Silksong (easily one of the most hyped games of the year) didn’t just meet expectations; it completely shattered them. On Steam, it hit over 535,000 concurrent players, which is insane for a 2D indie and way bigger than most AAA launches ever manage, promptly making it one of the best Metroidvania games of all time.
And honestly, we get it. You probably hopped on the hype train too, it’s impossible not to when everyone’s talking about it. But now that you’ve either beaten it (or are still telling yourself you’ll get around to finishing it), that familiar question hits: What’s next?
Maybe you need a break from shooters, or you are tired of sprawling open worlds that demand 200 hours of your life. Metroidvanias are the cure. They are tight, focused, and strangely comforting. And believe it or not, they have been around for ages. If you like exploration, reward for curiosity, and the joy of finally opening a door you saw hours ago, welcome back to your happy place.
Quick history in gamer language. The design ideas go way back to games like Xanadu in 1985 and even stuff before that, but Metroid in 1986 put the formula on everyone’s radar: open-ish map, upgrades that unlock new paths, backtracking that actually feels good. Super Metroid in 1994 took all that and refined it into pure atmosphere and perfect map design. Then, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in 1997 added RPG elements and gear, which gave the genre another dimension. Put Metroid and Castlevania together, and you get the name everyone uses: Metroidvania.
Alright, history lesson done. Time to get you a new backlog.
Image Source: Steam
This one is the ultimate one-man homage to classic Metroid. Thomas Happ built it practically by himself, and it shows that passion beats budget sometimes. Expect glitchy weapons that feel weird in the best way, a spooky sci-fi atmosphere, and map design that rewards obsessive exploration. If you loved the Samus vibe but want more weirdness and secrets, this is your jam.
Image Source: Steam
If indie gaming had a founding father, Cave Story would be it. Made by one guy, Pixel, it helped spark the whole indie renaissance in the mid-2000s. It mixes compact exploration with tight shooting mechanics, multiple endings, and a charmingly weird cast. Play this if you want a short but memorable Metroidvania that proves small teams can make huge things.
Image Source: Steam
Nine Sols is easily one of the best Metroidvanias we’ve played in years, sitting right next to Hollow Knight in terms of quality. The combat is fast, fluid, and boss fights are brutal in all the right ways, demanding tight parries and quick reflexes. The story pulls you in with memorable characters and a Taoist cyberpunk vibe, while the environments look gorgeous (and a little gory, so maybe not for younger players). Backtracking isn’t too heavy, but the map system makes exploring every corner feel rewarding. It feels like the kind of hidden gem that’s destined to blow up just like Hollow Knight once did.
Image Source: Steam
Both Ori games deserve a spot together because they are beautiful, emotional, and mechanically superb. Movement is buttery smooth, platforming is tight, and the soundtrack will wreck you in the best way. The sequel expands combat and world-building, but both games are made for people who love flow state platforming and gorgeous level design. Bring tissues and thumbs.
Image Source: Steam
You knew this would be high. Hollow Knight is massive, atmospheric, and hard in all the right ways. Hallownest is the kind of world you get lost in for days, and the combat plus exploration loop is addictive. Free content updates, branching paths, and a lore-soaked map make it feel like a living place. If Silksong scratched your itch, going back to the original will only make that itch happier.
Image Source: IMDb
When people say “vania,” this is what they mean. Symphony of the Night flipped Castlevania on its head, moving away from linear stage-based action into an open castle filled with branching paths, gear, RPG stats, and secrets around every corner. Playing as Alucard is still one of the smoothest character experiences in gaming, combining stylish combat with exploration that never feels stale. Add in one of the most iconic gothic soundtracks of all time, and you’ve got a game that still sits at the top of the genre decades later.
The rest of the series deserves love, too. Rondo of Blood paved the way for Symphony, and handheld entries like Aria of Sorrow and Dawn of Sorrow showed that the formula worked just as well on smaller screens. But Symphony of the Night is the crown jewel. It’s the reason half the games on this list exist, and it’s the moment Castlevania stopped being just another action series and became half the name of a genre.
Image Source: Omega Metroid
Super Metroid isn’t just one of the best Metroidvanias ever made; it’s a genre-defining masterpiece. From the moment you land on Zebes, the game drips atmosphere, with eerie music, deliberate pacing, and a sense of isolation that makes every discovery feel earned. The controls are tight, the map design is legendary, and every upgrade feels like a revelation that changes how you see the world. It’s the kind of game that still feels fresh, even thirty years later.
The Metroid series as a whole has kept that torch burning. Fusion leaned into tense storytelling, Zero Mission reimagined the original, and Dread proved in 2021 that Samus still has it. But Super Metroid is the heart of it all; the one every Metroidvania fan owes a debt to, and the reason this genre has thrived for decades. If you want to know why Metroidvanias are so beloved, this is the starting point.
And there you have it—the best Metroidvania games to dive into after you’ve beaten Silksong. It’s wild to think that 2D games were once seen as relics destined to fade with the rise of 3D adventures and cinematic shooters. Yet here we are, still exploring pixelated caves, uncovering hidden rooms, and getting lost in labyrinthine maps like it’s second nature.
Metroidvania is proof that gaming isn’t about tech alone. As long as developers keep pouring passion into their projects, gamers will buy them. It shows us that no matter how much the industry evolves, the core of what makes games magical will always find a way to shine through.
Metroidvania games follow the main recipe that made Metroid and the Castlevania series a massive commercial success, hence the name “Metroidvania”. They include a semi-open world, upgrade paths, and backtracking to previously visited locations (Metroid/Super Metroid’s half of the recipe), and RPG elements + gear (Castlevania primary gameplay elements).
The consensus regarding the best Metroidvania games includes Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, and the two games that began this trend – Metroid (Super Metroid) and Castlevania (Symphony of the Night).
That purely depends on each player and what they prefer in Metroidvania games. Some may say that Hollow Knight is the best due to its modern approach to aesthetics, music, and gameplay, while seasoned gaming veterans won’t let Metroid or Castlevania step off the throne.
Featured Image Source: Steam
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