Souls-Like Games to Play in 2026 — From Mina the Hollower to Nioh 3

If you are looking for souls-like games to play in 2026, the timing has never been better. 2026 has already delivered Nioh 3 and Code Vein II in the opening weeks of the year, Mina the Hollower just dropped to universal critical acclaim, and the back half of 2026 brings FromSoftware’s vampire-themed Duskbloods, Lords of the Fallen II, Mortal Shell 2, Phantom Blade Zero, and Beast of Reincarnation. Whether you want classic high-difficulty boss runs, hand-crafted exploration, or a budget-friendly entry point into the genre, here is the definitive PixelForge Network shortlist of the best souls-like games to play right now in 2026 — plus what’s still coming this year.

Best 2026 Souls-Like Games Already Released

Three souls-like games have already shipped in the first half of 2026 and each one is worth your time for very different reasons.

• Mina the Hollower (May 29, 2026, $19.99) — Yacht Club Games’ first project outside the Shovel Knight universe. 92 Metacritic, 11 perfect 10/10 scores, currently the highest-rated game of 2026. Top-down Game Boy Color aesthetic, dense interconnected world, chain whip plus burrow mechanic, measured Soulslike combat. The best $20 you can spend on a 2026 souls-like.
• Nioh 3 (February 6, 2026, $69.99) — Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja deliver their most refined Nioh yet on PS5 and PC. Heavy stance-switching combat, brutal boss design, deep loot systems. The genre’s high-skill ceiling pick.
• Code Vein II (January 30, 2026, $69.99) — Bandai Namco Studios returns to the Revenant universe with a time-travel narrative twist and the new Partner System. Mixed critical reception, but the anime-styled combat and Partner Assimilation mechanic carve out a niche that Nioh 3 doesn’t compete with.

Upcoming Souls-Like Games for 2026

The remaining 2026 calendar is stacked with souls-like games that should each appeal to a different slice of the genre’s fanbase.

• The Duskbloods (2026, Switch 2 exclusive) — Hidetaka Miyazaki’s next FromSoftware title. PvPvE vampire-themed, character-based matching, built on the Elden Ring Nightreign experimental design philosophy. The reason a lot of souls-like fans bought a Switch 2.
• Lords of the Fallen II (2026, no firm date) — Hexworks and CI Games’ follow-up to 2023’s Lords of the Fallen, set 100 years later with a darker Umbral realm. After the V2.0 overhaul of the first game proved the team listens, this sequel is the souls-like comeback story to watch.
• Mortal Shell 2 (2026) — Cold Symmetry doubles down on shell-swapping with about 60 dungeons, no stamina management, and firearms (shotguns, revolvers, machine-gun crossbow) supporting the melee core. Big swings; potentially the year’s most surprising release.
• Beast of Reincarnation (August 2026) — Game Freak’s experimental souls-like with creature evolution mechanics. Pokémon’s developer doing souls-like is the kind of pairing that could either define or sink a release window.
• Phantom Blade Zero (September 9, 2026) — More action-RPG than strict souls-like, but the genre overlap is significant enough that fans of Sekiro and Stellar Blade should keep this on the radar.
• Valor Mortis (2026) — Napoleonic alternate-history souls-like with gunpowder weapons and supernatural powers. The setting alone makes it stand out from the medieval and gothic crowd.

Best Souls-Like Games Still Worth Playing in 2026

If you are new to the genre or want to fill the gap between 2026 releases, these earlier souls-like games are still the gold standard.

• Elden Ring (2022) — Still the most accessible mainline FromSoftware game, and the Nightreign expansion gives it a multiplayer second life. Over 28 million copies sold for a reason.
• Lies of P (2023) — Neowiz’s Belle Époque Pinocchio reimagining. Among the most technically polished non-FromSoft souls-like games ever made. Lies of P: Overture DLC made it even better in late 2025.
• Bloodborne (2015) — The PS5 has rendered this playable at acceptable framerates via backwards compatibility, and the Yharnam atmosphere remains unmatched. Still the souls-like community is praying for a remake or PC port — neither confirmed for 2026.
• Khazan: The First Berserker (March 2025) — Neople’s stylish anime-influenced souls-like with a faster combat tempo than FromSoftware’s catalog. Strong choice if Nioh 3’s deliberate pace is too slow.
• AI Limit (March 2025) — Sci-fi souls-like with a Sync Rate mechanic that replaces traditional stamina management. Underrated and worth picking up on a Steam sale.
• Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (2025) — Late-Ming Dynasty souls-like with the Madness mechanic that doubles as both progression and consequence system. Solid third-tier pick for genre fans.

How We Picked the Best Souls-Like Games for 2026

Our 2026 souls-like ranking weighs four things: critical reception (aggregate Metacritic and OpenCritic scores), genre fidelity (does it actually deliver on the souls-like promise of deliberate combat, run-back tension, and pattern learning), value (what the asking price gets you in 2026), and personal taste calibration across the PixelForge editorial team. We don’t include games where the souls-like label is only marketing — Phantom Blade Zero earned its place because the genre overlap is real, even though it leans action-RPG.

Souls-Like 2026 Verdict

If you have $20 and an itch to play one new souls-like this month, it has to be Mina the Hollower. If you want a full-budget 2026 release that already shipped, Nioh 3 is the safer pick over Code Vein II. If you can wait, The Duskbloods on Switch 2 and Lords of the Fallen II are the genre’s two biggest unknowns for the back half of 2026 — and given how active the souls-like calendar is, “wait and see” is a reasonable strategy this year. Either way, the souls-like games 2026 lineup is the deepest the genre has had in a single calendar year, and it’s only May.

— Rynx

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📖 Read More on PixelForge Network

• Mina the Hollower Review — A $19.99 Masterpiece That Outscores Every AAA Game in 2026
• Upcoming 2026 Games — All the New PC Games You Won’t Want to Miss
• June 2026 Game Releases — The 12 Most Exciting Games Coming This Month
• Modern Warfare 4 Preorder Guide — Editions, Bonuses & Open Beta

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