Best Of
10 Best Games Like Skyrim for RPG Fans (2026)
Explore ten games like Skyrim, from first-person fantasy RPGs to open-world adventures, with clear differences to help you choose your next game.
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Skyrim has a way of making a simple journey take the rest of the evening. There’s a cave beside the road, a stranger with a problem, and a mountain that suddenly looks climbable. Finding another game with that appeal means looking beyond whether it has swords and a fantasy map.
These ten alternatives match different parts of that experience: freedom to wander, character building, first-person adventuring, or quests that reward a detour. Recent fantasy releases sit alongside established favorites. Some use distinct regions, party combat, or a very different setting, so start with the entry that matches what you miss most about Skyrim.
Choose Your Next Game
| Game | Best for | Modes / edition |
|---|---|---|
| Baldur’s Gate 3 | Character choices and a reactive fantasy adventure | Single-player or co-op; turn-based party combat |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | First-person quests and flexible combat builds | Single-player |
| Elden Ring | Open-ended fantasy exploration and demanding combat | Single-player with optional online co-op and PvP |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Exploration with substantial side stories | Single-player |
| Dragon’s Dogma 2 | Fantasy journeys with reactive combat | Single-player with AI-controlled Pawns |
| Fallout 4 | Bethesda exploration with crafting and settlements | Single-player; first-person or third-person perspective |
| Kingdom Come: Deliverance II | A grounded world that asks you to live in it | Single-player |
| Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon | First-person dark fantasy with flexible builds | Single-player |
| Avowed | First-person fantasy combat and regional exploration | Single-player |
| The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered | The closest Elder Scrolls alternative | Single-player |
10. Baldur’s Gate 3
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (Larian Studios).
Modes: Single-player or co-op; turn-based party combat
Baldur’s Gate 3 belongs here for the freedom it gives your character, rather than for matching Skyrim’s camera or combat. Your class, companions, dialogue choices, and approach to a problem all help shape the adventure. A conversation can matter as much as a battle, and exploring off the main route often reveals another way to handle a situation.
Expect a party-based RPG with turn-based fights and separate regions instead of a first-person journey across one continuous map. That is a substantial change of pace, but a useful one if character building and consequential quests are what keep you returning to Skyrim. It also supports co-op, letting friends share decisions rather than simply compare their separate adventures.
For more, see our Baldur’s Gate 3 tips for beginners.
9. Cyberpunk 2077
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (Cyberpunk 2077).
Modes: Single-player
Cyberpunk 2077 replaces snowy roads with Night City, but it retains the pleasure of taking a detour and coming back with another job to do. V’s equipment, cyberware, and skills give you different ways to approach combat, while conversations and gigs make the city more than a place to drive through. Choose it for first-person role-playing with a markedly different atmosphere.
Its story centers on an established protagonist, and its urban setting favors guns, hacking, and vehicles over fantasy adventuring. Those differences help set expectations without taking away the appeal of choosing your next destination. Phantom Liberty is a separate expansion; the base game is the recommendation here. Check your platform and edition if you also want the Dogtown storyline.
For more, see our More RPGs like Cyberpunk 2077.
8. Elden Ring
Official gameplay reveal trailer. Watch on YouTube (BANDAI NAMCO Europe).
Modes: Single-player with optional online co-op and PvP
Elden Ring gives Skyrim fans another large fantasy world where the distant landmark is worth investigating. The Lands Between are full of ruins, underground areas, and encounters that can change the direction of an evening. Weapons, spells, and character attributes give you room to develop a build while deciding which route to follow next.
The important difference is the combat. Bosses demand patience and repeated attempts, while the story is less dependent on conventional quest conversations and markers. Choose it for exploration and discovery, with a willingness to learn difficult fights. This recommendation is the original Elden Ring; Shadow of the Erdtree is a separate expansion, and Nightreign is a different game.
For more, see our Elden Ring weapons to consider.
7. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Official “Go Your Way” launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (XBOX ON).
Modes: Single-player
The Witcher 3 is the recommendation for players who remember Skyrim’s journeys as much as its destinations. Roads lead to settlements, strange encounters, and contracts that give the landscape a human story. Playing Geralt also means preparing for monsters and making decisions in situations where everyone’s preferred outcome may not be possible.
The difference is that you’re playing an established character, rather than inventing an adventurer from scratch. Its third-person combat and story focus make it a different kind of RPG. Choose it for the world and quests, and compare editions carefully if you want Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine alongside the base adventure.
6. Dragon’s Dogma 2
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (Official Capcom Europe).
