Elden Ring Games: 🌟 The Complete Franchise in Order 🌟

Elden Ring Games represent the latest and most expansive chapter in a franchise that FromSoftware has been building across over a decade of interconnected design philosophy. From the dark corridors of Boletaria to the sprawling open world of the Lands Between, each entry in the series built on and refined what came before, creating a lineage of games that defined an entire genre now called the Soulslike.

Elden ring games specifically refers to the Elden Ring franchise, which currently includes the base game released in 2022, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion from 2024, and the standalone multiplayer spinoff Elden Ring Nightreign from 2025. However, understanding Elden Ring in full means understanding the entire FromSoftware Soulslike family that preceded it and the design language each game contributed to what Elden Ring ultimately became.

This guide covers every game in the franchise in release order, explains what each one contributes to the broader lineage, compares their difficulty levels, and gives you the clearest possible answer to where a new player should start. Whether you are new to FromSoftware games entirely or a veteran deciding which entry to replay next, this is your reference point.

All Elden Ring and FromSoftware Soulslike Games in Order

The Complete Franchise Timeline

Elden Ring: The Franchise Flagship

Base Game (2022)

Elden Ring is the collaboration between FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki and fantasy author George R.R. Martin, who contributed the worldbuilding and lore framework. Released on February 25, 2022, it became one of the best-reviewed games in history and sold over 20 million copies.

The core innovation of Elden Ring was applying the precision challenge and deep lore of the Soulslike formula to a fully open world. Players explore the Lands Between freely from the beginning, discovering six major legacy dungeons, dozens of smaller caves and catacombs, and a world that rewards curiosity with meaningful rewards rather than empty exploration filler.

Key features that defined the base game:

• Open world with six major regions, each corresponding to a main boss
• Spirit Ash summoning system for AI companion support in boss fights
• 10 starting classes covering melee, magic, and hybrid build archetypes
• Hundreds of weapons, spells, incantations, and armor sets
• Full online co-op and PvP invasion systems
• Game of the Year winner at multiple major awards ceremonies

Shadow of the Erdtree DLC (June 2024)

Shadow of the Erdtree is the sole expansion for Elden Ring and the largest DLC FromSoftware has ever produced. It introduced the Land of Shadow, an entirely new region predating the events of the base game, with a scope comparable to a full standalone game.

The DLC added 70+ new weapons including 8 new weapon types, 11 major bosses with some of the hardest designs in FromSoftware history, 30+ armor sets, 110 new spells and incantations, and the Scadutree Fragment progression system exclusive to the DLC area.

Shadow of the Erdtree requires defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood in the base game to access.

Elden Ring Nightreign (May 2025)

Nightreign is a standalone game — not a DLC — that takes the Elden Ring framework and reimagines it as a cooperative multiplayer experience for up to three players. It features a procedurally generated map that changes each session, a roguelite progression loop, and a roster of distinct playable characters called Nightfarers rather than a fully customizable class system.

Nightreign is not a continuation of Elden Ring’s story but a separate experience set in a parallel version of Limveld. The Forsaken Hollows DLC for Nightreign, released in December 2025, added additional content to the standalone game.

The Full Soulslike Lineage: Games That Led to Elden Ring

Demon’s Souls (2009 / 2020 Remake)

The origin point. Demon’s Souls established nearly every mechanic the franchise would iterate on: death as a mechanic, bonfire-style checkpoints (here called Archstones), a stamina-based combat system, limited healing items, and the interconnected hub world structure. The PlayStation 5 remake in 2020 brought it to a modern audience with overhauled visuals while preserving the original design.

Dark Souls (2011)

Dark Souls refined every Demon’s Souls mechanic and introduced the genre-defining interconnected world design, where every area looped back to a central hub in surprising ways. Its world structure — from Undead Burg through Anor Londo and Izalith — remains one of the most praised level design achievements in game history.

Dark Souls II (2014)

The most controversial entry in the series, made by a different internal team. It has the largest number of distinct areas of any game in the series and the most build variety, but its world connectivity does not match the original Dark Souls. The Scholar of the First Sin definitive edition is the recommended version.

Bloodborne (2015)

A PlayStation exclusive that abandoned shields entirely in favor of an aggressive, dodge-heavy combat system. Bloodborne’s Gothic Lovecraftian setting and faster pace remain distinct from every other entry. Many fans consider it the narrative and atmospheric peak of the Soulslike genre.

