Games Like The Lantern of the Laughless Saint
Compare Morrowind, Ardenfall, Dread Delusion, Outward, and The Wayward Realms by exploration, magic, co-op, world design, and current availability.
The closest match depends on which part of The Lantern of the Laughless Saint you want more of. Choose Morrowind for the original open-ended skill system, Ardenfall for another compact Morrowind-inspired island RPG, Dread Delusion for strange retro exploration, Outward for established open-world co-op, or The Wayward Realms for a much larger future-facing sandbox.
These are not clones and this is not a numerical ranking. Each recommendation is tied to a specific player need and linked to the game’s official Steam description checked on August 20, 2026.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best match for | Co-op? | Current availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrowind | Use-based growth, open-ended exploration, strange lore | No | Released |
| Ardenfall | Compact first-person island RPG, choices, magic, character building | No | Demo available; full game planned for 2026 |
| Dread Delusion | Retro 3D style, occult fantasy, exploration, alternative quest solutions | No | Released |
| Outward Definitive Edition | Open-world travel with online and split-screen co-op | Yes | Released |
| The Wayward Realms | Huge simulated world, factions, custom skills, spells, and potions | No co-op listed | Coming soon |
1. Morrowind — for the design language behind the comparison
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is the obvious first choice because NerveLabs openly uses it as an inspiration point. Bethesda’s official description emphasizes an open-ended single-player RPG where character development follows the player’s actions and the main story can be ignored in favor of exploring strange locations.
Choose Morrowind if your priority is:
- building a character by using skills rather than following a rigid class track;
- navigating a world that expects attention to directions and place names;
- experimental magic and systems that can become wildly powerful;
- a dense, alien setting with decades of guides and mods behind it.
Do not choose it for co-op. The official Steam version is single-player, and its age means the interface and presentation require more patience than a modern RPG.
2. Ardenfall — for another compact Morrowind-inspired island
Ardenfall is the strongest modern thematic neighbor. Its official page calls it an immersive compact open-world RPG set across plains, wetlands, ruins, and caves, with character creation, unusual magic, consequential choices, and NPC trust that opens or closes paths.
The overlap with The Lantern is unusually direct:
- both use an island-scale setting rather than a continent-sized map;
- both emphasize dialogue, factions or relationships, and multiple ways through a problem;
- both support strange magic and potions rather than a purely combat-driven build system;
- both explicitly appeal to players who want a Morrowind-like RPG made by a smaller team.
The important difference is availability. Ardenfall’s full game was still listed as coming in 2026 when checked, though an official demo is available. It is also single-player.
3. Dread Delusion — for a finished strange-world RPG
Dread Delusion is the best choice if the strange tone matters more than co-op. Its official page describes a broken world of flying continents, mushroom forests, occult secrets, towns, factions, spells, potions, and choices that alter how the story unfolds.
Choose it for:
- a released game rather than another Early Access commitment;
- deliberately retro 3D visuals;
- exploration where picking a direction is part of the experience;
- non-combat options such as charm, lockpicking, and forbidden knowledge;
- a world that feels surreal instead of standard medieval fantasy.
It is single-player, and its combat/progression structure is not a one-to-one Morrowind recreation. The match is mood, exploration, magic, and player choice.
4. Outward Definitive Edition — for proven co-op exploration
Outward Definitive Edition is the practical alternative for players whose first question is “can I explore a difficult fantasy world with a friend?” Its official page lists both online co-op and shared/split-screen co-op, alongside hazardous travel, survival needs, dungeons, ritualistic spellcasting, and decisions the autosave expects you to live with.
The match is not the tone. Outward is more survival-focused and less interested in copying Morrowind’s skill progression. What it offers is something The Lantern’s community clearly values: a complete, established co-op RPG built around journeys, preparation, and discovery.
Choose Outward if you want:
- local or online two-player adventure now;
- travel preparation and environmental danger;
- magic that feels learned and ritualized;
- consequences without constant save reloading.
Avoid it if hunger, disease, sleep, weather, and resource management sound like chores.
5. The Wayward Realms — for a larger future sandbox
The Wayward Realms comes from developers associated with the original Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall. Its official pitch is radically larger than The Lantern: more than one hundred islands, many factions, dynamic procedural generation, a virtual game master, custom classes, spells, potions, and enchantments.
This is the recommendation for someone who sees The Lantern as proof that the old “build a character and disappear into a reactive world” RPG ambition is alive again. It is not the recommendation for someone who wants a game to play tonight: the Steam page still says “coming soon,” and co-op is not listed as a feature.
It also takes a different technical direction. The Wayward Realms discloses limited large-language-model use to adapt quest objectives and reword handwritten dialogue to the player’s state. That may matter to players who prefer or avoid particular development approaches.
Which one should you choose?
- Want the source of the design philosophy? Play Morrowind.
- Want another modern, compact Morrowind-like? Try the Ardenfall demo and watch its 2026 release state.
- Want a finished strange retro world? Play Dread Delusion.
- Want co-op more than Morrowind-style leveling? Play Outward Definitive Edition.
- Want the biggest possible simulated RPG and do not mind waiting? Follow The Wayward Realms.
- Want The Lantern’s exact island, theater, lore, and full co-op promise? There is no substitute; decide whether its current Early Access roughness is acceptable using the forum reaction roundup and co-op guide.
Community forums also mentioned Drova and other indie RPGs, but this first comparison keeps only games with a clear, source-backed reason to be here. More names can be added when they answer a distinct player preference rather than merely sharing an RPG tag.