Best Games Like Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)

Fallout: New Vegas, Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate 3

With Baldur’s Gate 3 coming out of nowhere and bowling over everyone from die-hard RPG fanatics to casual lovers of Dungeons & Dragons, it’s no wonder why people are itching for even more high-fantasy adventures. As such, here are the best games like Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3) you should try.

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Divinity: Original Sin II Is Larian Studios’ Breakout RPG

Before bursting into the mainstream scene with Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios spent many years building up their own fantasy universe in the form of the Divinity series. Original Sin II is easily the peak of the franchise, combining gripping storytelling, rich lore, and an ever-engrossing combat system into one sprawling package. Many folks claim that it’s the best written game of all time and frankly, you’d be a fool to not at least consider the possibility.

Related: What Is The Max Level in Baldur’s Gate 3?

Now, you could go back in time and play some of the older Divinity games before starting up Original Sin II but frankly, the difference in scope and scale is monumental. For the record, if Baldur’s Gate 3 impressed you then you should totally check out the first few games in the franchise. It’s just that the most recent entry, which was released in 2017, modernized many elements that nowadays may feel clunky and archaic. Which, if you like CRPGS, may be exactly what you want.

An image from Divinity as part of an article on games like Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3).

Pillars of Eternity I and II Are Like BG3

While it may not be a graphical powerhouse like BG3, Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity series successfully captures the deep world-building and fleshed-out characters that any decent Dungeons & Dragons campaign provides. Set within the developer’s very own fantasy world, you can expect plenty of difficult choices and challenging combat but the real similarity shared between PoE and BG3 is its party.

It’s difficult to think of a series that has a more captivating group of folks adventuring around together. Each companion that’s available to join your party is unique in their motivations and drives, making for some genuinely compelling relationships. If the idea of another high fantasy setting isn’t all that appealing then play PoE II: Deadfire. It’s all pirates and warships! Tough to get much better than that.

Dragon Age: Inquisition Is an All-Time Great

Similar to the Divinity franchise, someone looking to quench their Baldur’s Gate 3 could pick up any entry in Bioware’s revered RPG series and be satisfied. I’m specifically including Inquisition since it’s easily the most polished, cinematic, and compelling game in the franchise, and something you’ll love if you’re looking for games like BG3. Dragon Age: Origins and II are great experiences but frankly, their visuals have aged poorly and they’re ugly to look at now. It’s about time we got a Legendary Edition upgrade for those classics…

Related: How to Sail to Grymforge in Baldur’s Gate 3

Aside from adding more lore than ever before to the world of Ferelden, Inquisition also significantly upgrades the turn-based combat Dragon Age was known for. It’s deep, mechanically rewarding, and strategic in a way that many other games WISH they were. While playing through the first two games is good for learning more about the setting, it’s entirely possible to jump in and play Inquisition blind. Oh, and it’s on Game Pass which is always a bonus in my books.

Fallout: New Vegas Is Like Baldur’s Gate 3, But Quite Different

I know, in terms of similarities there may not seem like there are many shared between New Vegas and Baldur’s Gate 3. The former is a post-apocalyptic RPG set in a retro-future with laser pistols and radioactive scorpions; that sounds like the opposite of Dungeons & Dragons! Yet both games offer something very little other video games do: Freedom.

Both titles are built in such a way as to encourage players to just go with their first thought, last thought, best thought, or worst thought. They’re malleable and flexible, allowing for a degree of freedom of expression that’s seldom bested in other RPG systems. While Baldur’s Gate 3 has received ample praise for encouraging players to approach problems with whatever plan they desire, Fallout: New Vegas does the same. Sure, it’s ugly to look at and it won’t be as freeform as a modern experience but for when it was released, it’s damn impressive.

An image from Fallout: New Vegas as part of an article on games like Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3).

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous Has Baldur’s Gate 3’s Scale

If the scale of Baldur’s Gate 3 was the aspect that really gripped you, then Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is right up your alley. In fact, it’s easy to criticize this game for being a little too overwhelming at times, especially when it comes to character creation. The amount of options available to forge a hero that is unlike anyone else’s is monumental. Couple that with the expansive world of the Pathfinder and you’ve got a game that will take hundreds of hours just to scratch the surface.

Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 Skills and Proficiency, Explained

Of course, if you want something that’s a little more streamlined in its execution then you could instead play Pathfinder: Kingmaker, the game that came out before Wrath of the Righteous. It’s smaller in its scope but still manages to deliver an adventure that feels gigantic with a party that’s as memorable as any you’d find in a Critical Role campaign.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister Is Great, But Not as Polished

Roughly around the same time that Baldur’s Gate 3 entered into early access, Solasta: Crown of the Magister did the same. While it’s certainly lacking the polish of Larian Studios’ behemoth, don’t sleep on what is, arguably, an even more faithful adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons system. With a wealth of expansions and different campaigns to explore, there’s so much to do in Solasta that the amount of time you spend questing will likely surpass every other RPG you’ve played.

To make the deal even sweeter, Solasta encourages players to let their creative sides run wild with an efficient and comprehensive dungeon editor, allowing digital Dungeon Masters to craft their own levels and share them within the community. It’s more robust than you’d expect; some of the best times I’ve had in Solasta are playing other fans’ dungeons.

Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2: Enhanced Edition Are the Series’ Classics

It would have been utterly criminal to leave these two classic gems out of this article. Bear in mind, they are quite old and clunky but fortunately, modern players can give them a whirl with the Enhanced Editions. These remastered versions of Bioware’s Dungeons & Dragons games have so many improvements to the game feel, graphics, and UI that they almost feel like completely different experiences… in a good way.

You won’t get the dynamic, cinematic experience of BG3 in these early games in the franchise, but you’ll still be able to experience the sprawling world of the Forgotten Realms with a party of companions that’ll likely stick with you long after you step away from your device. It may be difficult to embrace some of the more old-school elements but if you can overcome that barrier for entrance, there’s a lot to love in Baldur’s Gate I and II.

An image from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 as part of an article on games like Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3).

And those are our picks for the best games like Baldur’s Gate 3. For more, check out our thoughts on how thirsty the game is compared to Starfield.


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Brad Lang
Brad Lang has spent so much of his life playing video games that at some point, it almost became a given that he would eventually turn all those hours into a job. He has a Masters degree in Creative Writing, an adorable black cat named Nemesis (Yes, from Resident Evil) and was once attacked by a fruit bat for no apparent reason.