Market overview of Souls-like games
The landscape of Souls-like games has experienced notable shifts since their inception, with a marked increase in popularity on platforms like Steam. In 2024, the genre saw the release of 371 titles, reflecting a 41% year-over-year growth. As of October 2025, 207 games with the Souls-like tag have emerged, maintaining a steady output comparable to the levels observed in 2022 and 2023.
- Leading the pack in sales are titles such as Black Myth: Wukong with 20.3 million copies sold, Elden Ring at 15.6 million, and Monster Hunter: World with 13 million copies. The classification of Monster Hunter: World as a Souls-like game remains a topic of debate.
- VG Insights highlights that while interest from both AA and AAA publishers has remained stable over the past five years, the surge in Souls-like projects is largely driven by indie developers.
- By 2024, AAA developers were responsible for approximately 75% of total Souls-like revenue on Steam. However, this distribution can fluctuate significantly year-to-year, influenced by the success of various AA and indie releases.
- The trajectory of Souls-like games has evolved through distinct phases: a rapid growth period from 2015 to 2018, a peak in 2019, a downturn between 2020 and 2021, and a transition into a mainstream genre from 2022 onward.
- Currently, Souls-like games represent about 4-5% of all titles released on Steam, or those that carry the corresponding tag.
Best-selling Souls-like projects
- According to VG Insights, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order stands as the best-selling title in the genre, with total sales reaching an impressive 41.3 million copies since its launch.
The “copies sold” figure also includes distribution via subscription services.
- Following closely is Elden Ring with 40.6 million copies sold, and Monster Hunter: World at 35 million copies.
The list also includes Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Cuphead, though their connections to the Souls-like genre may be considered tenuous.
- In terms of platform sales, 39% of Elden Ring sales originated from Steam, 40% from PlayStation, and 21% from Xbox. Notably, China emerged as the largest regional market, accounting for 25% of purchases.
- Average playtime for Elden Ring is a remarkable 121.8 hours, with 92.9% of user reviews being positive.
- For Monster Hunter: World, 46% of copies were sold on Steam, 40% on Xbox (likely via Game Pass), and 14% on PlayStation. Despite a rocky launch, it managed to maintain a high average playtime of 28.8 hours.
- As for Hollow Knight: Silksong, 72% of its sales have come from Steam, with 9% from PlayStation and 19% from Xbox. The game has attracted 7.8 million downloads, with an average playtime of 25.5 hours and 81.4% positive reviews.
Souls-like games by region
- As of 2025, the APAC region has emerged as the dominant force in the Souls-like genre, with developers from this area accounting for 80% of all projects and 97% of total revenue.
- While US developers showed strong performance in 2022-2023, Asian developers have swiftly regained their leadership position.
- Japanese developers, particularly Bandai Namco and Capcom, have proven to be the most successful within the Souls-like sphere.
- On PlayStation, titles such as God of War (2018) and Ghost of Tsushima are included in the ranking, although their classification as Souls-like is debatable.
- Xbox showcases a diverse array of Souls-like projects, a trend bolstered by the Game Pass subscription model, allowing users to explore new titles.
- Chinese players represent the core audience for Souls-like games, with 47% of players from China among the top 20 projects on Steam. The US follows with 23%, while Germany and Russia each account for 5%.
Pricing strategy for Souls-like games
- Most AAA titles within the genre have launched on Steam at price points ranging from .99 to .99, reflecting the market’s competitive nature.
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