Best Metroidvania

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a 2020 Metroidvania platform-adventure developed by Moon Studios. It continues the story of Ori, who journeys through the new region of Niwen following the events of *Ori and the Blind Forest*. The game was released on Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Ser...

A masterclass in the Metroidvania genre, Hollow Knight immerses players in the vast, decaying insect kingdom of Hallownest. It features challenging, precise combat, a sprawling interconnected world to map, and a hauntingly beautiful hand-drawn art style. The game is renowned for its atmospheric dept...

Team Cherrys Silken Wings expands the beloved Hollow Knight universe with a new region, challenging boss encounters, and refined platforming mechanics. The hand-drawn art style remains captivating, while the soundtrack evokes a sense of melancholy and wonder. It's a worthy addition to an already ex...

Super Metroid is a 1994 action-adventure game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It features bounty hunter Samus Aran’s mission to the planet Zebes. The objective involves recovering a stolen infant Metroid from Space Pirate leader Ridley, continuing the series established in *Metroid II:...

Red Candle Games brings precise, deflection-focused combat to a hand-drawn 2D adventure in Nine Sols. The game follows Yi through a world that combines advanced technology with imagery drawn from Taoism and Chinese mythology. Its TaoPunk aesthetic gives mechanical spaces and traditional motifs a sha...

Cave Story is a 2004 Metroidvania game created over five years by Daisuke Amaya. The title employs 2D platforming mechanics influenced by classic games like Metroid and Castlevania. It gained popularity through internet distribution and received critical praise for its design and narrative elements.

Built on Daisuke Amaya's original 2004 game, Cave Story+ is an enhanced edition of a side-scrolling action adventure developed with Nicalis. An amnesiac protagonist explores a network of caves and encounters the Mimiga, a rabbitlike people threatened by forces seeking to exploit them. Pixel art and...

Animal Well follows a small, unnamed blob through a subterranean world of interconnected rooms. Its pixel-art presentation frames nonlinear platforming and puzzles, with routes that become clearer as the player discovers tools and learns how the environment behaves. Exploration depends heavily on ob...

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is an action role-playing game released in 1997 for PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The game follows a direct continuation of the narrative established in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, occurring four years later. Toru Hagihara directed the title with Koji Igarashi assi...

Dead Cells is a roguelike-Metroidvania game where players control the Prisoner as they navigate procedurally generated levels on a diseased island. The goal is to defeat the island’s King, utilizing weapons and tools acquired through exploration and combat. A permadeath system results in loss of pro...

While primarily a platformer, Ori heavily utilizes Metroidvania exploration and ability-gating. It is renowned for its breathtaking art style and incredibly fluid movement mechanics. If you enjoy the 'flow' of moving through an environment and unlocking new ways to traverse it, Ori provides one of t...

Hollow Knight: Silksong is a Metroidvania game created by Team Cherry following the release of Hollow Knight in 2017. The sequel launched on September 4th, 2025, across multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch devices and various Microsoft and Sony consoles. It represents an expansion of the ori...

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a modern metroidvania game where players excavate a vast, subterranean world to uncover valuable resources and powerful upgrades. The game’s notable depth comes from its intricate level design and rewarding mining mechanics. It's designed for players who enjoy challenging platfor...

Metroid Dread represents a triumphant return for Samus Aran, delivering a thrilling and modernized Metroidvania experience. The game seamlessly blends classic Metroid gameplay with contemporary design, introducing new abilities and a pervasive sense of dread as Samus is hunted by relentless E.M.M.I...

The Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Original Game Soundtrack is the 1997 score for the Konami video game, primarily composed by Michiru Yamane. It departs from the rock-focused themes of earlier series entries, incorporating diverse genres such as classical, gothic choir, progressive rock, and te...

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow is an action role-playing game released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. It represents the third and final main installment within the Castlevania series for that system, developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo. The game’s production was overseen by Koji Igarash...

Set in the dark fantasy world associated with Ender Lilies, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist follows Lilac through the troubled Land of Fumes. This 2D action-exploration game centers on homunculi, artificial beings whose powers become part of Lilac's journey. Its connected areas invite returns as n...

Metroid: Zero Mission is a 2004 Game Boy Advance game that reimagines the classic 1986 Metroid. It offers players a faithful recreation of Samus Aran’s journey through Planet ZDR, expanding upon the original's exploration and action gameplay. The title appeals to fans of retro gaming and those inter...

Guacamelee! 2 is a 2D metroidvania game created by Drinkbox Studios. It builds upon the original's challenging exploration and combat, offering players cooperative brawling against hordes of enemies within a richly detailed Mexican folklore setting. The game’s notable ability system and interconnect...

Turbo Overkill is a hybrid metroidvania FPS where players control a cybernetically enhanced character utilizing a heavily modified chainsaw as their primary weapon. Developed by Trigger Happy Interactive, the game’s distinctive design and intense combat appeal to fans of challenging action games and...

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap is a platforming action-adventure game initially released for the Master System in 1989. Multiple ports exist across various systems including the TurboGrafx-16 and Game Gear, with one version featuring characters from the *Turma da Mônica* comic series. A remake wa...

Metroid Fusion is a 2002 action-adventure game for the Game Boy Advance featuring bounty hunter Samus Aran. She investigates a space station overrun with parasitic X organisms, continuing the Metroid storyline after an eight-year absence. The title represents the fourth main entry in the Metroid ser...

Blasphemous 2 is a 2D metroidvania game from The Game Kitchen. It expands upon the grim world of Cvstodia, offering players challenging combat and intricate level design characteristic of the genre. Known for its dark gothic aesthetic and soulslike influences, the game appeals to fans of exploration...

Laika: Aged Through Blood presents a modern metroidvania experience set in a desolate Western landscape. The game’s core mechanic involves utilizing a motorbike for both traversal and combat, offering unique strategic options. Developed by Brainwash Gang, it's notable for its innovative gameplay foc...

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow was a 2005 action role-playing game created by Konami, serving as the first installment in the series for the Nintendo DS. It followed up on the narrative established in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and retained numerous features from that title. The game’s development was...

Environmental Station Alpha is a challenging 2D metroidvania game set on a derelict space station. Players navigate its intricate levels, uncovering a dark story of scientific experimentation and corporate cover-ups. The game’s notable difficulty and detailed pixel art create an immersive experience...

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a 2D metroidvania game developed by Game Atelier. It’s notable for reviving the long-running Wonder Boy series with a modern twist. The title offers players intricate level design, exploration elements, and challenging combat. This game appeals to fans of classi...

Axiom Verge is a metroidvania game developed by Thomas Happ, initially launched in multiple platforms starting in March 2015. Subsequent releases included versions for PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, with the latter arriving in October 2017. The game’s initial release spanned...

Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game developed by Rocksteady Studios. The title’s narrative centers on Batman confronting the Joker's scheme to commandeer Arkham Asylum and endanger Gotham. The gameplay involves battling criminals within the asylum complex, following a storyline rooted...