Yeah, I saw the “like” genres when it started on reddit.
I was being purposely obtuse for the sake of comedy.
Tis a silly thang, to create a genre based on a game that was based on a game that belonged to a genre before said game became synonymous for/with that genre.
I’m not sure if these existed, but maybe there’s also a predecessor to Metroid and Castlevania yet the genre is called Metroidvania since these two are the ones that have majorly influenced and created the genre to begin with. Prior to those, you’d likely have called them sidescroller adventure games or something. Names and definitions of things can change.
Okay and how do you group games together that take the main ideas and design philosophies of Castlevania and Metroid? Sure, you don’t have to, but that’s how humans work. “The game is like Metroid/Castlevania” is a roundabout way of just saying “Metroidvania”.
Pretty sure before Dark Souls, games similar to a soulslike were “Action Adventure” games, which is way more generic. Honestly, the only thing I think Dark Souls really did different is making the mechanics of the game diagetic to the lore so it really didn’t need a new genre for them. However, many many soulslikes don’t just copy the gameplay style; they copy the themes and visual styles and things like that, too, so it does make it a bit more distinct than, say, Indiana Jones which is also Action Adventure.
Literally every genre name is dumb and non-descriptive. Is Muse Dash or Risk of Rain 1 in the same genre of “side scroller” as Metroid? Is Smash Bros or Street Fighter also there?
Soulslike has become to mean a specific subset of games, not all necessarily played exactly like Dark Souls, by consensus. Language is descriptive, not prescriptive.
👏🏻👏🏻 👏🏻 that’s the most important takeaway from this. It’s hard sometimes to deal with language being used in an unusual way or in a way you’re not used to it, but language is not a monolith: it’s ever-changing and adapting and it never stands still
That’s why you combine genres, dum dum.
Like how dark comedies can be in both horror and comedy genres.
Soulslikes need a few bloodstain, bonfire, estus or just dodge mechanics - which already sets a gameplay loop Souls fans would like - and then you slap a roguelike element, or sidescroller, or whatever you want.
Mina the Hollower could be called a topdown Soulslike Zeldalike, for instance. Sounds silly since Dark Souls was inspired by Zelda, but I know what I’m getting into.
![[ER] Target acquired](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/a9f824b8-c46a-46ab-a84e-355b9c4e8b39.jpeg){kind=link}
Games like Dark Souls.
If you search that tag on steam in 2026 though, you’ll see it applied to literally anything.
Yeah, I saw the “like” genres when it started on reddit.
I was being purposely obtuse for the sake of comedy.
Tis a silly thang, to create a genre based on a game that was based on a game that belonged to a genre before said game became synonymous for/with that genre.
I’m not sure if these existed, but maybe there’s also a predecessor to Metroid and Castlevania yet the genre is called Metroidvania since these two are the ones that have majorly influenced and created the genre to begin with. Prior to those, you’d likely have called them sidescroller adventure games or something. Names and definitions of things can change.
If you need labels, Metroid and Castlevania are “side-scrollers”.
Or, just call them Metroid and Castlevania. Because that’s what they were.
Okay and how do you group games together that take the main ideas and design philosophies of Castlevania and Metroid? Sure, you don’t have to, but that’s how humans work. “The game is like Metroid/Castlevania” is a roundabout way of just saying “Metroidvania”.
I understand, but I don’t have to like it. This is my opinion & it’s not a terrible one. Just come up with a better name, that’s all I’m tryina say ;)
Sure. Give me an example tho
Pretty sure before Dark Souls, games similar to a soulslike were “Action Adventure” games, which is way more generic. Honestly, the only thing I think Dark Souls really did different is making the mechanics of the game diagetic to the lore so it really didn’t need a new genre for them. However, many many soulslikes don’t just copy the gameplay style; they copy the themes and visual styles and things like that, too, so it does make it a bit more distinct than, say, Indiana Jones which is also Action Adventure.
So is Legacy of Kain soulslike?
Haven’t really played them, but I can give you a few freebies based on what I’ve seen:
Grand Grindesque
Boss-a-thon
Slash & Dash
Your ideas sound like you barely play video games. Are
-JRPGs,
-Shadow of the Colossus or
-Devil May Cry
metroidvanias (or souls likes if that’s what you meant) to you?
Literally every genre name is dumb and non-descriptive. Is Muse Dash or Risk of Rain 1 in the same genre of “side scroller” as Metroid? Is Smash Bros or Street Fighter also there?
Soulslike has become to mean a specific subset of games, not all necessarily played exactly like Dark Souls, by consensus. Language is descriptive, not prescriptive.
👏🏻👏🏻 👏🏻 that’s the most important takeaway from this. It’s hard sometimes to deal with language being used in an unusual way or in a way you’re not used to it, but language is not a monolith: it’s ever-changing and adapting and it never stands still
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦!!!
That’s why you combine genres, dum dum. Like how dark comedies can be in both horror and comedy genres.
Soulslikes need a few bloodstain, bonfire, estus or just dodge mechanics - which already sets a gameplay loop Souls fans would like - and then you slap a roguelike element, or sidescroller, or whatever you want.
Mina the Hollower could be called a topdown Soulslike Zeldalike, for instance. Sounds silly since Dark Souls was inspired by Zelda, but I know what I’m getting into.
Inconsequential, some might even be as bold to say
But debating over such things isn’t
It’s the conversation which is the means to the end.
Community, or humanity
We are but the echoes of our questions and actions
Imagine if people called every RPG “Chronolike”…