Soulslike

An action RPG sub-genre of games that emulate aspects of the Souls series which started with Demon's Souls and gained popularity with the release of Dark Souls. A prominent aspect of this genre is higher than average difficulty, which includes mastering the combat, learning enemy attack patterns, and adapting to challenging bosses. There is often a currency system that is used to gain levels but can be permanently lost upon death. Another common design is enemies that respawn upon death and a checkpoint system to replenish health and respawn enemies. There is also often a metroidvania-esque level design that focuses on collecting items and opening shortcuts rather than advancing through changes to the player character. These games may also include an online component for cooperative play or PvP and the story telling is often minimal and environment-driven.