Games like Zelda without a Nintendo Switch
If you want Zelda without a Switch, Genshin Impact gives you the open world, Tunic gives you the secrets, and Death's Door gives you the dungeons. Genshin and Death's Door are on phones too.
What people mean by a Zelda game
The Legend of Zelda is Nintendo's action-adventure series, started in 1986. Breath of the Wild (2017) and Tears of the Kingdom (2023) opened the world up: climb anything, glide anywhere, solve shrines with physics.
Older games like A Link to the Past are top-down, with dungeons, keys and one new item per dungeon. A Zelda-like copies one of those two styles. The main series stays on Nintendo hardware.
Zelda-likes on other platforms
- Genshin Impact. HoYoverse's free open-world RPG on PC, PlayStation and phones. Climbing, gliding and elemental puzzles feel close to Breath of the Wild.
- Tunic. A small fox in a world full of hidden paths, by Andrew Shouldice and Finji (2022). The in-game manual is a puzzle in itself.
- Death's Door. Acid Nerve's top-down adventure about a crow who reaps souls. Netflix members can play it on iPhone and Android.
- Immortals Fenyx Rising. Ubisoft's Greek-myth open world from 2020. Gliding, puzzle vaults and a lot of jokes from the gods.
- Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm. Cornfox & Bros.' 3D adventure, first released on Apple Arcade. Built openly in the style of the classic Zelda games.
Which one to pick
Want to explore a big world on a phone? Genshin Impact. Want hard secrets and a clever map? Tunic. Want tight dungeons and boss fights? Death's Door. Want gliding and puzzle vaults on a console? Immortals Fenyx Rising.
If you do own a Switch, the older Zelda games on Nintendo Switch Online are the cheapest way to see where the genre started.
Roam games with quests and dungeons
Roam is a free iPhone app. These games were made with the Zelda feel in mind.
- PIXELVALE. A top-down action RPG. Take the quest and clear the meadow.
- Thornvale. Third-person fantasy adventure with a green-tunic hero, a fairy and a long road to the Elder.
- Mosshollow Blade. Follow the fairy and find the Thornblade.
- Shadows Lie. Carry a lantern and light the shrines in a top-down world.
- Become the Mural. A first-person tomb puzzle. Step into the wall and walk where no one else can.
Play it on Roam
PIXELVALESword, bow, three potions, and goblins on the road to Millbrook.
ThornvaleA green tunic, a fairy and a long staircase up.
Mosshollow BladeFollow Glim. Find the Thornblade.
Shadows LieCarry the lantern. Light the wayshrines. Burn back the dark.
Become the MuralFace the wall. Tap FLATTEN. Become the painting.
More on Roam
Make your own Zelda-style adventure with Roam
Describe the hero, the world and the dungeon. Roam builds it as a game you can play and change by talking.
Try: "top-down adventure on a floating island, my dog is the fairy guide, 3 dungeons, a key in each"Questions people ask
Can you play Zelda on a phone?
The main Zelda games are only on Nintendo consoles. Genshin Impact and Death's Door are the closest picks on mobile.
What is the closest game to Breath of the Wild?
Genshin Impact borrows the most: climbing, gliding, cooking and stamina. Immortals Fenyx Rising is the closest on other consoles.
Is Genshin Impact free?
Yes. It is free to play, with optional purchases for characters through its gacha system.