Despite not having an official release date yet, Team Cherry’sHollow Knight: Silksongis one of the most anticipated indie games going into 2021. A sequel to the wildly popularHollow Knight,the series has become extremely popular and has helped usher in the resurgence of the Metroidvania subgenre. A combination of theMetroidandCastlevaniagame series, Metroidvania games are typically side-scrollers with a heavy emphasis on exploration and character progression. They often feature interconnected maps with obstacles that must be unlocked through items or upgrades.
With the huge success ofHollow Knightand theanticipation behindHollow Knight: Silksong,fans looking for similar games should delve into the Metroidvania subgenre. ThoughHollow Knight’sincredibly detailed art style and worldbuilding sets it apart from most games, there are a number of fantastic Metroidvania games that fans should not miss out on.
Related:New Details for Hollow Knight: Silksong Revealed
Updated on Jul 03, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Hollow Knight is one of the greatest video games ever made, and it’s easy to see why the wait for Silksong is proving to be downright excruciating for many fans. It feels like this sequel has been in development forever, and fans who simply can’t bear this wait should check out the following Metroidvania games to bide their time until this elusive sequel is finally released.
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
It’s only fitting for a list talking about Metroidvanias to featureone of the games that coined the name for this genre, to begin with.Castlevania: Symphony of the Nightis one of the greatest video games ever made and still holds up to this day.
Going through Dracula’s Castle and exploring the wealth of areas that lie within is a blast.Symphony of the Nightpaved the way for later games in the series, although it’s a shame that the franchise itself is somewhat stuck in limbo nowadays.
Guacamelee
Guacameleeis a brilliant title that deserves all the praise in the world for being a highly engaging Metroidvania. Combat is the bread-and-butter of this title and one of the major reasons why players should check out this game.
BothGuacameleeand its sequel are stellar Metroidvanians that everyone should check out. The charm of this game comes out of nowhere and becomes a great part of the experience.
Metroid: Zero Mission
Metroid: Zero Missionis one of the best games in the series. It remasters the original game and serves as a great entry point into this series.
Related:Hollow Knight Silksong And Other Metroidvanias We Hope To See In 2022
Playing through Samus' first mission is pretty entertaining, with their powers being just as fun to use as always. Most people absolutely loveMetroid Dread, but there’s something aboutZero Missionthat leads to fans labeling it as the bestMetroidgame around.
Blasphemous
The Metroidvania andSoulslike genreshave combined time and time again to make for some amazing titles indeed. This is especially true in the case ofBlasphemous, which puts its gory and dark art style to great use, as well.
Blasphemousdoesn’t pull any punches when it comes to its difficulty, with its insta-kill spike traps being the bane of many players' existence. However, this difficulty is always manageable, with players having enough tools in their arsenal to destroy the most powerful foes around.
Dead Cellsis a Metroidvania Soulslike that flirts with roguelike gameplay as well. This might seem like the game is biting off more than it can chew, but this isn’t remotely the case.
Instead,Dead Cellsprioritizes player agency and eases them into the flow of the game before challenging them with daunting boss fights that get easier on each successive run. There’s a pretty palpable feeling of progression inDead Cellsthat makes it such a satisfying experience.
Ori And The Blind Forest
When it comes to Metroidvania games, theOri and the Blind Forestserieshas often been cited as one of the best; featuring tight controls, a beautiful art style, and a cinematic soundtrack. Players control a small guardian spirit named Ori, and must navigate through platforming sections and puzzles to save the forest of Nibel. As players acquire different abilities and upgrades for Ori, previously inaccessible areas become unlocked, emphasizing backtracking and exploration. The intricate level design of the series has received praise and should be appealing forHollow Knightfans who loved its worldbuilding.
