What is the best game similar to Elite Dangerous?

The closest game to Elite Dangerous is Grounded, scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. They share 13 gameplay attributes, including deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and sandbox freedom. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.

What are the top games like Elite Dangerous?

The three closest games to Elite Dangerous are: 1. Grounded (94/100, 13 shared attributes) 2. Stalcraft: X (93/100, 10 shared attributes) 3. Killing Floor 2 (87/100, 9 shared attributes). All share Elite Dangerous's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 19 dimensions.

Is Stalcraft: X similar to Elite Dangerous?

Yes, very much so — Stalcraft: X scores 93/100 similarity to Elite Dangerous. They share 10 attributes, including deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.

What RPG games are similar to Elite Dangerous?

The best RPG games similar to Elite Dangerous are Grounded, Stalcraft: X, Killing Floor 2 and Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide. All share the RPG genre alongside other key Elite Dangerous attributes like deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and sandbox freedom.

How is similarity to Elite Dangerous calculated?

We compare Elite Dangerous against every game in our catalog using 19 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 Elite Dangerous experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.

50 Games like Elite Dangerous that you should try

Games like Elite Dangerous · Find similar →

More about this game →

Elite Dangerous is hard to replace: few games combine deep RPG systems, punishing difficulty and open world exploration in quite the same way. We compared Elite Dangerous against over 6,700 titles across 19 gameplay attributes and found 50 genuine alternatives — not generic genre suggestions. Grounded, Stalcraft: X and Killing Floor 2 lead the list, with Grounded reaching a 94/100 similarity score. Every game here is ranked by how closely it replicates what makes Elite Dangerous special.

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GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Top games similar to Elite Dangerous

50 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Elite Dangerous. Each one has been evaluated across 19 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

#1Grounded

iRank85

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

MultiplayerSoloCo-opOnlineMeleeOpen WorldSandbox WorldExplorationFirst PersonThird Person

Steam👍 90%· 94KIGDB78· 5OC82· 58

Year 2022Dev Obsidian Entertainment · Xbox Game StudiosOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and sandbox freedom

≠ Where it differs: brings survival mechanics, horror tension and horror setting, while skipping deep simulation

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

MultiplayerCo-opOnlineOpen WorldSci-FiExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 73%· 99K

Year 2022Dev EXBOOn PC

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Where it differs: brings first-person shooting and free to play, while skipping deep simulation

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

MultiplayerCo-opOnlineSoloMeleeSci-FiFirst Person

Steam👍 88%· 129KIGDB81· 13OC78· 62

Year 2016Dev Tripwire Interactive · Iceberg InteractiveOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, shooter and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with action RPG combat, first-person shooting and survival mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Epic Xbox

#4Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide

iRank79

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Co-opOnlineSoloMultiplayerMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 80%· 21KIGDB80· 8OC77· 45

Year 2015Dev FatsharkOn PS4 · PC · Xbox

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Stands apart with action RPG combat, first-person shooting and survival mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

SoloCo-opMeleeOpen WorldSci-FiSpaceExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 82%· 28KIGDB86· 15OC83· 215

Year 2019Dev Obsidian Entertainment · Private DivisionOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: action RPG combat, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam GOG Epic

#6Arena Breakout: Infinite

iRank74

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

MultiplayerCo-opOnlineFirst PersonPvP

Steam👍 74%· 55K

Year 2025Dev Morefun Studio GroupOn PC

✓ Fits the first-person Action RPGs cluster, with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Its own twist: first-person shooting, survival mechanics and combat tactical, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Epic

#7Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition

iRank75

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Co-opMultiplayerSoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 79%· 213KRAWG👍 65%· 444MC77IGDB77· 11OC76· 184

Year 2022Dev Techland · Techland PublishingPlaytime ~23hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and open world exploration

≠ Stands apart with action RPG combat, survival mechanics and horror tension, while skipping deep simulation

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 77%· 26KIGDB74· 6OC75· 159

Year 2023Dev Deep Silver Dambuster Studios · Deep SilverOn Xbox · PS4 · PC

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Where it differs: brings action RPG combat, horror tension and first-person shooting, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Epic Xbox

#9Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

iRank74

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Co-opSoloMultiplayerMeleeFirst Person

Steam👍 71%· 132KIGDB78· 5OC75· 80

Year 2022Dev FatsharkOn Xbox · PC · PS5

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Where it differs: brings action RPG combat, horror tension and first-person shooting, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Xbox PS

#10ULTRAKILL

iRank93

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

SoloMeleeHardcoreSci-FiFirst Person

Steam👍 97%· 228KRAWG👍 87%· 141

Year 2020Dev Arsi "Hakita" Patala · New Blood InteractivePlaytime ~3hOn PC · Linux

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, shooter and punishing difficulty

≠ Where it differs: brings action RPG combat, first-person shooting and precision platforming, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam GOG

#11Bright Memory: Infinite

iRank79

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

SoloMeleeHardcoreSci-FiFirst Person

Steam👍 92%· 40KIGDB67· 5OC63· 95

Year 2021Dev FYQD-Studio · PLAYISMOn Xbox · Android · PC

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: action RPG combat, first-person shooting and dark, oppressive atmosphere, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam GOG Xbox

