A24 confirmed this week that Alex Garland’s Elden Ring adaptation wrapped principal photography. Whether or not it lives up to the game, the announcement pushed souls-like games back to the top of search for the first time since Elden Ring’s own DLC. There is no direct FromSoftware port on Android, but the mobile souls-like scene has quietly filled the gap.
We spent a week with eight of the best souls-like RPG games for Android on a mid-range phone with a Bluetooth controller. The picks below cover proper action-RPGs, stylized combat games with souls-adjacent design, and gacha games that borrow the combat feel.
What matters in a mobile souls-like
- Controls. Touch works for casuals; controller support is essential for anything precision-heavy.
- Combat depth. Souls-likes live and die on animation cancels, parries, and stamina management.
- Offline vs online. Some are single-player; others gate progress behind daily online events.
- Monetization. Gacha vs one-time purchase changes the entire play pattern.
- Story fidelity. Souls-adjacent games often keep the combat but lose the environmental storytelling.
The apps
1. Shadow of Death 2 – best free stylized souls-like
Shadow of Death 2 wraps action-RPG combat in a striking noir visual style. Multiple classes, upgradeable gear, boss fights that punish spam attacks, and a rhythm to the parry system make it the free game that most closely mimics the risk/reward loop of a proper souls title.
Where it falls short: Progression eventually asks you to grind or spend, and some late-game bosses feel tuned around paid gear.
Pricing:
- Free with ads and IAPs
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Shadow of Death 2 if you want a free, stylized action-RPG that leans hard on the souls-like combat feel.
2. Bladed Fury – best premium action-RPG
Bladed Fury is a paid side-scrolling action title inspired by Chinese ink-painting style and folklore. Combat is fluid, boss designs are memorable, and the animation quality punches above most mobile titles. No ads, no IAPs, no gacha.
Where it falls short: Side-scrolling reduces the 3D exploration that defines a proper souls-like. Combat feel is there; the world isn’t.
Pricing:
- Paid: One-time purchase
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Bladed Fury if you want a bought-once premium game with real combat depth.
3. Wuthering Waves – best open-world souls-adjacent
Wuthering Waves is not a strict souls-like, but the parry-and-counter combat pattern, boss designs, and traversal system share enough DNA that souls fans consistently land on it. Voice acting and cinematics are movie-tier.
Where it falls short: It’s a gacha, and the character-pull economy will eventually push you toward spending.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play with gacha IAPs
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Wuthering Waves for a huge open world with parry-heavy combat, and set a monthly spend cap.
4. Grimvalor – best true action-RPG
Grimvalor is the closest thing on Android to a modern 2.5D souls-like: precise combat, upgradeable gear, big boss fights, and no monetization outside a small unlock to play beyond act one. Controls with a gamepad feel legit.
Where it falls short: The 2.5D perspective is what it is; if you want a full 3D open world, this isn’t that.
Pricing:
- Free demo
- Paid: One-time IAP to unlock the full game
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Grimvalor if you want a real premium souls-like on Android without gacha strings.
5. Punishing: Gray Raven – best combat depth in a gacha
Punishing: Gray Raven’s combo cancel system and elemental resonance mechanic give it real skill-ceiling combat. Bosses expect you to learn patterns, not spam. Gacha rates are middle-of-the-road for the genre.
Where it falls short: The story is expositional and the gacha layer is still a gacha layer.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play with gacha IAPs
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Punishing: Gray Raven if combat depth matters more than an open world.
6. Genshin Impact – best casual gateway
Genshin Impact isn’t a souls-like, but its boss encounters and elemental-reaction combat are enough of a step up from average mobile RPGs that many souls fans use it as a phone-time filler. Free-to-play works for casual play.
Where it falls short: The gacha economy is aggressive at the character-banner level.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play with gacha IAPs
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC, PlayStation
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Genshin Impact if you want a big open world to explore casually between real souls sessions.
7. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Mobile – best sci-fi souls-adjacent
The mobile Darktide port keeps most of the co-op combat structure from the PC version. Weighty melee, class specializations, and grim 40K atmosphere combine into a distinctly souls-adjacent experience with more shooter DNA than most on this list.
Where it falls short: Requires a solid phone and a steady connection for co-op sessions.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play with paid character passes
Platforms: Android, iOS
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Darktide Mobile if you want co-op souls-adjacent 40K combat on a phone.
8. Arknights: Endfield – best strategic action-RPG hybrid
Arknights: Endfield is Yostar’s action follow-up to the tactical Arknights. Combat blends real-time hack-and-slash with squad tactics, and the enemy designs demand pattern-learning that souls players will find familiar.
Where it falls short: The hybrid design isn’t for everyone; some players want either pure action or pure tactics.
Pricing:
- Free-to-play with gacha IAPs
Platforms: Android, iOS, PC
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: Pick Endfield if you like tactical thinking blended into your action combat.
How to pick the right one
- If you want free stylized action: Shadow of Death 2
- If you want premium bought-once combat: Bladed Fury or Grimvalor
- If you want a huge open world: Wuthering Waves or Genshin Impact
- If combat depth is the point: Punishing: Gray Raven
- If you want co-op grim atmosphere: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Mobile
- If you like tactics with your action: Arknights: Endfield
FAQ
Is there a real Dark Souls or Elden Ring game on Android?
No official FromSoftware title exists on Android in 2026. The closest experiences on mobile are Grimvalor, Bladed Fury, and Shadow of Death 2 for combat feel, or Wuthering Waves for open-world exploration.
What is the closest thing to Dark Souls on Android?
Grimvalor is the closest premium mobile equivalent for pure combat and level design. Wuthering Waves is the closest for open-world exploration with souls-like parry combat.
Are these games playable with a controller on Android?
Yes for Grimvalor, Bladed Fury, Wuthering Waves, Genshin Impact, and Endfield. Shadow of Death 2 and Darktide Mobile also support Bluetooth controllers on newer versions.
Which souls-like game is free on Android?
Shadow of Death 2, Wuthering Waves, Genshin Impact, Punishing: Gray Raven, and Endfield are free-to-play. Bladed Fury and Grimvalor are paid.
Can I play these games offline?
Grimvalor and Bladed Fury work offline. The gacha-driven titles (Wuthering Waves, Genshin, PGR, Endfield) require an online connection to progress.
