14 games

The best dark fantasy open-world games

Grim realms as far as the eye can see: open worlds full of danger, magic and decay.

How to find games that really suit you: Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 36 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.

  1. 1 Elden Ring

    2022 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 59.99 € 93 % positive

    • Action-packed real-time combat
    • Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
    • Challenging difficulty

    A vast open world, demanding combat and countless secrets, from the creator of the Dark Souls series.

  2. 2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

    2015 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 49.99 € 96 % positive

    • Strong, story-driven narrative
    • Strong character progression
    • Choices with consequences

    An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.

  3. 3 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

    2025 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 43.99 € 87 % positive

    • Action-packed real-time combat
    • Strong character progression
    • Melee combat with weapons or fists

    A grim first-person open-world RPG in the Skyrim mold that reimagines Arthurian legend as a decaying Avalon ravaged by plague and madness. Free exploration, flexible builds and quests with meaningful choices drive the experience.

1 Elden Ring

Action-packed real-time combat

2022 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 59.99 € 93 % positive

A vast open world, demanding combat and countless secrets, from the creator of the Dark Souls series.

2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Strong, story-driven narrative

2015 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 49.99 € 96 % positive

An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.

3 Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

Action-packed real-time combat

2025 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck verified 43.99 € 87 % positive

A grim first-person open-world RPG in the Skyrim mold that reimagines Arthurian legend as a decaying Avalon ravaged by plague and madness. Free exploration, flexible builds and quests with meaningful choices drive the experience.

4 Gothic

Action-packed real-time combat

2001 PC 19.99 € 92 % positive

As a nameless prisoner dumped into a mining colony sealed by a magic barrier, you claw your way up from nobody with no quest markers, joining one of three camps and learning skills only from trainers. Its harsh, believable world full of gruff characters and its unforgiving, clunky combat made it a cult classic.

5 Shadow of the Colossus

Action-packed real-time combat

2005 PlayStation

A lone rider roams a desolate, haunting land to climb and topple sixteen towering colossi, each fight a living puzzle to scale. Minimalist storytelling, vast silence and a bittersweet ending make it a landmark of games as art.

6 The Blood of Dawnwalker

Action-packed real-time combat

2026 PCPlayStationXbox 69.99 € 87 % positive

A grim open-world action RPG set in medieval Europe, where Coen is a human by day and a vampire by night. That shift shapes how you fight and explore, and your choices steer the fight to save his family.

7 Mortal Online 2

Co-op or multiplayer

2022 PC 33.99 € 61 % positive

A first-person sandbox MMORPG set in a huge open world where full-loot PvP makes every trip risky. Broad freedom in skills and playstyle meets harsh, unforgiving consequences.

8 Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Action-packed real-time combat

2017 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck verified 39.99 € 89 % positive

As Talion you roam Mordor, dominating orc captains to build your own army and storm fortresses. The Nemesis System makes enemies remember you, rise in rank, and grow into personal rivals with their own stories.

9 Don't Starve

Distinctive, stylised art style

2013 PCPlayStationXboxNintendo SwitchSteam Deck playable 8.19 € 97 % positive

A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.

10 V Rising

Action-packed real-time combat

2024 PCPlayStationSteam Deck verified 34.99 € 89 % positive

You play an awakened vampire who hunts for blood, avoids deadly sunlight and builds up your own castle. Fast top-down combat against memorable bosses drives your progression, whether you play solo or with others on online servers.

11 Conan Exiles

Building and crafting

2018 PCPlayStationXboxSteam Deck playable 39.99 € 79 % positive

A survival sandbox set in the brutal world of Conan the Barbarian: you build bases and whole cities, endure hunger, cold and enemies, and rise from a lowly exile to a mighty warrior. Playable solo, in co-op, or on persistent online servers with siege warfare.

12 Dwarf Fortress

Deep systems to master

PCSteam Deck playable 30.49 € 95 % positive

An immensely deep simulation where you build and manage a dwarven fortress or roam a procedurally generated, persistent world as an adventurer. Its interlocking systems produce chaotic, memorable stories, though the learning curve is notoriously steep.

13 Vampires: Bloodlord Rising

Strong character progression

2026 PCPlayStation 19.99 €

Play as a vampire who builds a castle, runs a clan and spreads dominion across the land of Sangavia. An open-world action RPG with character development, a story and optional co-op.

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