Best Games Like Path of Exile 2

From deep indie experiments to genre legends, here are 10 games that share Path of Exile 2’s DNA.

  • Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer : Grinding Gear Games
  • Publisher : Grinding Gear Games
  • Release Date : December 6, 2024 (early access)
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam, pathofexile2.com

POE 2 is currently in early access but feels like a complete release. Animations are crisp, the general level of polish is frankly astounding and the campaign may already be the best in the ARPG market. 

Grinding Gear Games’ continues its legacy of dark, complex, and rewarding ARPG design. Beneath its grim aesthetic lies an intricate web of build customization, loot-driven progression, and combat depth that few games can match. Its sprawling passive skill tree, new gem system, captivating dark fantasy setting and ever-evolving seasonal leagues make it a title built for long-term theorycrafters and casual players alike. 

If you’re looking for games like Path of Exile 2, whether you’re waiting for PoE 2’s full release, looking to explore between leagues or to find new worlds that scratch that same strategic, loot-hungry, build-building itch, several excellent options stand out. 

Grim Dawn

  • Platform(s) : PC, Xbox One
  • Developer : Crate Entertainment
  • Publisher : Crate Entertainment
  • Release Date : February 25, 2016
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Deep character customization : Like Path of Exile 2, Grim Dawn features sprawling build diversity. Its dual-class system and devotion constellations allow endless theory-crafting similar to PoE’s passive skill web, rewarding players who enjoy experimenting with synergies.

✅ Loot-driven ARPG core : Both games place itemization at the heart of progression. Grim Dawn’s affix-heavy loot and legendary sets echo PoE’s chase for rare modifiers and build-defining uniques.

✅ Dark fantasy atmosphere : Tonally, Grim Dawn and PoE 2 share a grim aesthetic — decaying worlds, occult horrors, and morally grey factions — appealing to players seeking a gritty tone rather than cartoonish fantasy.

✅ Offline and mod-friendly : While PoE 2 is online-only, Grim Dawn’s offline mode and mod support offer freedom and experimentation that some exiles may crave between leagues.

Similarity score : 8.5/10

Last Epoch

  • Platform(s) : PC
  • Developer : Eleventh Hour Games
  • Publisher : Eleventh Hour Games
  • Release Date : February 21, 2024
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Deep build experimentation : Like Path of Exile 2, Last Epoch thrives on complexity. Its combination of passive skill trees and individually customizable active skills mirrors PoE’s build-crafting philosophy, rewarding creativity and long-term investment. Last Epoch genreally feels much for accessible (and easier) than PoE 2.

✅ Loot and crafting focus : Both games emphasize loot hunting and player-driven crafting. Last Epoch’s crafting system is more transparent and beginner-friendly, making it feel like a streamlined cousin of PoE’s often arcane item modification mechanics. You won’t feel like you need a PhD to craft top-tier items in Last Epoch.

✅ Dark fantasy aesthetic : The tone and world of Last Epoch share PoE’s grim, corrupted environments (apocalyptic settings, ruined temples, and monstrous foes). However, don’t go into LE expecting the same design quality as PoE 2.

✅ More accessible progression : While PoE 2 leans into overwhelming complexity, Last Epoch’s systems are easier to grasp without losing depth, appealing to players who love PoE’s core loop but want less friction.

Similarity score : 8.5/10

Titan Quest

  • Platform(s) : PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, iOS, Android
  • Developer : Iron Lore Entertainment
  • Publisher : THQ Nordic
  • Release Date : June 26, 2006
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Classic ARPG structure : Titan Quest shares PoE 2’s roots in Diablo-style gameplay, with a top-down camera, loot-based progression, and a focus on fast-paced combat against hordes of enemies.

✅ Dual-mastery system : Much like PoE’s passive skill tree, Titan Quest’s mastery combinations allow flexible builds and encourage replayability through deep character experimentation.

✅ Thematic contrast yet similar loop : While Titan Quest’s mythological Mediterranean setting contrasts PoE 2’s gothic decay, both scratch the same “optimize builds & grind loot” itch at their core.

