Single-player role-playing games can take you to another world and offer you escapism on a different level from many other genres of games. Taking your place as the only player-controlled character in a game, you take part in a story as you level up, engage in quests, and usually improve the state of the world through your actions.

There are plenty of RPGs out there, but only the best are deserving of your playthrough. So, let's see what they are, shall we?

1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim has been a classic since release, having stood the test of time across multiple generations and still holding up today. It is one of the best RPGs on Steam. Taking the role of the Dragonborn, you fight across all of Skyrim as you take part in a multitude of quest lines. There is plenty of story-based content, side quests, and collectibles for you to find.

Skyrim has an enjoyable storyline, fun mechanics, and an immersive world. It has immense replay value due to the array of builds you can do, and the game captures the feeling of being completely in control over your gaming experience.

2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher is a very mainstream franchise now with the release of the Netflix series, but The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was the game that put the franchise on the map. With an array of different monsters to take down, spells to use, and stunning sword-based combat mechanics, the Witcher 3 is a marvelous single-player RPG.

Receiving universal acclaim and winning high-profile awards, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt deserves a place on any best single-player RPG list. Due to how old the game is, you can pick it up for cheap across all platforms or second-hand retail stores. If you're a fan of single-player RPGs and fantasy stories, then this game is perfect for you.

3. Dark Souls

Infamous for the difficulty it posed gamers when it first came out, Dark Souls is a difficult single-player RPG that tests your mechanical abilities. You will face countless difficult bosses, uncover a rich and engaging story and die countless times. Dark Souls doesn't hold your hand and is extremely layered, which swiftly makes you realize there's a lot to know about RPGs.

Dark Souls spawned two successful sequels and is often regarded as a cult classic. It won multiple Game of the Year awards and received very positive critical feedback. The developers even remastered the game due to its retained popularity.

4. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

The Mass Effect games are single-player sci-fi RPGs with a rich story that offers a lot of variety in how it plays out. You have branching trees that alter the story depending on your choices right down to dialogue options giving the game immense replay value.

The Legendary Edition of Mass Effect includes a remastered version of Mass Effect 1, 2, and 3, complete with all DLCs. The amount of content available in this edition makes it one of the best single-player RPGs of all time.

5. Elden Ring

Elden Ring is the newest title from FromSoftware, the developers behind critically acclaimed titles like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. This game sees you travel to the Lands Between in search of the titular ring. Huge giants, fire-breathing dragons, goblins, and more all exist to stand in the way of your journey.

If you enjoyed the Dark Souls series, you are sure to fall in love with this game. The general mechanics carry over from previous FromSoftware titles, but Elden Ring takes a more non-linear, open-world approach that gives you complete control of what you do and when you do it.

6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Knights of the Old Republic is one of the all-time most popular games. Widely considered not just the best Star Wars game but one of the best games ever, it is so popular that Sony is remaking it for the Playstation 5.

With enjoyable lightsaber mechanics and impressive replayability, Knights of the Old Republic is packed with a rich story that expands upon the overall Star Wars lore. If you are both a Star Wars and single-player RPG fan, this one is a no-brainer.

7. Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal may not be as popular as the other best single-player RPGs on this list, but it's absolutely worth a try if you're a fan of the genre. This critically acclaimed game offers you a thought-provoking story that changes based on your dialogue choices.

Persona 5 Royal nails the elements of Japanese RPGs that fans of the genre love, and it's no surprise that it still tops the Playstation 4 top-rated charts on critic sites like Metacritic.

8. Fallout: New Vegas

If you are a Fallout fan, you likely know that the series peaked when New Vegas came out. Building upon the well-received mechanics and engine used for Fallout 3, New Vegas offers another look at the Fallout world in the Fallout 3 era, with refined mechanics and features that give you hours of fun.

Fallout has fallen out of favor in the last few years with the disappointing release of Fallout 76, but that doesn't detract from the experience that New Vegas provided gamers when first released almost a decade ago.

9. Divinity: Original Sin II

Divinity: Original Sin II is considered one of the best RPGs of all time. You can play either by yourself or with three other players as you battle against monsters and other factions on the land of Rivellon.

The game has a complex combat system and lots of content, with a vast map and varying monsters to fight and farm for certain items. You're sure to have a lot of fun on Divinity II, whether by yourself or with friends, and if you consider yourself an RPG fan, then it is well worth a try.

10. Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed wasn't known as an RPG throughout its long and popular history. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is where the game started leaning into RPG, with Valhalla building upon that and taking more of a direct leap into the genre for a series that has long been pegged as stealth action-adventure.

With cinematic visuals, an enjoyable story, and easy combat, you can have hours of fun as a Viking in Valhalla. The game plays into lots of old Norse mythology and even expands upon the present-day storyline. Fans of history and RPGs will love this, and if you'd since given up on Assassin's Creed, it is well worth jumping back into it with this entry.

The Best Single-Player Role-Playing Games

Single-player role-playing games provide hours of fun and a sense of control over the gaming world you inhabit. Hundreds of RPGs have been released over the years, making the genre a little overwhelming to newcomers. The games covered here are the best and most popular.

And if you're interested in the development side of gaming, you will enjoy learning about the key technologies used in RPG development.