#12MORDHAU

iRank81

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

MultiplayerCo-opOnlineMeleeFirst PersonThird Person

Steam👍 80%· 113KRAWG👍 80%· 267MC81OC82· 21

Year 2019Dev TriternionPlaytime ~7hOn PC

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, melee combat and multiplayer gameplay

≠ Where it differs: brings action RPG combat, fighting mechanics and survival mechanics, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Epic

#13Starfield

iRank71

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

SoloMeleeOpen WorldSandbox WorldSpaceSci-FiExplorationFirst PersonThird Person

Steam👍 57%· 173KIGDB85· 9OC84· 221

Year 2023Dev Bethesda Game Studios · Bethesda SoftworksOn Xbox · PC · PS5

✓ Fits the first-person Action RPGs cluster, with deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and shooter

≠ Stands apart with action RPG combat, first-person shooting and strong narrative focus, while skipping punishing difficulty

Details →

Steam Xbox PS

#14Dying Light

iRank83

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

Co-opMultiplayerOnlineSoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 95%· 486KRAWG👍 84%· 1.4KMC74IGDB72· 17OC74· 117

Year 2015Dev Techland · Warner Bros. InteractivePlaytime ~22hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Both are first-person Action RPGs — sharing deep RPG systems, shooter and adventure storytelling

≠ Its own twist: action RPG combat, survival mechanics and horror tension, while skipping deep simulation

Details →

Steam Xbox PS

#15Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

iRank91

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPGSub-subgenreFirst-Person ARPG

SoloMeleeOpen WorldExplorationFirst Person

Steam👍 94%· 182KRAWG👍 85%· 153IGDB93· 4OC89· 172

Year 2025Dev Warhorse Studios · Deep SilverPlaytime ~28hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ Same family of first-person Action RPGs: deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and deep simulation

≠ Its own twist: strong narrative focus, setting medieval and historical setting, while skipping shooter

Details →

Steam GOG

Complete list of Elite Dangerous alternatives

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Elite Dangerous, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

Dead Island

RPG · Action RPG

Dark and Darker

RPG · Shooter

Chernobylite

RPG · Survival

RoboCop: Rogue City

RPG · Action RPG

Once Human

RPG · Adventure

Enshrouded

RPG · Action RPG

The Ship: Murder Party

RPG · Shooter

Atomic Heart

RPG · Action RPG

Torchlight II

RPG · Action RPG

The Elder Scrolls: Arena

RPG · Sandbox

Dead Island: Riptide

RPG · Action RPG

Hyper Light Drifter

RPG · Action RPG

Mass Effect 3

RPG · Action RPG

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens

RPG · Action RPG

Victor Vran

RPG · Action RPG

Remnant II

RPG · Action RPG

LEGO® Batman™ 2: DC Super Heroes

RPG · Action RPG

Fallout 3

RPG · Action RPG

LIZARDS MUST DIE

RPG · Action RPG

Ashen

RPG · Action RPG

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2

RPG · Action RPG

Cyberpunk 2077

RPG · Action RPG

Path of Exile 2

RPG · Action RPG

Mass Effect: Andromeda

RPG · Shooter

LEGO Marvel's Avengers

RPG · Action RPG

Earth 2160

RPG · Action RPG

LEGO® The Incredibles

RPG · Action RPG

LEGO City Undercover

RPG · Action RPG

Battletoads

RPG · Action RPG

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance

RPG · Adventure

Niffelheim

RPG · Action RPG

ACE - Arena: Cyber Evolution

RPG · Sports

Skara - The Blade Remains

RPG · Action RPG

Watchmen: The End is Nigh

RPG · Action RPG

Prime World

RPG · MMO

Explore games similar to Elite Dangerous by category

Rankings in the same genre

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best game similar to Elite Dangerous?: The closest game to Elite Dangerous is Grounded, scoring 94/100 on our similarity scale. They share 13 gameplay attributes, including deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and sandbox freedom. It's the most faithful alternative currently available.
What are the top games like Elite Dangerous?: The three closest games to Elite Dangerous are: 1. Grounded (94/100, 13 shared attributes) 2. Stalcraft: X (93/100, 10 shared attributes) 3. Killing Floor 2 (87/100, 9 shared attributes). All share Elite Dangerous's most important gameplay attributes, ranked out of 50 candidates across 19 dimensions.
Is Stalcraft: X similar to Elite Dangerous?: Yes, very much so — Stalcraft: X scores 93/100 similarity to Elite Dangerous. They share 10 attributes, including deep RPG systems and adventure storytelling. It's one of the most direct alternatives available.
What RPG games are similar to Elite Dangerous?: The best RPG games similar to Elite Dangerous are Grounded, Stalcraft: X, Killing Floor 2 and Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide. All share the RPG genre alongside other key Elite Dangerous attributes like deep RPG systems, adventure storytelling and sandbox freedom.
How is similarity to Elite Dangerous calculated?: We compare Elite Dangerous against every game in our catalog using 19 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 Elite Dangerous experience, not just whether it shares the same genre label.