Best Soulslikes That Make You Think

The soulslike genre is known for the core pillars of challenging combat and intricate exploration, which are enough for the majority of fans to be drawn into the game’s world. Coupled with traditionally cryptic lore and central narrative, almost every soulslike provides plenty of hints and clues to encourage players to guess every step of the way if they want to uncover the mysteries of the world around them and make sense of the game’s events.

However, some soulslikes blend combat and exploration with other elements, most notably puzzle-solving, secret-hunting, and even platforming sections, more common in the traditional action-adventure genre. If done right, such elements can elevate the soulslike formula even further, providing an intense and diverse experience that challenges players’ reflexes as much as their ability to think creatively to overcome various obstacles. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable soulslikes that excel not only in combat and worldbuilding but also in other stimulating activities.

Remnant 2

Procedural Generation Techniques And An Emphasis On Puzzle-Solving

The Remnant series is one of the first to come to mind when thinking of soulslikes, offering an equal blend of combat, exploration, and rewarding puzzle-solving. Both Remnant: From the Ashes and Remnant 2 are brimming with hidden mysteries to discover, and what’s even better, the games are well-known for their strong co-op options, elevating the entire experience and occasionally even demanding shared effort to solve certain puzzles. Not to mention, the series utilizes procedural generation for its levels, so players may need to re-roll their adventures numerous times to trigger all possible scenarios and rewards.

On top of that, the majority of boss encounters in Remnant 2 basically function as puzzles, requiring not brute-forcing powerful enemies, but rather observing, striking weak points a-la Resident Evil, interrupting special moves capable of buffing the boss or summoning additional enemies, and more. All in all, for those looking for a truly unique soulslike with great depth in combat, exploration, and secret-hunting, Remnant 2 should be high on the list.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Fueled by Metroidvania Progression And An Abundance Of Puzzles And Platforming

Just like its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor stands on the middle ground between hardcore soulslikes and traditional action-adventure titles, with a strong narrative, cinematic cutscenes, and additional activities like puzzle-solving and platforming rarely present in the soulslike genre.

The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order not only introduces expanded, almost open-world-like areas (most notably the enormous Koboh and Jedha worlds) that players gradually explore, returning to planets once they gain special abilities to progress further, but also doubles down on puzzles and platforming with various Force-based traversal powers.

In Jedi: Survivor, players encounter numerous intricate environmental puzzles across different explorable worlds, including several Jedi Chamber trials with diverse mechanics and powerful rewards. On top of that, the game significantly expands its optional platforming challenges, some of which are so demanding that players must fully master every move Cal Kestis is capable of.

Elden Ring

The Lands Between And Its Lore Is A Puzzle On Its Own

A colossal achievement by FromSoftware, Elden Ring has long been hailed as the king of all soulslikes, and it’s doubtful anything will surpass the game anytime soon. From its enormous world, where players can reach almost every corner (easier said than done, as some regions may never be found without guidance), to countless lore enigmas, hidden passages, gesture-based mysteries, and head-scratching quests, Elden Ring features little to no handholding, trusting players to slowly figure out the game’s numerous secrets on their own.

While some may not fully appreciate such a minimalistic approach to elements like narrative, lore, and quest tracking, Elden Ring isn’t challenging just for the sake of it, whether in combat or exploration. For those who don’t rush and are willing to immerse themselves in its world and mysteries, there are plenty of valuable tools and hints scattered throughout, allowing players to gain an advantage in almost every situation.

Lords of the Fallen

Unique Dual-World Mechanics Provide Food For Thought

Lords of the Fallen stands out due to its unique dual-world mechanics, a feature often seen in the action-adventure genre but almost never in soulslikes. The game features the living world, Axion, and the dead realm, known as Umbral, allowing the Lampbearers to cross the threshold between the two freely, which can be used to the players’ benefit during exploration, puzzle-solving, and reaching well-hidden items. Better yet, players can peek into Umbral without fully crossing realms, forcing them to constantly consider both dimensions simultaneously and adding a strategic layer.

Even without this unique feature that further elevates the journey, exploration itself is a strong aspect of Lords of the Fallen. The game offers Dark Souls-inspired interconnected environments with plenty of gradually unlocked passages and shortcuts, hidden chests with loot and upgrades, and optional and mandatory puzzles involving hidden switches — all while players must navigate without a map. Not to mention the team’s dedication to the project, releasing constant updates for two years after launch and fixing nearly all of the game’s initial issues based on fan feedback. Hopefully, the upcoming Lords of the Fallen 2 will elevate the already strong foundation even further and will not repeat the rushed launch of its predecessor.

Bloodborne

Easily Among The Genre’s Most Mysterious Settings

While Bloodborne has little to no traditional puzzles, the game stands out as the classic FromSoftware experience in terms of its interconnected world with no map, where players must constantly challenge themselves to venture into new areas, unsure where the path will take them.

Aside from this demanding exploration that requires players to virtually construct their surroundings and mentally connect areas, Bloodborne also presents one of the most intricate settings in the genre to date, with mysterious lore so layered and fascinating that there are still fan theories regarding certain elements and events in the game.

In addition, the original Dark Souls or Dark Souls: Remastered also deserves mention for a similar, widely praised approach to world design and exploration, creatively connecting areas and keeping players guessing where they will end up next. Many years later, very few soulslikes have managed to capture the special feeling Dark Souls evokes during exploration, especially when playing for the first time.

Darksiders 3

True To The Series’ Roots With Environmental Puzzles And Platforming

Before the Remnant series, Gunfire Games used a largely similar approach with Darksiders 3. The game ended up standing somewhere between the soulslike and traditional action genres, keeping essentials like environmental puzzles and platforming from its predecessors while enriching the formula with a soulslike approach to combat, boss encounters, and overall exploration.

While Darksiders 3 is hardly considered among the best the genre has to offer, falling short of the stronger implementation of puzzles and mysteries seen in the Remnant series, the game can still serve as a pleasant distraction between more combat-demanding soulslikes. With its balance of interconnected levels for exploration, hidden collectibles, metroidvania-like abilities that gradually unlock new areas, and platforming challenges, Darksiders 3 creates a diverse and engaging gameplay loop that encourages active thinking throughout play. Now it’s up to Darksiders 4 to push the series forward with new elements by drawing on Gunfire Games’ own experience with Remnant 2.