Highlights

• Path of Exile fans can explore other ARPG alternatives like Baldur's Gate 3 and Diablo 4 for engaging gameplay and rich storytelling.
• Games like Nox and Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem offer unique experiences with high-level loot and addictive hack-and-slash combat.
• Other titles such as Chronicon and The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut provide nostalgic dungeon-crawling action and challenging RPG adventures.

Dungeon-crawlers, otherwise known as hack-and-slash ARPGs, is a genre that sees few new releases today. Some ARPG fans have stuck with Blizzard's Diablo 2 this entire time, while some have migrated to Path of Exile, a free-to-play spiritual successor to the acclaimed title. While this game has a lot of content and frequent updates, burnout and boredom can still happen when completing the Atlas or delving for the umpteenth time.

Fortunately, there is a solid selection of ARPG alternatives that Path of Exile fans should try out while they wait for a new league or want a change of pace. Most of these games feature rich gameplay loops, a wealth of loot, engaging combat, or a combination of all three. Regardless of the reasons that fans may like Path of Exile, there are numerous games of the highest quality that will be right up their alley.

Updated on April 7, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Path of Exile continues to be one of the most engaging ARPGs players can check out for themselves. The skill tree is as daunting as ever, with players enjoying the act of pursuing a different build with each playthrough. The combat of Path of Exile is pretty deep, but there's bound to be a point where players would want to check out something else in the same vein if they're saturated by this title's gameplay loop. Thankfully, there are many other games that scratch the same itch in more ways than one.

32 Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire

A Sequel That Improves The Game To Make The Top-Down Combat More Engaging Than Before

There are a lot of people with the opinion that Pillars of Eternity 2 is not as well-written as its predecessor. While there are some valid arguments that support this point, there's no denying that one area of this game is a huge improvement over the original Pillars of Eternity — combat.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire feels like a polished game where combat clicks in more ways than one. Assigning the combat AI for party members while micromanaging their stats and using their abilities in a way that suits the situation is something that Path of Exile fans will be quite familiar with.

31 UnderRail

A Hardcore CRPG Where Players Must Game The System To Come Out On Top

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: December 18, 2015
• Developer: Stygian Software
• Genre: RPG

CRPG purists who want to check out a game that harkens back to the hardcore days of the genre will find UnderRail to be right up their alley. To be more specific, fans of the Fallout series will love how this title harkens back to the good ol' days when players could die at a moment's notice if they took a single wrong turn.

Analyzing combat situations and figuring out the best way to exploit enemy AI by using a suit of abilities at one's disposal is the way to go. Death can arrive at a moment's notice in UnderRail, making it important to game the combat system and not get caught off-guard by a strong enemy that can end the player's run in no time.

30 Lionheart: Legacy Of The Crusader

A Fun Real-Time With Pause Combat System With One Of The Strongest Starts To Any Video Game

• Platform(s): PC
• Release Date: August 13, 2003
• Developer: Reflexive Entertainment
• Genre: Action RPG

It's a shame that a lot of people haven't played Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader. Budgetary constraints meant that the latter half of the game was a linear mess with an abundance of poor combat scenarios, but that should take nothing away from the magical moment when players step into the city of Barcelona for the first time.

Only controlling one character in top-down point-and-click combat is something a lot of people like, if Path of Exile and other such games are anything to go by. Bonding with other Spiritkind changes the kind of magic players have access to in the game, further adding to the game's replayability if players can't get enough of exploring Barcelona time and time again.

29 Tyranny

A Brilliant Exploration Of Evil In The CRPG Genre

Tyranny is an excellent CRPG with a rather unique look at how evil is portrayed in a video game. Trying to accomplish something good takes quite a bit of effort, and even that comes with some caveats of its own. This, coupled with the innovative magic system, lets players enjoy a fun time as they mow through enemies and engage in an epic narrative that truly lets them go down the path of their choice.

The only drawback of this CRPG is that it's pretty short, which is saying something for a game that's already 40 hours in length if players try to accomplish most of the sidequests that they find. With many people calling Tyranny one of the most dense Obsidian Entertainment RPGs around, it's easy to see why players may be intrigued at the prospect of checking out this ambitious game.

28 Baldur's Gate 3

Top-Down Strategic Combat Where Build Variety Is Critical For Victory

The release of Baldur's Gate 3 has been nothing short of a major phenomenon, showing players just how brilliant an RPG can be when developers add a ton of love and effort into making the best game possible. The fact that this game has sold millions of copies despite being a CRPG shows just how much stock players put into a deep role-playing experience that has a ton of effort put behind it.