✅ Offline accessibility and simplicity : Titan Quest offers a streamlined, accessible ARPG experience, ideal for players who enjoy PoE 2’s combat flow but prefer a lighter, less complex system.

Similarity score : 7/10

No Rest for the Wicked

  • Platform(s) : PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer : Moon Studios
  • Publisher : Moon Studios
  • Release Date : April 18, 2024 (early access)
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Skill-based combat : Moon Studios’ upcoming ARPG departs from pure click-to-kill gameplay, offering deliberate, stamina-driven combat closer to PoE 2’s heavier, animation-based approach compared to traditional hack-and-slash titles.

✅ Gritty, painterly presentation : Both games share a darkly beautiful art direction, boasting handcrafted, gothic worlds with strong environmental storytelling and atmospheric tension.

✅ Loot and build experimentation : While No Rest for the Wicked leans more on action-RPG fundamentals than sprawling skill trees, its equipment variety and stat interplay appeal to players who enjoy PoE’s build-tinkering.

✅ Shared-world elements : The developers have hinted at online co-op and player interaction, echoing PoE’s town hubs and multiplayer features without going full MMO.

Similarity score : 7/10

Diablo IV

  • Platform(s) : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer : Blizzard (Team 3 / Albany)
  • Publisher : Blizzard Entertainment
  • Release Date : June 5, 2023
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Blizzard.com

✅ Shared ancestry : Path of Exile was born as a spiritual successor to Diablo II, and Diablo IV continues that lineage with a return to its darker roots. Both games deliver weighty combat, randomized loot, and gothic world design.

✅ Open world and online play : Like PoE 2’s shared towns and instance-based maps, Diablo IV’s connected world creates a hybrid between single-player exploration and multiplayer events.

✅ Class archetypes and customization : Both feature flexible builds built around traditional ARPG classes (Sorcerer, Rogue, Necromancer, etc.) and reward min-maxing gear and passives.

📉 Simpler endgame systems : Diablo IV’s progression, while polished, is notably shallower than PoE 2’s sprawling Atlas or league mechanics. Blizzard’s game offers polish and accessibility, but less long-term depth.

Similarity score : 7/10

Warhammer 40000 : Inquisitor - Martyr

  • Platform(s) : PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
  • Developer : NeocoreGames
  • Publisher : NeocoreGames
  • Release Date : June 5, 2018
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Action-based combat : Like Path of Exile 2, Inquisitor – Martyr features real-time, skill-driven combat where positioning and targeting matter. It mixes ranged and melee gameplay with destructible environments for extra tactical flair.

✅ Complex character builds : Players can specialize through classes, perks, and passive skill trees that echo PoE’s progression style, albeit with more constrained build diversity.

✅ Grimdark universe : Both games share an oppressive tone and atmosphere. PoE’s Wraeclast and Warhammer’s Imperium are equally brutal worlds where humanity clings to survival.

📉 Mission-based structure : Unlike PoE 2’s continuous world and evolving leagues, Inquisitor uses segmented missions and smaller-scale content loops, offering less sense of a persistent evolving world.

Similarity score : 6/10

V Rising

  • Platform(s) : PC, PS5
  • Developer : Stunlock Studios
  • Publisher : Stunlock Studios
  • Release Date : May 8, 2024
  • Genre : Action / Survival RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Dark, atmospheric world : Like Path of Exile 2, V Rising builds its identity around a haunting, gothic setting, with decaying castles, blood rituals, and corrupted wilderness. Both games immerse players in oppressive, morally grey worlds filled with grotesque enemies.

✅ Action-based combat : V Rising shares PoE 2’s focus on timing and positioning. Dodging, aiming skill shots, and managing cooldowns feel fluid and reactive, closer to an ARPG than to a survival sim.

✅ Deep progression systems : While not as labyrinthine as PoE’s passive tree, V Rising offers layered progression through castle upgrades, vampiric powers, and equipment crafting. The emphasis on personalization scratches a similar “build optimization” itch.

📉 Different core loop : The biggest divergence lies in V Rising’s survival and base-building mechanics. You’re managing a home, gathering resources, and sustaining your vampire. It’s a slower, more methodical rhythm compared to PoE 2’s loot-driven momentum.

