As Elden Ring surges into (expected) popularity, there are plenty of indie games to try that are similar to Elden Ring and its Dark Souls predecessors. Defined by their relentless nature, “Souls-like” games require skill-based play and grinding mechanics – not to mention brutally difficult boss fights and vicious melee and magical attacks.
Below
From indie studio Capybara Games, behind Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery, comes Below. This dungeon-explorer game is full of secret rooms and hidden passageways for the bravest spelunker to explore. As you make your way through the underworld, you’ll have to defeat monsters and evade fatal traps lurking around every corner. With survival as difficult as it is, this will satisfy the need for a challenge set in an untamable world.
This game is “maddening, frustrating, gorgeous, fun, tedious, surprising, awe-inspiring, and completely riveting,” according to reviewer Jufin. Similarly lauded in other comments, Below is clearly a fan-favorite – from the punishing battles and losses to incredibly difficult victories.
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife
Death’s Gambit: Afterlife turns Dark Souls into a 2D role-playing game. Originally released by Serenity Forge studios, Afterlife is the expanded and improved version of the game. With brand new weapons and levels, even previous fans of the game have something different to try. Also, your choices affect the epic finale to your protagonist’s journey.
As death’s right-hand-man, fight undying foes and release their souls from immortality. Of course, to beat these enemies you often need to use vastly different strategies: from running up massive swords to timing jumps on tiny platforms. Just like in Dark Souls, the learning curve is vicious. However, the medieval setting and colorful (almost whimsical) 2D graphics make Death’s Gambit: Afterlife stand out.
Salt and Sanctuary
From Ska Studios (behind action titles like The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile), Salt and Sanctuary takes the combat and skill elements of Dark Souls and combines it with platforming. With 2D graphics that look almost hand-drawn, the aesthetic is certainly different, but the gameplay and difficulty are similar.
Stranded after a devastating shipwreck, your character unearths threats long dormant on a deserted island. As you explore ancient dungeons and ruins there are plenty of spells and crafting recipes to learn – and, of course, countless enemies to defeat.
It certainly (intentionally) bears great resemblance to the Souls games, but as an homage. Salt and Sanctuary brings in new elements like couch co-op and platforming to make it a unique challenge.
Spirit of Shotgun
If you’re more of a platformer fan, with the skills to prove it, Spirit of Shotgun is the Dark Souls indie variant for you. Instead of grinding endless fights with powerful bosses, replace most of the intense combat with climbing and jumping through the stages.
Shotgun takes you through areas from mythology (like the Pits of Tartarus) and other realms, each with its own unique soundtrack. Use your shotgun to launch yourself to new heights that no other human could reach – but beware tiny platforms that require meticulous aim.
Like the frustrating respawns of other Soulslike games, Shotgun is notorious for its lack of checkpoints – while you can respawn at the beginning of the world, there is little room for error.
DarkMaus
Called “Dark Souls Starring a Mouse” by PCGamer, DarkMaus is exactly that – a challenging RPG with similar fight mechanics to Souls, but with a rodent protagonist and top-down point of view.
From indie developer Daniel Wright, this game allows you to explore a dark, desolate and deadly world. Enemies are difficult and punishing, often using different weapons to defeat them. DarkMaus also features an “ally ghost” which retraces your steps after your death – and fights by your side. You can accumulate multiple allies with different weapons to help you find answers in a dark world where everyone has gone feral.
Immortal Planet
What could be an indie game more like Dark Souls than one that – according to their website – “rewards patience and punishes recklessness”? Immortal Planet clearly takes that to heart, making for a challenging yet gratifying RPG.
Make your way through countless dungeons dotting the surface of a barren, icy planet. As you descend, there are many bosses to fight – most of which have multiple stages. With elements of dodging, blocking and stamina management, you have a lot more to think about than just button-mashing.
In true Souls fashion, the levels feature checkpoints and a hard reset upon each death. You can regain the experience you’ve lost (as well as unlocking new weapons and spells), so despite the grind-y nature, you won’t lose too much progress.
Anna is a senior at NYU studying Journalism. Her work has been featured in GreenWorldAlliance and the Borgen Project, and she hopes to pursue games journalism into the future.In her free time, she loves playing Left 4 Dead with her 60-year-old father, tearing it up in Just Dance, and unnecessarily reorganizing her decks in Back 4 Blood.
