Kingdom Hearts 4 Waiting Room Playlist

With Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link out of the picture, there isn't much left standing between fans and the launch of Kingdom Hearts 4. On one hand, it’s somewhat comforting to know that Square Enix and Disney’s historically long-winded crossover series is focused on reaching its next major narrative beat, but on the other, that also means there may not be any new Kingdom Hearts spin-offs to fill the gap before its release. Kingdom Hearts 4 has already made fans wait three years since its 2022 announcement, and the way things are going, there could be one or two years left.

A batch of images released for KH4 in May 2025 has at least reassured the community that the game is on its way, so the wait is all that's left. Many have already begun replaying old Kingdom Hearts games, something that's never been easier thanks to the Kingdom Hearts All-In-One Package and Integrum Masterpiece collections on every platform. However, there are plenty of games around that are like Kingdom Hearts in one way or another, and experiencing them is a great way to fill the time until Kingdom Hearts 4 is finally out.

Why the Wait for Kingdom Hearts 4 Feels Very Different from KH3

Kingdom Hearts 4's long wait isn't out of the ordinary for the franchise, but it does feel different than the wait for Kingdom Hearts 3.

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By Matt Anderson

Best Games To Play While Waiting For Kingdom Hearts 4

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed
Final Fantasy 7 Remake & Rebirth
Final Fantasy 16
Like A Dragon & Infinite Wealth
NEO: The World Ends With You
Reynatis
Tales of Graces f Remastered
Ys X: Nordics

Square Enix itself has plenty of great games that complement the Kingdom Hearts series, including several directly tied to the core crossover it’s based on. Final Fantasy 7 Remake, FF7 Rebirth, Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, and Final Fantasy 16 are all action-RPGs that share staff and/or mechanical ideas with various Kingdom Hearts titles, including KH’s main director himself, Tetsuya Nomura, in the case of FF7. Although the details diverge, these games are all easy to recommend to modern Kingdom Hearts fans for a similar-feeling experience.

They aren't the last relevant Square Enix titles, either. NEO: The World Ends With You and its DS predecessor both also had Tetsuya Nomura on as a creative producer and character designer, and even though that's the extent of his known involvement, there's still a distinctive Kingdom Hearts vibe to TWEWY. It helps that the original TWEWY’s characters appeared in KH Dream Drop Distance, and Kingdom Hearts 4’s Quadratum is based on the same Shibuya district that TWEWY is set in. Coupled with more KH-like combat in NEO: TWEWY, this series should be every Kingdom Hearts fan’s next stop.

Although NEO: The World Ends With You is more widely available, the original TWEWY does have a Nintendo Switch port, as well as an anime adaptation.

On the topic of matching Kingdom Hearts’ gameplay and vibes, there are plenty of games that will do the trick. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth are modern turn-based RPGs with action combat twists, and they feel like they capture the fun of Kingdom Hearts. Meanwhile, Tales of Graces f Remastered and Ys X: Nordics are two different flavors of action-RPG that built out their combat enough to impress even KH3 ReMind Critical Mode players. Reynatis is humbler in scope, but its NEO: TWEWY crossover and resemblance to Final Fantasy Versus 13 give it direct ties to KH4.

Going over all the other contemporary games that embody aspects of Kingdom Hearts, like Lies of P, Lost Soul Aside, and Metaphor: ReFantazio would take too long, but one more title deserves special mention. Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed is another recent release, and although it's mostly a 3D platformer, its slightly darkened interpretation of nostalgic Disney properties sounds like Kingdom Hearts. It's available on most platforms, so anyone looking for more good Disney games before Kingdom Hearts 4 arrives is in luck.