The Beast of Reincarnation review that landed on Eurogamer this week puts the game “in the shadow of the colossus” for good reason. That silhouette (a small hero versus a huge, lonely titan on an empty landscape) still defines a specific taste in action-adventure games. Team Ico’s original never shipped on PC, so the search for the Shadow of the Colossus feel on Steam and PC has been an ongoing quest.
These seven Shadow of the Colossus style games for PC all lean into the same core loop: an intimidating opponent, a puzzle disguised as a boss fight, and a landscape that makes the hero feel small. We skipped generic action games that copy the aesthetic without the fight structure.
What to look for in a Colossus-style game on PC
- Boss-first design. The bosses are the whole game, or at least the whole reason to play.
- A sense of scale. Sky, distance, silence, and one enormous silhouette.
- Traversal that matters. Grip, jump, climb, and hang timings that are the puzzle itself.
- Minimal HUD. Sparse UI, sparse dialogue, and a soundtrack that carries the mood.
- Emotional weight. The bosses feel meaningful to defeat, not disposable.
- Modern PC controller support. A gamepad is the intended input for this genre.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Play time | Steam price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Praey for the Gods | Direct Colossus homage | ~15 hours | Paid, often on sale | The most direct Shadow of the Colossus spiritual successor |
| Elden Ring | Open-world colossal bosses | 80+ hours | Full price | Every legacy dungeon has a Colossus-scale boss |
| God of War | Cinematic boss journey | ~25 hours | Paid | Kratos and Atreus versus Norse titans |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Deflect-driven boss puzzles | ~35 hours | Paid | The bosses ARE the game |
| Wolfstride | Small-team mecha boss-only structure | ~10 hours | Paid | Turn-based Colossus in a mech |
| Dark Souls III | Long-form action boss campaign | ~40 hours | Paid | The FromSoftware bookend to a golden run |
| Grow Home | Non-combat climb-a-giant loop | ~5 hours | Paid | Pure traversal joy, low intensity |
| Titan Souls | Minimalist one-hit boss rush | ~5 hours | Paid | Every enemy is a Colossus |
The 7 best Shadow of the Colossus style games for PC
1. Praey for the Gods, best direct Colossus homage
Praey for the Gods is the most direct Shadow of the Colossus spiritual successor on PC. Grapple massive beasts, climb up their fur, hang on for dear life, and stab a weak point on their backs. The team at No Matter Studios kept the loop honest while adding survival mechanics (cold, hunger) that keep the map alive between fights.
The frozen tundra setting is haunting, the soundtrack is minimal, and the boss design carries the game.
Where it falls short: Some traversal jank near invisible ledges. The survival layer is thin and can be ignored after the first hour.
Pricing:
- Paid up front, on deep sale every few months.
- vs Shadow of the Colossus: The closest PC has ever gotten. Not as polished as the PS4 remake but closer than anything else.
Platforms: Windows, Linux via Proton.
Download: Available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
Bottom line: Buy Praey for the Gods first if you want the Colossus loop on PC.
2. Elden Ring, best open-world colossal bosses
Elden Ring is FromSoftware’s open-world magnum opus, and its legacy dungeons house some of the biggest Colossus-scale bosses in modern gaming. Godrick, Malenia, Radahn: each fight feels like a small campaign against a titan.
The open-world layer expands the Shadow of the Colossus formula. Instead of one titan at a time, Elden Ring layers exploration, side dungeons, and a co-op layer that Colossus never had.
Where it falls short: The combat difficulty curve wins few converts among people who bounced off Dark Souls. The map’s density can overwhelm.
Pricing:
- Full price at launch. Regular seasonal discounts.
- vs Praey for the Gods: Longer, denser, harder.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Available on Steam.
Bottom line: Buy Elden Ring if you want colossal bosses and a hundred hours of exploration.
3. God of War, best cinematic boss journey on PC
God of War (the 2018 Norse chapter) brought Kratos and Atreus to PC via a solid Sony port. The set-piece boss fights against Norse titans and Nordic gods land the Colossus feeling at cinematic scale, backed by a father-son story that the original Shadow of the Colossus never attempted.
The Baldur opening fight alone is worth the price of admission. The Leviathan Axe combat evolves through a well-paced skill tree.
Where it falls short: Between the boss fights, some story pacing sags. A few “climb a wall” segments feel too obviously guided.
Pricing:
- Full price at launch. Regular seasonal discounts.
- vs Praey for the Gods: More cinematic, less pure-puzzle.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Bottom line: Buy God of War if you want cinematic titan fights with a story arc.
4. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, best where the bosses ARE the game
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is FromSoftware’s deflect-driven action game. The bosses are the game. Every one of them is a puzzle disguised as a duel. Owl (Father), Genichiro, Isshin: the fights feel Colossus-scale even when the opponent is a single swordmaster.
Sekiro has no leveling in the traditional sense. Progression is skill acquisition, prayer beads, and gourd upgrades. The result is a boss campaign that rewards mastery in the same way Colossus rewards figuring out one grapple angle.
Where it falls short: No easy mode. Skill wall is real.
Pricing:
- Paid up front, discounted seasonally.
- vs Elden Ring: Tighter, more focused, less exploration.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Available on Steam.
Bottom line: Buy Sekiro if the puzzle-boss loop was the reason you loved Shadow of the Colossus.
5. Wolfstride, best small-team mecha boss-only structure
Wolfstride is a turn-based mech game where the campaign is a tournament of one-versus-one boss fights against progressively larger mechs. Between fights, you scrounge parts and repair your Cowboy in a low-key Neo-Tokyo overworld.
The mood is different from Colossus, but the structural DNA (one titan at a time, a small hero underneath) is the same. The pixel-art style and jazz-tinged soundtrack keep the tone light.
Where it falls short: Turn-based, so it will not scratch the itch for players who want real-time traversal.
Pricing:
- Paid up front. Small studio, small price.
- vs Praey for the Gods: A different genre entirely, but a similar hero-vs-titan structure.
Platforms: Windows, macOS.
Download: Available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
Bottom line: Buy Wolfstride if you want the boss-tournament structure in a turn-based mech.
6. Dark Souls III, best long-form action boss campaign
Dark Souls III is FromSoftware’s bookend to the original Dark Souls run. The bosses stretch from big-and-slow (Yhorm, Dancer of the Boreal Valley) to fast-and-technical (Nameless King, Champion Gundyr).
For PC players who want a long, dense action campaign with a wide range of titan-scale fights, DS3 remains the reference point. It is also the easiest FromSoftware entry to run on modest hardware.
Where it falls short: Not as open as Elden Ring. Some late-game bosses lean gauntlet rather than puzzle.
Pricing:
- Paid up front. Regular deep discounts.
- vs Elden Ring: Tighter, more linear, easier on the hardware.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Available on Steam.
Bottom line: Buy Dark Souls III if you want the FromSoftware boss loop without an open-world commitment.
7. Grow Home, best non-combat climb-a-giant loop
Grow Home is the odd one out on this list, and it earns the spot. Ubisoft Reflections’s small experimental game asks you to climb a giant plant, one deliberate grip at a time. There is no combat. There is a climbing puzzle that never stops feeling delightful.
For players who loved the climb in Shadow of the Colossus more than the takedown, Grow Home is the purest expression of that feeling on PC.
Where it falls short: Short. Nothing to do after finishing except free-play.
Pricing:
- Paid up front. Cheap.
- vs Praey for the Gods: Non-combat, pure traversal.
Platforms: Windows.
Download: Available on Steam and the Ubisoft Store.
Bottom line: Buy Grow Home if the joy of Colossus was the grip meter, not the fight.
Bonus pick: Titan Souls, minimalist one-hit boss rush
Titan Souls is a 2D boss rush where the hero has one arrow and one hit point. Every enemy is a Colossus. Every fight ends in seconds.
Bottom line: Buy Titan Souls as an aperitif to Praey for the Gods for a fraction of the price.
How to pick the right one
- Buy Praey for the Gods if you want the closest Colossus feel on PC.
- Buy Elden Ring if you want the biggest, longest colossal-boss campaign.
- Buy God of War if you want cinematic titan fights with a story arc.
- Buy Sekiro if the puzzle-boss structure was what you loved.
- Buy Wolfstride for a lighter, turn-based take on the boss-tournament structure.
- Buy Dark Souls III for a long-form action boss campaign that runs on modest hardware.
- Buy Grow Home if the climb itself was your favorite part of Colossus.
FAQ
Is Shadow of the Colossus on PC? No. Team Ico’s original and the PS4 remake are both Sony platform exclusives. Praey for the Gods is the closest PC alternative.
What is the best Shadow of the Colossus-inspired game on Steam? Praey for the Gods is the most direct homage on Steam. Elden Ring and God of War carry the titan-fight DNA into different formats.
Do these games have controller support on PC? All seven titles support Xbox and PlayStation controllers on PC. FromSoftware’s games in particular are best played with a gamepad.
Which Colossus-style game runs best on lower-end PC hardware? Grow Home, Titan Souls, and Wolfstride run on modest laptops. Dark Souls III runs on hardware from 2016 onwards.
Is Praey for the Gods still updated? No Matter Studios ships small updates as they can. The game has been stable for a while and lands regular Steam discounts.