Dark Souls III (2016)

The mechanically tightest and most polished Dark Souls game, with the most spectacular boss encounters of the trilogy. Its Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City DLCs contain some of the best content in the entire series.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)

A deliberate pivot away from character builds entirely. Sekiro has no class system, no attribute leveling beyond core stats, and no equipment variety. Every player uses the same shinobi and the same sword. Its combat is built entirely around Posture, a stagger system that rewards aggressive play and precision parries. It is the most mechanically demanding game in the franchise for players accustomed to build-based approaches.

Where to Start the Elden Ring Games Franchise

Best Entry for New Players

Elden Ring is the recommended starting point for players new to the franchise. Its open world structure gives beginners the freedom to explore, backtrack, and find more manageable challenges when a particular boss proves too difficult — a relief valve that the linear older games do not offer. It also represents the most current expression of every design idea the franchise has developed.

Dark Souls III is the second-best starting recommendation for players who prefer the more focused linear structure and want a historically important entry without starting at the original from 2009.

Difficulty Comparison Across Games

• Easiest: Elden Ring (open world exploration allows flexible difficulty management)
• Medium: Dark Souls I, Dark Souls III
• Harder: Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls II
• Hardest: Bloodborne (aggressive pace), Sekiro (posture system demands precision)
• DLC Hardest: Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree’s final boss (widely considered the hardest boss in the franchise’s history)

Pro Tips: Elden Ring Games Franchise

• Start with Elden Ring if you have never played a Soulslike: Its forgiving open world structure and Spirit Ash summoning system make it the most accessible entry point for players unfamiliar with the format’s demanding combat system.
• Play Dark Souls I after Elden Ring to appreciate the lineage: Dark Souls’ interconnected world is a landmark achievement that feels fresh even after Elden Ring because its design philosophy is completely different from open world exploration.
• Do not skip Sekiro if you complete the main series: Its Posture system is the most mechanically unique in the franchise and produces some of the most satisfying moments of any FromSoftware game when a difficult boss pattern finally clicks.
• Shadow of the Erdtree is mandatory if you loved Elden Ring: It is the single largest DLC FromSoftware has produced and contains content that matches and sometimes surpasses the base game’s best moments.
• Bloodborne is worth playing even though it requires a PlayStation: If you have PS4 or PS5 access, Bloodborne’s atmosphere and aggressive combat system are unlike anything else in the franchise.

Common Mistakes Elden Ring Games Players Make

1. Starting with Demon’s Souls or Dark Souls I as a complete newcomer. These games’ linear structures provide no off-ramp when difficulty spikes, which causes new players to quit before experiencing the mechanics that make the series rewarding. Fix: Begin with Elden Ring specifically for its open world flexibility that allows difficulty management through exploration.
2. Treating Nightreign as a direct sequel to Elden Ring’s story. Nightreign is a multiplayer gameplay experiment, not a narrative continuation. Expecting story resolution from it leads to disappointment. Fix: Approach Nightreign as a distinct product — it borrows Elden Ring’s aesthetic and some of its lore, but its roguelite loop and co-op focus make it a fundamentally different experience.
3. Skipping the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC because the final boss is difficult. Promised Consort Radahn is genuinely challenging, but the 60+ hours of content in the DLC before the final boss — including the Rellana fight, Messmer, and the entire Land of Shadow exploration — is worth the journey regardless of how long the final boss takes. Fix: Approach the DLC as its own full experience and accept that the final boss may require many attempts. The Scadutree Fragment upgrades make it significantly more manageable when fully collected.

Play Every Elden Ring Game Online With ExitLag

Elden ring games across the entire franchise include robust online co-op and PvP systems that connect players for boss help, invasions, and cooperative exploration. The quality of these online interactions depends entirely on connection stability — and that is where ExitLag makes the difference.

ExitLag is a game connection optimizer that routes your traffic through the fastest, most stable network path to FromSoftware’s servers in real time. It is not a VPN and does not affect game files or save data.

For all elden ring games online play including Nightreign multiplayer sessions, Shadow of the Erdtree co-op, and base game PvP, ExitLag provides:

• Reduced ping and packet loss across all FromSoftware multiplayer titles
• Multipath Technology maintaining connection stability throughout long boss sessions
• Multi-Internet support for instant fallback if your primary connection drops mid-fight

Download ExitLag for PC and play every elden ring games entry online without lag

All game images used in this blog post belong to FromSoftware and Bandai Namco. They are used for informational and educational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation with the rights holders.

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