Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice clicked because it turned parry-focused combat into something faster, harsher, and far more demanding than most action games ever try.
Sekiro : Shadows Die Twice
Release Date: March 22, 2019
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Once that combat style clicks, it becomes hard to enjoy games that only ask you to dodge backward and wait for a safe opening. Sekiro teaches you to read attack strings, hold your ground, and answer at the exact right moment. The best alternatives keep that same core appeal alive through deflects, posture breaks, tight spacing, and boss fights that only get easier once you truly understand them.
TL;DR – Games Like Sekiro
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Finding games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is difficult because most action games only match one part of what makes it special.
Some copy the difficulty, some chase the feudal setting, and some borrow the checkpoint structure, but far fewer understand that Sekiro is really about confidence under pressure.
The best alternatives are the ones that reward standing your ground instead of retreating. They push you to read animations, meet attacks head-on, and turn defense into momentum. Some are full soulslikes, while others only share the same combat philosophy, but all of them capture at least part of that same satisfying rhythm.
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order is one of the easiest recommendations for Sekiro fans because its lightsaber combat relies heavily on timing, parries, and controlled aggression. You play as Cal Kestis, a surviving Padawan trying to stay hidden after Order 66, and the combat immediately makes it clear that swinging wildly is not going to carry you very far.
What the game does especially well is combine that combat style with exploration. You revisit planets as new Force abilities unlock paths that were blocked before, which gives the whole adventure a more deliberate structure than a straight combat gauntlet. It is not as focused or as demanding as Sekiro, but it does a good job of making every fight feel like it has rules you need to learn.
It is similar to Sekiro because parries matter, enemy pressure matters, and resting resets the world around you. The Force powers also add extra control options, letting you slow, push, or pull enemies in ways that make the combat feel a bit broader even if it is less razor-sharp than FromSoftware’s design.
If you want a more accessible version of that same parry-and-posture style inside a big Star Wars adventure, Jedi: Fallen Order is still one of the strongest places to start.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Release Date: November 15, 2019
Genres: Adventure
Why You Might Like It
- Fights are built around timing, parries, and proper defensive reactions
- Exploration opens up as you unlock new movement and Force skills
- Meditation spots reset enemies in a familiar soulslike way
- Force abilities add useful combat options without replacing fundamentals
Ghost of Tsushima (Lethal Mode)
Ghost of Tsushima (Lethal Mode) comes at the Sekiro comparison from a different angle, but it absolutely makes sense if what you want is deadly swordplay built around precision and reactions. You play as Jin Sakai during the Mongol invasion of Tsushima, moving through an open world full of side stories, camps, duels, and a grounded take on samurai combat.
The key here is Lethal Mode. In that setting, fights become much faster and far more punishing, which pushes the combat closer to Sekiro’s feeling of danger. Parries, perfect timing, and stance selection start to matter more because battles do not drag on long enough for sloppy play to recover itself.
It fits Sekiro especially well during duels. Those one-on-one encounters are all about reading the enemy, watching for small tells, and reacting at the right moment before the fight swings away from you. The stealth systems make it a broader game overall, but when Ghost of Tsushima focuses on swords, it gets impressively close to the kind of tension Sekiro players usually want more of.
If you want a samurai game that feels cinematic without losing the satisfaction of fast, reaction-based sword fights, Ghost of Tsushima in Lethal Mode is a very strong recommendation.
Ghost of Tsushima
Release Date: May 16, 2024
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Why You Might Like It
- Sword fights reward parries, timing, and reading the enemy properly
- Lethal Mode makes combat much sharper and less forgiving
- Duels capture the same tension as Sekiro’s close-range boss fights
- Feudal Japan setting naturally appeals to players who loved Sekiro’s world
Sifu
Sifu strips away fantasy weapons and soulslike structure, but it still feels very close to Sekiro in the way it treats mastery. This is a hand-to-hand combat game where every fight is tight, close, and unforgiving, built around blocks, dodges, counters, and the constant pressure of enemies trying to overwhelm you at short range.
The reason it fits so well is that Sifu is all about rhythm and control. You cannot simply flail through encounters and hope the game forgives you. You have to break enemy structure, use the environment, manage groups carefully, and learn when to stay aggressive versus when to create just enough space to survive the next exchange.
