Unearthing the Best Salt and Sanctuary Alternatives: A Guide for Dark Souls Fans
Salt and Sanctuary, with its haunting atmosphere, brutal 2D combat, and intricate RPG mechanics, has carved out a unique niche for fans of challenging action RPGs. This stylized title plunges players into a cursed realm of forgotten cities and blood-soaked dungeons, delivering a true 'Souls-like' experience in a 2D plane. However, if you've exhausted its depths or are simply looking for a new adventure that scratches a similar itch, you'll be pleased to know there are many fantastic Salt and Sanctuary alternative games that offer similar thrills and deep gameplay.
Top Salt and Sanctuary Alternatives
Whether you're seeking more punishing platforming, intricate combat, or rich world exploration, these alternatives offer diverse experiences that resonate with the core appeal of Salt and Sanctuary.
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight offers a beautiful, ruined world of insects and heroes to descend into, providing an atmospheric exploration experience similar to Salt and Sanctuary's cursed realm. This commercial 2D game is available on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Steam, offering a vast, ruined system of ancient caves and unique combat challenges that fans of Salt and Sanctuary's exploration and difficulty will appreciate.
Celeste
Celeste, a commercial platforming video game available on Mac, Windows, Linux, Nintendo Switch Online, Playstation, and Xbox, focuses on challenging and precise platforming. While less combat-heavy than Salt and Sanctuary, its difficulty, pixel art, and optional collectibles provide a similar sense of accomplishment upon overcoming obstacles, making it a compelling 2D game alternative for those who enjoy the platforming aspects.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is a roguelike, Castlevania-inspired action-platformer that truly captures the fast-paced combat and exploration of Salt and Sanctuary. Available commercially on Mac, Windows, Linux, and Steam, it features a sprawling, ever-changing, procedurally generated castle, new gear to unlock, and challenging enemies, providing endless replayability and a similar sense of progression through a harsh world.
Grimvalor
Grimvalor offers an atmospheric hack-n-slash platformer experience with fast-paced combat set in a dark fantasy world, making it an excellent mobile-focused alternative to Salt and Sanctuary. This commercial title is available on Android, iPhone, Android Tablet, and iPad, providing intense gaming action and similar thematic elements on a portable device.
Spelunky
Spelunky is a freemium cave exploration, 2D platformer game inspired by classic platform games and roguelikes, available on Windows and Steam. While its combat is less central than Salt and Sanctuary's, its procedurally generated levels and challenging exploration provide a similar sense of discovery and high stakes, appealing to players who enjoy the unpredictable nature of Salt and Sanctuary's dungeons.
Mega Man Rock Force
Megaman Rock Force is a free fan-made game designed to mimic the classic 8-bit Mega Man games, available on Windows. While distinct in genre, its focus on shooting, challenging boss fights, and precise platforming offers a different kind of demanding 2D gaming experience that some Salt and Sanctuary fans might enjoy for its retro difficulty.
MegaMan Unlimited
Megaman Unlimited is another free fan-game in the classic 8-Bit NES style, designed with a similar philosophy to Mega Man 3 and 9-10. Available on Windows, it provides a portable, challenging 8-bit gaming experience that, while not a direct Souls-like, shares the appeal of mastering difficult 2D levels through skillful play and pattern recognition.
Megaman Origins
Megaman Origins is a free, fan-made Mega Man adventure for Windows, expanding on an untold story between MM3 and MM4. It delivers a portable, 8-bit shooting experience, offering a distinct challenge that appeals to fans of classic 2D action games and those who appreciate the precise movement and combat of Salt and Sanctuary.
Megaman in Megacity
Megaman in Megacity is a free fan-game available on Windows, featuring over thirty bosses and powerups in a sprawling, Metroid-style world. Its blend of 8-bit gaming, exploration, and numerous challenges makes it an interesting alternative for Salt and Sanctuary players who enjoy extensive 2D worlds and mastering multiple enemy encounters.
Castlevania The Lecarde Chronicles
Castlevania The Lecarde Chronicles is a free personal fan-made game based on the beloved Castlevania series, available on Windows. Playing as a knight investigating a strange event, this portable gaming experience offers a classic gothic atmosphere and action-platforming that will resonate with fans of Salt and Sanctuary's dark fantasy setting and challenging combat.
From deep Metroidvanias to punishing roguelikes, the world of 2D action RPGs and platformers is rich with titles that can provide a similar thrill to Salt and Sanctuary. Explore these fantastic alternatives and find your next challenging adventure!