Best Games Like Death's Door

Death's Door was released to rave reviews and appreciation across the board. Players were drawn to its fast-paced, Soulslike combat and Zelda-inspired puzzles. The game has the player exploring a world of death as a lowly crow, working for a bureaucratic afterlife authority that must take down less cooperative souls. Each of the game's elements has been done to some extent over the years, but never in this unique combination.

As such, many games hold some connection to Death's Door in one way or another. Whether it be the action, the atmosphere, or the puzzling, the game shares its DNA across a great many predecessors that those who beat the game too quickly would likely also enjoy. These titles are all pretty great in their own right and are in the same vein with Death's Door's unlimited charm and tough-as-nails gameplay.

Updated January 12, 2024 by Ritwik Mitra: Death's Door is a unique indie gem that players should check out if they love charming visuals, tough combat, and intricate puzzle design. The game continues to hold a soft spot in the hearts of many players who experienced this masterpiece, and it's easy to see why some people would want to check out a game that is similar in many ways. Despite Death's Door's unique feel, there are some notable games that fans can check out that elicit the same vibe.

1 Okami

A Beautiful Cel-Shaded Game Inspired By The Classic Zelda Games

One of the most underrated and underappreciated video games ever made, fans of classic Zelda titles and unique gameplay loops will love what Okami brings to the table. Clover Studio's closure hurts even more when players realize that they are robbed of creative games like this gem.

Players control the white wolf Amaterasu, who ends up being an endearing protagonist despite not even saying a single word. The game's use of the Celestial Brush in both puzzles and combat is quite engaging and makes it clear why this cel-shaded masterpiece is still talked about so highly to this day.

2 The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom

Death's Door Is A Game Heavily Inspired By The Zelda Series

The release of Tears of the Kingdom has been a monumental event for Zelda fans, allowing them to explore one of the biggest open worlds around that is positively jam-packed with content. The new abilities that Link can use are complete game-changers that almost make Breath of the Wild look like a prototype in comparison.

The unique exploration in this game makes it a blast to explore as players figure out the best course of action they can take to get from Point A to Point B, battle against tough enemies, complete a wealth of puzzles, and everything else along the same lines. The combat of this game can be pretty challenging and will help make players of Death's Door feel right at home amid this turbulent action.

3 Elden Ring

An Open-World Soulslike With Tough Yet Fair Combat

Elden Ring is FromSoftware's open-world title that took the world by storm when it was launched. The marketing power of George R. R. Martin played a huge role in ensuring that more people got their hands on this title, turning it into one of the most successful video games of all time. Given its status as a Soulsborne game, it's easy to see why Death's Door fans will be right at home with this game.

Of course, the exploration in Elden Ring is also one of its strongest suits, with anything and everything in the distance housing some really interesting goodies, unique enemy encounters, and unexpected boss fights too. The game's marriage of exploration and combat is simply unmatched and goes to show just how much of an achievement Elden Ring is for a studio that was struggling before Miyazaki came in to save the day.

4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Parrying And Breaking Stances Is A Priority In This Tough FromSoftware Title

Another FromSoftware game that was a blast to play through is Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Unlike most of the company's other games that gave players a wide variety of weapons to mess around with, Sekiro forces players to learn the art of parrying and deflection as a samurai who seeks revenge after being wronged by a man who cut his arm off during a duel.

The game's combat is fast-paced and frenetic, clearly taking a page out of Bloodborne's book and cranking up the difficulty to the max. Players have to master deflection in this game if they wish to stand a chance in the many tough encounters that they'll face on their journey.

5 Skul: The Hero Slayer

A Roguelike Game In The Same Vein As Death's Door

Those looking for something similar in style and substance to Death's Door but with a heavier Roguelike focus should consider Skul: The Hero Slayer. Focusing on the macabre, players take control of the enigmatic Skul, a small skeleton with the ability to change its forms and skills by placing other heads atop its body. It's a clever idea that helps to turn the traditional Roguelike on its head while also offering up a story-based twist that sees players taking control of a "villain," to hunt down the humans that have wronged his people.

Skul is a ton of fun, features solid sidescrolling combat, and has quite a few skulls to unlock and upgrade along the way. With items to collect and powerful bosses to defeat, Skul: The Hero Slayer feels like an epic adventure and offers tons of replayability through its randomness.

6 Have A Nice Death

The Dark Aesthetic And Tough Gameplay Is Similar To That Of Death's Door

For players who find Death's Door's macabre imagery and reaper-like aesthetics appealing, Have a Nice Death offers a similar style with a story that feels somewhat similar to the Crow's. Players will take control of a cantankerous and cartoony version of the reaper, but this time as a boss with many underlings to micro-manage. While Death's Door has a hub world that appears somewhat office-like in appearance, Have a Nice Death doubles down on the aesthetic and gives players access to an array of levels, enemies, and bosses that all share a corporate motif.

It's a Roguelike at its core, giving players a hefty amount of replayability as they attempt to make it further into the gauntlet each time, unlocking new abilities and upgrades that make the journey slightly easier each time a player progresses far enough.

7 Dead Cells

A Charming Metroidvania Roguelike With Tough Combat

Death's Door has a certain comedic charm to it, thanks to its colorful characters and strange storyline. Another title with similar humorous vibes is Dead Cells, a Rogue-lite Metroidvania-style Indie game from developer Motion Twin. The strange protagonist in Dead Cells is a fantastic touch to the title's underlying story, offering up some prime quips and funny moments, despite being "silent" in a voiced sense.

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Dead Cells has a supremely engaging and entertaining gameplay loop that is both challenging and rewarding, with players unlocking more skills and items as they move along.

8 Metroid Dread

The Latest Entry In A Series Where Backtracking And Unlocking New Routes Takes Precedence

Metroid Dread was released in October 2021 and continues the franchise's recent trend of returning to its side-scrolling roots. The game's most notable innovation for the series is the implementation of stealth; some fans were worried about stealth being added, as many games have tried and failed to make stealth an engaging mechanic in the past. Thankfully, Metroid Dread had no such issue and proved that the series is still an innovator in the Metroidvania genre.

Like Death's Door, Metroid Dread received a wide range of award nominations and even won the Best Action/Adventure Game accolade at The Game Awards 2021.

9 Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

A Charming Metroidvania Title With Numerous Emotional Moments

Ori and the Will of the Wisps was first released in March 2020 on PC and Xbox One before coming to Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S later in the same year.

Like its predecessor, Ori and the Blind Forest, Moon Studios' Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a 2D Metroidvania that stands out with its beautiful art design. The game isn't just visually impressive, however, as the game has an enormous map that players will slowly but surely explore after unlocking more abilities. Ori and the Will of the Wisps was a huge hit with fans and critics, exemplified by its 93 Critic Score and 8.8 User Score for the Nintendo Switch version on Metacritic.

10 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

An Excellent Star Wars Title With Shades Of Soulslike Combat

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order may initially seem like an odd game to recommend to someone who enjoyed Death's Door, though the games have more similarities than one may expect. Along with both games having simple but excellent sword-like combat, they both incorporate elements of 2D Metroidvanian level design into their 3D worlds.

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