15 Best Metroidvania Games to Play in 2026

A ledge you can't reach. A suspicious wall. A door that sends you halfway across the map once you finally find the right ability. The best Metroidvania games turn those small frustrations into reasons to keep playing, until a place that once felt confusing starts to feel like home.

This list covers 15 games with connected maps, ability-based progression, and plenty of reasons to revisit earlier areas. You'll find sharp platforming, demanding boss fights, RPG character builds, and one excellent choice for local co-op. Each recommendation explains what makes the game worth your time and who will enjoy it most.

For your next PC adventure, GameBoost's Steam game keys selection includes several of the games below. Console players can also use the platform recommendations near the end to narrow down their options.

1. Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight sends a small, silent knight into Hallownest, a ruined kingdom beneath the town of Dirtmouth. Its underground districts connect through shortcuts, hidden passages, and routes that become accessible as your movement options grow.

Combat starts with a nail and gradually adds spells and charms that change your approach. Bosses demand patience, and a careless return trip can cost you. That tension gives even familiar rooms a reason to hold your attention.

The map asks you to do some work. Getting lost is part of the appeal, especially when an accidental detour leads to a character, optional fight, or entire area you hadn't expected. Players who want constant direction may find the opening hours less comfortable.

Why It Stands Out:

• A connected underground kingdom with rewarding detours.

• Charms let you adjust combat and movement priorities.

• Memorable boss fights with readable attack patterns.

• Hand-drawn characters and a melancholy soundtrack.

• Substantial extra content included with the game.

My Verdict: Hollow Knight is my first recommendation for players who want a long, demanding metroidvania with plenty of secrets. Give it room to be quiet and occasionally confusing.

2. Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight: Silksong follows Hornet through Pharloom, a kingdom with its own inhabitants, threats, and tangled routes. Her needle attacks and acrobatic movement give the sequel a different rhythm from the original.

Tools, traps, and quests add more decisions between fights. Hornet can cover ground quickly, and the game builds encounters around that mobility. Keeping track of your position matters just as much as choosing when to attack.

Silksong earns its place beside Hollow Knight through those differences. The original suits players who enjoy a slower start and patient map reading; Hornet's adventure is an appealing next step for anyone ready for busier encounters and another substantial challenge.

Why It Stands Out:

• Hornet's acrobatic movement changes the pace of play.

• Tools and traps support different combat approaches.

• Quests add objectives across the connected map.

• Pharloom offers a separate setting and cast.

• Strong appeal for returning Hollow Knight players.

My Verdict: Pick Silksong when you want another demanding adventure with faster movement. Newcomers can start here, though the original remains my easier first recommendation.

3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Ori and the Will of the Wisps makes movement the main attraction. Bash redirects Ori through enemies and projectiles, and later abilities let you grapple across gaps or travel through different surfaces. A good sequence can carry you across several hazards without touching the ground.

Its combat includes several weapons and abilities, with Spirit Shards letting you adjust your setup. Escape sequences push the platforming harder, turning familiar movement skills into frantic runs through collapsing or dangerous areas.

The story gives those challenges an emotional weight. Quiet scenes and a beautiful score offer breathing space between difficult sections. Play Ori and the Blind Forest first if you want the full story context; the sequel's movement is still a strong reason to choose it for this list.

Why It Stands Out:

• Movement abilities chain together with satisfying momentum.

• Bash makes enemies and projectiles part of platforming.

• Spirit Shards offer useful build choices.

• Escape sequences test your reactions and route reading.

• Expressive art and music support the story.

My Verdict: Ori is my pick for players who care most about movement. Its platforming can be tough, and the quieter moments give you a reason to keep going.

4. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown puts Sargon inside Mount Qaf, where time behaves strangely and routes fold back through a connected map. Sword attacks, parries, and aerial combos give ordinary encounters a lively pace.

New movement abilities also feed directly into platforming puzzles. The game repeatedly asks you to use what you've learned in tighter spaces, with timing challenges that can turn one room into a small project of its own.

Its map tools deserve attention. Memory Shards let you attach screenshots to locations, making it easier to recall the obstacle that stopped you. Adjustable difficulty settings also let you change the challenge without abandoning the campaign. Those options make it a useful starting point for the genre.

Why It Stands Out:

• Responsive sword combat, parries, and aerial attacks.

• Movement abilities support demanding platforming puzzles.

• Memory Shards record obstacles directly on the map.

• Custom difficulty settings offer practical flexibility.

• Mount Qaf connects combat arenas, puzzles, and shortcuts.

My Verdict: The Lost Crown is a strong first metroidvania for players who want clear tools and plenty of action. Experienced players should also enjoy its tougher platforming sections.

