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The 9 Best Games to Play If You Love The Odyssey

Key takeaways

  • God of War (2018) emerges as the top recommendation for Odyssey enthusiasts because it constructs its narrative around the same tragic heroism that defines Homer’s work.
  • Ubisoft Quebec’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) stands as the most commercially successful game on this list and the most direct historical adaptation of The Odyssey’s setting.
  • Beyond established releases, the gaming industry continues to invest in Greek mythology adaptations.
  • For players seeking artistic alternatives, Alientrap’s Apotheon (2015) delivers a unique visual approach to Greek mythology through a 2D action-adventure format inspired by ancient Greek pottery aesthetics.

God of War (2018) stands as the premier gaming experience for fans of Homer’s epic, offering a narrative-driven journey through Greek mythology that directly echoes the tragic heroism and divine conflict central to The Odyssey. Released on April 20, 2018, for PlayStation 4 and later ported to PC in January 2022, Santa Monica Studio’s masterwork revitalized the franchise after years of dormancy and won multiple Game of the Year awards. For players seeking interactive storytelling rooted in ancient Greek mythology, the gaming landscape now offers nine distinct titles that capture different facets of the epic’s themes.

God of War Leads the Pack with Thematic Alignment

God of War (2018) emerges as the top recommendation for Odyssey enthusiasts because it constructs its narrative around the same tragic heroism that defines Homer’s work. Creative director Cory Barlog stated that the team “wanted to make a game that felt like a Greek tragedy… where every choice has consequences, and the gods are not benevolent,” directly mirroring the moral complexity and divine antagonism present in The Odyssey. The game’s focus on a hero’s journey through mythological realms, confrontations with gods, and exploration of fate and vengeance creates immediate thematic resonance with the source material.

The critical and commercial validation for this approach proved substantial. God of War won widespread acclaim upon release and established itself as one of PlayStation 4’s defining exclusives, with its PC port extending its reach to additional platforms. The game’s visceral combat system combines with narrative depth to create an experience that translates the epic’s emotional weight into interactive form, making it the natural first choice for players transitioning from The Odyssey into gaming.

Roguelike Innovation Offers a Modern Take on Greek Myth

Supergiant Games’ Hades (2020) presents an entirely different approach to Greek mythology, one that prioritizes accessibility and fast-paced gameplay while maintaining the rich character development that The Odyssey demands. Released on September 17, 2020, across PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms, Hades established itself as a critical darling by winning Best Indie Game at the 2021 Game Awards. The roguelike structure allows players to experience repeated encounters with the game’s pantheon of gods, each rendered with distinct personalities and motivations that reward narrative engagement.

The player reception for Hades demonstrates the hunger for quality Greek mythology experiences. The game holds a 93/100 Metacritic score for PC and a 9.3/10 OpenCritic score, with over 1.5 million players on Steam as of 2023. This combination of critical acclaim and sustained player engagement validates Hades as a top-tier recommendation, particularly for those who prefer faster-paced gameplay over the methodical storytelling of God of War while still craving meaningful mythological narrative.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Dominates Commercial Success

Ubisoft Quebec’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) stands as the most commercially successful game on this list and the most direct historical adaptation of The Odyssey’s setting. Released on October 5, 2018, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One—with later ports to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S—the game places players during the Peloponnesian War in ancient Greece. The setting directly overlaps with The Odyssey’s historical period, making it the natural choice for players who want to explore the same geographical and temporal landscape interactively.

The commercial performance of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey underscores its appeal to mainstream audiences. The game achieved a Metacritic score of 83/100 on PC and sold over 10 million copies by 2020, establishing it as one of Ubisoft’s best-selling franchise entries. Ubisoft’s acquisition of Ubisoft Quebec as part of its broader action-adventure portfolio expansion enabled the studio to leverage its expertise in crafting immersive historical worlds, resulting in a game that authentically captures the visual and cultural atmosphere of ancient Greece.

