Elden Ring’s release has brought many new players into the genre, and while some will be content just play it, many are no doubt considering trying out a few other titles by FromSoftware.

However, it can be daunting to decide where to start as there are six different titles to choose from.

To help you decide, we’ve compiled a guide to the correct order to the play games for a player fresh off Elden Ring but who has never played another FromSoftware game.

Dark Souls 1

The best place to start your FromSoftware journey is the first game of the Dark Souls trilogy.

While this makes sense immediately since it is the first game in the mainline series, you’ll also want to start here because of the game’s length and difficulty level.

Despite being an older game, Dark Souls 1’s combat still holds up well, and its difficulty curve is relatively moderate, with only a few boss fights being harder than the encounters in Elden Ring.

Additionally, thanks to it being an older game, Dark Souls 1 is also one of the shortest of the soul’s games compared to its sequels, meaning it won’t be too taxing after the marathon of Elden Ring.

Dark Souls 3

You would think that the next game you’d play would be Dark Souls 2, but in actuality, the third game is a far better choice for your next Soul’s experience.

Dark Souls 3 has fluid, responsive combat, a vast world and, most importantly, several quality of life improvements over its predecessors.

In many ways, it’s the closest to Elden Ring in terms of general gameplay but has a more conventional format.

Bloodborne

The next FromSoftware game to tackle once you’ve wrapped up with Dark Souls 3 is Bloodborne – although if you don’t have a PS4, you’ll have to skip it.

Though it came out before Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne is by far the fastest-paced of the FromSoftware games, with fluid combat that strips players of shields and spells and prioritises speed and aggression.

After the slower pace of previous games, Bloodborne will feel a little different and boasts some of the hardest fights in the Soulsborne genre.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is some veterans’ favourite Souls game for good reason.

The title has some of the best writing, boss fights and gameplay of all the games; however, we’d recommend playing it after the others as it requires a far higher degree of skill to play.

The gameplay of Sekiro is centred around parrying and rhythm. As a result, for many, it can be challenging to master – hence why you’re given a chance to continue even after dying once.

Dark Souls 2 and Demons Souls

The final two games are Dark Souls 2 and Demons Souls, and we’d recommend you play them last for several reasons.

For Dark Souls 2, it’s a case of the game’s feel. Dark Souls 2 feels clunky and sluggish even compared to other souls games, even Dark Souls 1.

Combining this with its odd design choices, the bloat of bosses, and inconsistent difficulty makes Dark Souls 2 an odd experience that is best left until last.

Demons Souls is in a similar boat as even with its PS5 remaster, its clunky core gameplay and bugs remain.

Therefore, it’s best to leave these two till last to avoid tarnishing your experience with the other games.

However, this is just a suggestion guide, and if there are any FromSoftware games you really want to play or don’t want to play, you can pick and choose at your discretion.

Read: Xbox releases nine vague previews ahead of the Summer showcase