Computed from player tags · Not ranked by quality
24 games like Hyper Light Drifter (2026)
Every game below overlaps with Hyper Light Drifter on things players said about it rather than on our opinion of what feels alike. Each entry shows what it matched on, so you can throw out the ones matching on the part you did not care about.
The short version
- Closest match: Biomutant, which both post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult.
- Hyper Light Drifter is tagged Pixel Graphics, Great Soundtrack, Atmospheric, Adventure, Indie, Difficult, Action, Hack and Slash by Steam players. Those tags are what the matching runs on.
- 24 games qualify, each with at least fifty player reviews behind its sentiment figure.
How these were matched
Steam tags carry the most weight, because players apply them and they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Souls-like, Atmospheric and Cozy exist as tags and as nothing else, which is exactly the vocabulary this question needs. Formal genres count for less, themes and a shared studio for more.
Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are thrown out before matching. Nearly everything is tagged Singleplayer, so matching on it is matching on nothing. That cutoff is computed from the catalogue rather than fixed, so it moves as the catalogue grows.
All 24, closest first
- 1
Biomutant
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 9 player tags including RPG, Post-apocalyptic and Hack and Slash.
BIOMUTANT® is an open-world, post-apocalyptic Kung-Fu fable RPG, with a unique martial arts styled combat system allowing you to mix melee, shooting and mutant ability action.
Biomutant at a glance Released 2021 Studio Experiment 101 Player sentiment 66% positive of 20,181 Price $39.99 RPGPost-apocalypticHack and SlashFantasyExplorationAction RPGSci-fiIndie
- 2
TUNIC
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 10 player tags including Exploration, Souls-like and Metroidvania.
Explore a land filled with lost legends, ancient powers, and ferocious monsters in TUNIC, an isometric action game about a small fox on a big adventure.
TUNIC at a glance Released 2022 Studio TUNIC Team Player sentiment 91% positive of 18,472 Price $29.99 ExplorationSouls-likeMetroidvaniaDifficultRPGAction RPGTop-DownColorful
- 3
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Metroidvania, Souls-like and Great Soundtrack.
ENDER LILIES is a dark fantasy 2D action RPG about unraveling the mysteries of a destroyed kingdom. On this sorrowful journey, encounter horrific enemies against whom a moment of inattention could be fatal. Overcome these hardships and seek the truth with the help of fallen knights.
ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights at a glance Released 2021 Studio Live Wire Player sentiment 94% positive of 45,705 Price $24.99 MetroidvaniaSouls-likeGreat Soundtrack2DDifficultIndiePost-apocalypticAction RPG
- 4
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Why it matched: both science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, Exploration and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2019).
A galaxy-spanning adventure awaits in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a 3rd person action-adventure title from Respawn. An abandoned Padawan must complete his training, develop new powerful Force abilities, and master the art of the lightsaber - all while staying one step ahead of the Empire.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at a glance Released 2019 Studio Criterion Games Player sentiment 88% positive of 175,096 Price $39.99 Souls-likeExplorationSci-fiRPGMetroidvaniaFantasyHack and Slash
- 5
Bastion
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, fantasy and atmospheric; shares 9 player tags including Great Soundtrack, Indie and RPG.
Discover the secrets of the Calamity, a surreal catastrophe that shattered the world to pieces.
Bastion at a glance Released 2011 Studio Supergiant Games Player sentiment 95% positive of 38,181 Price $14.99 Great SoundtrackIndieRPGHack and SlashAction RPGFantasyColorfulPost-apocalyptic
- 6
ELEX
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 5 player tags including RPG, Post-apocalyptic and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2017).
ELEX is a handcrafted action role-playing experience from the award-winning creators of the Gothic series, set in a brand new post-apocalyptic Science Fantasy universe that puts players into a huge seamless game world full of original characters, mutated creatures, deep moral choices and powerful action.
ELEX at a glance Released 2017 Studio Piranha Bytes Player sentiment 74% positive of 19,605 Price $29.99 RPGPost-apocalypticSci-fiFantasyDifficult
- 7
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Metroidvania, Great Soundtrack and Exploration; released around the same time (2020).
Play the critically acclaimed masterpiece. Embark on a new journey in a vast, exotic world where you’ll encounter towering enemies and challenging puzzles on your quest to unravel Ori’s destiny.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps at a glance Released 2020 Studio Moon Studios Player sentiment 97% positive of 146,084 Price $29.99 MetroidvaniaGreat SoundtrackExploration2DIndieDifficultFantasySouls-like
- 8
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Why it matched: both fantasy and atmospheric; shares 9 player tags including Metroidvania, Indie and RPG; released around the same time (2013).
Immerse yourself in a gorgeous hand-painted world on a search for your true identity. As the mysterious warrior, Dust, your action-packed journey will take you from peaceful glades to snowy mountaintops and beyond.
