What is the best Metroidvania game? Nintendo’s Super Metroid and Konami’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night popularized Metroidvania, but since these first titles the genre has become unique.
Many of the best Metroidvanias try to regain their ancestor spirit, but by incorporating RPGs, soul sriks and even pinball mechanics, others expand into new territory. The result is a familiar and fresh experience with a rich range of dynamic genres. Some of these days are cheap, some are some of the best PC games ever made.
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The best Metroidvania games of 2025 are listed from the latest to the oldest.
Crypt Custodian
- Developer: Kyle Thompson
- Release date: August 27, 2024
Crypt Custodian is the next whimsical Metroidvania game of Solo Developer Kyle Thompson, creator behind Islets in 2022. This time, we live on planes and islands, cleaning up spring in the afterlife. The mischievous cat protagonist, Plput, loses his nine lives and is exiled from the afterlife palace after the classic black cat behavior splate. His punishment? The appreciative work of a janitor forever after death is merely a broom to protect oneself.
Crypt Custodian serves the regular Metroidvania dishes of dungeons, bosses and puzzles, but the “bad” ghosts of Pltune’s companions steal the show with stupid dialogue and charming designs. Explore the vast maps, gather ghost companions, and find a way to return to the palace for a father’s nap.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier
- Release date: August 8, 2024
The Prince of Persia is known for its wist bullet power of that time, and the lost crown is no exception. You will try to overcome some very difficult platform sections that become more powerful and have an increasing range of capabilities as you travel – it is from the standard Metroidvania, but it works very well. It’s gorgeous and beautiful, and has a lovely little story that will help you barrel together. Don’t forget to pick up all the Prince of Persian Zeruxes coins while you’re out into the world.
Read Prince of Persia The Lost Crown Review.
9 Sols
- Developer: RedCandleGames
- Release date: May 29, 2024
Red Candle Game took the sabbatical away from creating a controversial horror game with nine Sols. He embarks on a bloody journey of revenge as Yi. This is a Barpin anti-hero who has to master Tao’s path to defeat the nine Sols of the same name.
He supports bias over brute strength and engages in Sekiro-style combat, exploring equally a complex, hand-drawn fantasy world along secrets and challenges. The nine Sols were a blend of Sekiro and Hollow Knight, where we all tried out complicated characters, lore and boss fights. If you still have Silkson candles, nine sols are the perfect alternative.
Animals well
- Developer: Billy Basso
- Release date: May 9, 2024
The animal wells, featuring a dim pixel art environment that appears to be welcomed at the beginning, are surprisingly cruel at first, as they quickly know that the game won’t hold their hands. There is no text prompt to help you with the puzzle. I don’t find any obvious signs to show where I should explore next. With no equipment available except for your platform abilities and puzzle-solving skills, it’s up to you as this mysterious yellow chunk to uncover all the secrets of the well.
This Metroidvania expects a lot from players, but in return you’ll be treated to a wonderful world filled with animals that need savings, puzzles that need solutions, and bosses that need defeat. Lauren’s Shining Animals are reviewing “Strange yet Amazing Neon Bass Adventures,” so make sure they’re at least on your wish list.
Read our review of animal wells.
Pseudo-Rigalia
- Developer: Rittzler
- Release date: July 28, 2023
Metroidvania Month 19 Game Jam product, Pseudoregalia is a criminally underrated 3D Metroidvania that takes Prince of Persia’s Parkour System and transitions into a surreal, dreamlike world reminiscent of the classic PS1 and N64 games.
You are a cibil, a goat cat cat woman armed with a powerful pair of swords and hind legs, and can propel you through the open-ended levels of Pseudregalia and dance around the enemies. But the only thing Sibil has to worry about is the half-hatched eggs, living armor and spiked wheels. It also has the ability to meet NPCs, puzzles to solve, and the ability to unlock along the way. Pseudoregalia can only be completed for a maximum of a few hours, but don’t put off that. More indie than indie, this short experience is designed by Metroidvania fans for I’m a Metroidvania fan and not welcome.
Afterimage
- Developer: Ologun Shanghai
- Release date: April 25, 2023
Need more Waifus in Metroidvania games? Because AfterImage covers you – there’s a pretty good fantasy labyrinth to explore along with it. Like Ori and The Blind Forest, the world here is gorgeously rendered with hand-drawn art, and Athardimage is a snack just for exploring with the proven Metroidvania Mechanics: Air Dash, double Jumps and more. It’s also a fierce game where you run for over 40 hours to explore every corner of Engardin.
