Baldur’s Gate 3 was a game-changer, a masterclass in role-playing that left millions of players with a serious case of the post-campaign blues. Once you’ve tasted that sweet, sweet elixir of deep narrative, meaningful choices, and unforgettable companions, regular gaming just doesn’t hit the same. You’re left wandering the digital wasteland, muttering to yourself, “What in the Nine Hells do I play now?” Fear not, weary adventurer. The quest for that next epic fix doesn’t have to be a solo mission. We’ve scoured the realms—from the farthest reaches of space to the grittiest city streets—to find the perfect games to scratch that specific BG3 itch. Forget wasting precious hours on a dud; these titles are certified bangers that understand the assignment.
1. Mass Effect Legendary Edition: Your Personal Space Opera
Don’t let the starships and laser rifles fool you. Beneath its sci-fi exterior, the Mass Effect Legendary Edition shares the same DNA as Baldur’s Gate 3. This is the ultimate package, bundling Commander Shepard’s legendary trilogy with all the DLC (well, almost all) and a gorgeous visual glow-up. It’s every Star Wars fan’s dream RPG, but with way more nuanced choices about who to romance and which alien species to accidentally doom.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: This is the OG when it comes to narrative consequence. Your choices don’t just affect the next conversation; they ripple across three entire games. Saving the Geth or the Quarians? That’s a decision that will haunt you more than any real-world moral dilemma. The party banter is legendary, the relationships feel real, and by the end, your crew is your family. It’s the ultimate “choices matter” power fantasy.
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The Vibe: Think BG3’s character-driven storytelling, but you’re saving the galaxy instead of removing a mind flayer tadpole. The Paragon/Renegade system is like having a permanent Guidance cantrip for social interactions.
2. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut - A Detective Story for the Ages
If the rich, witty, and profoundly human writing of BG3 is what captured your heart, then Disco Elysium is your next must-play. You are a detective with a world-class hangover and amnesia, trying to solve a murder in a city tearing itself apart with political strife. There’s no traditional combat here—just your wits, your skills (which literally argue with you), and a staggering number of dialogue choices.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: This game has, no cap, some of the best writing in the history of the medium. It’s a masterclass in role-playing where your stats directly influence the narrative and your perception of the world. Want to be a sorry cop, an art cop, or a superstar cop? The game not only allows it but fully commits to the bit. The moral ambiguity and deep world-building will feel like home.
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The Vibe: Imagine if all of BG3’s campfire conversations and skill checks were the entire game, set in a surreal, post-revolutionary city. It’s a straight-up vibe.
3. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
This one’s a no-brainer. Before they conquered Faerûn, Larian Studios perfected their craft with Divinity: Original Sin 2. Want to know where BG3’s glorious turn-based combat, environmental interactivity, and co-op shenanigans came from? Look no further. While it might not have the cinematic polish of its successor, it’s every bit as deep, strategic, and wonderfully chaotic.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: It’s Larian’s previous masterpiece. The combat system is arguably even more free-form, encouraging absurd and brilliant solutions (hello, barrelmancy!). The origin characters have fantastic personal stories, and the world of Rivellon is bursting with detail and dark humor. If you loved the gameplay loop of BG3, this is essentially more of that, but with lizards and undead as playable races.
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The Vibe: BG3’s slightly more unhinged, mechanically complex older sibling. Pure, uncut Larian RPG goodness.
4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
Chances are you’ve already played this behemoth, but if not, what are you even doing with your life? The Witcher 3 was the genre-defining epic before BG3 took the crown. As Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter for hire, you navigate a world steeped in political intrigue, moral gray areas, and breathtaking side quests that put most main stories to shame.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: The world-building is immaculate. Every side quest feels like a short story, and your choices constantly force you to pick the lesser evil. The two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are arguably the best DLC ever made, adding dozens more hours of top-tier content. It’s a masterclass in how to make an open world feel alive and consequential.
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The Vibe: Less about building your own character, more about stepping into the well-worn boots of a legendary figure and navigating his pre-existing web of relationships and conflicts. The storytelling is chef’s kiss. 🤌
5. Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Edition
If you’re craving that classic BioWare party-based magic, Dragon Age: Origins is the GOAT. It’s the fantasy RPG that arguably laid the groundwork for games like BG3. You create a Grey Warden from one of several unique origin stories, recruit a party of memorable companions, and set out to stop a Blight of monstrous Darkspawn.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: The party dynamics are everything. Your companions bicker, bond, and react to your decisions with shocking depth. The dialogue wheel and approval system here are legendary. The choices you make are brutal and have lasting consequences, shaping the fate of entire kingdoms. It’s a true role-playing experience where your background and decisions fundamentally change the narrative.
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The Vibe: A darker, grittier fantasy epic with a tactical, pause-and-play combat system. It’s the spiritual predecessor to BG3’s social and narrative systems.
6. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire
For those who fell in love with BG3’s isometric roots, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire is a must-play. This is Obsidian Entertainment at their absolute peak, delivering a vast, seafaring adventure across a vibrant archipelago. You are a Watcher, a being who can see into souls, commanding your own ship and crew in a story filled with godly conflicts and pirate intrigue.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: The writing is phenomenal, and the companions are just as complex and opinionated as Larian’s crew. The world is incredibly reactive to your choices and even the passage of in-game time. While the combat is real-time with pause (though it has a great turn-based mode too), the depth of role-playing, character building, and narrative freedom is on par with the best in the genre.
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The Vibe: A truly open-world CRPG where you are the captain of your own destiny (and your own ship). It’s the ultimate high-seas fantasy adventure.
7. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Okay, listen up, you absolute legends and min-maxing maniacs. You want another RPG based on a tabletop ruleset? You want one that’s also directly inspired by D&D and offers mind-boggling character freedom? Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is your holy grail. A caveat: its rule system makes D&D 5e look like child’s play. It’s complex, deep, and sometimes utterly bewildering.
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Why BG3 Fans Will Dig It: In terms of sheer scale and role-playing flexibility, this might be the closest you can get to BG3. The character creator is a thing of beauty, with an insane number of classes, archetypes, and multi-classing options. The “Mythic Path” system lets you become an Angel, a Lich, a Demon, or other powerful beings, radically altering the story. The turn-based combat is strategically rich and deeply satisfying for tacticians.
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The Vibe: BG3 on steroids when it comes to character building and cosmic-scale stakes. It’s for the player who looked at BG3’s level 12 cap and said, “I want to go to level 20 and become a literal god.”
So there you have it, seven phenomenal RPGs to carry you through until the next Larian masterpiece drops. Whether you’re yearning for epic sci-fi, detective noir, or more deep fantasy, there’s a world here waiting for you. Now go forth, roll some virtual dice, and remember: save often, talk to everyone, and never, ever trust a mind flayer. Happy adventuring! 🎲✨