The Elder Scrolls® Online similar games & best alternatives

The Elder Scrolls® Online

Mac, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S • 2017

Should you play it?

Every legend starts somewhere and in The Elder Scrolls Online, it starts with you. Join millions of players in an online, fantasy RPG set in a vast living Elder Scrolls world.

What works
  • Vast and beautiful open world
  • Rich and engaging story and quests
  • Flexible character customization and builds
  • Active and friendly community
  • Frequent updates and large content volume
Things to keep in mind
  • Grind and slow progression in some areas
  • Monetization and expensive dlcs
  • Lack of official localization in many languages
  • Some bugs and technical issues
  • Complexity and high learning curve for new players

What to play next

Similar games, hidden gems, and fresh directions from this game.

Top picks

Games that feel the closest overall

  • Neverwinter

  • Dungeons & Dragons Online®

  • The Lord of the Rings Online™

  • EverQuest II

  • Guild Wars® Reforged

  • FINAL FANTASY XIV Online

  • RIFT

  • Ragnarok Online

  • Assassin's Creed® Revelations

Hidden Gems

Less popular games with surprisingly high similarity

  • Lenna's Inception

  • Kaetram

  • Doom & Destiny Advanced

If you liked…

Recommendations by what you enjoyed most

Similarity map

Explore nearby similar games and see why they’re close.

How to use the graph
Similarity map

Each dot is a game. They are arranged from the same motivation profile as in the “Why this game works” section below. Closer dots usually mean more similar reasons to play (exploration, competition, relaxation, etc.)—not that one game is “better” than another.

  • Purple star: this page’s game — everything on the map is relative to it.
  • Coloured chips: click to highlight games that mainly differ on that motivation; click again to reset.
  • Dotted line: link between this page’s game and the one selected for comparison.
  • Hover a dot for a screenshot preview, score, and top score gaps; click to compare in the panel on the right.
  • Scroll or double-click the chart to zoom out and see more games.

Why don’t the axes read like a score? This view uses t-SNE: it only keeps who is close to whom. The scales are not “good to bad” or hours played—they separate groups on the map. Read distance between dots, not the axis numbers (hidden on purpose).

The Elder Scrolls® Online: Less representative of its motivational profile, with noticeable differences. Motivations that often define this kind of title include Cooperation, Fellowship, Intimacy, Leadership. Here, the score leans higher than usual among comparable games on Status, Competition, Story.

Why this game works

A motivational profile of the game, with the closest similar game for each player motivation.

  • Autonomy

    Game with the same Autonomy vibe

    4

    "Players have freedom to explore different areas, choose quests, and solve puzzles in multiple ways with unique mechanics per zone."

    Capsule for Slider Slider

    "Players have freedom to explore any zone, choose any class and build, and make own decisions in quests and gameplay."

  • Competence

    Game with the same Competence vibe

    3

    "The game offers skill-based combat, crafting, and progression systems with meaningful feedback and challenges."

    Capsule for The Lord of the Rings Online™ The Lord of the Rings Online™

    "Game offers skill-based combat, crafting complexity, and progression systems that reward mastery and experimentation."

  • Competition

    Game with the same Competition vibe

    2

    "Includes PvP and faction wars on some servers, but many players focus on solo or cooperative play without heavy competition."

    Capsule for Avorion Avorion

    "PvP exists with large-scale faction battles and arenas, but many players focus on PvE and solo play without heavy competition."

  • Continuation

    Game with the same Continuation vibe

    5

    "Extensive content and long playtime encourage habitual and prolonged engagement."

    Capsule for Assassin's Creed® Odyssey Assassin's Creed® Odyssey

    "Extensive content, frequent updates, and large world encourage long-term habitual play and attachment."

  • Cooperation

    Game with the same Cooperation vibe

    4

    "Strong social and guild systems; cooperative dungeons and events encourage teamwork and community interaction."

    Capsule for Mabinogi Mabinogi

    "Group dungeons, trials, guilds, and PvP faction battles promote teamwork and social interaction."

  • Creativity

    Game with the same Creativity vibe

    3

    "Players can customize characters, experiment with builds, and craft items; some housing and cooking systems."

    Capsule for Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

    "Players can customize characters, builds, housing decoration, and crafting styles extensively."

  • Domination

    Game with the same Domination vibe

    -2

    "Community described as friendly and supportive; some reports of experienced players dominating but generally cooperative environment."

    Capsule for Supraball Supraball

    "Community generally friendly and cooperative; some elitism in dungeons but balanced by guild support and social play."

  • Escapism

    Game with the same Escapism vibe

    5

    "Immersive fantasy world with rich lore and exploration offers strong escape from real life."

    Capsule for Bastard Bonds Bastard Bonds

    "Immersive world, rich lore, and engaging quests provide strong escape from real life."

  • Expectation

    Game with the same Expectation vibe

    -3

    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and personal interest rather than obligation; some frustration with grind but mostly intrinsic motivation."

    Capsule for Tom Clancy’s The Division™ Tom Clancy’s The Division™

    "Players engage voluntarily for enjoyment and exploration rather than obligation; some frustration with grind and monetization."

  • Experimenting

    Game with the same Experimenting vibe

    4

    "Players try different weapons, skills, and crafting combinations; exploration of mechanics encouraged."