Aside from the visuals of Afthimage, the simple but satisfying battles with surprisingly large flesh will be one of the better Metroidvania games released during the last year if you’re looking for something fresh.
Tunic
- Developer: Tunic Team
- Release date: March 16, 2022
Tunics distribute classic 2D Metroidvania format for isometric views of the whimsical fantasy world for discovery. You are a small fox armed with swords and shields, and you are a dark catacomb to explore on your trip, to protect yourself from hostile inhabitants lurking in dense forests and dark catacombs, but if you want to solve puzzles that block your progress, you need more brains than brawn.
Tunic takes a lot of inspiration from Legend of Zelda, but as you slowly reconstruct the in-game instruction manual, all the features of the classic Metroidvania appear. Individual pages of this sacred book are scattered in the wind, and when they are piecing together, they uncover secret locations, hidden techniques, and very important maps to help you explore. Your adventure takes you to the highest peaks and lowest depths of this long lost land, and Wonder and Mystery won a legitimate place on PC Gamesn’s Goty shortlist in 2022.
Castlevania Advanced Collection
- Developer: Konami
- Release date: September 24, 2021
You won’t get Castlevania, but Night Symphony on PC gives you the chance to get three amazing Metroidvania games originally released for the Game Boy Advance. Considered as one of the fathers of the genre, Igarashi took the reins of the Castlevania series throughout the 2000s and held hands in all three games, so you shouldn’t really miss the decisive experience of Metroidvania.
Each game has a unique view on magic and abilities. Circle of the Moon comes with an incredible amount of magical spells and combinations with a dual setup system. Dissonant harmony allows you to combine subwearpons – think of a throwable axis or something like a spell. Finally, Aria’s sadness allows the protagonist Simon Cruz to capture the soul of a monster, thus gaining abilities.
Ender Lily: Quietus at Night
- Developer: Live Wire & Adglobe
- Release date: June 21, 2021
It was also heavily inspired by Symphony of the Night, Ender Lilies: Quitus of the Nights – keep an eye on similar titles. – Presents a dark story as a rather helpless young girl named Lily and a protagonist. But don’t worry, in the true Metroidvania way, Lily acquires the abilities of those who are defeated, increasing her repertoire of movement in and out of combat. Starting with the simple swordsman spirit, Lily quickly becomes the power to be considered when purifying the land.
It also has some of the best music in this genre. It utilizes a piano-rich soundtrack that adds to calm adventures. It could also be the most underrated Metroidvania on this list.
Rhodos War’s Record: Wonder Labyrinth’s Deedlit
- Developer: Team Ladybug & WSS Playground
- Release date: March 27, 2021
Yes, it is a video game title that you can play. This comes from records of somewhat famous fantasy novels, anime series and video games, created by Ryo Mizuno, who had the hands of Wonder Labyrinth’s Deadlit. Deedlit is the name of the ELF protagonist The Game Stars, so don’t worry. You don’t need to be familiar with Mizuno’s other jobs to earn money from Metroidvania.
Deedlit from The Wonder Labyrinth wears a symphony of night inspiration on its sleeves, like most games on this list. It features a liquid pixel aesthetic that is great to watch when solving environmental puzzles, wielding a dagger and bow, and casting elemental spells.
Corruption
- Developer: Phobia Game Studio
- Release date: July 23, 2020
Watch as you take a pixel blob monster, loosen it in a facility full of screaming scientists, and mercilessly devour it. That’s the basic premise of Carrion, a reverse horror metropolitan area that demands you to escape from the facilities mentioned above, like the Pixel-Y Blob Beasty. Of course, there is a suite of regular DNA splicing upgrades, with many puzzles to overcome and even more skilled at devouring and running away from creatures like the web.
gory and grotesque carrion are bloody unicorns within the genre. you Play the bad guy… Blob… Sprodge. The upgrade itself is as expected gnarly as expected, giving you the ability to directly control humans, transform into a swarm of worms, travel through tight spaces, and fire flesh-like hars that get unsuspecting victims. With each new ability, the monster grows larger – eyes, mouth and tendrils. It’s amazing. If you’re particular about your carion, we recommend keeping a fan-made carrier map. For some reason, it’s not included in the base game, saving unnecessary backtracking.
