Are you enjoying Link’s new outing but already feeling sad about the fact that it’s going to end one day? Don’t worry, here’s 10 games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom to add to your list!
I know it’s madness to be thinking about life after Tears of the Kingdom right now, but that day will come, admittedly years in the future.
If it’s anything like BotW, I’ll still be playing it when the next Zelda game comes out!
I’ve tried to make this list based on three things – crafting/building, open world exploration, and something I like to call that ‘general Zelda feeling’.
You all know what that feeling is – you’re Zelda fans, after all!
And no, Breath of the Wild isn’t on this list, because I already know that you’ve played it before starting Tears of the Kingdom… right?
So, let’s take a look at 10 games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom for you to look forward to after completing Nintendo’s newest epic tale!
Table of Contents
10. Scribblenauts Showdown
Scribblenauts Showdown kicks off this list of the best games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom!
Yes, Scribblenauts; stick with me on this one.
Tears of the Kingdom is all about creating amazing weapons and inventions as you move through the different levels. From sticking flamethrowers on shields to making mine carts with hooks and fans to run along a single track, you’ve got to use your imagination to get ahead.
Well, the same goes for Scribblenauts Showdown, a game where you can conjure up over 35-thousand different objects in order to beat your opponent.
Scribblenauts games require you to be inventive, and you can make all manner of things whether playing solo or with friends.
Of course, the level style and general theme is a million miles away from TotK, but in terms of using your noggin to get ahead, it’s right up there with Link’s new abilities!
9. Immortals Fenyx Rising
Immortals Fenyx Rising is up next, a game that is so much like both TotK and BotW that it made out list of the best games like Zelda!
I mean, look at those islands and the blue-tinged weapons you pick up along the way; it’s so much like Zelda that it hurts!
Like TotK, this is an open world game where flying plays a big part in the gameplay. Like the Wings in the new Zelda game, Fenyx van cover great distances using her wings, reaching new areas and speeding things up a bit in the process.
There are trials to complete too in order to get powerups and new weapons. Sounds very familiar, right?
And some of the bosses are humongous too – you’ll need to keep your wits about you to take down some of these Titans.
8. Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts takes the 8th spot in this list of games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom!
While it might not be the style of adventure or feature a Hylian with a gammy arm, Nuts and Bolts was more open-world than the previous 2 Banjo-Kazooie games and had a strong building mechanic as the main feature.
We’re talking crafting vehicles in Mumbo’s Garage and creating as many wacky inventions as you can think of!
I’ve been playing through TotK for 8 days at the time of writing, and the building mechanic in this game has taken me a bit of getting used to. That’s because I’m so used to playing Breath of the Wild, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a bad game – it’s genius!
The same can be said for Nuts & Bolts. I love Banjo-Kazooie & Banjo-Tooie, but they are so far removed from Nuts & Bolts that many people just don’t see Nuts & Bolts as a Banjo game at all.
Look past that fact and get stuck into the immersive building gameplay. The sky really is the limit when it comes to building vehicles in this game, especially as you might even end up making a rocket!
7. Dark Cloud 2
We’re going heavy on the building theme here again with Dark Cloud 2.
And, while you might not be building Solider Reapers or Rock Hammers, you get to make houses and mess around with new parts for a fighting robot.
No, not a Guardian from BotW, but a robot at least!
Like Zelda games, Dark Cloud 2 has a lot of dialogue between characters, tonnes of combat, and a little bit of time travel for good measure.
It’s one of our favourite RPGs of all time and, while it’s not as graphically advanced as TotK, it does still look great on the PS2 and plays like a dream!
6. Elden Ring
Elden Ring takes the next spot in our list of the best games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom!
While it’s far darker and brutal than TotK, the open-world map takes an age to traverse just like both of Link’s newest two games.
There’s no building or ascending through solid objects in Elden Ring, but that essence of finding hidden secrets and defeating evil throughout the land is there by the bucket load.
And when I say that the map is big, I really mean it. Plus, it’s a map where everything wants to kill you at every moment.
We’re not talking Soldier Constructs; I’m talking ginormous dragons and things with more tentacles than should be allowed on a creature.
It’s hard as nails too, definitely much harder than TotK when it comes to attacking enemies.
Imagine if you fused Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Skyrim, and Dark Souls together, and you’ll get an idea for how this game feels!
