ProbablyMonsters ships Crimson Moon on September 1, 2026, for $19.99 on Steam and Epic. The pitch is precise: Nephilim (human-angel hybrids), the besieged city of Gildenarch, two-player co-op with shared lives, and a fast, bloody, run-based combat loop pitched somewhere between Diablo IV’s momentum and a soulslike’s parry ceiling. The price point is doing a lot of work here, undercutting the $60-to-$70 gothic action RPGs that usually own this slot.
We tested seven Crimson Moon alternatives on Windows that share its DNA: gothic tone, punishing melee combat, replayable run structure, and boss-driven pacing. The list runs from direct soulslike lineage to metroidvania cousins and Devil May Cry-style stylish action, with two under-$30 picks alongside the AAA options.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Cost | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lies of P | Gothic soulslike with a real story | Around $60 | Puppet-string weapon system |
| Remnant II | Co-op gothic gunplay | Around $50 | Randomized biome layouts |
| No Rest for the Wicked | Diablo-adjacent soulslike | Around $40 (Early Access) | Hand-painted world with weight |
| Nioh 2 The Complete Edition | Deepest combat ceiling | Around $50 | Yokai form and stance switching |
| Blasphemous 2 | 2D gothic action | Around $30 | Weapon-driven traversal |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Metroidvania with RPG systems | Around $40 | Shard-crafting build variety |
| Devil May Cry 5 | Stylish combat with three characters | Around $30 | SSS ranking rewards mastery |
Why “gothic action RPGs like Crimson Moon” keeps trending
The signal on r/soulslike, the Crimson Moon Steam page discussions, and the ProbablyMonsters Discord:
- The $20 price ceiling is unusual for this genre. Most gothic action RPGs on Steam list at $40 to $70.
- Two-player co-op with shared lives is a specific ask. Solo soulslikes miss the buddy-run beat.
- Nephilim as protagonists is a fantasy-lore hook. Generic knight or samurai builds don’t scratch it.
- The run-based combat loop (replayable Gildenarch runs) sits between roguelike and traditional soulslike. Pure runs or pure linear games both under-serve.
- Steam Deck support is a factor for ProbablyMonsters, and any alternative that stutters on Deck loses half the audience.
Each pick below addresses one of these gaps. The first three are direct gothic-soulslike lineage. The middle picks push the combat ceiling. The last two go metroidvania and stylish-action for a change of pace.
The 7 best Crimson Moon alternatives
Lies of P, best gothic soulslike with a real story
Lies of P by Neowiz is the reference implementation for a non-FromSoftware gothic soulslike. The puppet-string weapon system (heads and handles swap freely), the Belle Epoque Krat setting with plague-choked cathedrals, and the Pinocchio lie-mechanics driving the ending state all pull the soulslike template somewhere new. The Overture DLC in 2025 added a prequel arc and remains the peak of the game’s combat design.
For Crimson Moon players who want the closest current soulslike with real writing behind the boss fights, Lies of P is the pick.
Where it falls short: Around 40 hours for one full path. Some bosses have unfair-feeling second phases. Story requires reading all the lore drops to fully land.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $60 (regular sales to around $25)
- vs Crimson Moon: Pricier, longer, more linear
Switching from Crimson Moon: Save specters for the mid-fight, not the boss opener. The window matters more than the summon count.
Download: Lies of P on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Lies of P when a full-length gothic soulslike with real narrative weight is the swap you want.
Remnant II, best co-op gothic gunplay
Remnant II by Gunfire Games is the co-op gothic action RPG that scratches the two-player-run itch Crimson Moon is aiming at. The randomized biome layouts turn every campaign into a fresh run, the gunplay-plus-melee hybrid keeps combat readable at 60fps in three-player co-op, and the Archon and other secret archetypes add hidden build variety that rewards a wiki tab open on your second monitor.
For Crimson Moon players who want the co-op DNA with third-person shooter mechanics on top, Remnant II is the natural swap.