Larian Studios is heading for bigger and better things after this title ended up selling bucketloads, with the Early Access period allowing them to incorporate a bunch of fan feedback and make a near-perfect RPG that players can invest a thousand hours into. The sheer amount of player freedom coupled with a mind-blowing narrative makes it easy to see why Baldur's Gate 3 is a one-of-a-kind that fans will have a great time with.

27 Diablo 4

A Legendary Hack-And-Slash Title From A Series That Inspired Path Of Exile

There's no denying that Blizzard hasn't been enjoying the greatest reputation right now, with their recent scandals and the disastrous launch of Overwatch 2 hurting their goodwill considerably. However, this studio still has many talented developers at the helm, and this can be seen in the successful launch of Diablo 4.

The inclusion of an open world could've gone wrong for the game, but Diablo 4 manages to make the most of this inclusion by letting players explore some great locales and discover everything on offer here. The traditional gameplay loop of exploring hostile locations and attaining a ton of loot is as strong as ever. It allows players to engage in some truly fun and addictive combat as their damage numbers reach immensely high levels over time.

26 Nox

A Classic Hack-And-Slash Title With Multiple Narratives And A Story-Heavy Focus

It's a shame that Westwood Studios isn't active anymore since this company developed some great games that fans had a great time experiencing for themselves. One such title that a lot of people don't know about is Nox, a top-down ARPG that was favorably compared to Diablo 2 when it was launched. The game was a unique title that allowed players to experience a completely different story with three classes, making for a pretty engaging experience indeed.

Nox had some unique ideas that make it worth checking out for Path of Exile fans, especially since finding high-level loot in this game is about as engaging as most people would expect. The game is pretty welcoming, with all three classes being a blast to mess around with in their way.

25 Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem

An Interesting Attempt In The Hack-And-Slash Genre With Some Flaws

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem launched to a fairly tepid reception, with many players being disappointed with what was on offer. However, the developers didn't stop working on this game, fixing bugs and adding a steady stream of content that has salvaged the title's reputation quite a bit.

Gamers who skipped Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem because of mediocre reviews should consider giving this game a whirl now. It's far from a revolution in the genre, but fans of fun hack-and-slash RPGs can find a ton of things to enjoy in this game.

24 Chronicon

Dungeon Exploration And Looting Powerful Gear Takes Precedence In This Unique-Looking RPG

The first thing that players will notice in Chronicon is its unique pixel art graphics. Of course, the combat of this series is also pretty engaging and one of the many reasons why fans of Path of Exile should check this title out.

Looting gear, unlocking skills, exploring dungeons, and defeating powerful bosses makes for a simple yet engaging gameplay loop. All in all, Chronicon offers a nostalgic and challenging experience for players who crave classic dungeon-crawling action and cathartic action RPG combat.

23 The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing: Final Cut

A Gothic Take On A Familiar Genre But With Balancing Issues

There's no denying that The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut is pretty rough around the edges. The balancing in this game is all over the place, with certain areas being full of pushover enemies while other hostile zones feature enemies who are a nightmare to engage in combat.

However, there's no denying that this game has a ton of heart, with this gothic setting dripping in charm and atmosphere. If players forgive the faults of this title, then they'll be able to enjoy an excellent action RPG where they take on the role of the legendary vampire hunter, Van Helsing.

22 Dungeon Siege 3

The Third Entry In A Capable, Engaging Hack-And-Slash Series

Dungeon Siege 3 is an action RPG that features a richly detailed world, dynamic combat, and a compelling story with branching choices. Players will embark on a heroic quest to restore the kingdom of Ehb, taking on many tough enemies along the way.

Players can choose from four unique character classes, each with their abilities and playstyle, and team up with friends in co-op mode. Dungeon Siege 3 offers an immersive and epic RPG adventure for fans of the genre who owe it to themselves to check out this engrossing game.

21 Borderlands 3

A Looter-Shooter With An Addictive Gameplay Loop

Many people consider Borderlands 3 to be one of the weakest games in this trilogy and a disappointment following the brilliance of the second game. However, while it's easy to write this title off for these reasons, fans of looter shooters will find many things to like about this experience.

The classic visual design of the Borderlands series, coupled with its crunchy combat, are already two huge reasons to give this game a shot. Players who decide to power through this title with friends will be more than happy with what's on offer here.

20 Monster Hunter World

Players Are Encouraged To Hunt Monsters And Craft Powerful Equipment

A big part of Path of Exile's gameplay is kitting players out with the best equipment possible to take down massive threats. This is a gameplay loop that is present in Monster Hunter World too.

This game is the reason why the Monster Hunter franchise has such a massive fanbase right now, with the release of this game on modern hardware doing a great job of bringing more attention to the title. It helped that Iceborne was also a great expansion that made playing through this game a blast once again.