Emerging Titles Expand the Mythological Landscape

Beyond established releases, the gaming industry continues to invest in Greek mythology adaptations. Darkimbe’s Achilles: Legends Untold, announced in 2023 with a planned 2026 release for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, will focus specifically on Achilles—a central figure in both The Iliad and The Odyssey. This upcoming title promises to explore untold stories within the broader Greek mythological canon, offering fresh narrative perspectives on characters whose legacies shaped Homer’s epics.

The announcement of Achilles: Legends Untold signals sustained industry confidence in Greek mythology as a compelling creative foundation. Publishers and developers recognize that audiences who engage with classical literature like The Odyssey represent a dedicated market segment willing to invest time in narrative-driven experiences. The 2026 release window positions this title as a significant entry point for players seeking character-specific mythological adventures beyond the broader pantheon approaches of God of War and Hades.

Stylized Alternatives and Cooperative Experiences

For players seeking artistic alternatives, Alientrap’s Apotheon (2015) delivers a unique visual approach to Greek mythology through a 2D action-adventure format inspired by ancient Greek pottery aesthetics. Released on February 4, 2015, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, the game creates a world where gods are real and hostile, inverting traditional mythology expectations. With a Metacritic score of 75/100 on PC, Apotheon demonstrates that Greek myth can sustain gameplay experiences across multiple visual and mechanical styles.

Iron Lore Entertainment’s Titan Quest (2006) offers another distinct pathway through Greek mythology, emphasizing cooperative gameplay and action RPG mechanics. Originally released in 2006 for PC and later re-released for modern platforms, the game allows players to battle Greek titans and gods alongside companions, prioritizing team-based adventure over solo heroic journeys. With a Metacritic score of 72/100, Titan Quest appeals to players who value collaborative gameplay experiences while exploring mythological narratives rooted in classical sources.

The Expansion of Mythological Gaming

The diversity of titles available to Odyssey fans reflects a broader industry trend toward adapting classical literature and mythology into interactive narratives. From Santa Monica Studio’s cinematic tragedy to Supergiant Games’ fast-paced roguelike, from Ubisoft Quebec’s historical epic to Darkimbe’s character-focused adventure, developers have recognized that The Odyssey’s themes—heroic struggle, divine conflict, journey and return, and the consequences of mortal hubris—translate effectively across multiple gameplay genres and visual styles. Each title extracts different thematic elements from Homer’s work, allowing players to experience Greek mythology through their preferred gameplay mechanics.

The combined sales figures, critical scores, and player engagement metrics across these nine titles demonstrate that audiences actively seek interactive experiences rooted in classical mythology. God of War’s multiple Game of the Year awards, Hades’ sustained player base of 1.5 million on Steam alone, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s 10 million copies sold represent substantial commercial validation for this genre. Players who finish The Odyssey now have unprecedented access to games that expand, reimagine, and reinterpret Homer’s narrative across diverse gameplay experiences.

What Lies Ahead for Mythological Gaming

The 2026 release of Achilles: Legends Untold marks a significant milestone in the continued evolution of Greek mythology as a gaming subject. As Darkimbe and Forever Entertainment develop this character-focused adventure, the industry watches to see how new studios approach the established mythological landscape already shaped by God of War, Hades, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The success or failure of this upcoming title will influence whether publishers continue investing in Greek mythology adaptations or shift focus toward other classical sources.

For fans of The Odyssey, the current moment represents an optimal time to explore gaming’s mythological offerings. Nine distinct titles—ranging from narrative-driven epics to fast-paced roguelikes to stylized 2D adventures—provide multiple entry points into interactive interpretations of Homer’s world. Whether players prioritize visual spectacle, mechanical innovation, historical authenticity, or artistic style, the gaming landscape now accommodates every preference while maintaining thematic fidelity to the classical source material that inspired them all.

Written by
Devon Okonkwo

Devon Okonkwo covers gaming hardware — PC builds, performance benchmarks, and component reviews. Devon has built more test rigs than they can count and translates spec sheets into what actually matters for real-world gameplay.