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ACTION RPGRPG

Dark Souls

2011 · FromSoftware

A landmark action RPG built around interconnected world design, challenging combat, environmental storytelling and discovery.

PLATFORMS

PS3Xbox 360PCPS4Xbox OneNintendo Switch

GAMEBOX SCORE

98

Provisional GAMEBOX editorial ratings. These are not verified facts or aggregate review scores.

/ 100

Retro Score96
Hidden Gem72
Revival Potential90

GAME DNA

experience
Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Role immersion
genre
Action RPG · RPG
mood
Dark · Mysterious · Bleak
gameplay
Combat · Exploration · Character Building · Discovery
difficulty
Hard
era
2010s
pacing
Balanced
perspective
Third-person
structure
Interconnected

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

Game DNA is GAMEBOX editorial classification; era comes from the sourced release year. Ratings are separate editorial judgements.

DarkMysteriousBleakCombatExplorationCharacter BuildingDiscovery

ABOUT THE GAME

A landmark action RPG built around interconnected world design, challenging combat, environmental storytelling and discovery.

Play it for its interconnected world, precise combat, mysterious lore and extraordinary sense of discovery.

WHERE CAN I PLAY IT?

Availability information will be added to the GAMEBOX database.

We only list legal and officially available platforms and services.

RETRO HISTORY

Dark Souls helped popularize a new generation of challenging action RPGs and became one of the most influential games of the 2010s.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
2011
Developer
FromSoftware
Publisher
Namco Bandai Games · FromSoftware

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Dark Souls

GAMEBOX algorithmic assessments of editorial Game DNA. Confidence describes overlap strength, not a probability of enjoyment.

2009

Demon's Souls

85% SIMILAR

VERY STRONG MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Bleak · Mysterious · Action RPG · RPG

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Bleak / Mysterious mood; Action RPG / RPG genre.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge · Role immersion100% distinctive overlap · 74.0 / 74.0 points
  • mood: Bleak · Dark · Mysterious100% distinctive overlap · 70.9 / 70.9 points
  • genre: Action RPG · RPG100% distinctive overlap · 28.9 / 28.9 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Combat · Discovery · Exploration100% distinctive overlap · 24.5 / 24.5 points
  • structure: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

1997

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

58% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge · Role immersion100% distinctive overlap · 74.0 / 74.0 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2000

Vagrant Story

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Role immersion · Action RPG · RPG · Mysterious · Dark

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Action RPG / RPG genre; Mysterious / Dark mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Mastery challenge · Role immersion40% distinctive overlap · 29.5 / 74.1 points
  • mood: Dark · Mysterious35% distinctive overlap · 25.6 / 72.4 points
  • genre: Action RPG · RPG100% distinctive overlap · 28.9 / 28.9 points
  • gameplay: Character Building · Combat · Exploration41% distinctive overlap · 11.2 / 26.9 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points

2017

Hollow Knight

52% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: 2010s100% distinctive overlap · 4.8 / 4.8 points

1994

Super Metroid

50% SIMILAR

GOOD MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Mysterious

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Mastery challenge experiences (learning through repeated attempts and improving execution) and Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces); Mysterious mood.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: Mysterious20% distinctive overlap · 14.1 / 71.2 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 31.1 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Discovery · Exploration74% distinctive overlap · 18.2 / 24.4 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: Hard100% distinctive overlap · 4.6 / 4.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.6 points

2002

Arx Fatalis

32% SIMILAR

LIMITED MATCH

Discovery-led · Role immersion · Mysterious · RPG

WHY IT'S SIMILAR

Both games share Discovery-led experiences (progressing through curiosity and finding new knowledge or spaces) and Role immersion experiences (inhabiting and developing a character within a world); Mysterious mood; RPG genre.

A close match offering a different series or DNA profile.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Role immersion34% distinctive overlap · 26.2 / 76.0 points
  • mood: Mysterious22% distinctive overlap · 14.0 / 65.1 points
  • genre: RPG21% distinctive overlap · 5.9 / 28.2 points
  • gameplay: Combat · Exploration27% distinctive overlap · 7.0 / 25.7 points
  • structure: Interconnected100% distinctive overlap · 25.7 / 25.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 7.3 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 3.6 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.2 points