Best games like Baldur's Gate 3 to satisfy those RPG urges

Four characters from Baldur's Gate 3 on a grassy mountain's edge looking over the edge, with the character in front with their sword raised high.
Credit: Larian Studios

Four characters from Baldur's Gate 3 on a grassy mountain's edge looking over the edge, with the character in front with their sword raised high.
Credit: Larian Studios

The best games like Baldur's Gate 3 are the ones that'll let you live out your RPG dreams when you're done with Baldur's Gate, or if you're just not that interested in playing it.

It's no secret that Baldur's Gate 3 has sort of stormed the gaming world since its full release, winning Game Of The Year thanks to its sheer volume of moving parts and options, making it one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It's only natural that people would end up looking for more games to scratch that RPG itch, and that's where our list comes.

There is a wealth of RPGs out there that can feel similar in some respect, so we've gone ahead and whittled that massive list down to just seven entries, because we only have so much time on Earth, and the combined hours required for playthroughs of each of these games would probably keep you gaming into your 90s.

Best games like Baldur's Gate 3

  1. Solasta: Crown of the Magister
  2. Divinity: Original Sin 2
  3. Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
  4. Mass Effect Legendary Edition
  5. The Outer Worlds
  6. Cyberpunk 2077
  7. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
In-game shot from Solasta: Crown of the Magister where the character is choosing their position from a grid while moving up a staricase towards a stone statue.
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Credit: Tactical Adventures

Solasta: Crown of the Magister

Platforms

Solasta: Crown of the Magister launched not long after Baldur's Gate 3 hit Early Access, and it's based on the SRD 5.1 ruleset from Wizards of the Coast, who also make the Dungeons & Dragons rules. Basically, this is also a D&D game, and one that also features a huge sprawling world, plenty of companions to meet, fights to overcome, and some excellent interactions between abilities.

The combat takes place on a more traditional tactical grid, but you'll still be at the behest of dice rolls for a lot of your actions. This is also a co-op game, which means that you can hop in with some friends and accidentally pull everything in different directions throughout the game's story. There's a fair bit of DLC for the game too, which is good news if you end up loving it.

Character creation screen in Divinity: Original Sin 2 where the character being made is a brown lizard-like creature with a red face and wearing silver armour.
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Credit: Larian Studios

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Platforms:

Divinity: Original Sin 2 was made by Larian Studios, the same developers behind Baldur's Gate 3, so it's no big surprise that the two are similar in some respects. You'll find the same witty writing, potential for romance, and intricately intertwined stories that make Baldur's Gate 3 so enjoyable. This isn't based on D&D though, instead featuring its own game systems.

The result of this is that combat is more about elemental reactions and interactions. You can cast a spell to make it rain, and then either freeze that water to make enemies slip over, or electrify it to shock them. You could also turn that water into poison to damage enemies, and then set that poison on fire to cause a massive explosion. It's a constant joy to tinker with, and it's also fully co-op as well.

Battle in Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire taking place on top of a pirate ship, featuring magic and jets of red light.
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Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Platforms:

Next up is Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, a game from Obsidian Entertainment that distills everything the company does well into one fantasy RPG set amongst pirates, stunning islands, and a lot of mystery. This single-player game has you trying to find a rogue god, which is about as simple as it sounds, but the good news is that you get your own ship to control.

The gameplay involves a fair bit of chatting with people to figure out what to do and find new quests, some incredible fights against all manner of enemies, and some cool choices when stumbling across new islands, mysterious treasures, and even legendary beats. It's a sublime game that deserves a lot more attention, so we're giving it just that.

A character from Mass Effect in a dark space suit with red trim looking at a triangular spaceship in the distance.
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Credit: BioWare

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Platforms:

Mass Effect is probably the best space-based RPG we've had. The trilogy comprises one of the most ambitious attempts at following a single story across multiple games, and it allows players to keep their choices from game to game too, making it an amazing RPG series to enjoy. However, it does involve a lot more shooting than most RPGs, although that could be a bonus if you're into the likes of Call of Duty.

This version of the game features not only all three main games, but also every DLC for them as well. The result is a lot of gameplay to enjoy, and if you're looking for something that lets you romance space aliens, and maybe get your mind dissolved while doing so, then this is the game for you. It might be the only game for you in fact.

A first-person shot from The Outer Worlds of a character holding a weapon looking out to red trees on a hill top, with a large moon in the sky.
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Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

The Outer Worlds

Platforms:

The Outer Worlds is another Obsidian Entertainment game, but this one has a slightly different playstyle. Rather than a traditional CRPG view, you play this one through in first-person. You can think of it as being a lot like playing Fallout in space, but with the main enemy being capitalism, at least that's the case if you decide to fight against it.

There are companions to meet and get to know, plenty of quests to make big decisions in, and also a melee weapon that changes the size of your enemy's heads. That last one's pretty unique, to be fair, but if you've been running around Baldur's Gate 3 turning people into chickens or anything, then this should make you feel at home.

A character from Cyberpunk 2077 in a yellow coat with green and silver trim looking out at a skyscraper.
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Credit: CD PROJEKT RED

Cyberpunk 2077

Platforms:

It's fair to say that Cyberpunk 2077 didn't have a great launch. However, that's pretty far behind us at this point, and the game is a lot of fun to play now. It involves a massive neon city to explore, loads of factions to mess around with, different builds to try out, over-the-top weapons, and plenty of NPCs to meet.

It's not a traditional RPG by any means, but it's based on a TTRPG, and the gameplay is incredibly varied, despite being a bit shooty. It's a little edgy at times, but it also has Keanu Reeves, so it's worth persevering for if you fancy something that's a little more FPS than RPG, but with similar NPC roles as Baldur's Gate 3.

A light green and brown dragon in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous moving through a dark rocky environment with blue mushrooms off to the side.
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Credit: Owlcat Games

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous

Platforms:

Finally, we have Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, which is a classic CRPG that'll have you taking your character from humble beginnings to legendary ends. There are a whopping 25 classes to choose from, 12 character races, and more than a thousand spells, abilities, and feats. It's fair to say that if you like thinking up builds, this is a very good game for you.

The story is great too, and the gameplay will always have you thinking up not only what to do next, but what to do after that as well. It's just a lot of fun, and it hits that perfect old-school RPG vibe in a way that not many games can manage.