5. Blasphemous 2

Blasphemous 2 returns to the Penitent One's grim religious fantasy, filling its streets, churches, and underground spaces with grotesque figures. The pixel art makes even a brief stop at a new screen worthwhile.

Three main weapons give the game much of its identity. Each offers a different fighting style and interacts with particular obstacles, tying combat equipment to map progression. Collecting the full set gives you more ways to approach enemies and reach earlier dead ends.

Boss fights punish rushed attacks, and prayers and other equipment add decisions to your build. This is a good choice for players who enjoy methodical combat and a setting that refuses to explain every strange detail. Expect unsettling imagery throughout.

Why It Stands Out:

• Gothic pixel art with striking religious imagery.

• Three main weapons with distinct combat roles.

• Weapon abilities also affect access to new routes.

• Prayers and equipment support different builds.

• Demanding bosses suit patient, deliberate play.

My Verdict: Choose Blasphemous 2 for its art and weapon-based progression. Its disturbing setting is a major part of the attraction, so check that tone before buying.

6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night follows Miriam through a demon-filled castle, collecting weapons, equipment, and shards taken from enemies. Koji Igarashi's involvement makes the connection to classic Castlevania easy to spot.

The appeal sits in the range of builds. A different weapon changes attack timing and reach, and shard abilities give you more ways to fight or move. Crafting and equipment upgrades make repeated enemy encounters useful beyond the immediate challenge.

This is a good match for players who enjoy checking a new item's stats before heading into the next room. Its castle also gives you plenty of reasons to return with a new ability. The main campaign is single-player; separate multiplayer modes don't turn it into a full co-op campaign.

Why It Stands Out:

• A castle-based adventure with strong Castlevania roots.

• Enemy shards provide collectible abilities.

• Numerous weapon and equipment choices.

• Crafting supports long-term character development.

• Hidden rooms and optional challenges reward return visits.

My Verdict: Bloodstained is my recommendation for players who want loot and character builds alongside their platforming. Expect plenty of time in equipment menus.

7. Axiom Verge

Axiom Verge drops scientist Trace into Sudra, an alien setting filled with unsettling machinery and creatures. Its pixel art and ranged combat give it an immediate connection to older Metroid games.

The gadgets make it stranger. Some abilities manipulate apparent glitches, changing enemies or parts of the environment. That gives suspicious objects a second purpose: they might be an obstacle, a clue, or something your next tool can alter.

Weapons and devices encourage you to experiment with familiar rooms. The story adds uncertainty about the place and Trace's role within it, helping the map feel alien even after you've learned its routes. Players who enjoy retro science fiction should put this high on their list.

Why It Stands Out:

• Retro visuals with a distinctive alien setting.

• Ranged combat and a varied weapon selection.

• Glitch-manipulation abilities change map interactions.

• New gadgets make earlier rooms worth checking again.

• A mysterious science-fiction story.

My Verdict: Axiom Verge is a strong choice for players who want old-school Metroid influences and unusual tools. Experimenting with its devices is a large part of the fun.

8. Metroid Dread

Metroid Dread follows Samus Aran across ZDR, using familiar beam weapons, missiles, and movement abilities to open routes through the planet. Sliding, aiming, and melee counters keep encounters responsive.

The E.M.M.I. robots change the mood inside their designated zones. Their pursuit adds pressure to route planning, and a wrong turn can end a run quickly. Coming back with the means to deal with one gives those areas a satisfying change in pace.

Bosses demand careful observation and accurate reactions. Dread also tends to guide progression through the arrangement of its routes, making it a good fit for players who want steady forward movement through a connected map. Its Nintendo exclusivity is the main platform limitation here.

Why It Stands Out:

• Responsive movement and aiming.

• E.M.M.I. zones add tense pursuit sequences.

• Boss fights reward reading attacks and reacting quickly.

• Samus's abilities steadily change access across ZDR.

• A focused entry from the series that helped establish the genre.

My Verdict: Metroid Dread is an easy recommendation for Nintendo players who enjoy tense combat and quick movement. Its boss fights deserve your full attention.

9. Nine Sols

Nine Sols builds much of its combat around deflecting attacks. Yi can turn well-timed defensive actions into opportunities to apply talismans and damage enemies, making a boss's attack rhythm central to each encounter.

New Kunlun combines machinery with Eastern mythology through the game's taopunk style. Hand-drawn environments and character conversations give the revenge story a strong identity beyond its difficult fights.

Choose this if you enjoy practising a fight until its timing starts to click. Story Mode provides adjustable damage settings for players who want more control over the difficulty. Even with those options, learning how its deflections work remains part of the experience.

