12 Best Soulslike Games to Buy in the Steam Summer Sale 2026

The Top 3 in 30 Seconds: For the safest buy, Elden Ring still wins: huge, flexible, and the genre’s benchmark. Among non-FromSoftware picks, Lies of P cuts the sharpest, with parries that feel earned. For the classic formula at its cleanest, Dark Souls III remains the sale-friendly premium pick, and it is usually one of the cheapest.

Why These Made the List #

“Hard” alone does not make a good soulslike. Pressure, commitment, and checkpoints that make every run back matter do. So do bosses that teach through failure and combat where panic usually gets you killed. Every game here has real soulslike credentials, whether that means stamina management, posture breaks, bonfire-style resets, punishing boss design, or the old loop of dying, learning, and coming back sharper.

For Steam Summer Sale buying, genre history matters less than the deal in front of you. These are established games with meaningful discounts, strong Steam reputations, and enough depth to still feel worth your time in 2026. Some are slow and grim. Some are fast parry tests. Some are loot-heavy. Some are 2D. Some are co-op games you can bring friends into.

GameGeeker’s angle is simple: we rank these games by what still feels good to play, not by which one copied the most FromSoftware homework. At the top, you get the best mix of quality, discount value, replayability, and a clear reason to choose one over the others.

Top Picks #

1. Elden Ring #

GAMIVOCN¥294.59Steam CN¥294.59価格を見る →

Start here if you want the soulslike most people should buy first. The open world changes the whole mood of the genre: hit a wall, leave, find a cave, upgrade a weapon, and come back stronger. Huge without feeling empty and cruel without being rigid, Elden Ring still sets the modern benchmark, while Shadow of the Erdtree turns the endgame into a second mountain.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It has the best overall value, the broadest entry point, and the genre’s modern benchmark status.
• Who It's For: It is for anyone who wants freedom, build variety, and the definitive 3D soulslike.
• Key Selling Points: It offers open-world progression, massive DLC, and hundreds of viable builds.

2. Lies of P #

EnebaCN¥139.11Steam CN¥139.11価格を見る →

Confidence, not imitation, is why Lies of P earns its spot. Bloodborne’s gloomy city energy meets Sekiro-style perfect guards, then a weapon assembly system lets you build strange personal tools instead of just swapping swords. If you want more like it afterward, our games like Lies of P list is the natural next stop.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the best non-FromSoftware soulslike, with tight combat and a real identity.
• Who It's For: It is for players who want gothic atmosphere and precise, deflection-heavy fights.
• Key Selling Points: It offers weapon assembly, perfect guards, and excellent visual design.

3. Dark Souls III #

Steam¥268.00価格を見る →

By the third entry, the classic formula had become lean and readable. Faster than the first Dark Souls, less awkward than the second, and packed with boss fights people still talk about years later, Dark Souls III is the clean cathedral version beside Elden Ring’s open-world revolution.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the most approachable classic Dark Souls, and it is often deeply discounted.
• Who It's For: It is for newcomers who want the real trilogy experience without starting at the slowest point.
• Key Selling Points: It offers dense levels, iconic bosses, and active summons and invasions.

4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice #

KinguinCN¥145.53-68%Steam CN¥145.53価格を見る →

No crutches. No grinding past the problem, no summon sign to save you, and no build that turns a boss into a joke. In Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, you learn the deflect or you lose, which makes it harsh but incredibly clean. When its combat clicks, nothing else in the genre sounds better.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the purest execution test FromSoftware has made.
• Who It's For: It is for players who want rhythm, reflexes, and no excuses.
• Key Selling Points: It offers the best parry feel, posture combat, and GOTY edition extras.

5. Nioh 2 #

Steam¥99.60¥249.00-60%価格を見る →

What happens when soulslike combat gets shoved into a loot action-RPG furnace? You get Nioh 2: faster, busier, and more system-heavy than FromSoftware’s games, with stances, yokai powers, gear rolls, and a ridiculous endgame. For players who love making numbers and mechanics work together, this is the sale monster.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the biggest hours-per-dollar pick for players who love builds and loot.
• Who It's For: It is for theorycrafters who want hundreds of hours of tinkering.
• Key Selling Points: It offers stance switching, Diablo-style loot, and all DLC in the Complete Edition.

6. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty #

Steam¥99.50¥199.00-50%価格を見る →

Team Ninja seems to be chasing the Sekiro high here, then turning the volume and aggression up. The deflect sits at the center of everything, but morale and spirit systems push you forward instead of letting you play defensively forever. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is not as deep as Nioh 2, but it moves with real bite.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is a fast, parry-first alternative for players who are bored by slower soulslikes.
• Who It's For: It is for players who want aggression, speed, and lighter RPG systems.
• Key Selling Points: It offers deflection combat, morale pressure, and campaign co-op.

7. Lords of the Fallen #

GAMIVOCN¥16.73Steam CN¥16.73価格を見る →

After a rough launch reputation, the patched version of Lords of the Fallen is much easier to recommend. Its living-and-dead-world lantern system gives exploration a hook that most soulslikes do not have, and the huge interconnected map scratches that old Dark Souls itch. At a deep discount, its ambition matters more than its scars.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It has fresh world-swapping ideas and much better value after patches.
• Who It's For: It is for soulslike fans who have cleared the obvious classics.
• Key Selling Points: It offers dual-world traversal, seamless co-op, and major updates since launch.