Its aging system also gives failure real weight. Every death pushes your character older, making you stronger but more fragile, which keeps mistakes meaningful without using the same corpse-run structure as a soulslike. That gives Sifu a different identity, but one that still feels familiar to Sekiro players who enjoy learning through repeated failure.
If what you loved most in Sekiro was the sense of gradually becoming better through pure practice instead of relying on build variety, Sifu is one of the best alternatives you can play.
Sifu
Release Date: March 28, 2023
Genres: Fighting, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Indie
Why You Might Like It
- Close-range combat is built around timing, counters, and structure breaks
- Mastery matters more than stats or build experimentation
- Failure leaves a mark through the aging system
- Excellent for players who want pure combat discipline
Lies of P
Lies of P is one of the closest modern games to Sekiro’s combat philosophy, even though it clearly sits within the broader soulslike space. It takes the Pinocchio story and twists it into a dark, mechanical nightmare set in a city full of broken puppets, monsters, and oppressive atmosphere.
What makes it stand out is its perfect guard system. Instead of encouraging you to roll away from everything, Lies of P rewards staying close, meeting attacks directly, and building enemy stagger through good timing. That instantly makes the combat feel more aggressive and more disciplined than many other soulslikes.
Boss design is a huge part of why it fits. These fights push you to memorize patterns, hold your nerve, and keep your timing clean under pressure. The weapon assembly system also gives you more flexibility than Sekiro ever did, which means you can tune your setup without losing the core emphasis on precision.
If you want a dark action RPG that understands why Sekiro’s perfect deflections felt so satisfying, Lies of P is one of the best alternatives available.
Lies of P
Release Date: September 19, 2023
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Why You Might Like It
- Perfect guards are central instead of being a minor option
- Boss fights reward timing, pressure, and pattern recognition
- Weapon customization adds build freedom without removing skill focus
- Dark, oppressive world suits players who want a heavier tone
Thymesia
Thymesia feels like one of the most direct Sekiro-inspired games on the market. It is a smaller, leaner action RPG, but that works in its favor because the combat stays at the center of the experience almost the entire time.
The biggest reason it belongs here is its aggression. Thymesia constantly pushes you forward, asking you to deflect attacks, stay close, and follow up quickly before enemies recover. Its wound system reinforces that idea by rewarding players who keep pressure high instead of backing away after every exchange.
It is similar to Sekiro because hesitation is dangerous. If your timing slips or you let the pace slow down too much, fights become harder to control. That creates a rhythm very close to Sekiro’s best encounters, where momentum matters almost as much as raw defense.
If you want a more compact game that still understands the appeal of parries, pressure, and aggressively controlled fights, Thymesia is one of the most obvious recommendations you can make.
Thymesia
Release Date: August 18, 2022
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Why You Might Like It
- Deflect timing is a huge part of the combat loop
- Aggressive play is rewarded more than passive defense
- Wound mechanics keep the pressure on during fights
- One of the most directly Sekiro-like games in feel
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is probably the closest overall match if what you want is that same satisfying feeling of turning defense into offense. Set in a fantasy-infused version of ancient China, it throws you into a world full of war, demons, and fast-moving fights where deflection is not just useful, but essential.
The entire combat system revolves around last-second responses. You are not meant to hide behind a shield or wait for a single safe punish window. You are supposed to deflect at the right moment, break enemy spirit, and turn that opening into a decisive blow. That design makes it feel immediately familiar to Sekiro players.
On top of that, Wo Long layers in martial arts skills, spells, and character-building options, so the combat becomes broader without losing its central rhythm. It is faster and more system-heavy than Sekiro, but the core idea stays very close: maintain control by reacting perfectly and refusing to let the enemy dictate the pace.
If you want the most mechanically similar alternative to Sekiro, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is still the clearest answer.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Release Date: March 03, 2023
Genres: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Why You Might Like It
- Deflecting is the core of combat, not just an extra technique
- Spirit-breaking system feels naturally close to posture combat
- Fast encounters reward confidence and quick reactions
- Ancient China setting gives the formula a fresh visual identity
Which games come closest to Sekiro?
Final thoughts
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice feels special because it teaches a style of combat that changes how you approach other action games. Once you get used to standing your ground, reading attacks, and answering at the perfect moment, slower and more passive systems can start to feel flat by comparison.
The games above each capture a different part of that same appeal. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is the closest mechanical match, Lies of P and Thymesia get closest to the same aggressive defensive rhythm, and Sifu is brilliant if what you really want is another game built around mastery through repetition.