The best games like Bloodborne usually match one of two things: how Bloodborne feels to fight or how Yharnam feels to inhabit. Very few games reproduce both. That is why a useful recommendation list needs to separate aggressive combat, parry pressure, gothic-horror atmosphere, plague imagery, transforming or unusual weapons, and dense hostile city design.
Current 2026 recommendation pages continue to point toward Lies of P and Thymesia as obvious modern matches, while Dark Souls III remains the closest FromSoftware route if the developer's encounter language matters more than the exact setting.
Quick recommendations
- Lies of P for the closest modern combination of gothic city, aggression, defensive timing, and Soulslike structure.
- Thymesia for a shorter plague-soaked action RPG with fast combat and parry pressure.
- Dark Souls III for FromSoftware bosses and faster combat in a darker medieval world.
- Sekiro if timing, aggression, and standing your ground mattered more than gothic horror.
- Steelrising if mechanical bodies, European streets, and old-world atmosphere were the main appeal.
- Mortal Shell II if you want a darker compact world with aggressive high-stakes combat.
Lies of P: the most obvious modern match
Lies of P is the first game to compare because it combines a decaying European-style city, grotesque enemies, fast defensive timing, and a focused Soulslike campaign. Krat's Belle Époque machinery is not Victorian Yharnam, but both worlds use beautiful architecture as a frame for collapse.
Combat also encourages active defense. Perfect Guards, weapon assembly, Legion Arms, and aggressive boss patterns make passivity less attractive than in early Dark Souls. It does not copy Bloodborne's rally system or Trick Weapons exactly, but it creates a similar feeling that survival depends on engaging with danger rather than hiding from it.
See Lies of P and games like Lies of P for the other side of the comparison.
Thymesia: plague, speed, and compact pressure
Thymesia is a frequent recommendation because its world is shaped by disease and its combat is faster than a traditional shield-oriented Soulslike. The game is smaller and more focused than Bloodborne, which can be a benefit if you want a concentrated action experience rather than a large RPG.
The similarity is strongest in mood and tempo: ruined spaces, plague imagery, aggressive enemies, dodges, parries, and bosses that punish hesitation. The difference is scale. Do not expect Yharnam's breadth, weapon identity, or amount of worldbuilding.
Dark Souls III: FromSoftware DNA without Yharnam
Dark Souls III is less similar visually but closer in animation language, boss design, and FromSoftware's approach to encounter pacing. Its combat is faster than Dark Souls Remastered, enemies chain longer combinations, and many bosses demand confident dodging at close range.
If Bloodborne was your first FromSoftware game and you mainly want more of the developer's design style, Dark Souls III is usually a better recommendation than a game that merely looks gothic.
Read Dark Souls III for its platforms, builds, DLC, and multiplayer.
Sekiro: aggression through deflection
Sekiro does not have Bloodborne's RPG builds or gothic horror, but it shares a philosophical preference for engagement over retreat. Deflections damage posture, successful defense creates offensive momentum, and bosses become easier when you learn to stand your ground.
Choose Sekiro if Bloodborne taught you to stop hiding behind a shield and you want an even more focused version of that lesson. It is single-player and much narrower in build variety, so it should not be chosen for weapon collecting.
Our Sekiro profile explains those differences.
Steelrising: mechanical old-world atmosphere
Steelrising is often recommended to Lies of P players, but the same reason can appeal to Bloodborne fans: old European streets, mechanical enemies, decay, and a Souls-inspired structure.
Its combat is generally more forgiving than Bloodborne, and its setting leans into an alternate-history mechanical revolution rather than cosmic horror. It is a good choice if atmosphere and era are more important to you than reproducing FromSoftware's exact combat feel.
Mortal Shell II: dark compact exploration
Mortal Shell II offers a current 2026 alternative for players who want a dark world, difficult encounters, and a compact interconnected open structure. Its Shell-possession mechanic gives character identity a physical form, while stamina-free combat changes one of the genre's normal restrictions.
It is not a Bloodborne clone, but it suits players who want a newer dark-fantasy game with an emphasis on pressure and exploration. See Mortal Shell II.
What if the gothic horror is the main thing?
Bloodborne's cosmic turn is unusually difficult to copy. Many Soulslikes reproduce ruined cities and monsters without reproducing the gradual shift from a hunt into Lovecraftian horror.
If atmosphere is your priority, look for games that use architecture, enemy design, sound, and narrative uncertainty to create dread rather than simply selecting the darkest visual preset. Lies of P is the closest major modern Soulslike in environmental mood, while Thymesia leans more strongly into plague imagery.
What if the combat is the main thing?
Choose by the defensive mechanic. Pick Lies of P for Perfect Guards and build options, Sekiro for pure deflection mastery, Dark Souls III for fast FromSoftware dodge combat, and Thymesia for a compact aggressive system.
Bloodborne is officially a PS4 game playable on PS5 through backward compatibility, so platform access is also a practical reason to seek alternatives. PC and Xbox players cannot rely on an official Bloodborne port today.
For wider recommendations that are not limited to Bloodborne similarity, use best Soulslike games.
