Elden Ring vs Baldur's Gate 3: which modern classic should you play first?
Playze Staff · Jul 4, 2026
It is a good problem to have: Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3 are both discounted at the same time, and both are among the finest games of the decade. They are also almost nothing alike. Here is how to decide which to buy first.
Play Elden Ring if you want challenge and atmosphere
FromSoftware's masterpiece is a lonely, mysterious open world that trusts you to explore it with almost no hand-holding. Combat is demanding and every victory is earned. If you love the feeling of overcoming something that beat you a dozen times — and a world that tells its story through ruins and silence rather than cutscenes — start with Elden Ring. Its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion adds one of the best pieces of DLC ever made once you are ready for more.
Play Baldur's Gate 3 if you want choice and story
Larian's RPG is the opposite kind of masterpiece: talkative, reactive and endlessly flexible. Almost anything you try, the game accounts for. It rewards experimentation, plays brilliantly in co-op, and remembers your decisions across an enormous branching campaign. If you want a story that bends around your choices rather than a world that tests your reflexes, Baldur's Gate 3 is the one.
The honest answer
Buy the cheaper one first — both are that good, so let the better deal decide. Check the current price and the all-time low on each game's page; Elden Ring goes on sale a little more freely, while any discount on Baldur's Gate 3 is worth acting on quickly because they are rarer. Then, whenever you finish the first, the second will still be waiting, and you can set an alert to grab it the next time it dips.
Compare both on our deals page, and may your build — whichever world you choose — be a strong one.
