So, you’ve played ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’ and you loved it. This game was an inspiration for many of the games being released today. The story about the elf boy on a quest to rescue a princess and save a magical kingdom never got boring. If you’re here, you’re looking for similar action-adventure games, maybe with the touch of fantasy. You want to go on more quests where you fight some enemies along the way. Sadly, we can only have one Zelda series. So, if you haven’t played them all, you can try your hands on other installments after reading this article. Although Zelda is unique, we have collected 20 games like Zelda here, just in case you’re dreaming of going on your next exciting adventure. Let’s get into it.
1. Undertale
Undertale is not so similar to Zelda. It takes different routes in several aspects, going against many Zelda conventions. But, you’ll love the dungeons here. Also, it has so many colorful characters and puts a unique twist on its game. In this game, you control a child stuck underground and finding it hard to make it to the surface due to the presence of magical barriers. To get back to the surface, you have to fight some monsters you will meet along the way. When you subdue these monsters, you can either choose to pacify them or kill them.
2. Spiral Knights
Zelda fans that love Four Swords Adventures will enjoy every part of Spiral Knights. This is a free cooperative multiplayer adventure game. Its fast-paced action doesn’t give you any time to rest when playing. Your character is stranded on an Alien World. Your goal is to reach the core of this world by exploring and navigating it. You’ll have a lot of action too. So, arm yourself and join other spiral knights. There are treasures to discover, lots of puzzles to solve, and hordes of monsters to fight. You also get hundreds of weapons to choose from. I’m sure you’re excited to play already.
3. Minit
Minit takes a different approach to world exploration. While you have enough time and a large open-world to explore in the Zelda games, Minit gives you only 60 seconds (one minute) to explore a world. That implies that in one minute your life comes to an end. Within that minute, you have to live through various adventures, else an evil curse remains on you. You might be wondering how this is even possible. Right now, it might be difficult for you to make a connection between Minit and Zelda, but they are not so different. Minit also has the basic combat moves, and interesting puzzles to solve. Also, you’re exploring!
4. Okami HD
Okami has unique visuals, so it doesn’t look like Zelda at first glance. Instead, it resembles hand-painted art. Also, you get the combat system and a lot of exploration. You’re the protagonist, a goddess in the form of a white wolf on an adventure around the world. You fight dark spirits, explore dungeons, and even try to restore the vitality of a cursed land. Now, the part that feels like Zelda is where you gain new abilities along the journey by you coming across magical figures.
5. Darksiders
Would you love to be one of the four horsemen in the Apocalypse? In Darksiders, you play as ‘War’. Your goal here is to find out why humanity was wiped out when it wasn’t time for an Armageddon. You’re to explore the remains of Earth, going through dungeons. In these dungeons, you’ll find power-ups for your character. Some people refer to Darksiders as a version of Zelda. The graphics feel like they were brought out of a comic book. There’s a Warmastered Edition for Zelda fans who will love to play Darksiders on a more-recent console.
6. Ittle Dew
Ittle Dew is the funnier version of Zelda. So, if you want to play a good game and have a good time laughing at these characters, then you should get Ittle Dew. You’re playing the role of a heroine exploring different dungeons and also fighting monsters underground (but the monsters are cute). There are also lots of puzzles for you to solve here. Some of them involve pushing blocks (which many of us detest), but there’s a whole world for you to explore and cute creatures to kill. So, we love it. As you explore, you get new items that grant you access to areas you couldn’t explore previously.
7. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a much darker version of Zelda, but you’ll notice the similarities between these two games. This game focuses on a character, Isaac, a boy who has to escape his mother. She wants to kill him because she believes that is God’s wish. If you’ve ever taken a peek at the Bible, this is a story you should know. The developers twisted the story. There’s no extremely hard puzzle here for you to solve. Instead, you’ll gain extraordinary abilities that allow you to change your form and fight different creatures. Isaac has a lot of discovery to do on this adventure.
8. Hob
Hob is different from most of the other games on this list. While others will give you details of what to do next, or how to explore the world, Hob will not do this. If you were looking for something so usual, then it isn’t Hob. Here, when you start playing, there’s a high possibility that you get lost in the wilderness. You probably won’t even know what’s happening for a while. You’ll just keep walking and checking everything out. But, you’ll spot something that will keep you playing. No Spoilers!
9. Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is a mix of science fiction and fantasy. The strange neon-tinted graphics alone gives a different vibe. To be truthful, this game may frustrate you. But, that doesn’t mean it isn’t nice. It doesn’t focus so much on puzzles. There’s a whole new and interesting world to explore, and you’ll be dying inside to just get to the end of this adventure. It is that good. There are lots of secrets to uncover and too many things to find. You’ll also be fighting against some strange enemies. The combat is fast-paced, so you must be prepared always. You don’t want an exciting adventure to be cut short.
