Nothing beats a game with a good character creator — an easy way to lose countless hours without making much progress. Customization options can offer further immersion, as stories feel forged by either ourselves, an OC (Original Character), or a crossover.
The technology and creativity behind these features have only advanced with time, delighting us in ways often unexpected, desperately needed, or uniquely creative. So, with that said, here are our picks for the best character creators in video games.
Elden Ring
Characters in this FromSoftware RPG’s creator will look a bit more roughed up, but minor quirks aside, Elden Ring’s customization options give you quite a lot of wiggle room to create many iconic characters. If you’re meticulous, there’s enough to keep you here for hours.
While it may not offer the extensive list of options other RPGs do, the small ways the base templates work in a bit of Elden-lore go a long way. Selecting options like Nightfolk or Draconian Tarnished offer up a bountiful world of “what-ifs,” and while some folks prefer to take the min-maxing, logical route, picking a Keepsake solely based on the coolness factor is a trap I’ll fall for every time.
Black Desert Online
Standing out from the crowd in an MMORPG is of utmost importance, and Black Desert rightfully deserves a spot as one of the better character creators in terms of the sheer amount of customization options. While it’s almost a decade old, the game was truly a stand-out of its time, offering enough entertainment to even make it one of those “I’m downloading this just for the creator” titles.
Unfortunately, some restrictions will apply in terms of race and what class you pick, but it does add a more thematic approach when conjuring up new characters.
WWE 2K games
Sort of in the same realm as Soulcalibur, the WWE 2K games serve more of a sandbox purpose here. We’ve all seen those big Royal Rumble matches on various platforms where people download or create several custom characters and have them all duke it out in the ring.
Some custom creations are pretty spot on while others get comically unrealistic and goofy, but the freedom to create your weirdest ideas and make them fist-fight has birthed some of the most hilarious cross-overs for spectators and players alike.
Code Vein
This anime-like Dark Souls game is more than meets the eye. Code Vein doesn’t quite live up to the FromSoftware levels of greatness, given some slightly undercooked features, but the character creation gives the mild story more spice in its life. The advanced sliders in Code Vein truly sell the experience.
For those serious about getting in the weeds, Code Vein offers all sorts of objects and hair pieces you can clip together to make something that truly feels custom. If certain parts of your favorite hairstyle are too short, that’s no problem — drop some dramatic bangs onto the look or an extra elsewhere. No need to throw out the whole thing.
Nioh 2
Sliders for skin textures, facial feature angles, and so much more can chisel your Nioh 2 character to look like just about anyone. The only downside is its limiting ponytails and helmets, but it’s an obstacle I’ll forgive with how strikingly familiar you can make some of these faces.
Much like other games, Nioh 2 also has a Subreddit dedicated to the various creations people make, but it’s certainly one I’ve frequented more than others. Oftentimes, the creations shared can be used for your own use in your playthroughs!
Monster Hunter: World
Sure, Monster Hunter World is one of the more limited options out there when it comes to other RPGs or action titles, but it sure is pretty and impressively remains that way, even through all the monster slaying. In its vanilla version, World lets me customize just enough to stay satisfied without taxing resources beyond what I’ve got to handle it.
Bonus points for offering one of the best versions of dress-up. All of that armor from the whole monster-hunting process gives me an avatar I’m quite pleased with.
Soulcalibur 6
Character creation in the Soulcalibur games has been a staple in the franchise since the third. With each iteration, the models got better and the way you can manipulate objects to complete outfits only got wackier. Though, that’s all a good thing once we get to the latest game in the series.
People have managed to make characters that would totally fit right into the game’s iconic roster. Though this feature isn’t liked by people who play competitively, it’s fun to mess around and fill up all the character slots with OCs, crossover skins for characters, or just straight-up crossover characters.
Warframe
This is an interesting pick we have on the list. Warframe is supposed to be this fast-paced looter shooter with a lot of weapons that change up the game in dramatic ways. However, there is a whole dedicated community that created their own meta in the game called Fashionframe.
People spend hours on end making some of the most glamorous setups for their Warframes, Operators, and Drifters. Such customizations are original ones, and some are homages to characters in other forms of media.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 already guarantees you’ll sink hours and hours into it with its story, romance, and combat, but the character creator is a whole other beast on its own. And while the vanilla version comes with plenty of options to create your most realistically unreal fantasy hero (or villain), the modding scene remains unmatched.
While there are plenty of BG3 mods outside of cosmetics, a quick skim around the internet reveals just how special some Tavs are to their creators. It’s a testament to how beloved its original iteration is, with some folks even paying tribute to their other favorite games through mods, like FFXIV.
Mii Maker
I’m breaking the rules a bit here because the Mii Maker has been around since the Nintendo Wii, making it a character creator that’s now three console generations old and showing its age. However, the barebones, cartoonish creator has been an iconic part of the Nintendo experience since 2006.
It’s simplistic, but those boundaries and rules seem to inspire more creativity. Players have conjured up fascinating ways to manipulate a Mii’s features to create different people, fictional characters, and random objects through the same few shapes and options.
Though many are simple meme fodder — like the Peter Griffin Mii Maker speedrun challenge — this one still proudly takes my top spot for its inspiring versatility. Also, it’s the only one that lets me take my goofy ideas into Smash Ultimate, Mario Kart, and Nintendo Switch Sports.
