Best Soulslike Games That Respect Your Time

Adulthood for gamers brings with it a rather predictable revelation: you have little free time, and even less desire, to dedicate to your hobbies.

As a result, unlike what I used to do in my teens, I tend to be very careful with the games I start playing, mainly because I hate leaving them unfinished and always push myself to see the credits.

Although I rarely make mistakes with my selections, there's nothing more frustrating than feeling like you're dedicating your precious free time to a game that insists on dragging on far too long, so much so that I consider it disrespectful.

Therefore, I know how to appreciate a fair product in terms of what it demands of you when I see it, which is why I've decided to curate this list of the ten best Soulslike games that respect your time.

10 Vampyr

A Bloody Redemption

One of the reasons I love Don't Nod as a studio is their ability to release very different games, and I think the most distinctive in their modern catalog is undoubtedly Vampyr.

Combining FromSoftware's combat with BioWare's narrative, it's one of my favorite games from the end of the last decade for its ability to create a competent, challenging, and versatile ARPG, both when facing bosses and when engaging with dialogue.

Conversing with NPCs and making decisions is just as, if not more, compelling than fighting, especially because it presents numerous narrative dilemmas that impact gameplay and vice versa, creating a great symbiosis between these two pillars.

Mechanically, it can become a bit sluggish as the hours go by, but Vampyr's atmosphere and story compensate so well that you can wander through the city until the very end without feeling a hint of boredom.

9 Absolver

Martial Arts at the End of the World

Absolver is a game whose mechanics never stagnate throughout the entire campaign, and it's among the most fascinating and underrated indie games I've ever had the chance to play.

Certainly, it differs from Soulsborne experiences in that its combat is stance-based, being linked to martial arts, but the solitary atmosphere, gameplay customization, interconnected levels, and the remarkable difficulty of the main encounters have a clear influence.

Thus, you encounter a melancholic journey where only the urge to fight keeps you sane, creating a set of moves at your disposal where every attack, whether with arms or legs, serves a purpose against your opponent, both offensively and defensively.

Experimenting with all the options and honing your melee combat skills enough to anticipate your opponent's moves is a magical feeling, one that feels superb whether you only strive to defeat the final boss or decide to stay for its multiplayer component.

8 Mortal Shell

Layers upon Layers

While I understand why Mortal Shell isn't everyone's cup of tea, it's a game that earned my respect for its ability to establish concrete and clear ideas.

Despite its obvious influences, I find the hardening and shell system fantastic, where the aesthetic spectacle blends seamlessly with the satisfaction of parries to create truly cinematic combat.

The classes feel like genuinely distinct archetypes, exploration is relentless, and the world in general isn't designed like a video game that hands you resources so you always have enough to win, but rather forces you to adapt and play the hand you're dealt.

I understand how annoying it can be, especially due to its questionable healing system, but it's relatively easy to tolerate thanks to the very factor that earns it a place on this list: Mortal Shell is exactly the right length, and no longer.

7 Death’s Gambit

In the Service of Destruction

Being among the first 2D Soulslikes to dare to adapt FromSoftware's formula to a completely different dimension, Death's Gambit is a pioneer of the genre and a high standard to be reckoned with.

Consequently, I've always felt it's an experience that doesn't introduce anything truly groundbreaking, but instead focuses on the elements of its spiritual predecessors and adapts them intelligently and meticulously to create a pleasurable adventure.

In other words, it's not innovative or revolutionary, though that doesn't detract from the fact that it's a tremendous action title where the combat, bosses, exploration, art direction, and even the story are on par with the best indie games of its kind.

Regardless, I still have some lingering traumas with the platforming sections and healing systems, but fortunately, the Afterlife update introduced the necessary changes to make Death's Gambit a solid title on all fronts, including the amount of content.

6 Salt and Sanctuary

A Perfectly Executed Inspiration

If Death's Gambit can be considered the standard for two-dimensional Soulslikes, then honestly, the only adjective that can best describe Salt and Sanctuary is that it's the pinnacle of its adaptation.

While there are better and worse games within the genre, Ska Studios' creation has best captured the essence of the journeys it emulates: dark and treacherous worlds, remarkable build freedom, insanely challenging bosses, and more secrets than you can possibly count.

The Metroidvania structure adds a phenomenal touch, but the key to Salt and Sanctuary lies in how it motivates you to explore, always giving you great reasons (new areas, optional bosses, powerful weapons, etc.) to venture a little further than the main path.