Similarity score : 6/10

Torchlight II

  • Platform(s) : PC, OS X, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
  • Developer : Runic Games
  • Publisher : Runic Games
  • Release Date : September 20, 2012
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Classic ARPG roots : Torchlight II channels the same Diablo-era inspirations that gave birth to Path of Exile. Fast-paced combat, randomized loot, and addictive progression loops make it an easy recommendation for PoE fans.

✅ Build variety and pets : While simpler than PoE’s vast web of passives, Torchlight’s classes still allow strong customization through skill trees and equipment synergies, and of course, the series’ signature pets add charm and utility.

📉 Vibrant tone and art style : Unlike PoE 2’s grim, corrupted world, Torchlight II opts for colorful, cartoonish visuals and a lighter tone. This makes it a great alternative for players who love ARPG mechanics but want a less oppressive setting.

📉 Less long-term depth : Torchlight’s shorter endgame and more linear systems won’t satisfy players looking for endless layers of meta progression. It’s a great “comfort food” ARPG but not a lifelong project like PoE.

Similarity score : 6/10

Heretical

  • Platform(s) : PC
  • Developer : Three Swords Studio
  • Publisher : Ultimate Games S.A., Ultimate Publishing
  • Release Date : October 30, 2024 (early access)
  • Genre : Action Roguelike
  • Where to play : Steam

✅ Dark fantasy aesthetic : Heretical (depending on which project or early-access build you’re referring to — several indie ARPGs use this title) often embraces the same bleak, cursed-world atmosphere that defines Path of Exile. Its aesthetic focus on decay and forbidden magic will feel familiar.

✅ Skill-based progression : Most versions of Heretical emphasize mechanical mastery and deliberate combat, rewarding precision over mindless clicking, much like PoE’s re-designed, animation-locked action system in Path of Exile 2.

✅ Experimental systems : The game tends to blend genres, with roguelike or Souls-lite elements, which gives it a niche but dedicated audience of players seeking fresh takes on the ARPG formula.

📉 Scale and polish : As an indie project, Heretical lacks the immense content volume, balance complexity, and endgame refinement of Path of Exile 2. It’s an intriguing offshoot, not a full-fledged alternative.

Similarity score : 5/10

Path of Exile 1

  • Platform(s) : PC, MacOS, PS4, Xbox One
  • Developer : Grinding Gear Games
  • Publisher : Grinding Gear Games
  • Release Date : 23 October 2013
  • Genre : Action RPG
  • Where to play : POE, Steam

It would be mad to leave PoE 1 off this list, since GGG is bravely attempting to keep it shugging along for the foreseeing. 

✅ Complex character customization : The original game set the benchmark with its massive passive skill tree and support gem system, allowing thousands of viable builds. PoE 2 inherits and expands this philosophy, offering a similar sense of limitless experimentation.

✅ Dark, grim atmosphere : The tone of Path of Exile 1 remains unmatched for its bleak worldbuilding and gothic aesthetic. PoE 2 continues this approach, presenting a similarly grounded and brutal universe where every victory feels earned.

✅ Loot-driven progression : Itemization and crafting are still the lifeblood of both titles. Players who enjoy meticulously fine-tuning their gear through currency systems will find the same rewarding core loop.

✅ Endgame depth : The Atlas of Worlds remains one of the most extensive end-games ever designed for an ARPG. While PoE 2 introduces its own new systems, the underlying philosophy of infinite replayability and meaningful progression is carried over. 

📉 Combat feel and pacing : Path of Exile 2 aims for a more deliberate, impactful combat rhythm (at least until end-game mapping) compared to the hyper-fast, screen-clearing pace that PoE 1 has evolved into. Fans of faster gameplay may prefer the original’s adrenaline-fueled style.

📉 Visual and technical improvements : PoE 2 modernizes visuals, animations, and UI, making the original feel dated by comparison. However, PoE 1 still runs quite smoothly on lower-end systems, maintaining its appeal for players with performance constraints.

Similarity score : 9/10

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