214 games
The best dark fantasy games on PlayStation
Grim worlds full of magic, monsters and moral grey areas: fantasy without the sugar coating.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 Dark Souls III
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A dark action RPG with precise, unforgiving combat and intricately connected levels.
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2 Dark Souls
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A merciless action RPG whose interconnected world of Lordran rewards careful exploration with clever shortcuts, deliberate combat and cryptic, melancholic lore. Every death teaches something, and every victory feels truly earned.
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3 Diablo
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
The genre-defining hack-and-slash: you descend floor by floor through randomized catacombs beneath Tristram all the way into Hell, chasing ever-better loot. Its oppressive gothic atmosphere and iconic soundtrack remain legendary.
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4 Demon's Souls
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
The original Soulslike: you fight through the fog-cursed kingdom of Boletaria across brutal, interconnected stages full of traps and demons, where every death costs your souls and every victory feels earned. Asynchronous online touches like messages, bloodstains and invasions give the lonely journey a unique edge.
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5 Diablo IV
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim, gothic loot-driven action RPG where you carve through demon hordes across a shared open world, endlessly tuning your build with skills, aspects and legendary gear. A brooding story about Lilith's return sets the stage, while the endgame keeps you chasing better loot in dungeons and seasons.
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6 Elden Ring
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A vast open world, demanding combat and countless secrets, from the creator of the Dark Souls series.
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7 Bloodborne
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A fast, aggressive Soulslike set in a gothic nightmare city, where you win by staying on the offensive instead of hiding behind a shield, and the story slowly turns into cosmic horror. Interlocking levels, brutal bosses and cryptic lore make it a genre landmark.
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8 Dark Souls II
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
The second Souls entry sends you as a cursed undead through the decaying kingdom of Drangleic, offering punishing bosses, huge weapon and build variety, and a sprawling, branching world packed with secrets.
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9 Elden Ring Nightreign
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A co-op roguelike spin-off of Elden Ring where a trio races across a shrinking map over three days, powering up before facing a towering Nightlord boss. Fast, intense runs with distinct hero classes replace the sprawling solo journey.
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10 Dragon Age: Origins
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim fantasy RPG where you lead a band of memorable companions as a Grey Warden against the Blight. Tactical pausable combat, distinct origin stories and weighty moral choices shape the fate of Ferelden.
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11 Path of Exile 2
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim hack-and-slash ARPG with a sprawling passive tree, flexible skill gems and far more deliberate, dodge-heavy boss fights than its predecessor. A haven for theorycrafters who love tinkering with builds and chasing endgame loot.
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12 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
As the undead ranger Talion, you carve through Mordor with fluid counter-based combat and stealth. The Nemesis System generates orc captains who remember you, rise through the ranks and become personal rivals.
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13 Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A 2.5D soulslike metroidvania set in a grim, hand-painted fantasy world being consumed by Entropy. It stands out with deep class and skill trees, crafting through recruited merchants, and punishing boss fights.
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14 Diablo III
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
Fast-paced hack-and-slash where you carve through demon hordes with one of several classes while chasing ever-better loot. Its real draw is the endgame loop of Greater Rifts, seasons and co-op play.
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15 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.
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16 Blasphemous II
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim pixel-art Metroidvania where the Penitent One wields three distinct weapons through a world steeped in religious horror. Precise duels, tough bosses and plenty of secrets make exploring rewarding.
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17 Lords of the Fallen
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim Soulslike where a magic lantern lets you shift between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead. Weighty combat, interconnected level design and the Umbral mechanic make exploration tense and demanding.
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18 Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
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.
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19 Path of Exile
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim free-to-play loot-driven ARPG with an enormous passive skill tree and socketed gem system that enable near-limitless build crafting. Its deep endgame mapping and seasonal leagues keep theorycrafters hooked for years.
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20 Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
As the freshly resurrected vampire Kain, you slash through the gloomy top-down land of Nosgoth, collecting spells, weapons and shapeshifting forms. Famed for its gothic atmosphere, richly voiced dramatic storytelling and morally grey tale of vengeance.
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21 Darkest Dungeon
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A merciless dungeon RPG where stress and madness are as dangerous as the monsters.
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22 Drakengard
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim hack-and-slash RPG where the embittered prince Caim forms a pact with a dragon. Ground battles against massive armies alternate with aerial dragon combat, and its disturbing multi-ending story made it a cult classic.
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23 Mortal Shell II
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A grim soulslike where you possess the bodies of fallen warriors and use them in fast, punishing fights against false gods. The sequel offers a more open, ruined world with horror undertones.
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24 The Last Faith
- Dark, serious atmosphere
- Fantasy setting
A dark, gothic pixel-art Metroidvania that blends Soulslike combat with sprawling interconnected exploration and plenty of weapon and build options. You fight through a decaying world ravaged by plague and a corrupt religion as Eric.
What matters with Dark fantasy games
Dark fantasy works because it takes the usual sword-and-sorcery ingredients and lets them rot a little: kingdoms in decline, gods that can't be trusted, and heroes who are often cursed or undead themselves. On PlayStation the genre is especially well covered, from FromSoftware's demanding action RPGs to slower, story-driven alternatives, so it pays to know what kind of challenge and pace you want before picking.
The biggest question is difficulty. Most of this list is Soulslike, meaning deliberate, punishing combat where you learn by dying. Dark Souls: Remastered is the cleanest way into that style, with its interconnected world of Lordran and the Artorias DLC included. Bloodborne, which on this list is the one game only on PlayStation, flips the formula by rewarding constant aggression instead of shield play and drifts into cosmic horror. Elden Ring opens everything up into a vast world, which helps because you can often ride off and explore elsewhere when a boss is too tough.
If you'd rather not fight that way, Dragon Age: Origins offers tactical, pausable party combat and weighty moral choices that suit the genre's grey areas. Path of Exile 2 is the pick for co-op and build tinkering, with a huge passive tree and endgame loot. For something smaller with a hand-painted 2.5D look, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree mixes Soulslike bosses with metroidvania exploration.
Frequently asked questions
Which dark fantasy game on PlayStation is best for beginners?
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Dragon Age: Origins are far more forgiving than the Soulslikes. If you want to try the Souls style, Elden Ring's open world lets you explore elsewhere when you get stuck.
Is Bloodborne only available on PlayStation?
Yes, of all the games on this list Bloodborne is the only one listed exclusively for PlayStation. It's a fast, aggressive Soulslike set in a gothic nightmare city.
Are there dark fantasy games on PlayStation I can play in co-op?
Path of Exile 2 is tagged for co-op and multiplayer, making it the clearest choice here for playing with friends. It focuses on hack-and-slash combat, deep builds and chasing loot.
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