Modes: Single-player with AI-controlled Pawns
Dragon’s Dogma 2 makes traveling through a fantasy world an activity of its own. Large creatures, changing situations, and the abilities of your companions can turn a route between settlements into an event. Different vocations also change how you handle combat, giving character progression a visible effect on the action.
The Skyrim connection is the attraction of stepping out into the world and finding more than you planned. The differences are just as clear: combat is third-person, and your Pawn companions are AI-controlled rather than friends joining a co-op session. Pick it if you want your next fantasy RPG to put more emphasis on encounters and the party traveling beside you.
5. Fallout 4
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (Bethesda Softworks).
Modes: Single-player; first-person or third-person perspective
Fallout 4 is a natural next step if Skyrim’s appeal lies in Bethesda’s habit of putting something interesting just beyond the road. The Commonwealth replaces fantasy towns with ruined buildings and scavenged supplies, but wandering into a new location still has a way of producing another quest. Factions, companions, and character perks help you decide what kind of survivor to become.
Its guns and V.A.T.S. system change the rhythm of combat, while settlement building offers a reason to gather materials long after an individual quest ends. Expect a voiced protagonist and a postapocalyptic setting rather than another Elder Scrolls adventure. The base game is enough to start; expansion bundles are separate editions, and mod requirements depend on the platform and installed version.
For more, see our More Fallout games to explore.
4. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (Warhorse Studios).
Modes: Single-player
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II offers another way to get lost in a place. You follow Henry through a historical setting where equipment, reputation, conversation, and practical skills shape how you approach problems. Improving your character is part of understanding the world, rather than simply selecting a new spell before the next dungeon.
It’s a useful alternative if everyday immersion was your favorite part of Skyrim. The trade-off is leaving fantasy behind: there are no dragons or magical builds to fall back on. Its more deliberate melee combat also asks for patience. Choose it for medieval life and role-playing consequences, rather than expecting a direct replacement for an Elder Scrolls sandbox.
3. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Official release trailer. Watch on YouTube (Awaken Realms).
Modes: Single-player
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon offers one of the closer recent matches for Skyrim’s first-person fantasy adventuring. Its darker take on Arthurian legend gives exploration a different mood, while melee weapons, bows, magic, and character skills let you experiment with an approach that suits you. Quests and hidden locations supply reasons to leave the obvious route.
The full release arrived in May 2025, making it a newer option alongside the established RPGs here. Its world is organized into three expansive zones, so expect a different structure from Skyrim’s continuous province. Choose it when you want familiar character-building freedom in an unfamiliar setting. The Fall of Avalon is the action RPG; other Tainted Grail games and its paid expansion are separate products.
2. Avowed
Official launch trailer. Watch on YouTube (XBOX).
Modes: Single-player
Avowed gives you the Living Lands to investigate with weapons, spells, and companions at your side. Its first-person fantasy combat makes it an easy starting point for a Skyrim fan who wants another adventure built around magic and steel. Exploring its regions brings equipment, encounters, and choices that connect the journey to a larger story.
The structure is more focused than Skyrim’s open-ended sandbox. You move through distinct regions, with a stronger emphasis on authored quests and companions, rather than building an unrestricted second life in one continuous province. Pick it for a newer fantasy RPG with flexible combat and places worth poking around, while keeping those expectations clear.
1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Official game trailer. Watch on YouTube (Bethesda Softworks).
Modes: Single-player
Oblivion Remastered is the most direct next stop if Skyrim left you wanting another Elder Scrolls province. Cyrodiil offers cities, guilds, dungeons, and a central crisis you can interrupt whenever something more interesting appears beside the road. Creating a character and deciding which part of the world to pursue preserve the appeal of an adventure you can shape.
The remaster updates the presentation and parts of the experience, but it remains an adventure rooted in Oblivion’s own quests and systems. Don’t expect Skyrim’s combat and progression simply transplanted into a different map. Choose it because it shares the series’ freedom to wander, and check mod compatibility separately rather than assuming your Skyrim setup will carry over.
Which Game Should You Start With?
Oblivion Remastered is the closest match for the Elder Scrolls structure. Tainted Grail and Avowed suit players looking for first-person fantasy, while Fallout 4 carries Bethesda’s exploration into a different setting. Choose The Witcher 3 or Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for quest-driven journeys, Dragon’s Dogma 2 or Elden Ring for exploration and combat, and Baldur’s Gate 3 for a more deliberate party adventure. Cyberpunk 2077 is the strongest change of scenery.
Looking for more? More fantasy alternatives · Steam survival adventures.
