The 10 Greatest Soulslikes of the Past 10 years, Ranked
Polygon has published a ranked list of the 10 greatest Soulslike games of the past decade, reflecting on the genre’s evolution since FromSoftware established the foundation with Demon’s Souls (2009) and Dark Souls (2011). The Soulslike genre has steadily grown in popularity over the intervening years, offering players challenging gameplay, intricate environmental design, and complex narratives.
The timing of the ranking coincides with significant upcoming releases in the genre. Elden Ring is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, while FromSoftware’s newest title, The Duskbloods, is approaching release. These milestones have prompted reflection on the genre FromSoftware helped define.
Notably, the Soulslike genre has diversified beyond the dark, oppressive aesthetic associated with its origins. Recent entries like 2024’s Enotria: The Last Song demonstrate that the formula can accommodate different visual and tonal approaches—in that game’s case, bright sunlit environments replace the genre’s traditional gloom. This evolution suggests the Soulslike framework is flexible enough to support varied artistic visions while maintaining the core mechanical identity that defines the genre.