The will of Ori and Wisps
- Developer: Moon Studios Gmbh
- Release date: March 11, 2020
There alongside Hollow Knight, Ori and The Will of the Wisps is one of the best Metroidvania games ever made. Rather than starring a sword-wielding hero through a demon-filled castle, he controls Oli, an adorable fox-like creature, as the spirit of a small guardian travels to Niewen’s area.
Your main purpose is to save your Owlett friends and bring them back to their family, but you will soon be a quest to restore the land to its original form and learn about Ori’s destiny. Featuring one of the Metroidvania experiences, which are fully organized original scores, great hand-drawn art, and many of the best platforms, there are plenty of interesting areas to explore and hidden items to find.
Read Ori and Will of the Wisps reviews.
Blasphemy
- Developer: Game Kitchen
- Release date: September 10th, 2019
Catholic horror and Metroidvania mechanics meet at Blasphemous, an Andalusian nightmare cooked by Seville developer The Games Kitchen. That punishment-like soul-like combat is as much an exercise in autofluorescence as its story, followed by an unknown repentant in their quest to free Kustudia’s mad land from miracles. This omniscient power is a curse on the inhabitants of Cvstodia, giving them with terrible mutations, twisting them into horrible creatures.
While the blasphemy is Metroidvania, its non-linear world is the genre’s outstanding. The horrifying boss was pulled straight from Spanish art, history and culture between you and miracles. There was Mia Kalpa’s blade and a handful of relics, rosary beads, and prayers to keep you away from untimely death. In fact, Blasphemous left such a deep impression on the Metroidvania genre, and our review of Blasphemous 2 discovered that its sequel could not clear its extremely high bar. The blasphems pray that you beg for mercy and equal victory.
Guacamery Collection
- Developer: Drinkbox Studios
- Release date: June 26, 2019
The most colorful and cheerful metropolitan areas, first and second guacameries pull from Mexican folklore in place of vampires and demons. Controls a Luchador named Juan Aguacate. However, it has the same core as expected in Metroidvania. This time, we will collect abilities. This works both in combat and vividly rendered magical Mexican traversal. Juan can sometimes be chicken, but that’s great.
The second game is picked up right after the first game, and Juan outside the shape has to relear his abilities as he deals with the evil Lukador from the dark timeline he failed in the first game. You don’t have to play both – especially since the sequel improves the original in every way (the chicken form gets an expanded set of movements) – but if you want to see everything this colorful and hilarious world has to offer, you’ll play both.
Bloodstained: Night Ritual
- Developer: ArtPlay
- Release date: June 18, 2019
Aptly titled Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night assumes the role of a young Shardbinder named Miriam, instead of someone associated with Dracula or Belmonts. Like other Castlevania games, Miriam gains powers (fragments) from monsters, find new equipment, and new abilities to explore deeper into hell, while exploring several dark fantasy locales. It draws some game surprises from its direct inspiration, making it the next best thing for the symphony for the night remake and the great modern-day Metroidvania.
The evening ritual features two bloody retro prequels. The Moon Curse and the Moon Curse 2. Instead, they are linear action platformers like the original Castlevania, but they are still very fun.
Dead cells
- Developer: Motion Twin
- Release date: August 6, 2018
From its incredible beginnings as an early access indie game, Dead Cell is now considered a Titan among Metroidvania games. This is partly thanks to Developer Motion Twin’s acceptability for fan feedback and content updates Trove. But the dead cell also takes that clue from the Roguelike game and injects it with the replayability that many story-driven Metroidvanias lack. As a failed alchemical experiment intended to escape, you are functionally immortal, but the corpses you live in are not. Each run takes you from the boundaries of the cell phones of the Dank prison, and across a ever-changing castle filled with traps, security guards and shelves.
This cursed castle biome is ripe for exploration, full of weapons and abilities to discover as you mutate and grow. However, molding yourself into a deadly warrior is not without risk. The boss gauntlet blocks your progress and death sends you back to the square one. Dead cells are undoubtedly more difficult than the other Metroidvanias on this list, but the satisfaction of overcoming awful enemies put it in the best soul slick ballpark and never far from what you like about Metroidvania: vast expeditions, dangerous platforms, and responsive combat.
