WithKingdom Hearts Missing-Linkout of the picture, there isn’t much left standing between fans and the launch ofKingdom Hearts 4. On one hand, it’s somewhat comforting to know that Square Enix and Disney’s historically long-winded crossover series is focused on reaching its next major narrative beat, but on the other, that also means there may not be any newKingdom Heartsspin-offs to fill the gap before its release.Kingdom Hearts 4has already made fans wait three years since its 2022 announcement, and the way things are going, there could be one or two years left.
A batch of images released forKH4in May 2025 has at least reassured the community that the game is on its way, so the wait is all that’s left. Many have already begun replaying oldKingdom Heartsgames, something that’s never been easier thanks to theKingdom Hearts All-In-One PackageandIntegrum Masterpiececollections on every platform. However, there are plenty of games around that are likeKingdom Heartsin one way or another, and experiencing them is a great way to fill the time untilKingdom Hearts 4is finally out.
Best Games To Play While Waiting For Kingdom Hearts 4
Square Enix itself has plenty of great games that complement theKingdom Heartsseries, including several directly tied to the core crossover it’s based on.Final Fantasy 7 Remake,FF7 Rebirth,Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, andFinal Fantasy 16are all action-RPGs that share staff and/or mechanical ideas with variousKingdom Heartstitles, includingKH’s main director himself, Tetsuya Nomura, in the case ofFF7. Although the details diverge, these games are all easy to recommend to modernKingdom Heartsfans for a similar-feeling experience.
They aren’t the last relevant Square Enix titles, either.NEO: The World Ends With Youand its DS predecessor both also had Tetsuya Nomura on as a creative producer and character designer, and even though that’s the extent of his known involvement, there’s still adistinctiveKingdom Heartsvibe toTWEWY. It helps that the originalTWEWY’s characters appeared inKH Dream Drop Distance, andKingdom Hearts 4’s Quadratum is based on the same Shibuya district thatTWEWYis set in. Coupled with moreKH-like combat inNEO: TWEWY, this series should be everyKingdom Heartsfan’s next stop.
AlthoughNEO: The World Ends With Youis more widely available, the originalTWEWYdoes have a Nintendo Switch port, as well as an anime adaptation.
On the topic of matchingKingdom Hearts’ gameplay and vibes, there are plenty of games that will do the trick.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,Yakuza: Like A Dragon, andLike A Dragon: Infinite Wealtharemodern turn-based RPGs with action combat twists, and they feel like they capture the fun ofKingdom Hearts. Meanwhile,Tales of Graces f RemasteredandYs X: Nordicsare two different flavors of action-RPG that built out their combat enough to impress evenKH3 ReMindCritical Mode players.Reynatisis humbler in scope, but itsNEO: TWEWYcrossover and resemblance toFinal Fantasy Versus 13give it direct ties toKH4.
Going over all the other contemporary games that embody aspects ofKingdom Hearts, likeLies of P,Lost Soul Aside, andMetaphor: ReFantaziowould take too long, but one more title deserves special mention.Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushedis another recent release, and although it’s mostly a 3D platformer, its slightly darkened interpretation of nostalgicDisney properties sounds likeKingdom Hearts. It’s available on most platforms, so anyone looking for more good Disney games beforeKingdom Hearts 4arrives is in luck.
