Defining the Genre: A Look at the Top Soulslike Games Outside of FromSoftware
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
IGN South Africa breaks down the 10 best Soulslike games not developed by FromSoftware, establishing core criteria like punishing death mechanics, stamina-based combat, and interconnected world design.
The influence of FromSoftware on modern game design is impossible to overstate. Their titles sparked an entirely new subgenre that now commands massive communities across console, PC, and cloud platforms. Defining what actually makes a game a Soulslike remains a persistent community debate, especially since elements like deliberate combat and punishing difficulty have bled into everything from indie roguelikes to massive open-world adventures. To bring some clarity to the conversation, IGN South Africa recently published a curated look at the best Soulslike games in the industry.
Setting a clear standard for the list required establishing strict criteria. Eligible titles needed to feature punishing death mechanics, a dual-purpose currency system used for both progression and risk, stamina-driven deliberate combat, and world-resetting checkpoints. The ranking also prioritized complex environmental storytelling, towering boss encounters, and interconnected level design that respects player intelligence by avoiding heavy-handed tutorials or waypoint markers. Crucially, the selection excluded games developed by FromSoftware itself, focusing entirely on how other studios have iterated on the formula.
For players who treat challenging co-op runs and solo boss progression as a primary social and entertainment lifeline, lists like this highlight how much the genre has evolved. Studios around the world continue to push these mechanics into new settings, proving that the core philosophy of trial, error, and mastery belongs to the entire gaming community. You can check out the full breakdown and see which titles made the cut over at IGN South Africa.
Tags: Soulslike, FromSoftware, Action RPG, Gaming News, IGN South Africa
Original article: IGN South Africa