Dust: An Elysian Tail at a glance Released 2013 Studio Humble Hearts LLC Player sentiment 95% positive of 19,062 Price $14.99 MetroidvaniaIndieRPG2DFantasyGreat SoundtrackHack and SlashExploration
- 9
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, science fiction, atmospheric and difficult; shares 6 player tags including RPG, Post-apocalyptic and Sci-fi; released around the same time (2015).
You've just unearthed the classic post-apocalyptic role-playing game that revitalized the entire CRPG genre. The Fallout® SPECIAL system allows drastically different types of characters, meaningful decisions and development that puts you in complete control. Explore the devastated ruins of a golden age civilization.
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game at a glance Released 2015 Studio Interplay Inc. Player sentiment 94% positive of 25,164 Price $9.99 RPGPost-apocalypticSci-fiExploration2DDifficult
- 10
Monster Hunter: World
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 8 player tags including RPG, Fantasy and Action RPG; released around the same time (2018).
Welcome to a new world! In Monster Hunter: World, the latest installment in the series, you can enjoy the ultimate hunting experience, using everything at your disposal to hunt monsters in a new world teeming with surprises and excitement.
Monster Hunter: World at a glance Released 2018 Studio CAPCOM Co., Ltd. Player sentiment 89% positive of 516,159 Price $29.99 RPGFantasyAction RPGDifficultExplorationGreat SoundtrackHack and SlashSouls-like
- 11
LIZARDS MUST DIE
Why it matched: both science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, Hack and Slash and Difficult.
The great exploits of the Ancient Rus in the war with the lizards. Immerse yourself in the world of Hyperborea and defeat hordes of Lizards and other unholy who encroached on holy places Ancestors. Choose a blessed hero and go save the world from the green plague.
LIZARDS MUST DIE at a glance Released 2023 Studio Smola Game Studio Player sentiment 96% positive of 26,441 Price $3.99 Souls-likeHack and SlashDifficultAction RPGFantasyRPGSci-fi
- 12
Titan Souls
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 8 player tags including Souls-like, Pixel Graphics and Difficult; released around the same time (2015).
Between our world and the world beyond lie the Titan Souls, the spiritual source of all living things. Scattered amongst the ruins and guarded by the idle titans charged with their care, a solitary hero armed with a single arrow is assembling shards of the Titan Soul in a quest for truth and power.
Titan Souls at a glance Released 2015 Studio Acid Nerve Player sentiment 79% positive of 13,818 Price $14.99 Souls-likePixel GraphicsDifficultIndieGreat Soundtrack2DTop-DownFantasy
- 13
Darksiders III
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 6 player tags including Hack and Slash, Souls-like and RPG; released around the same time (2018).
Return to an apocalyptic Earth in Darksiders III, a hack-n-slash Action Adventure where players assume the role of FURY in her quest to hunt down and dispose of the Seven Deadly Sins. The most enigmatic of the Four Horsemen, FURY must bring balance to the forces that now ravage Earth.
Darksiders III at a glance Released 2018 Studio Gunfire Games Player sentiment 76% positive of 17,431 Price $39.99 Hack and SlashSouls-likeRPGPost-apocalypticFantasyDifficult
- 14
Thymesia
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, Difficult and Hack and Slash.
Thymesia is a gruelling action-RPG with fast-paced combat and an intricate plague weapon system. In a kingdom where death spreads, play as a mysterious character known by the code name "Corvus". Prey upon your enemies, wield the power of disease and find the truth in your own memories.
Thymesia at a glance Released 2022 Studio OverBorder Studio Player sentiment 82% positive of 10,077 Price $7.99 Souls-likeDifficultHack and SlashAction RPGRPGFantasyPost-apocalyptic
- 15
DARK SOULS: Prepare To Die Edition
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, RPG and Difficult; released around the same time (2012).
Dark Souls will be the most deeply challenging game you play this year. Can you live through a million deaths and earn your legacy?
DARK SOULS: Prepare To Die Edition at a glance Released 2012 Studio FromSoftware, Inc. Player sentiment 92% positive of 78,539 Price Not listed Souls-likeRPGDifficultExplorationFantasyAction RPGGreat Soundtrack
- 16
Salt and Sanctuary
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, Metroidvania and 2D; released around the same time (2016).
Explore a haunting, punishing island in this stylized 2D action RPG. Salt and Sanctuary combines fast and brutal 2D combat with richly developed RPG mechanics in a cursed realm of forgotten cities, blood-soaked dungeons, and desecrated monuments.
Salt and Sanctuary at a glance Released 2016 Studio Ska Studios Player sentiment 89% positive of 21,874 Price $17.99 Souls-likeMetroidvania2DDifficultRPGIndieAction RPG
- 17
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including RPG, Fantasy and Action RPG; released around the same time (2016).
Set in a huge open world, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen presents a rewarding action combat experience.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen at a glance Released 2016 Studio Capcom Player sentiment 88% positive of 49,002 Price $29.99 RPGFantasyAction RPGExplorationGreat SoundtrackDifficultHack and Slash
- 18
Darksiders Warmastered Edition
Why it matched: both post-apocalyptic, fantasy and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Hack and Slash, RPG and Fantasy; released around the same time (2016).
