Best Games Like Dragon Age

After Origins, Dragon Age 2, and Inquisition were released in fairly quick succession, Dragon Age fans had to wait quite a long time for the next game in the series. BioWare's franchise laid dormant for roughly a decade before making its comeback in the form of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, which dropped at the end of October 2024.

Despite the lack of content over the last decade, fans have remained steadfast and hungry for more interesting characters, fantasy-world building, and accessible but fun RPGs. While Veilguard might not be everyone's ideal sequel, there are plenty of games similar to Dragon Age that can fill the void.

Updated on December 28, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been out for roughly two months, and BioWare's latest project has had a curious existence so far. While certainly not bad, it has not garnered universal acclaim either, at least not on the level of Dragon Age Origins or Inquisition. Still, the new entry has its positives. Also, in December 2024, another action RPG arrived on the scene. Click below to jump to this game.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

Companions, Tactical Combat, & Impeccable Writing

Expansions and spin-offs notwithstanding, Baldur's Gate 3 is the first mainline entry in the D&D series since 2000's Shadows of Amn, which is hailed as one of the greatest RPGs of all time alongside its predecessor. BioWare developed those classics, and while they reveal their ages in several ways, they are still worth revisiting all these years later. However, Baldur's Gate 3 is a different beast entirely that largely does its own thing while still honoring the franchise's legacy. Larian Studios already produced perfection with Divinity: Original Sin 2, and the developer implemented various ideas from the RPG into Baldur's Gate 3. The game spent roughly three years in early access, and all the hard work paid off beautifully.

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While sharing similarities with Dragon Age: Origins, Baldur's Gate 3 is still overall a wildly different experience, although they overlap in a few key areas. For one, both games not only feature some of the best writing in the RPG genre but prioritize player interactivity. Larian's title starts out with an in-depth character creator, and the choices made here impact the rest of the campaign. Baldur's Gate 3's turn-based combat system is challenging but rewarding, and it emphasizes party symmetry and forward-thinking. The game's dense world overflows with situational storytelling strengthened by player choice and world-building.

2 Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Satisfying Combat & Enaging Pirate-Themed World

Both Pillars of Eternity games are suitable for fans of Dragon Age, although which one someone goes for will depend on what they prioritize. The first PoE has a better storyline and more enjoyable exploration than its successor, but its combat system leaves quite a lot to be desired.

On the other hand, PoE: Deadfire fine-tunes the gameplay considerably, presenting a far more accessible and satisfying experience. Like Dragon Age: Origins, Deadfire is an isometric RPG with a robust class system and a plethora of companions to unlock. This is a deep RPG that can dominate someone's time for months on end.

3 Disco Elysium

A Masterclass In Dialogue

Disco Elysium is a strange case since the game has very little in common with Dragon Age. Their worlds, gameplay loops, stories, and characters are nothing alike, and if someone is specifically searching for an action RPG, then they should look elsewhere. However, Disco Elysium has two things that almost make it a must-play for most Dragon Age fans: its dialogue and character creator.

Rather than combat, the game is built around dialogue choices and skill progression, which are influenced by the choices players make when creating their detective. This extends to the entire experience, as the protagonist acts depending on their history and stats, sort of like a tabletop dice game. Disco Elysium's writing is about as good as they come in gaming, and that goes for both the main mystery and the characters' dialogue trees.

4 Path of Exile 2

An Impressive Early Access Action RPG With Well-Defined Class And Plenty Of Build Options

Dragon Age: The Veilguard garnered a mostly positive response, alongside quite a few staple criticisms. Still, one of the areas that received fairly wide praise was the class system and the associated combat, with each route providing quite a different experience that justifies and warrants trying all of them out. Path of Exile 2 is very similar in the way it differentiates classes, ensuring that each of the six available options is unique and requires quite a bit of effort to master. The early access version has Ranger, Huntress, Sorceress, Mercenary, Monk, Druid, and Witch, and they are pretty much all worth testing just so that players can make an informed decision on what type of combat loop they prefer. Each class then has two subclasses that are also pretty darn different.

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By  Dominic O'Leary

To be honest, these classes are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to PoE 2's customization, variety, and depth. Players will unlock a wide range of skills that they can equip with weapons, and the options are so expansive that they can seem limitless. As this is a loot-based RPG, PoE 2 constantly drowns players in new weapons and armor, so there is a constant sense of growth and progression. Also, the gameplay is just all-around great and offers quite a challenge when compared to Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

5 Neverwinter Nights 2

Dated But Still Worthwhile

Obsidian has been known to create the occasional sequel to a BioWare game, and while they tend to have some rough edges, these releases are nearly always memorable in their own right. Neverwinter Nights 2 is arguably one of the most similar games to Dragon Age: Origins on the market, especially in terms of gameplay, party setup, and dialogue. It is not quite as polished as BioWare's release, and the combat is a bit too chaotic for its own good, but NW2 works brilliantly as a fantasy romp with a light sense of humor and great characters.