5. Biomutant
Biomutant is up next, a game that, if we’re perfectly honest, had a bit of a rough stint in the beginning of its life.
Or, to put it a better way, it had more bugs than Oogie Boogie in A Nightmare Before Christmas!
The world, like Hyrule, is ginormous from start to finish, and like the many vehicles Link can now control thanks to the Zonai technology, players can pilot tones of ships and mechs in this game.
Customising your Biomutant is kind of like getting new armour for Link as the game goes on too.
And, while the weapons are much weirder in Biomutant, theres definitely a creative vibe shared with both titles.
Plus, the ability choice wheel feels very similar too – that’s a small comparison, but it’s what I first thought when I changed to the Fuse ability!
4. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Pokemon Legends: Arceus takes the 4th spot in this list of games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.
I mean, Arceus was so much like BotW that it basically felt like Hyrule had been overrun with Pokemon, for crying out loud.
Still, it’s even more similar to TotK thanks to the crafting element of making your own Pokeballs from scratch and using items to make other things.
In BotW we used Fire Arrows, but now we can make them by attaching Fire Fruit to the end of our bows.
I think, for the same reasons that BotW is my favourite Zelda game to date (I haven’t played anywhere near enough TotK to knock it off the top spot yet), Arceus is my favourite Pokemon game because of how much it switched up the vibe from the previous entries.
Exploring an open world and happening upon Pokemon rather than meeting them in tall grass is much more exciting.
Throwing Pokeballs yourself too to catch them just makes the whole thing feel more real, for instance.
And while Hyrule and Hisui might not be the same in terms of levels of danger, the open world nature and crafting abilities definitely make this game one for Ninty fans to check out after playing Zelda Tears of the Kingdom.
3. Genshin Impact
We’re down to the final three, which means its about time that Genshin Impact made an impact of its own in our list!
Ok, it’s safe to say that like Fenyx: Immortals Rising, Genshin Impact is a massive Zelda clone. There are so elements of BotW in this game that it might as well be called ‘The Legend of Genshinelda’.
As a free to play game that, while admittedly more Anime-feeling, it has a strong TotK vibe about it. It’s one that you should check out after completing Link’s newest adventure and one that won’t break your wallet either!
The way that characters interact with the elemental powers in this game is what made me think to add it into the list.
There might not be a mystical right-arm to wield, for example, but there’s definitely a lot of cool abilities to use as the game goes on.
And the map; talk about a massive world to explore.
If open world titles like TotK are what floats your fused-together-makeshift-boat, then step into Teyvat and search for secrets to your heart’s content!
2. Windbound
Windbound almost took the top spot in this list, but I just couldn’t justify giving it first place because of how short it is and how limited the map is compared to TotK.
The truth is that this game is the closest in terms of building items in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom with everything requiring resources, from the ships that you build to the pouches that you use to carry items.
And without ships, you can’t get to the other islands, which means you can’t hunt creatures for food, which means you’ll starve and die!
Building and customising your boat is one of the best parts of this game, and the item storing elements along with hunting, fighting, and gliding are all very Link-esque.
Yes, you even have a glider to get down from big heights and the chance to make cool armour as well!
Bows have seriously cool properties in this game too – if it was longer, it could definitely rival any Zelda title. As it is, it’s a nice title to play after completing TotK to keep the magic going for just a little longer.
1. Horzon: Forbidden West
The results are in, and Horzon: Forbidden West is officially the best game like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom available to play today!
For those of you that have played this game, you’ll already know how incredible it is. I mean, the PS5 makes this stunning world feel like something you could step through your TV into!
And even though you might not want to hear it, the game has some serious Zelda influences in it.
There is a crafting element involved when it comes to making arrows and items,. As a result, the climbing, gliding, and hookshot-esque abilities here for players to use make me think that Aloy is channeling her inner Link!
And if you thought Flux Construct 1 was a tough bad guy to beat, then wait till you go up against the biggest mechanical T-Rex that you’ve ever seen or imagined!
Aloy is an amazing protaganist and one of the best video game characters of modern times too. If you’re looking for games like Zelda Tears of the Kingdom that keep you on your toes and wondering what’s around the next corner, then you can’t go wrong with Forbidden West!
Which of these games gave you the most Zelda-esque feeling and how many are in your collection? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