Deceived by the forces of evil into prematurely bringing about the end of the world, War – the first Horseman of the Apocalypse – stands accused of breaking the sacred law by inciting a war between Heaven and Hell.
Darksiders Warmastered Edition at a glance Released 2016 Studio KAIKO Player sentiment 88% positive of 18,857 Price $19.99 Hack and SlashRPGFantasyPost-apocalypticMetroidvaniaDifficultAction RPG
- 19
Nioh: Complete Edition
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Souls-like, RPG and Difficult; released around the same time (2017).
Ready to die? Experience the newest brutal action game from Team NINJA and Koei Tecmo Games. In the age of samurai, a lone traveler lands on the shores of Japan. He must fight his way through the vicious warriors and supernatural Yokai that infest the land in order to find that which he seeks.
Nioh: Complete Edition at a glance Released 2017 Studio KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. Player sentiment 79% positive of 38,915 Price $49.99 Souls-likeRPGDifficultHack and SlashAction RPGFantasyGreat Soundtrack
- 20
Eastern Exorcist
Why it matched: both fantasy and difficult; shares 9 player tags including RPG, 2D and Souls-like.
Eastern Exorcist is a stunning 2D side-scrolling action RPG set in a fantasy eastern world with the vicious spirits and monsters. Play as a skilled exorcist against chaotic evil to fight your way through the brutal world, and experience different stories of joy and sorrow.
Eastern Exorcist at a glance Released 2021 Studio Wildfire Game（无锡野火数字科技有限公司） Player sentiment 84% positive of 6,775 Price $17.99 RPG2DSouls-likeHack and SlashAction RPGFantasyIndieDifficult
- 21
Final Fantasy XIII
Why it matched: both science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 6 player tags including RPG, Great Soundtrack and Fantasy.
Final Fantasy XIII is a fantasy RPG in which a band of brave humans struggle against fate in the utopian sky city of Cocoon and the primeval world of Pulse. Follow stylish heroine Lightning's fast paced battles and high adventure in a mysterious new world.
Final Fantasy XIII at a glance Released 2009 Studio Square Enix Player sentiment 75% positive of 19,914 Price $15.99 RPGGreat SoundtrackFantasySci-fiAction RPGDifficult
- 22
Omori
Why it matched: both fantasy and atmospheric; shares 8 player tags including Pixel Graphics, Indie and Great Soundtrack; released around the same time (2020).
Explore a strange world full of colorful friends and foes. When the time comes, the path you’ve chosen will determine your fate... and perhaps the fate of others as well.
Omori at a glance Released 2020 Studio Not recorded Player sentiment 97% positive of 88,417 Price $19.99 Pixel GraphicsIndieGreat SoundtrackRPG2DColorfulExplorationFantasy
- 23
Hollow Knight
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Metroidvania, Souls-like and Great Soundtrack; released around the same time (2017).
Forge your own path in Hollow Knight! An epic action adventure through a vast ruined kingdom of insects and heroes. Explore twisting caverns, battle tainted creatures and befriend bizarre bugs, all in a classic, hand-drawn 2D style.
Hollow Knight at a glance Released 2017 Studio Team Cherry Player sentiment 97% positive of 559,290 Price $14.99 MetroidvaniaSouls-likeGreat Soundtrack2DDifficultIndieExploration
- 24
Dead Cells
Why it matched: both fantasy, atmospheric and difficult; shares 7 player tags including Metroidvania, Pixel Graphics and 2D; released around the same time (2018).
Dead Cells is a roguelite, metroidvania inspired, action-platformer. You'll explore a sprawling, ever-changing castle... assuming you’re able to fight your way past its keepers in 2D souls-lite combat. No checkpoints. Kill, die, learn, repeat.
Dead Cells at a glance Released 2018 Studio Motion Twin Player sentiment 97% positive of 183,007 Price $24.99 MetroidvaniaPixel Graphics2DSouls-likeDifficultHack and SlashIndie
Common questions
What game is most like Hyper Light Drifter?
Biomutant, on the evidence we have. It both post-apocalyptic, science fiction, fantasy, atmospheric and difficult. That is a statement about overlap, not a promise you will like it as much: two games can share every tag and still feel different to play.
How is "similar to Hyper Light Drifter" decided?
By overlap on the tags Steam players applied to each game, the formal genres, the themes both sit in, and whether the same studio made them. Tags carry the most weight because players write them, so they describe how a game feels rather than how it was filed. Tags carried by more than a third of the catalogue are ignored: matching on "Singleplayer" is matching on nothing. Every entry below shows exactly what it matched on.
Are these ranked by quality?
No. They are ordered by how much they overlap with Hyper Light Drifter. Where two games overlap equally, the better received one goes first, but that only moves a game a place or two. Each entry shows its own player sentiment so you can weigh that separately.
Do you get paid for these recommendations?
No. The order is computed from tag and genre overlap and nothing else. No placement here can be bought, and a game appearing high on this page is a statement about resemblance rather than an endorsement.