Anyone looking to pick this up should only consider the complete edition since it comes with all the expansions, including the Mask of the Betrayer. The latter tells one of Obsidian's strongest stories, and it is arguably superior to the base game. Like its predecessor, NW2 also has a robust modding scene.

6 GreedFall

Ambitious AA RPG

Spiders' GreedFall comes across as a budget version of a BioWare game. Its combat might lack the polish of something like Dragon Age: Inquisition, but GreedFall shines in its storytelling and expansive world. Predominantly set on a strange island, players must deal with the locals while searching for medicine for their mother. Along with a direct combat system, GreedFall enables players to talk their way out of trouble, as long as they have the skill to do so.

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As a mid-tier RPG, GreedFall is ambitious, visually impressive, and reasonably well-written. Just do not judge the game by its prologue as it is not representative of the campaign's overall quality, and things do not get going until players actually arrive at the main island.

7 Mass Effect Legendary Edition

BioWare's Space Opera

If Dragon Age is BioWare's definitive fantasy franchise, then Mass Effect is the developer's sci-fi masterpiece. Putting Andromeda to the side, the original Mass Effect trilogy is nearly pitch-perfect, and the Legendary Edition tweaks some of the games' frustrating elements to craft a more consistent overall experience. The story is way too complex to summarize in a soundbite, but it essentially boils down to Commander Shepard's quest to stop the Reapers; however, the journey matters way more than the destination.

Like Dragon Age, Mass Effect includes a companion system that allows players to develop an emotional attachment to the support characters, most of whom are memorable in one form or another. As the games are third-person shooters, Mass Effect's core combat is not comparable to Dragon Age, although the former does include classes that provide customization options.

8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

A Dark Fantasy Masterpiece

If fans want to stick to a fantasy setting, then The Witcher 3 is a good choice. While players do not get to create a unique protagonist, they still get to make choices that matter. This, of course, comes on top of exploring a dark fantasy world with interesting side characters and companions.

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The game is very large and will take a while for any completion-driven player. The main campaign is pretty good by most metrics, but The Witcher 3 shines the brightest in its secondary content and world-building. The combat tends to be an acquired taste that takes a while to really click, especially since the game expects players to use all the tools at their disposal since they are role-playing as Geralt, a seasoned witcher.

9 Pathfinder: Kingmaker (Or Wrath Of The Righteous)

Hard-As-Nails Tabletop RPG

On paper, Pathfinder: Kingmaker and its successor, Wrath of the Righteous, should be among the most obvious recommendations for Dragon Age fans, particularly those who love Origins. Based on a classic tabletop setting, both projects offer lengthy campaigns that highlight some of the core appeals of in-person role-playing: customization, unpredictability, and team-building. Kingmaker's combat system is also quite similar to Origins', with both games blending real-time combat with the ability to pause the action.

While they share quite a few things in common, Pathfinder is considerably harder than BioWare's franchise, and neither game goes out of its way to facilitate newcomers to its source material. Consequently, a player's mileage is likely to come down to their pre-existing knowledge of 3.5 D&D, at least during the first hours of a playthrough. If they manage to get through the steep learning curve, they will find two ambitious RPGs with great stories, deep combat, and expansive customization.

10 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Now, For A Different Type Of RPG

This recommendation is for people craving a deep RPG that, in many ways, is the direct opposite of Dragon Age. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a realistic RPG set during the Middle Ages, and it casts players as the lone survivor of a town that was massacred by an invading army. Naturally, they join their kingdom's military to try and get revenge, a process that is slow, difficult, and overly ambitious. Kingdom Come emphasizes that the protagonist is a nobody rather than some type of spectacular hero, and he is starting from scratch in a world that crushes people like him.

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Warhorse had a clear vision of the type of RPG it wanted to create, and while certainly an acquired taste, Kingdom Come is nothing if not unique. Unlike Dragon Age, the game's progression system is based on direct experience; basically, practice makes perfect. Unlike Inquisition, Kingdom Come is set in a full and huge open-world; furthermore, the first-person combat is very difficult, more so than most Dragon Age games.