Dark Souls

Q: Where to start with Souls games?

For NEW PLAYERS in 2026: ELDEN RING is easiest entry due to open-world design + summonable Spirit Ashes for boss help; then work backward if interested. For CLASSIC EXPERIENCE: DARK SOULS 1 REMASTERED (2018) or DARK SOULS 3 are best. DEMON'S SOULS REMAKE (2020, PS5) is the spiritual origin + gorgeous. BLOODBORNE (2015, PS4) is many fans' favorite but PS4/5 only + faster-paced. SEKIRO is more of a pure combat game with no build variety.

SEMINAL ACTION-RPG SERIES (2009+, DEMON'S SOULS → DARK SOULS 1-3) by FROMSOFTWARE + director HIDETAKA MIYAZAKI. Punishing but fair combat, cryptic environmental storytelling, interconnected level design, + asynchronous multiplayer (invasions + summons + messages). Defined the SOULS-LIKE GENRE — now a widespread influence on modern action RPGs (Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Sekiro, Nioh, Lies of P, Wo Long). Dark Souls' 'YOU DIED' screen + 'PRAISE THE SUN' meme are gaming icons. Series sold 27M+ copies before ELDEN RING (2022) exploded to 30M+.

⏱~3000 min🌤indoor

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Progress through cryptic + interconnected world; defeat bosses; discover fragmented lore.

Rules

Basic rules

Stamina-based combat — attacks + rolls + blocks consume stamina
Signature combat rhythm.
Bonfire checkpoints — resting restores + respawns enemies + rests estus flasks (healing)
Signature save + reset mechanic.
Death loses souls (currency); return to death spot to reclaim; die again = souls lost forever
Punishing loss mechanic.
Asynchronous multiplayer: player-left messages + bloodstains + summons + invasions
Signature online layer.
Cryptic lore — no exposition; discover story via item descriptions + environments
Signature storytelling.
Every action deliberate — no fast-travel until late game (Dark Souls 1); interconnected level design
Design philosophy.

Scoring

Not competitive; progression measured by boss defeats + endings + soul level.

Action	Points
Complete main game (defeat final boss)	40-60 hours
Achieve all endings	Multiple playthroughs
Speedrun (Any% record <30 min)	Elite achievement
Solo No-Hit run (viral videos of stream-killers)	Legendary skill

Win condition · Defeat final boss + choose ending.

Equipment

PS3/4/5, Xbox 360/One/Series, PC (Windows), Switch (some titles)
Multi-platform
Controller (strongly recommended)
Precise timing required

Terminology

YOU DIED: Iconic red-text death screen — appears constantly.
Praise the Sun: Solaire of Astora's greeting + iconic gesture; meme + community phrase.
Bonfire: Checkpoint that resets enemies + restores estus flasks.
Estus Flask: Refillable healing item (Dark Souls signature).
Poise: Ability to absorb hits without stagger.
Invaders: Other players entering your world hostile.
Souls: Currency for leveling up + purchases.
NG+: New Game Plus — replay with kept character + stats but harder enemies.

Where it is played

Governing bodies

FromSoftware (developer)
Founded 1986 · Tokyo, Japan (owned by Kadokawa)
Bandai Namco / Sony Interactive Entertainment (publishers)
Founded 2006 · Tokyo

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Hidetaka Miyazaki (director + president FromSoftware; series creator)
LobosJr, VaatiVidya, Iron Pineapple (major YouTube creators)
Speedrun community (Any% ~25 min world record)
Let Me Solo Her (Malenia's raid-boss legend from Elden Ring era)

Frequently asked

Where to start with Souls games?+