Why It Stands Out:

• Deflection-focused combat with demanding timing.

• Talismans connect defensive play to damage opportunities.

• Boss encounters encourage repeated practice.

• A taopunk setting combining mythology and technology.

• Story Mode offers adjustable damage settings.

My Verdict: Nine Sols is my combat-first pick. Players who enjoy learning attack patterns should get plenty from it; parry timing is the skill you'll keep returning to.

10. Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist

Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist follows Lilac through the Land of Fumes, a damaged kingdom populated by artificial beings called Homunculi. Befriending them gives you abilities that support combat and movement.

Your companions provide the attacks. Mixing their skills lets you build a setup around close-range hits, ranged damage, and other options. Equipment and Relics add another layer of decisions as you gather resources and improve your build.

Abandoned cities, laboratories, and factories keep the setting grounded in the kingdom's history. Mili's music supports its sombre tone, and difficulty options offer room to adjust the challenge. It's a worthwhile choice for players who like testing ability combinations between trips across the map.

Why It Stands Out:

• Companion skills form the basis of combat.

• Different ability combinations encourage experimentation.

• Equipment and Relics support character builds.

• Movement skills open routes through the Land of Fumes.

• Mili's soundtrack fits the dark fantasy setting.

My Verdict: Ender Magnolia suits players who enjoy flexible loadouts and melancholy fantasy. The companion system gives its combat a useful sense of variety.

11. Castlevania Advance Collection

Castlevania Advance Collection brings together Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow, three Game Boy Advance adventures built around connected castles and character progression. It also includes Dracula X, a separate linear action game.

Aria of Sorrow is a strong starting point, with collectible enemy abilities and plenty of equipment choices. The other two GBA games offer their own combat systems and castle layouts, giving the collection more value than a single nostalgic return trip.

Rewind and quick saving make it easier to revisit older design without repeating every mistake from a distant checkpoint. The collection's reference material also helps with the games' systems. For players curious about the Castlevania half of the genre's name, this is a practical place to start.

Why It Stands Out:

• Three classic GBA metroidvanias in one collection.

• Aria of Sorrow offers collectible enemy abilities.

• Different combat systems across the included adventures.

• Rewind and save features reduce repeated setbacks.

• Dracula X adds a separate linear action bonus.

My Verdict: This is my retro pick for players who want to see where many modern ideas came from. Start with Aria of Sorrow, then try the other GBA games.

12. Guacamelee! 2

Guacamelee! 2 sends luchador Juan Aguacate back into a colourful adventure built around wrestling moves and Mexican folklore. Punches, throws, and special attacks handle enemies and help you get past particular obstacles.

Switching between the living and dead dimensions changes the platforms and routes around you. The game combines that mechanic with increasingly demanding movement sequences, and its chicken form gets plenty of opportunities to cause trouble.

Up to four players can join the campaign locally. That makes it the obvious choice here for a couch session, with some wonderfully messy fights once everyone starts throwing enemies around. Solo players still get a complete adventure with plenty of platforming challenges.

Why It Stands Out:

• Full-campaign local co-op for up to four players.

• Wrestling moves connect combat and map progression.

• Dimension switching changes routes and platform layouts.

• Chicken-form sections add variety.

• Humour and Mexican folklore give it a playful identity.

My Verdict: Guacamelee! 2 is my pick for local co-op. It also works well alone, especially if you enjoy demanding platforming with a lighter tone.

13. F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch

F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch follows Rayton, a rabbit carrying an enormous mechanical fist, through the occupied streets of Torch City. The industrial setting combines heavy machinery with architecture inspired by an Eastern cityscape.

The fist, drill, and whip give you different ways to attack and interact with the map. Combat encourages combos, and changing weapons adds options for dealing with enemies at different ranges.

Its connected districts contain hidden rooms and shortcuts, giving the city a useful sense of continuity. Choose F.I.S.T. if you like spending time on combat technique between trips to find the next route. The mechanical weapons give even straightforward encounters a satisfying physical weight.

Why It Stands Out:

• Three mechanical weapons with different combat roles.

• Weapon functions also contribute to map progression.

• Combo-based fights reward experimentation.

• Torch City's industrial architecture gives it a distinct look.

• Hidden rooms and shortcuts connect its districts.

My Verdict: F.I.S.T. is a good fit for players who want combo combat in a metroidvania. The giant fist is an excellent sales pitch all by itself.

14. Afterimage

Afterimage follows Renee across Engardin, a large fantasy setting filled with connected regions, enemies, and hidden routes. Its hand-drawn scenery makes long trips across the map more pleasant, even when you're still trying to work out where to go.