There's no unnecessary content, nor are there any parts of the game that feel forced, because if there's one thing this masterpiece excels at, it's delivering an intense odyssey from beginning to end, whose climax is as satisfying as its introduction.

5 Another Crab’s Treasure

The Difficulties of Pollution

Combining comedy and environmental commentary with a genre like this might seem crazy, but Another Crab's Treasure proves it not only works but can be stunning.

Exploring the polluted, addictive underwater world of this game is among the cleverest experiences of 2024, because it knows exactly how far to push its boundaries and through which elements to do so.

You have solid movement mechanics, amazing bosses with memorable soundtracks, perfectly separated areas, and just enough size to encourage exploration without ever overwhelming you, because you always know where you can't go yet.

I like to define Another Crab's Treasure as smart because what it offers is more than just a commendable adventure with plenty of laughs, challenges, and quality. More profoundly, it's a product aware of its intentions and its audience, ensuring it never strays from its objectives as a Soulslike.

4 Thymesia

Death is Everywhere

Thymesia is a relatively polarizing game that generates divided opinions between those who take the fusion of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Bloodborne very literally and those who choose to focus on the ultimate goal of this video game: entertainment.

Its level design doesn't fascinate me, and its technical capabilities occasionally seem questionable, but every time I enter a flow state while fighting a boss, I feel so exhilarated that I couldn't care less if it's just corridors or if there are occasional clunky animations.

It's among the entries on the list with the most limitations, but at the same time, Thymesia has one of the genre's highest ceilings in terms of overall experience, as it manages to draw you into an addictive level of concentration during combat that few products have been able to replicate.

I won't be the one to criticize those who think the game's shortcomings outweigh its strengths; however, I would like to champion it as a title that does the only thing better than being inspired by the greats: using that inspiration to create something that feels familiar yet its own.

3 Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

The Experience of a Fallen Kingdom

While not the purest Soulslike, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights boasts among the most enjoyable completionist routes I've ever played, and I generally dislike 100% completion because the real content is usually buried beneath artificial and repetitive material.

Instead, to fully appreciate Lily's adventure, all you have to do is immerse yourself in its world, making sure to value each room for what it is: a world of gameplay and narrative opportunities, not just part of a checklist to tick off.

Thanks to its poignant plot, tragic characters, and a soundtrack of immense quality, Ender Lilies convinces you to explore its spaces for the sheer melancholic comfort of inhabiting and discovering them, never making you feel like you're exploring aimlessly or seeking rewards for trivial perks.

Seeing everything the game has to offer only takes a couple of dozen hours, which is an unequivocal reflection of a developer that respects its users' time and understands that just because the number of How Long To Beat is higher doesn't automatically mean the game is better.

2 Nine Sols

In the Hunt for Gods

Honoring the player's leisure time isn't just about offering clear campaigns, but, as Nine Sols exemplifies, about imbuing an entire adventure with consistent high quality that, from beginning to end, constantly gives you reasons to believe you're playing one of the best indie games ever made.

What starts as a Hollow Knight-like focused on deflecting ends up becoming a unique title that doesn't envy anyone, but rather builds its own identity with clear inspirations, yet with an even clearer intention of making its name memorable without comparisons.

With its extremely refined combat based on parries and counterattacks, its elegant and challenging bosses, its great story of redemption, and its deep mythology that encompasses both audiovisual and narrative elements, you have a compact game that starts well, develops even better, and culminates in a truly spectacular way.

When I think about every unlocked ability, boss defeated, or area discovered, I can only refer to Nine Sols as a phenomenal Soulslike that achieves the same thing as FromSoftware, albeit through different mechanisms, convincing you of its mastery for so many reasons that it's difficult to find a flaw that contradicts it.

1 Lies of P

FromSoftware's True Heir

Being one of only two perfect scores I've given in my more than 10 years as a video game journalist, Lies of P is a true masterpiece that stands far above the rest when it comes to learning from Hidetaka Miyazaki.

To be honest, there are numerous aspects in which this Pinocchio adaptation rivals and even surpasses various FromSoftware works, mainly in terms of content, as the game is consistently polished and never dips in quality during its intense campaign.

When it introduces plot twists, tests the player's patience, or renders useless the tools you've been comfortable with for hours, Lies of P dares to stray from familiar comforts to keep you on your toes at all times, preventing you from feeling relaxed but also from getting bored.

It starts as one game and ends up being something entirely different in vibe, tone, and approach, striving to never stagnate and keep you engaged throughout the whole time. It's not a short experience, but respecting the user's time also includes offering memorability for as long as necessary, and let me tell you, forgetting Lies of P is virtually impossible.