Yoku Island Express
- Developer: Villa Gorilla
- Release date: May 29, 2018
With Yok’s Island Express on the list next, we can see that the eerie Crow and Metroidvania are matches made in heaven. This sweet little pinball platformer represents the adventures of Yoku of the same name, adorable dung beetle, who arrives on the sunny shore of Mokumama Island and takes over the resident postmaster. The island is full of secrets, stories, and even boss battles, but it’s all pale compared to the island’s god’s unnatural sleep, and it’s up to you to eradicate the cause.
The unlikely marriage between Metroidvania and pinball mechanics on Yoku’s Island Express puts an entirely new spin on the standard 2D platform game. Yoku may be shorter, but he makes up for it with a pinball tied up in the middle of him. This propels him through an open world game through a series of flippers, bumpers and other pinball machine elements woven seamlessly through the hand-drawn environment of Mokumana Island. Whether it is the highest height and lowest depth, there is nowhere that this difficult little postmaster cannot reach.
SteamWorld DIG 2
- Developer: Picture and Form Game
- Release date: September 22, 2017
Steamworld games are criminally underrated. From RPGS to deck builders, developer Image & Form’s Steamworld covers many genres, including Steamworld Dig and Steamworld Dig 2, which have the powerful Metroidvania influence. The DIG series plays in the standard Metroidvania formula, revealing resources, enemies and abilities that help you dig deeper and deeper into the map and create addictive gameplay loops.
The first game is great in its own right, but the sequel is less important to improve it and get the story. More importantly, the world is not randomly generated like the original, giving the more handmade vibes needed to really make Metroidvania shine.
Hollow Knight
- Developer: Team Cherry
- Release date: February 24, 2017
“Where is Silkson?” became a meme in most game spaces. This is because it is a very simple sequel to one of the best indie games ever made, Hollow Knight. Metroidvania, in all senses and in all senses, is drawn from games like souls, creating a more intense atmosphere. Taking the role of a knight, you explore the screams and all the fear it holds, slowly unlocking new abilities – from extra jumps to crystals that advance the knight at incredible speeds – and discover the dark history of the world. This is one of the longer Metroidvanias that get caught up in over 40 hours depending on how unwieldy the difficult boss is.
To say that Hollow Night Silk Song is the most predicted metropolitan area in history is an understatement, and if you haven’t played the original yet, you can’t go wrong with something horw-humiliated.
Hyperlight Drifter
- Developer: Heart Machine
- Release date: March 31, 2016
Heart Machine Hyperlight Drifter takes the 16-bit aesthetic to new heights and combines fast action and RPG elements to create modern classics. Hyper Light Drifter first draws you in with its incredible visuals, built with hand-crafted pixel art designs that look stunning in virtually every scene.
It won’t take long for the gameplay to hook you. Some were aided by the game’s control scheme, which allows anyone to pick up and play. Within minutes, you can dive through your enemies and slice towards the beat of the hypnotizing electronic soundtrack.
Owlboy
- Developer: D-Pad Studio
- Release date: November 1, 2016
If you’re chasing the power of high fidelity pixels, Owlboy is The Metroidvania game for you – at least stylistically. When the Pirates besiege the floating Very, the young Owlboy Otos must take action to save his people.
During your adventures you will encounter many new allies, each bringing their own weapons to your weapons. The kicker here is that you have to pick them up in OTUS Talons to actually take advantage of them in combat. The twist in this genre of developer D-Pad Studio runs very well – it’s no wonder Owlboy has acquired a place on our list.
Axioms Barge
- Developer: Thomas Happ Games LLC
- Release date: May 14, 2015
The Axiom Verge, which was most direct contact with Metroid on this list, employs retro-style pixel graphics and a strange alien planet, combining both amazing weapons and abilities for adventures familiar to Samus Aran fans. The weapons in particular stand out for their creativity, accumulating impressive, creative arrays for more than a few dozen hours. This gives the axiom a very large character progression in terms of both traversal and combat prowess against some truly enjoyable bosses.
Axiom Verge 2, also Metroidvania, focuses on environmental puzzles by allowing you to move to another dimension called violations. However, the original fans have been split.
There are even more great Metroidvania games on the PC, but for our money, these are the best bunch. While counting down on the release date of Hollow Knight Silksong, check out the best indie games for a more experimental genre mashup.