10. Beyond Good and Evil HD
This game didn’t go far or reach as many people as it planned to, but that doesn’t mean it was a bad game. Picture what a mixture of Zelda and Star Wars will feel like. That’s what this game provides. In Beyond Good and Evil, you play the role of Jade, a girl who is trying to take down an evil empire. She’s not alone. To fight alongside her are is an anthropomorphic pig and a band of rebels. This game is full of action and adventure. You’re lucky if you’re a fan of both Star Wars and Zelda.
11. Anodyne
Anodyne is weird. That’s the fact. The reality here is strange; you’re playing inside the main character’s head and not in the actual game world. Everything is in a dreamscape abstract form. The unique graphics makes it cool. Sometimes, the dreamscape world is very beautiful and you won’t want to stop exploring, and other times it is lonely, evil, and sad. But, you have to keep exploring and getting mysterious keys while fighting enemies in your character’s mind.
12. Psychonauts
Psychonauts doesn’t feel like Zelda. It may never do. In this game, you have to keep jumping from one dangerous ledge to another (too many times). It’s also an adventure game, so you’re going to be exploring worlds and solving various puzzles while jumping from place to place. As you go on different adventures into the minds of various characters in the game, you gain new abilities required to access new routes. Many people who have played this game loved it. It’s not every time you get to play the character of a young boy with psychic abilities who can go through people’s minds. It’s a unique experience.
13. Adventures of Mana
Adventures of Mana feels like a mixture of Final Fantasy and Zelda, two very interesting games many of us love. In this action-adventure game, you play the role of a hero who goes on a quest to stop the Dark Lord of Glaive from destroying the Tree of Mana. In this game, you’ll be fighting lots of monsters while trying to reach your destination. Also, there are dungeons to explore here, just like Zelda. You are accompanied by a heroine and several non-player characters whose special abilities you can use to defeat enemies.
14. Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas
Oceanhorn is a very interesting action-adventure game with very interesting and engaging storytelling, nice gameplay, and great visuals. You’re going to be exploring an island to uncover its deepest secrets. Just like Zelda, there are lots of puzzles for you to solve here and ancient treasures to discover. You’re not going to escape fighting monsters who are also on the island. All the skills you’ll discover and magic you’ll learn in this game will help you achieve your ultimate goal of finding all the secrets about the kingdom of Arcadia and Oceanhorn, the sea monster.
15. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is more of an action game than an adventure game. But, you’ll still get to explore the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Legendarium. This story falls between the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, two of our favorite stories. It’s an open-world with a lot of objectives for you to complete. As you keep playing, you gain points and skills. The Nemesis System is the most unique feature of this game. If you fail to kill an enemy upon encounter, they can remember your name and the way you fight. So, the next time you encounter, the enemy will use different tactics and change conversation due to the previous encounter.
16. God of War
God of War is an action-adventure game many of us have played in past years. Because it was available across various platforms, we all had the chance to play at least one of its installments. Zelda fans will enjoy this game because it has an interesting world to explore and strong enemies to fight. The story focuses on Kratos, a man who killed his family because he was tricked by Ares, the Greek God of War. So, Kratos is on a path of vengeance against the gods.
17. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher is a very popular game that brought about the television series we all binge-watched and enjoyed. It is an action game about a monster slayer who is on a quest to find his adopted daughter who is on the run from a dark force that wants to use her magic. In this game, you will use weapons and magic to fight off various enemies even as you search for this young girl.
18. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition is an action game in the Dragon Age franchise. You are playing the role of The Inquisitor, a man who is regarded as the ‘chosen one’. Dangerous demons are coming to earth from a tear in the sky. You must stop Corypheus, the one who opened the breach. There are lots of side quests, interactions with non-player characters, and battles you have to win.
19. Dark Souls II
Dark Roles II is an action role-playing game set in the fictional kingdom of Drangleic. The story focuses on a man who has been cursed never to die. To break the curse, he has to obtain four Great Souls from the powerful Old Ones. This game is a bit difficult because your enemies can kill your character in just a few hits. So, you need to be skilled enough to fight them and dodge their attacks. You can play in both single-player and multiplayer mode. You can also check out some games like Dark Souls.
20. Persona 5
Persona 5 is the sixth installment in the Persona series. This role-playing game is set in Tokyo and focuses on Joker, a student who becomes a vigilante with some other students after the discovered that they had powers. You have to explore humanity’s subconscious and remove all their evil desires. You will find enemies in this subconscious world known as Metaverse. You have to fight them and win.