The originalOri and the Blind Forestwas both a critical and commercial success which allowedMoon Studios to develop a sequel,Ori and the Will of Wispsin 2020. Overhauling certain mechanics with the introduction of autosaving, side quests, and a brand new upgrade system,Ori and the Will of Wispswas released to critical acclaim like its predecessor.Hollow Knightfans should give bothOrigames a try, as the detailed art style and cohesive level design should be familiar territory.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
On the other hand,Hollow Knightfans looking for a game stylistically similar to theCastlevaniaseries should giveBloodstained: Ritual of the Nighta try. Conceived by formerCastlevaniaproducer Koji Igarashi,Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightwas a new Metroidvania game created after his departure from Konami in 2014. After founding a new indie studio called ArtPlay, Igarashi hosted a Kickstarter campaign, whereCastlevaniafans would help raise over $5 million for the development ofBloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightallows players to take control of Miriam, a young girl cursed with demonic powers. Much like theCastlevaniaseries, players will explore a labyrinth of platforming rooms fighting monsters and gaining the power to open previously closed off areas. Miriam is also able to use a variety of weapons and special abilities to fight, of which the game has received praise for its tight, responsive controls.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightalso features a crafting/enhancement system that opens up more combat possibilities. A spiritual successor to the series that started it all,Bloodstained: Ritual of the Nightis a must play forHollow Knightfans that want to experience a classic take on the Metroidvania subgenre.
Valdis Story: Abyssal City
AlthoughValdis Story: Abyssal Cityhas often beenoverlooked when it comes to Metroidvania games, it’s one of the subgenre’s best hidden gems. Developed by indie studio Endless Fluff, players control one of four protagonists as they explore a large interconnected map. With a complex combat system focused on combos, players can attack, use magic, evade, and even parry their way through rooms of enemies and bosses. WhileValdis Story: Abyssal Cityhas a lot of RPG elements such as skill trees and loot, it also features classic Metroidvania elements like complex puzzles and areas rendered inaccessible until new abilities are unlocked.
Related:Major Hollow Knight: Silksong Details Coming Soon
Fans ofHollow Knightmight findValdis Story: Abyssal Citydifficult at first given that its combat system is quite complex, and requires evading and parrying much like theDark Soulsfranchise. However,Valdis Story: Abyssal Cityis also extremely rewarding for players that master its combat. The exploration mechanics are fantastic and the blend of RPG elements in a Metroidvania foundation should give players a unique experience. Though the difficulty can be initially off-putting,Valdis Story: Abyssal Cityis great forHollow Knightfans looking for a challenge.
Rogue Legacy
Often described as a “roguevania,“Rogue Legacycombines the permadeath mechanics of roguelikes together with the side-scrolling platformer mechanics of Metroidvania games. Featuring randomly generated dungeons, players will explore and fight enemies until they die, transferring control over to one of three randomly generated heirs. Each descendant has their own unique abilities and genetic quirks that change up the playstyle. Although the originalRogue Legacywas intended to be a Metroidvania game, it ended up only featuring a few elements like side-scrolling platformer mechanics. However, the success of the originalRogue LegacyallowedCellar Door Games to create a sequel titledRogue Legacy 2and transform the series into a true Metroidvania.
ThoughRogue Legacy 2is still in early access on Steam, it features several upgrades like an updated art style and a new system for biome generation. Its biggest overhaul however, is the transformation to a full Metroidvania design, alongside the procedurally-generated mechanics.Rogue Legacy 2introduces new items known as heirlooms, which will permanently give characters new abilities to unlock secrets with. These powers will fundamentally change the playstyle of characters and they are quite difficult to find. As a result,Rogue Legacy 2is a fantastic game forHollow Knightfans looking for a Metroidvania game that has roguelike mechanics as well.
Axiom Verge
Hollow Knightfans who are looking to play a game styled after theMetroidseries should tryAxiom Verge.Players control a scientist by the name of Trace who wakes up after a lab accident in a high-tech, alien world. Trace must explore the gigantic, labyrinthine world to uncover its secrets. Focusing heavily on exploration and discovery,Axiom Vergetakes inspiration from classic side-scrollersand 2D shooters likeMetroidandContra.
Though modern Metroidvania games have deviated from traditional elements of the subgenre,Axiom Vergeperfectly captures the unsettling atmospherefound in classics likeMetroid.Moreover,Axiom Vergehas some of the best level design that the subgenre has to offer, and the discovery of secrets is quite rewarding. Alongside a retro-inspired soundtrack and plenty of replay value,Axiom Vergeis a great Metroidvania game forHollow Knightfans that enjoyed open world exploration and detailed lore.
Hollow Knight: Silksongis currently in development for PC and Nintendo Switch.
