The bittersweet guide to post-Elden Ring living — 15 similar and dissimilar games to play next

polygon.com:

Elden Ring is massive and dense. It transplants FromSoftware’s tried-and-true design pillars of difficulty and experimentation into the sprawling Lands Between. And after 100+ hours with FromSoftware’s magnum opus, you’re either ready for something new or are chasing the nextElden Ring to tide you over until the inevitable sequel.

So where do you go next after finishing one of the best games ever made? We can help you with that.

We’ve broken 15 games into eight unique categories. Each group will offer one suggestion that’s similar to Elden Ring and another that’s nothing like Elden Ring. But each pair will also have a theme that unites them, to better guide your choice of genre or vibe.

You’re never going to get that perfect 1-to-1 Elden Ring feeling without jumping into Bloodborne, Dark Souls, or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. But with our list, you can try to maintain that high with a differently themed but similar game, or gently ride back down to Earth with something completely different.

Tuniccaptures some of Elden Ring’s freedom, complexity, and opaqueness. It’s a game about a little fox tasked with roaming around a world and solving puzzles. At times, it’s frustratingly difficult and it tells you almost nothing about how it works or what you need to do. But it’s also cute and colorful and bright. Tunic will give you different vibes while also making for a natural transition if you’re still looking to punish your reflexes and scratch the old noggin.

Tonally, Kirbyand the Forgotten Land is about as far from Elden Ring as you can get. Sure, it takes place in the ruins of a once great land, but that’s the only thing the two games have in common. Kirby is simple, easy, and linear. You can deviate from the path, but only