacks are tricky to time for parrying. That said, it’s not overly difficult for a Soulslike game, and it doesn’t severely punish you for making mistakes. When you die, you only lose a small amount of your Crystals, so failure isn’t as devastating.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order & Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
They Somehow Managed To Successfully Make the Star Wars Setting Fit into a Soulslike Gameplay Loop
The way Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order used challenging, ‘Soulslike’ gameplay showed just how popular and accepted that style had become. It was significant that a large publisher like Electronic Arts chose to include it in one of their major Star Wars games.
Fallen Order delivered the modern, single-player Star Wars game fans had been hoping for, allowing players to experience the story as a Jedi. While incorporating challenging, action-focused gameplay inspired by the ‘Souls-like’ genre, it also borrowed elements from 3D Metroidvania games. These exploration aspects were generally well-done, though some players wished the game had focused more on discovering new planets instead of revisiting old ones.
The good news is that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor addressed many of the issues with the first game and truly surpassed it, offering an overall better experience. While both games are well-made with engaging boss fights and interesting gameplay, they aren’t as challenging as Dark Souls. Jedi: Survivor‘s focus on exploration and platforming makes the main story relatively easy to get through, even though combat requires strategy and skill beyond simply button-mashing. Most common enemies are fairly simple, which makes sense given Cal’s abilities as a Jedi. However, the game does feature a handful of genuinely tough boss battles.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin
A Soulslite Power Fantasy With That Special Team Ninja Touch
Although the Ninja Gaiden series is famous for being incredibly difficult, it’s surprising to see two Team Ninja games on this list, as their newer games aren’t quite as punishing as the originals. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, being a spin-off of Final Fantasy, was designed to be more approachable than most Soulslike games, and it is. The game offers four difficulty settings at the beginning: Story Casual, Story, Action, and Hard. While Hard mode is similar in difficulty to Dark Souls and the first two Nioh games, the other three are much easier. Most experienced players will find Story mode very easy, and Action mode offers a good challenge while still letting you feel powerful.
I’m simply discussing the campaign itself, especially since the update adds Chaos difficulty, which is more challenging than the original Dark Souls game.
While Stranger of Paradise borrows ideas from Soulslike games, it’s generally easier to play than titles like Dark Souls. It puts a bigger focus on choosing and leveling up different jobs or classes. Players don’t need to worry too much about stats and preparation on normal difficulty, but these things become important if you want a real challenge. Despite some criticism, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is worth checking out, especially if you’re looking for a game that’s either more accessible or more difficult than Dark Souls, because the combat is excellent.
Remnant 2
The Shooter Soulslike With A Well-Balanced Campaign
Gunfire’s Remnant series, often described as a ‘shooter souls’ franchise, is known for being quite challenging. Remnant: From the Ashes is often considered even more difficult than Dark Souls, especially when played alone. The sequel is still demanding, but generally more balanced and has fewer frustratingly difficult moments than the first game.
One of the best parts of Remnant 2 is its single-player class, which includes a helpful dog companion. This makes the game enjoyable even if you prefer to play alone and skip the cooperative features. While the shooting-focused gameplay is quite different from the close-combat style of Dark Souls, how much you enjoy it will probably depend on your preferred fighting style. Overall, Remnant 2 is a fairly accessible Soulslike game, especially when compared to the difficulty of other titles in the genre.
The Last Hero of Nostalgaia
An Easy Tribute To Dark Souls
Many games borrow heavily from the ‘Souls’ genre, but The Last Hero of Nostalgaia takes it to the extreme. The game openly celebrates classic gaming, particularly the Dark Souls series. Throughout the campaign, players will find constant references to Dark Souls‘ weapons, bosses, and concepts. While enjoyable on its own, the game is especially fun for those familiar with the genre it’s clearly inspired by.
Although it’s not easy, The Last Hero of Nostalgaia is one of the most accessible Soulslike games available. Most bosses aren’t very challenging—there are only a few that might give you trouble. Surprisingly, the most annoying part of the game isn’t the combat, but the amount of revisiting areas you have to do.
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Asterigos: Curse of the Stars
Less Punishing That Dark Souls, And Even Has Difficult Settings
While not a traditional Soulslike game, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars offers enough similarities to Dark Souls to be worth checking out for fans of the genre. What really sets Asterigos apart is its combat system: the main character, Hilda, can wield six different weapon types and players are meant to switch between them often to exploit enemy vulnerabilities. Each weapon also features its own unique skill tree to customize your playstyle.
Asterigos isn’t flawless, but it’s a really solid game! It features satisfying combat, a cool world to explore, and engaging boss fights. While the normal difficulty isn’t too hard – especially if you’ve played similar games – it still offers a decent challenge. Some weapons, like the Staff, are a bit too strong, but that’s something you sometimes see in games made by FromSoftware too.
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2026-05-08 21:42