    Capsule for Gatewalkers (Alpha) Gatewalkers (Alpha)

    "Players encouraged to try different builds, weapons, and crafting combinations; exploration of vast world."

  • Exploration

    Game with the same Exploration vibe

    5

    "Large open world with procedurally generated dungeons and many locations to discover."

    Capsule for The Elder Scrolls: Arena The Elder Scrolls: Arena

    "Huge open world with many unique zones, caves, dungeons, and secrets to discover."

  • Expression

    Game with the same Expression vibe

    4

    "Character customization, housing decoration, and cosmetic items allow for personal expression."

    Capsule for WAKFU WAKFU

    "Character customization, housing decoration, and cosmetic items allow self-expression."

  • Fantasy

    Game with the same Fantasy vibe

    5

    "Set in a rich Dungeons & Dragons fantasy universe with magic, mythical creatures, and epic storytelling."

    Capsule for Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition

    "Set in a rich fantasy universe with magic, mythical creatures, and epic storylines."

  • Fellowship

    Game with the same Fellowship vibe

    4

    "Strong community focus with guilds, social interaction, and collaborative events fostering a sense of belonging."

    Capsule for Kathana Kathana

    "Guilds, social events, and cooperative content foster community and belonging."

  • Growth

    Game with the same Growth vibe

    4

    "Skill development, crafting mastery, and character progression provide learning and growth."

    Capsule for Mist Legacy Mist Legacy

    "Skill acquisition, character progression, and crafting development provide learning and improvement."

  • Health

    Game with the same Health vibe

    -4

    "Typical sedentary MMO gameplay with long sessions; no physical activity or health-related features."

    Capsule for Dungeons & Dragons Online® Dungeons & Dragons Online®

    "Typical sedentary MMO gameplay encourages long sitting sessions with minimal physical activity."

  • Idle

    Game with the same Idle vibe

    -3

    "Requires focused attention during quests and combat; not suited for passive or background play."

    Capsule for GOCCO OF WAR GOCCO OF WAR

    "Requires focused attention for combat and questing; not designed for passive or background play."

  • Intimacy

    Game with the same Intimacy vibe

    2

    "Some social interaction and friendships form, but mostly casual and surface-level connections."

    Capsule for The Ultimatest Battle The Ultimatest Battle

    "Some social interaction and friendships form in guilds and groups, but mostly surface-level connections."

  • Leadership

    Game with the same Leadership vibe

    2

    "Guild officers and party leaders guide groups, but many players participate collaboratively without strong hierarchy."

    Capsule for Dragon Nest Dragon Nest

    "Guild leaders and dungeon leaders guide groups, but many players participate collaboratively without strong leadership."

  • Progression

    Game with the same Progression vibe

    5

    "Strong emphasis on leveling up, acquiring items, upgrading gear, and unlocking abilities."

    Capsule for Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

    "Strong emphasis on leveling, gear acquisition, crafting upgrades, and unlocking content."

  • Relaxation

    Game with the same Relaxation vibe

    3

    "Some players find the grind and crafting relaxing and comforting, though combat can be challenging."

    Capsule for Ashen Empires Ashen Empires

    "Exploration and crafting provide relaxing flow, though combat and grind can create tension."

  • Sensation

    Game with the same Sensation vibe

    3

    "Visuals, sound, and combat effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

    Capsule for SOULCALIBUR VI SOULCALIBUR VI

    "Visuals, sound, and combat effects provide sensory stimulation and excitement."

  • Status

    Game with the same Status vibe

    2

    "Recognition through guild rank, PvP, and event achievements exists but is not dominant."

    Capsule for Bit Heroes Quest Bit Heroes Quest

    "Guild ranks, titles, and PvP achievements offer social recognition but not dominant focus."

  • Story

    Game with the same Story vibe

    5

    "Rich narrative with voice acting, lore, quests, and character development integrated into gameplay."

    Capsule for Tainted Grail: Conquest Tainted Grail: Conquest

    "Rich narrative with voiced quests, character interactions, and evolving plotlines."

  • Strategy

    Game with the same Strategy vibe

    3

    "Combat and build customization require planning and tactical thinking."

    Capsule for CODE VEIN CODE VEIN

    "Combat and build customization require planning and tactical thinking."

  • Thrill

    Game with the same Thrill vibe

    2

    "PvP and boss fights offer moments of suspense and excitement, but much gameplay is low risk."

    Capsule for Old School RuneScape Old School RuneScape

    "PvP and boss fights provide moments of suspense, but much gameplay is steady and predictable."

  • Value

    Game with the same Value vibe

    2

    "Generally perceived as good value especially on sale; some complaints about content amount at full price."

    Capsule for Pacer Pacer

    "Large amount of content for price; some frustration with monetization and grind but generally good value."

  • Violence

    Game with the same Violence vibe

    3

    "Combat and defeating monsters are core gameplay elements with fantasy violence."

    Capsule for Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen

    "Combat against monsters and players is core gameplay, with fantasy violence and destruction."

  • Survival

    Game with the same Survival vibe

    1

    "Some challenge in combat and resource management, but low risk overall."

    Capsule for Winds of Valen Winds of Valen

    "Some resource management and combat challenge, but overall low risk due to scaling and healing options."

Last update: 01/06/2026