6 epic Metroidvania games that will keep you playing for hours

The Metroidvania genre exploded in popularity during the indie boom. The formula of exploring an expansive map with areas blocked off until you unlocked new abilities originated with Metroid, but it wasn’t until Castlevania mixed in RPG elements that the genre felt complete. Hence, the name Metroidvania is a combination of the two inspirational series. Since that time, however, developers have played with that core formula in hundreds of ways to varying degrees of success. The basic satisfaction of exploring a map and finding the right tool to access an entirely new area keeps this as one of the most popular genres of games out there.

It isn’t just one of the most popular to play, but also for developers to make. Both large and small teams have tackled this genre with different scopes and visions, leading to a near-endless supply of titles to pick from. If you were to go back to the roots of the genre, you could easily spend the rest of your life catching up on these amazing games. I understand you don’t have that kind of time, and also that many of those older games aren’t as convenient to get or play as more modern titles. These are my top picks for the best Metroidvania games to play right now that are at least relatively new.

1 Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

The prince is back

One of the most recent games in the genre comes from one of the oldest franchises in gaming. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was a surprise hit at the start of 2024 and marked a fantastic return for the series, which hadn’t seen a new entry in over a decade. While the series had shifted into the 3D action-adventure genre with Sands of Time, The Lost Crown made the brilliant move of going back to 2D with a Metroidvania twist. The series has always been about flowing movement, platforming puzzles, and manipulating time, all of which fit perfectly into the Metroidvania mold.

The story is probably the weakest aspect of this game, but that’s not primarily why I come to the genre. What I, and most others, crave is that sense of gaining new abilities to explore further corners of the map, which this game has in spades. The platforming and puzzle challenges are the highlights here. You’ll be pushed to use all your tools in one fluid run that demands near-perfection in some cases. While tricky, you never feel too far off from nailing it, and once you do, the feeling of accomplishment is unmatched.

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2 Hollow Knight

Somber vibes

Hollow Knight is by far the oldest game I’m going to recommend, but there’s just no way I could leave it off the list of best Metroidvanias. If you’ve been living under a rock — as I suspect most of the creatures in Hollownest do—and haven’t heard about this game, you’re in for a treat. You play as the adorable little knight venturing through the underground world full of some friendly, but mostly hostile, bugs and critters. That might sound unappealing, but the hand-drawn art style and charming designs somehow make even something as repulsive as bugs seem cute and cuddly. When they’re not trying to kill you, that is.

It’s hard to pin down any one aspect of Hollow Knight that makes it such a marvel. I talked about the art style, but then there’s the souls-inspired combat, massive sprawling map, deep lore, and secrets on top of everything. Simply put, it does everything you want a Metroidvania to do, and does it perfectly. The sequel, Silksong, is due out hopefully in the near future, so now’s the best time to catch up or refamiliarize yourself with this world.

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3 Blasphemous 2

Faithfully gory

The setting is more important to a Metroidvania than almost any other genre. I’ve already platformed and slashed my way through dozens of medieval castles filled with skeletons and knights, so any new take on the well-trodden environments instantly draws attention. Blasphemous 2 takes place in the same location as the first, Cvstodia, which takes clear inspiration from Roman Catholicism and Spanish culture. You play as The Penitent One, a religious man who has taken a vow of silence and wears a barbed helmet on his head. Frankly, I would recommend this game for how unique the setting and inspirations are, but the gameplay doesn’t fall short either.

The sequel adds new weapons and skills, and a whole new map to explore as you would expect. This is a brutal game in every sense of the word. The world is dark and on the brink of chaos, basic enemies can take you down in a few hits, and the pixel graphics reveal a grotesque and bloody vision you wouldn’t expect to be so detailed. If you like your Metroidvanias to lean on the more difficult side, Blasphemous 2 will answer your prayers.

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4 Axiom Verge 2

All Metroid

Most people focus on the Castlevania side of Metroidvanias, but many of the core qualities come from Metroid. Axiom Verge, and its sequel, draw more from that side of the formula in both gameplay and setting. Don’t get me wrong — you still explore big maps, get power-ups, and fight bosses, but it’s less about RPG elements than most other interpretations of the genre.

Axiom Verge 2 also places a bit more focus on the story than other titles. You play as a mysterious billionaire named Indra Chaudhari, who is led to Antarctica after receiving a message about her missing daughter. I won’t go further than that to avoid spoilers, but the game quickly introduces various sci-fi elements and multiple worlds to explore. The gameplay is largely ranged-focused as you pick up new weapons and abilities, but you can also hack foes to change their behaviors. This game is also great for those who want to sequence break since almost all bosses are technically optional.

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5 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Don’t call it a symphony

If you’ve read a few of my other lists on this site, you will know I take any chance I get to include Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. However, I challenged myself not to include it on this list despite it being the most obvious and appropriate place to mention it. So, instead, I’m cheating and putting Koji Igarashi’s “not Castlevania” game, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, on it instead. If you aren’t familiar, he is the developer who directed Symphony of the Night and produced almost all the games in the series afterward. When Konami bafflingly stopped making them, he left to form his own studio and create Bloodstained.

Instead of playing as a Belmont hunting Dracula, you take control of Miriam, who needs to fight through a castle full of demons to defeat Gabel and break a curse. Just like the title, everything in this game feels like it’s one name change away from being the next Castlevania. That’s a positive and a negative, as you won’t see too many surprising or new enemies or environments, mostly sticking to traditional English monster and demon designs. But if that’s what you crave in the genre, you can’t go wrong with a game made by the man who defined it.

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6 Guacamelee! 2

Are you ready to rumble?

When you think of a Metroidvania, odds are you imagine a character either wielding some sort of melee weapon like a sword or whip, or a gun of some sort. Guacamelee! and its sequel ask: what would a Metroidvania look like as a luchador? It turns out that it looks and plays like nothing else. All your moves are wrestling-inspired, from basic punches and kicks to tons of grapples that the team somehow managed to implement in combat and exploration. Of course, the strong Mexican influence on the art, characters, and plot permeates every pixel of this game. Not only is it hilarious, but it’s also touching at points.

Despite how tough later challenges can get, the game is actually very readable and friendly. Any hidden area has a bright-colored block to indicate exactly what skill you need to break through. The extra challenges test both your fighting and combat skills and all have satisfying payoffs in terms of upgrades. The most unexpected improvement over the first is the chicken transformation. Previously, it was mostly a gag that you used to access certain areas, but now it has a complete moveset and scenarios dedicated specifically for it.