Games Like Pillars of Eternity, Minus the Wrong Fits
Table of Contents
Which Pillars of Eternity did you love?
Pillars of Eternity fans want different things next: the party combat, the choices, or the world. Match yours below.
The short answer
For real-time-with-pause party play, take Tyranny or Wrath of the Righteous. For older overlooked RPGs, take Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition or Serpent in the Staglands. For the world without party tactics, take Avowed.
Pillars itself added a turn-based mode in 2026, so turn-based fans belong here too. Coming from Baldur’s Gate 3? Start with games like Baldur’s Gate 3.
How we picked (and what we haven’t played)
We matched on mechanics, not genre labels. No one on our team has played these five yet, so every card is tagged Researched.
Same real-time party play: Tyranny and Wrath of the Righteous
Both keep the pause-and-order combat you know. See real-time RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 for more.
⏱️ Verified October 2, 2026: Prices, sales, and subscription catalogues change constantly. Confirm on the storefront before you buy.
Tyranny
Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux (Steam) · Price: $29.99 base (Oct 2, 2026) · Length: ~20 hours main story, community estimate · Mode: single-player.
Same studio, built on Pillars’ engine and gameplay.
You play a Fatebinder enforcing an Overlord’s law, and the faction you back changes your path. The main story runs about 20 hours against Pillars’ roughly 36.
Who it’s not for: Anyone wanting a long, side-quest-heavy sprawl; the main story is short by design.
[Researched — Steam page, press coverage]
🛒 Tyranny on Steam
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous – Enhanced Edition
Platforms: PC, Mac (Steam) · Price: $19.99 base (Oct 2, 2026) · Length: ~50 hours main story, community estimate · Mode: single-player.
Pausable real-time or turn-based party combat on Pathfinder rules.
You can switch modes mid-fight, as Pillars now allows. Mythic paths and a crusade-management layer add scale on top of the party play.
Who it’s not for: Anyone wanting a tight adventure; the main story alone runs about 50 hours.
[Researched — Steam, Owlcat, community estimates]
🛒 Wrath of the Righteous on Steam
Two older picks the usual lists skip
These two rarely make the usual lists, and one returned to modern platforms in 2025.
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch · Price: $29.99 (Oct 2, 2026) · Length: ~15–20 hours, Mask of the Betrayer (developer estimate) · Mode: single-player, online multiplayer · Rating: Teen
Obsidian party RPG with pausable real-time combat and a story-first expansion.
Mask of the Betrayer hangs on a spirit-eating curse and a choice between devouring and suppressing. Its developers said in 2007 it stands alone: the one old Obsidian RPG we’d recommend first.
Who it’s not for: Anyone put off by a dated interface and D&D 3.5 rules; the port scored 69 on Metacritic.
[Researched — storefronts, Metacritic, press]
Serpent in the Staglands
Platforms: PC (Steam) · Price: $13.99 base · Length: 20–40 hours, reviewer estimates · Mode: single-player.
Party-based, pausable real-time combat in an open, classless world.
You play a trapped god crossing a dark-fantasy peninsula, free to explore in any order. Characters are built from over 100 skills, with no classes.
Who it’s not for: Anyone wanting deep combat; Steam reviews were Mixed (62% positive) and RPG Codex called the tactics simplistic.
[Researched — Steam page, RPGWatch, RPG Codex]
🛒 Serpent in the Staglands on Steam
If you miss Eora more than the party tactics
Avowed is set in Eora, the Pillars world, but plays differently.
Avowed
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5 · Price: $49.99 standard, PlayStation Store · Length: ~15–20 hours main story, reviewer estimates · Mode: single-player · Rating: ESRB Mature 17+
Set in Eora, the Pillars world, by the same studio.
It takes place a few years after the second Pillars game, and you don’t need the earlier games to start. Combat is first-person action with companions, not pause-and-order.
Who it’s not for: Anyone who wants party tactics; this is an action RPG, not real-time with pause.
[Researched — PlayStation Store, ESRB, press]
🛒 Avowed on PlayStation Store
What carries over, and what doesn’t
Carries over: the setting, the studio, and companions. Doesn’t: pause-and-order combat.
All five side by side
Base prices and community estimates as of October 2, 2026.
The comparison
| Game | Combat | Platforms | Base price | Main story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyranny | Pausable real-time | PC, Mac, Linux | $29.99 | ~20 h |
| Wrath of the Righteous | Pausable real-time or turn-based | PC, Mac | $19.99 | ~50 h |
| Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition | Pausable real-time | PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch | $29.99 | ~15–20 h* |
| Serpent in the Staglands | Pausable real-time | PC | $13.99 | 20–40 h |
| Avowed | First-person action | PC, Xbox, PS5 | $49.99 | ~15–20 h |
*Mask of the Betrayer expansion alone.
Match by what you loved most
Loved the tactics: Wrath of the Righteous. Loved the choices: Tyranny or Neverwinter Nights 2. Loved Eora: Avowed.
The popular pick we’d skip: Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium shows up near the top of several lists of games like Pillars, and it received critical acclaim.
Why it’s a poor fit here
It’s a non-traditional RPG with little combat, played as a single detective, so it offers none of the party tactics most Pillars fans want.
When it’s still the right call
Buy it if the writing and choices were why you loved Pillars; the Final Cut is $39.99 at base on Steam. Turn-based fans also have games like Divinity: Original Sin 2, which every list already covers.
Console, Steam Deck and price notes
Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition runs on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch; Avowed is on PS5 and Xbox.
Console and handheld options
We haven’t confirmed a console edition of Wrath of the Righteous. For handhelds, see more RPGs for Steam Deck and RPGs on Switch 2.
Prices and ratings move
At least one pick was on sale when we checked, so confirm before buying. Avowed is rated Mature 17+ by the ESRB for blood and gore, strong language and violence; check the others on esrb.org.
Questions people ask about games like Pillars of Eternity
1. What are the best games like Pillars of Eternity?
The best games like Pillars of Eternity here are Tyranny, Wrath of the Righteous, Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition, Serpent in the Staglands and Avowed.
2. Is Tyranny similar to Pillars of Eternity?
Yes. Tyranny is from the same studio and builds on Pillars’ engine and gameplay, but its story is shorter and choice-driven.
3. Does Wrath of the Righteous have real-time with pause?
Yes. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous lets you play real-time with pause or turn-based and switch between them during play.
4. Does Pillars of Eternity have a turn-based mode?
Yes. Obsidian added turn-based mode to Pillars of Eternity in 2026; you can switch between it and real-time with pause.
5. Is Avowed set in the same world as Pillars of Eternity?
Yes. Avowed is set in Eora, the world of Pillars of Eternity, a few years after the second Pillars game.
6. Is Avowed party-based like Pillars of Eternity?
No. Avowed is a first-person action RPG with companions, so it lacks the pause-and-order party combat of Pillars of Eternity.
7. Is Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition on console?
Yes. Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch, as well as PC.
8. Is Disco Elysium like Pillars of Eternity?
Only for the writing. Disco Elysium has little combat and a single detective protagonist, unlike Pillars of Eternity’s party battles.
9. Is Tyranny shorter than Pillars of Eternity?
Yes. Community estimates put Tyranny’s main story near 20 hours, against roughly 36 for Pillars of Eternity.
10. Are there games like Pillars of Eternity on PS5 or Switch?
Yes. Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is on Switch and PS5, and Avowed is on PS5, both covered above.
Where to start tonight
Most Pillars fans should start with Tyranny: same studio, same engine, and a story you can finish in about 20 hours. If the party tactics were the draw, take Wrath of the Righteous; for the world alone, take Avowed.
