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Demon's Souls

2009 · FromSoftware

The game that established many of the design principles that would later define the Souls genre.

PLATFORMS

PS3

GAMEBOX SCORE

96

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

/ 100

Retro Score98
Hidden Gem88
Revival Potential94

GAME DNA

experience
Mastery challenge · Discovery-led · Role immersion
genre
Action RPG · RPG
mood
Dark · Bleak · Mysterious
gameplay
Combat · Exploration · Character Building · Discovery
difficulty
Very Hard
era
2000s
pacing
Balanced
perspective
Third-person
structure
Hub-based

DISCOVER BY GAME DNA

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

DarkBleakMysteriousCombatExplorationCharacter BuildingDiscovery

ABOUT THE GAME

The game that established many of the design principles that would later define the Souls genre.

Play it to experience the foundation of the Souls formula, with atmospheric worlds, demanding combat and unusual multiplayer systems.

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

Demon's Souls originated many of the design ideas that later became central to FromSoftware's globally successful Souls series.

ORIGINAL RELEASE
2009
Developer
FromSoftware
Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment · Atlus · Namco Bandai Partners

DISCOVER MORE

SIMILAR GAMES

Explore what makes games feel like Demon's Souls

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

2011

Dark 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

45% SIMILAR

PARTIAL 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: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1998

Banjo-Kazooie

42% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led

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).

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 71.6 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 29.2 points
  • gameplay: Discovery25% distinctive overlap · 7.8 / 31.2 points
  • structure: Hub-based100% distinctive overlap · 29.8 / 29.8 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 / 5.9 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

2000

Vagrant Story

41% SIMILAR

PARTIAL 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: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 11.1 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: 2000s100% distinctive overlap · 3.6 / 3.6 points

1994

Super Metroid

38% SIMILAR

PARTIAL 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: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 27.7 points
  • pacing: Balanced100% distinctive overlap · 12.0 / 12.0 points
  • perspective: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 10.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 6.8 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points

1996

Super Mario 64

37% SIMILAR

PARTIAL MATCH

Mastery challenge · Discovery-led

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).

A close match offering a different series or DNA profile.

Similarity breakdown
  • experience: Discovery-led · Mastery challenge72% distinctive overlap · 55.3 / 76.9 points
  • mood: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 71.6 points
  • genre: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 29.2 points
  • gameplay: Discovery25% distinctive overlap · 7.8 / 31.2 points
  • structure: Hub-based100% distinctive overlap · 29.8 / 29.8 points
  • pacing: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 14.7 points
  • perspective: Third-person100% distinctive overlap · 6.6 / 6.6 points
  • difficulty: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 5.9 points
  • era: No shared values0% distinctive overlap · 0.0 / 4.0 points