Darkest Dungeon®

40 Games like Darkest Dungeon® that you should try

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Darkest Dungeon® is hard to replace: few games combine deep RPG systems, dark, oppressive atmosphere and procedural generation in quite the same way. We analyzed over 2,000 titles across 18 gameplay attributes and found 40 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition), Shogun Showdown and Fire Emblem: Three Houses lead the list, with Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition) reaching a 98/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Darkest Dungeon® special.

iRank86/ 100

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GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

Tags

DarkNarrativeSolo

Year 2016Dev Red Hook Studios

Stores

Steam ↗GOG ↗Epic ↗Xbox ↗PS ↗Nintendo ↗

Quick answer

The closest game to Darkest Dungeon® is Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition) — scoring 98/100 on our similarity scale. Shogun Showdown and Fire Emblem: Three Houses follow close behind.

#1Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition)98 #2Shogun Showdown96 #3Fire Emblem: Three Houses96 #4Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars96 #5Kingdom Rush - Tower Defense95

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Games like Darkest Dungeon®

40 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

#1Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition)

98

Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition)

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalNarrativeDarkFantasyMedievalHorrorHistorical2D

Steam👍 95%· 3.5KRAWG👍 82%· 34

Year 2012Dev Level Up LabsOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with tower defense planning, visual isometric and visual pixel, while skipping roguelike runs

#2Shogun Showdown

96

Shogun Showdown

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalHardcoreProcedural2D

Steam👍 95%· 6.7KIGDB90· 2OC87· 20

Year 2023Dev Roboatino · Goblinz PublishingPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and roguelike runs

≠ Stands apart with card game strategy and visual pixel, while skipping adventure storytelling

#3Fire Emblem: Three Houses

96

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyIsometricThird Person

IGDB93· 9OC89· 122

Year 2019Dev Intelligent Systems · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Fits the turn-based CRPGs cluster, with deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with visual isometric and visual third person, while skipping roguelike runs

#4Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

96

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyIsometric

IGDB90· 1

Year 1996Dev Square · Nintendo

✓ Both are turn-based CRPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy

≠ Stands apart with visual isometric, while skipping roguelike runs

#5Kingdom Rush - Tower Defense

95

Kingdom Rush - Tower Defense

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalHardcoreNarrativeDarkMedievalFantasy2D

Steam👍 94%· 11KRAWG👍 90%· 38

Year 2018Dev Ironhide Game StudioPlaytime ~6hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy

≠ Its own twist: tower defense planning, melee combat and setting cartoon, while skipping roguelike runs

#6Kingdom Rush Vengeance - Tower Defense

95

Kingdom Rush Vengeance - Tower Defense

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalHardcoreNarrativeDarkMedievalFantasy2D

Steam👍 94%· 11KRAWG👍 90%· 38

Year 2018Dev Ironhide Game StudioPlaytime ~6hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Fits the turn-based CRPGs cluster, with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy

≠ Where it differs: brings tower defense planning, melee combat and setting cartoon, while skipping roguelike runs

#7Darkest Dungeon II

98

Darkest Dungeon II

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalDarkNarrativeProceduralFantasyHorrorHistoricalExplorationLoot2D

Steam👍 75%· 26KIGDB83· 5OC81· 78

Year 2023Dev Red Hook StudiosOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Nearly identical: deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and roguelike runs.

≠ Missing: horror tension.

#8Into the Breach

94

Into the Breach

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalProceduralSci-FiIsometric

Steam👍 94%· 22KIGDB90· 10OC88· 73

Year 2018Dev Subset GamesOn Linux · Android · PC

✓ Both are turn-based CRPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and roguelike runs

≠ Where it differs: brings puzzle design, deep simulation and setting scifi, while skipping adventure storytelling

#9Super Mario RPG

96

Super Mario RPG

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyIsometric

IGDB85· 6OC84· 112

Year 2023Dev ArtePiazza · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy

≠ Its own twist: visual isometric, while skipping roguelike runs

#10Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

96

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyExplorationLoot

IGDB82· 8OC85· 37

Year 2014Dev P Studio · NIS America

✓ Fits the turn-based CRPGs cluster, with deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and combat tactical

≠ Where it differs: brings visual first person, while skipping roguelike runs

#11Fire Emblem Engage

96

Fire Emblem Engage

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyIsometricThird Person

IGDB86· 5OC81· 135

Year 2023Dev Intelligent Systems · NintendoOn Switch

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with visual isometric and visual third person, while skipping roguelike runs

#12Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

96

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalFantasyIsometricThird Person

IGDB81· 9OC84· 91

Year 2017Dev Intelligent Systems · Nintendo

✓ Both are turn-based CRPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings visual isometric and visual third person, while skipping horror tension

94

Loop Hero

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalNarrativeDarkProceduralFantasy2D

Steam👍 93%· 36KIGDB85· 7OC84· 85

Year 2021Dev Four Quarters · Devolver DigitalOn Xbox · Linux · Android

✓ Both are turn-based CRPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, roguelike runs and turn-based strategy

≠ Where it differs: brings card game strategy, resource management and visual pixel, while skipping horror tension

#14Tactical Breach Wizards

93

Tactical Breach Wizards

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalNarrativeFantasyHistorical

Steam👍 98%· 12KIGDB84· 3OC87· 21

Dev Suspicious DevelopmentsPlaytime ~6hOn PC

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, setting scifi and visual isometric, while skipping roguelike runs

#15Keep Driving

93

Keep Driving

GenreRPGSubgenreCRPGSub-subgenreTurn-Based CRPG

SoloTacticalNarrativeProceduralExploration2D

Steam👍 94%· 6.0KIGDB90· 1OC89· 22

Year 2025Dev YCJY GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC

✓ Same family of turn-based CRPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and turn-based strategy

≠ Stands apart with deep simulation, vibe casual and open world exploration, while skipping horror tension

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Darkest Dungeon®?: The closest game to Darkest Dungeon® is Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition), scoring 98/100 on our similarity scale. They share 12 gameplay attributes, including deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Darkest Dungeon®?: The three closest games to Darkest Dungeon® are: 1. Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition) (98/100, 12 shared attributes) 2. Shogun Showdown (96/100, 8 shared attributes) 3. Fire Emblem: Three Houses (96/100, 6 shared attributes). All share Darkest Dungeon®'s most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 40 candidates across 18 dimensions.
Is Shogun Showdown similar to Darkest Dungeon®?: Yes, very much so — Shogun Showdown scores 96/100 similarity to Darkest Dungeon®. They share 8 attributes, including deep RPG systems and turn-based strategy. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What RPG games are similar to Darkest Dungeon®?: The best RPG games similar to Darkest Dungeon® are Defender's Quest: Valley of the Forgotten (DX edition), Shogun Showdown, Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. All share the RPG genre alongside other key Darkest Dungeon® attributes like deep RPG systems, turn-based strategy and adventure storytelling.
How is similarity to Darkest Dungeon® calculated?: We compare Darkest Dungeon® against every game in our catalog using 18 gameplay attributes: genre, atmosphere, world structure, play modes, combat style, and more. Each category is weighted differently — genre matters more than visual style, for instance. The result is a 0-100 score reflecting how closely a game replicates the Darkest Dungeon® experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.