Weapons, equipment, and talent choices give progression an RPG focus. Trying another weapon class can change your preferred attack range and timing, and optional fights give you reasons to improve your setup beyond the main route.

The size is the attraction and the main commitment. Players who enjoy checking every corner can spend plenty of time here, and the story includes multiple endings. If you want a compact campaign with frequent direction, another pick on this list may suit you better.

Why It Stands Out:

• A large connected map with many side routes.

• Hand-drawn environments across varied regions.

• Several weapon classes support different combat styles.

• Equipment and talents add RPG progression.

• Optional bosses and multiple endings encourage further play.

My Verdict: Afterimage suits players who want a substantial map to work through. Go in ready for detours, equipment decisions, and the occasional uncertain destination.

15. GRIME

GRIME places you inside an unsettling setting of living stone, distorted bodies, and hostile creatures. Its protagonist absorbs attacks and enemies, turning a defensive mechanic into a source of character growth.

Successful absorption gives you access to enemy traits, adding decisions to your build. Weapons have their own timing and behaviour, and stamina management makes careless attacks costly. Learning when to absorb, dodge, or commit to a hit gives fights their rhythm.

New movement abilities open more of the connected map, keeping progression tied to the places you've already visited. The anatomical imagery gives GRIME a strong identity, though its tone won't suit everyone. This is a recommendation for players who enjoy deliberate combat and uncomfortable surroundings.

Why It Stands Out:

• Absorption connects defence with character progression.

• Enemy traits provide build choices.

• Weapons encourage attention to timing and reach.

• Movement abilities open routes through the connected map.

• Body-horror art creates a distinctive setting.

My Verdict: GRIME is my pick for players who want deliberate combat and a strange, unsettling setting. Give its absorption mechanic time to click.

Best Metroidvania Games on Each Platform

Best Metroidvania Games on PC

PC has 14 of the 15 games on this list. Metroid Dread is the Nintendo-only exception. Hollow Knight is a strong starting point, Ori and the Will of the Wisps suits movement-focused players, and Nine Sols is a good choice for demanding combat.

Bloodstained, Afterimage, and Castlevania Advance Collection are useful picks if equipment and character builds matter most. Guacamelee! 2 is the option for local co-op.

Compare the PC game keys on GameBoost when you've chosen your next adventure. Check the required launcher on the listing, especially for games sold through more than one PC store.

Best Metroidvania Games on PlayStation

PlayStation players can choose Hollow Knight, Silksong, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Blasphemous 2, Nine Sols, and Ender Magnolia on PS4 or PS5. F.I.S.T. also has versions for both systems.

Bloodstained, Axiom Verge, Guacamelee! 2, and Castlevania Advance Collection have PS4 versions playable on PS5 through backward compatibility. Ori and Metroid Dread aren't available on PlayStation.

Adding another game to your PS4 or PS5 collection? The PlayStation game keys selection is a useful place to check your options.

Best Metroidvania Games on Xbox

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a particularly easy recommendation on Xbox. Hollow Knight, Silksong, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Blasphemous 2, Nine Sols, Afterimage, and GRIME also give Xbox players plenty of variety.

F.I.S.T. and Ender Magnolia have Xbox Series X/S releases, so Xbox One players should choose another game from the list. Older Xbox One releases such as Bloodstained, Axiom Verge, Guacamelee! 2, and Castlevania Advance Collection are also playable on Series consoles.

Your next boss fight could be waiting among the Xbox game keys on GameBoost. Match the listing's console and activation region to your account before purchasing.

Best Metroidvania Games on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

All 15 recommendations have a version for the original Nintendo Switch. Metroid Dread is the obvious Nintendo-specific pick, Ori offers excellent platforming, and Guacamelee! 2 works well for local multiplayer sessions.

Hollow Knight and Silksong also have native Nintendo Switch 2 versions. Metroid Dread uses its original Switch release on Switch 2 through backward compatibility. For the other recommendations, check the version and compatibility information for the console you own.

For a game you can take away from the TV, look through the Nintendo game keys selection and check the system named on each offer.

FAQs About the Best Metroidvania Games

Final Words

Hollow Knight is the broadest recommendation here, with a substantial map, demanding bosses, and plenty of hidden routes. Ori and the Will of the Wisps puts movement first, Nine Sols rewards parry practice, and Guacamelee! 2 gives you a reason to bring friends.

Choose the part of the genre you enjoy most: reading the map, improving a build, landing a difficult jump, or finally beating a stubborn boss. These 15 games give you plenty of chances to do all four.

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