19 Final Fantasy 14

A Fantastic MMORPG With Deep, Strategic Combat

Final Fantasy 14 is one of the best MMORPGs around right now. Fans of Path of Exile who want to interact with a massive community while going through the dungeon-crawling loop they love will have a great time playing through Final Fantasy 14.

The game is full to the brim with content and gets a ton of timely updates that make it a blast to revisit this game time and time again. Given how the content in Path of Exile is a huge positive, fans of developers working hard to make their games enjoyable will be more than happy with the experience of playing Final Fantasy 14.

18 Nioh 2

A Soulslike With A Focus On Looting

Nioh 2 is an action RPG that pretty much serves as the perfect sequel. Most of the complaints from the first game are addressed, leading to everything from level design to the overall feel of combat being an improvement in every way.

Nioh 2's combat might be a bit more involving than that of Path of Exile, but the gameplay loop of getting great loot and equipping the best weapons and armor remains constant. As a result, this game is a great recommendation for Path of Exile fans who want to enjoy a combat system that requires pinpoint precision from their end.

17 Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning

A Highly Underrated Action-RPG Where Classes Are Unique And Important

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of the most underrated fantasy titles around. This RPG might've been slightly generic, but a great magic system coupled with powerful story moments more than made up for this drawback.

The recent remaster of this title makes for a great way to play this game in modern times. Path of Exile fans will love the amazing exploration of this title despite the perceived differences between both titles.

16 Hollow Knight

An Atmospheric Metroidvania With A Dark And Somber Tone

The idea of exploring different areas and fighting the threats that lay within is common to both Kingdoms of Amalur and Hollow Knight. The latter is hailed as one of the best Metroidvanias around, and it's easy to see why fans are waiting with bated breath for the sequel to drop.

Hollow Knight's amazing art style, brilliant combat, and memorable characters have helped it garner such an impressive reputation. Watching the Infection lay waste to Hollownest is painful to watch, especially once players form a connection with this melancholic landscape and its inhabitants. Fans can't wait to see how Silksong improves on a formula that was perceived as perfect by many.

15 Torchlight 3

The Third Entry In A Celebrated APRG Series

ARPG fans who want a more straightforward experience will appreciate Torchlight 3 and its penchant for hack-and-slash. In Torchlight 3, the declining Ember Empire is ill-equipped to face the extradimensional Netherim. It’s up to the players - as either the Dusk Mage, Railmaster, Sharpshooter, or the Forged - to take up arms and defend Novastraia once more.

As with its predecessors, Torchlight 3's steampunk world takes cues from classic ARPGs. In turn, players itching for genre staples will love Torchlight 3’s rarity-based drops, persistent enemies, and fast-and-loose skill system that will have them popping baddies with combos. However, unlike other more “hardcore” ARPGs, Torchlight 3 offers a decent balance of difficulty and fun fit for any kind of gamer.

14 Transistor

Supergiant Game's Take On A Hack-And-Slash Game With A Hybrid Combat System

Transistor is the type of game that doesn’t immediately drag players into its presence. This Supergiant Games title has a “chill” aesthetic that does a good job of hiding its tactical ARPG splendor. Players take on the role of Red, a Cloudbank City singer on the run from the Camerata, an organization that ordered its robotic Process to assassinate her. Red manages to grab the Transistor, a sword-like weapon that was supposed to assassinate her. For some reason, the Camerata wants to retrieve Red alongside the Transistor.

In addition to its stellar music and captivating visuals, Transistor shines in its gameplay. Red fights her foes from an isometric point of view, as expected from ARPGs. However, Red has access to the Turn() Mode, which enables players to plan commands to execute upon the return to real-time. Additionally, Red can possess Functions that have various effects on both her and her environment. With this freeform approach to control, players can not only control their environment but also plan their strategies.

13 XCOM: Enemy Unknown

A Return To Form For XCOM With Hard And Strategic Turn-Based Combat

Fans of sci-fi will love the XCOM series for its rousing premise. On XCOM’s Earth, aliens had just begun their invasion, and what remains of humanity appointed the player to command XCOM - the only military force with a fighting chance against these invaders. While every XCOM title has unique gameplay mechanics, XCOM: Enemy Unknown blends everything into a stellar title.

XCOM boasts one of the most complex tactical combat systems in an RPG. As commanders, players get all the tools they need to take the fight to the invading aliens. Players will appreciate XCOM’s in-depth terrain mechanics, where almost everything in the environment is interactive. Units boast deep customization, and unit placement matters to maximize strategic options. Players who want to feel as though they’re manning a counterattack against aliens will want to grab XCOM.