Hollow Knight came out in 2017, and whether you played it with prior Metroidvania experience or jumped into it allured by its hand-drawn art style, the game has something for everyone. It had tight and crisp movement and combat mechanics, a captivating atmosphere, cryptic environmental storytelling, and the intricately designed diverse world.
Hollow Knight, Team Cherry’s debut title, remains a true masterpiece. And if that’s your taste, you should try to get your hands on every game in this list.
Blasphemous
Platform: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, Amazon Luna
Blasphemous rocks the retro aesthetic with its fantastic pixel art and fuses the Dark Souls-style gameplay with cryptic Catholic Christian iconography. While movement may feel a little sluggish if you are coming straight from a Hollow Knight playthrough, you’ll adapt and fall in love with Blasphemous quickly thanks to the jaw-dropping animation work that went into it.
Dead Cells
Platform: Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, iOS, Android
Dead Cells is an action-packed platformer with rogue-lite elements, and just like Hollow Knight, challenging yet fun gameplay constitutes most of it. The game provides a wide variety of weapons and powerups to experiment with that make each run different and unique. Among numerous easter eggs, you’ll find several Hollow Knight references scattered throughout the game as well.
Salt and Sanctuary
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, PlayStation Vita
If you try to find the first major game that fused the Soulslike and Metroidvania formula, you’ll trace back to this indie gem from 2016. Salt and Sanctuary has fantastic boss designs, muted colors, and unforgiving combat. The interconnected world is also a joy to explore, especially once you unlock a couple of upgrades.
In contrast to Hollow Knight, this game will let you choose between multiple classes and paths that vary in play styles drastically. From dexterity builds to strength builds to combos of each with magic and ranged in the mix, you are free to approach your adventure as you wish.
Steamworld Dig 2
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Linux, macOS, Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox One
This game with all its cute character designs and vivid colors may appear too casual, but don’t let that fool you. There’s a lot of depth underneath, quite literally so, as Steamworld Dig 2 is a unique game with platformer and mining elements “forged in Metroidvania flames”.
As you venture beneath the old trading town, you will confront perilous adversaries at every twist and turn of the labyrinthine underworld. Among the twisted pathways, you will encounter shadowy beings and the ghostly remnants of a long-forgotten electrical menace, before you learn the truth about your long-lost friend.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One
The first game in the Ori franchise is a delightful platformer at heart. With gorgeous hand-painted artwork, meticulously animated character performance, and a fully orchestrated score, Blind Forest is an audio-visual treat. While that is enough of a reason to give it a go, the gameplay and story are also designed beautifully. The emotionally charged tale is presented masterfully through the game, with a handful of tight escape sequences keeping you on your toes.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Platform: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Cloud Gaming
The second installment in the Ori Saga built upon the original’s strengths. It perfectly blends the vivid art style and smooth animations of Blind Forest with great combat mechanics and fun boss designs. The end product is very much akin to Hollow Knight, except way more accessible both story and gameplay-wise.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S
Ender Lilies is a game with a moody, dark fantasy ambiance and deep, methodical combat. If that at all sounds familiar (of course it does, after grinding through Hallownest countless times), this is the game for you.
Besides all the familiarities, Ender Lilies sets itself apart from Hollow Knight with a unique twist. Priestess Lily, the character in your control, does not participate in combat; rather, she lets spirits do the bidding for her. With memorable boss designs and similar difficulty level, Ender Lilies can most definitely scratch your Hollow Knight itch.