Where it falls short: Solo runs feel harder-than-intended. Some biomes repeat structural beats. Endgame farming is heavy.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $50 (regular sales to around $20)
- vs Crimson Moon: Pricier, gunplay-heavy, three-player instead of two
Switching from Crimson Moon: Roll a Handler archetype for your first character. The dog companion carries early runs and the archetype scales into endgame.
Download: Remnant II on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Remnant II when co-op gothic action with gunplay is what you actually wanted from Crimson Moon.
No Rest for the Wicked, best Diablo-adjacent soulslike
No Rest for the Wicked by Moon Studios is the Ori-team pivot to soulslike combat with Diablo pacing. The hand-painted world hits a visual weight most gothic action RPGs cannot afford, the stamina-plus-parry combat has a snappier rhythm than a straight soulslike, and the Early Access roadmap has added end-of-year content drops that keep giving the community reasons to return.
For Crimson Moon players who want the same run-based replay loop with a heavier art bar, No Rest for the Wicked is the current pick.
Where it falls short: Still Early Access, so the story is incomplete. Framerate on modest hardware is unstable. Some regions get gated by respec cost.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $40 (regular sales to around $25)
- vs Crimson Moon: Pricier, more art-first, still in Early Access
Switching from Crimson Moon: Push into the Sacrament hub early and unlock the crafting stations. The build depth opens up once smithing tiers unlock.
Download: No Rest for the Wicked on Steam
Bottom line: Pick No Rest for the Wicked when the hand-painted gothic tone matters and you can live with Early Access rough edges.
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition, best combat ceiling
Nioh 2 The Complete Edition by Team Ninja is the deepest combat ceiling in the gothic action RPG bracket, even if the setting swaps Nephilim for yokai. Three stances per weapon, the Burst Counter parry, and the Yokai Form transformation give every fight three or four viable openings. The Complete Edition folds all three story DLCs into the base package.
For Crimson Moon players who want the deepest combat mechanics money can buy in this genre, Nioh 2 is the pick.
Where it falls short: Steep learning curve for the first ten hours. Sub-mission grind is real. Endgame Depths runs are a full second game with its own systems.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $50 (regular sales to around $10)
- vs Crimson Moon: Pricier, deeper systems, no co-op-run structure
Switching from Crimson Moon: Bind your Yokai Ability to a hotkey. The AoE openers carry the early main mission arc.
Download: Nioh 2 The Complete Edition on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Nioh 2 when the combat ceiling is what you play these games for.
Blasphemous 2, best 2D gothic action
Blasphemous 2 by The Game Kitchen is the 2D gothic sibling to Crimson Moon’s 3D pitch. Three weapons (rapier, censer, mace) carry three distinct traversal kits, the boss encounters push readable parries into pixel-perfect timing, and the Cvstodia setting stays as heavy on Catholic iconography as the first game without repeating its structure.
For Crimson Moon players who want the same gothic tone in a metroidvania layout, Blasphemous 2 is the pick.
Where it falls short: 2D controls take adjustment for 3D-first players. Some late-game arenas feel cramped. Story requires Blasphemous 1 for full context.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $30 (regular sales to around $10)
- vs Crimson Moon: Cheaper, 2D, metroidvania structure
Switching from Crimson Moon: Start with the rapier. It carries early bosses cleanly, and the switching mechanic teaches through hard walls.
Download: Blasphemous 2 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Blasphemous 2 when the gothic weight is the draw and a metroidvania rhythm is the change of pace.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, best metroidvania with RPG systems
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night by ArtPlay is the modern Igarashi Castlevania spiritual sequel and the closest metroidvania with the RPG depth Crimson Moon promises. The Shard system lets you graft any enemy ability into a build, the weapon variety covers eight+ classes across whips, katanas, guns and firearms, and the postgame chaos ring gives one of the deepest metroidvania endgames on Steam.