8. The Surge 2 #

GOGCN¥11.00-91%Steam CN¥11.00価格を見る →

Want an enemy’s helmet? Cut off the enemy’s head. The Surge 2 takes that one brilliant idea and commits to it completely, turning limb-targeting loot into a practical reason to aim carefully in every fight. The grimy sci-fi setting also keeps the game from feeling like another tour of ruined castles.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is a cheap, full-sized 3D soulslike with a smart loot hook.
• Who It's For: It is for players who want sci-fi, exosuits, and targeted gear farming.
• Key Selling Points: It offers limb dismemberment loot, modular builds, and budget sale pricing.

9. Blasphemous 2 #

EnebaCN¥28.93Steam CN¥28.93価格を見る →

The soulslike mood works perfectly in 2D, and Blasphemous 2 proves it. Bosses punish sloppy play, weapons meaningfully change your rhythm, and the world’s religious horror art direction is still nasty in the best way. Cheaper and shorter than the big 3D games, it leaves a mark anyway.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is one of the strongest 2D blends of soulslike pressure and metroidvania structure.
• Who It's For: It is for metroidvania fans who want sharper teeth.
• Key Selling Points: It offers three core weapons, brutal bosses, and gorgeous pixel art.

10. Salt and Sanctuary #

KinguinCN¥16.73-88%Steam CN¥16.73価格を見る →

“Dark Souls in 2D” has rarely been cleaner than Salt and Sanctuary. Sanctuaries, stat builds, weapon classes, nasty bosses, and a bleak little world all make it feel much bigger than its budget. On sale, it is usually so cheap that curiosity alone is a good enough reason to try it.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the lowest-risk, lowest-price genuine soulslike here.
• Who It's For: It is for bargain hunters and 2D players who are testing the genre.
• Key Selling Points: It offers full soulslike systems, local co-op, and a tiny sale price.

11. Steelrising #

Fortuna DigitalCN¥10.90-92%Steam CN¥10.90価格を見る →

Not every pick here needs to be the deepest or harshest. Steelrising benefits from that softer edge, using an alternate French Revolution, clockwork enemies, and a dancer-automaton hero to create a distinct flavor while assist options let you soften the punishment. When you want style without misery, it makes sense as a sale pick.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is a stylish, accessible soulslike that becomes easy to recommend when discounted.
• Who It's For: It is for players who want adjustable challenge and a setting that is not another medieval ruin.
• Key Selling Points: It offers clockwork Paris, assist options, and modular weapons.

12. Remnant II #

EnebaCN¥32.22Steam CN¥32.22価格を見る →

Here is the odd one out, in exactly the right way. Remnant II keeps the boss pressure, buildcraft, checkpoints, and “learn the fight” structure, then swaps swords for guns and builds the whole thing around co-op. If you are buying for a group, this is the easiest recommendation on the list.

• Why It's Ranked Here: It is the best co-op shooter-shaped take on soulslike design.
• Who It's For: It is for squads and solo players who prefer ranged combat.
• Key Selling Points: It offers gun-focused combat, three-player co-op, and procedural replay value.

Comparison Table #

How to Pick the Right One #

For the real FromSoftware experience, start with Elden Ring, Dark Souls III, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

Builds and loot matter most? Try Nioh 2, Lords of the Fallen, or Remnant II.

When fast, parry-forward combat is the draw, choose Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, or Lies of P.

For 2D options or the cheapest way in, look at Blasphemous 2, Salt and Sanctuary, or The Surge 2.

Buying for co-op? Start with Remnant II or Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

FAQ #

Are soulslikes worth buying in the Summer Sale? #

Yes. During a major Steam sale, this is one of the best genres to shop because most of the essential games are older, established, and regularly discounted. Elden Ring with Shadow of the Erdtree is the strongest premium buy, while Nioh 2 gives you absurd hours for the money. For a cheap test run, Salt and Sanctuary and The Surge 2 are usually low-risk pickups.

I'm new to the genre - where should I start? #

Give yourself room to breathe with Elden Ring. The open world lets you leave a boss, explore somewhere else, level up, and come back stronger. If you want the traditional structure, Dark Souls III is the cleanest classic entry. Steelrising is also friendly because it includes assist options. For a more focused path, read our beginner list at /editors-picks/best-soulslike-games-for-beginners.

Which is the hardest? #

For most players, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the hardest because it refuses to let you grind your way around the problem. You have to learn the deflect. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Lies of P also demand tight parry timing, but they give you more build variety. Nioh 2 and Elden Ring can be brutal, but builds, summons, and grinding can lower the wall.

Do these support controllers and co-op? #

All of these support controllers, and most feel better that way. For co-op, Remnant II is the easiest squad recommendation, with three-player online play built into the design. Online co-op also appears in Lords of the Fallen, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Dark Souls III. Salt and Sanctuary has local co-op. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is strictly single-player.