For Crimson Moon players who want the Castlevania-adjacent 2D template with RPG build variety, Bloodstained is the pick.
Where it falls short: Early-game pacing is slow. Some Shard drop rates are grindy. Combat feels floaty next to Bloodstained’s own Curse of the Moon spin-offs.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $40 (regular sales to around $10)
- vs Crimson Moon: Pricier full price, 2D metroidvania, deeper build depth
Switching from Crimson Moon: Farm early-area Shards until you have a viable Directional Shard for movement. It changes the pace of the whole game.
Download: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night on Steam
Bottom line: Pick Bloodstained when you want gothic tone plus Igarashi-style metroidvania depth.
Devil May Cry 5, best stylish combat with three characters
Devil May Cry 5 by Capcom is the stylish action RPG cousin to Crimson Moon’s Nephilim pitch. Three playable characters (Nero, V, Dante) carry three combat styles, the SSS ranking system rewards weapon switching and long combos, and the DLC adds Vergil as a fourth playable path with the highest combat ceiling in the series.
For Crimson Moon players who want the stylish-action version of gothic combat, DMC 5 is the pick.
Where it falls short: Story is Devil-May-Cry silly, not gothic-serious. Camera can fight the combat in tight arenas. Steep skill floor to unlock the ranking system’s real reward.
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Base: Around $30 (regular sales to around $8)
- vs Crimson Moon: Cheaper, no co-op, deepest stylish-action ceiling
Switching from Crimson Moon: Start with Nero and unlock the Break Away system before touching V or Dante. Combo cancels are the whole DMC skill tree.
Download: Devil May Cry 5 on Steam
Bottom line: Pick DMC 5 when the stylish-action angle beats the run-based structure Crimson Moon is building.
How to pick the right one
If you want a gothic soulslike with the strongest narrative on this list, install Lies of P. The Krat setting and puppet weapon system are the current benchmark.
If co-op is the whole reason Crimson Moon is on your radar, Remnant II is the pick. If the hand-painted gothic tone matters most and you can live with Early Access, No Rest for the Wicked is the mood-fit choice.
If combat ceiling is the priority and setting flexibility is fine, Nioh 2 The Complete Edition delivers the deepest system in this bracket. If a 2D metroidvania rhythm fits your evenings better than 3D combat, Blasphemous 2 is the direct pick.
If Castlevania-adjacent metroidvania with real RPG build depth is what you want, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the choice. If stylish action with combo ceilings is where you want to spend the hours, Devil May Cry 5 is the fastest way in.
Stay with Crimson Moon on launch day when the $20 price and two-player co-op are what drew you to it. None of the alternatives match that combination. Play a couple of these while you wait for September 1 and treat Crimson Moon as the buddy-run version once the Nephilim run opens.
FAQ
When does Crimson Moon release on Steam?
Crimson Moon releases on September 1, 2026, on Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The base version is $19.99; a $29.99 Deluxe Edition adds the Ceremonial Armor Set, an Axe of the Gods weapon cosmetic and future expansion access.
Does Crimson Moon support co-op?
Yes. Crimson Moon ships with two-player online co-op with shared lives, which is the pitched central hook. Solo runs are supported, but the design is co-op-forward.
Is Crimson Moon a soulslike?
Crimson Moon leans on soulslike combat mechanics (stamina, parry timing, boss patterns) but structures runs as replayable Gildenarch clears rather than a single linear souls campaign. It sits between soulslike and roguelike-lite.
What is the cheapest Crimson Moon alternative on Steam?
Devil May Cry 5 and Nioh 2 The Complete Edition both drop to around $8 to $10 in Steam sales, which is well below Crimson Moon’s $20 launch price. Both give a full arc for less than a lunch.
Is Crimson Moon Steam Deck verified?
ProbablyMonsters has said Deck compatibility is a launch priority but has not confirmed Verified status ahead of September 1. The public Steam page marks the game as pending Deck evaluation.
