If you’re a fan of suffering in games — this list of metroidvania is definitely for you. In this genre, you can find many gothic and religious titles, as well as bright or funny ones.
This list won’t include Hollow Khight or Ori, as they are very popular and won’t be a novelty for many. However, if you have not heard of them before, I advise you to start your acquaintance with this genre with the first game.
As for the list below, it was important for me to choose projects with interesting and pleasant visuals that are complemented by atmospheric soundtracks. And, of course, gameplay capabilities do not stand aside — the game should not be clumsy and gray, making you want to fall asleep. Therefore, I offer a list of 10 interesting metroidvania games that I searched for on the Internet and then tested myself.
Aeterna Noctis
This stylish 2D Metroidvania tells the story of the King of Darkness, who is forever at war with the Queen of Light due to a curse. But it’s not that simple. They are not enemies, but victims of the same problem created by the God of Chaos. So instead of the banal “good versus evil” — we have a story about two sides of the same tragedy. The heroes have to find a way to break the curse, and at the same time make their way through a big world with a lot of zones, secrets, and battles.
The gameplay is a mix of combat and platforming. There are swords, bows, shields, critical hits, and even vampirism. There are classic elements of hardcore platforming — jumping, dojis, and climbing. There is a skill tree that can be rebuilt and a system of stones to customize the style of play.
The game is not short: the main campaign takes about 30 hours to complete, and you can spend up to 50+ hours with secrets. The visual style is dark with smooth animation. Plus, the developers from Aeternum Game Studios said that all the visual content — from characters to backgrounds — was created by hand. Although I didn’t like the way the main character sometimes sways from side to side, the rest of the movements looked fine.
The Last Faith
The Story of Eric — is a dark 2D Metroidvania with a Soulslike vibe. The protagonist wakes up in a cathedral with a strange disease that eats away at his mind and no memory. The world around him looks like a gothic nightmare with gods, curses, and religious fanatics.
It’s not typical for metroidvania to choose a character class at the beginning: swordsman, archer, or mage. Later on, the character can be customized through basic characteristics, amulets, rings, passive bonuses, and different types of weapons. So, the arsenal includes swords, scythes, shotguns, magic, as well as finishing and stamina.
The campaign takes about 12-15 hours, but if you want to go through everything again in New Game+ — then 25+. Some people compare the atmosphere of gothic pixel art to Bloodborne: castles, snow-capped mountains, etc.
Screenshots from Blasphemous 2
Visual style — very beautiful and elaborate gothic pixel art of both monsters and bosses, as well as locations with a background. Soundtracks make you immerse yourself in the game world. The first part will take up to 30 hours to complete with secrets and side quests, and Blasphemous 2 — up to 25-26 hours. Although I managed to do more than that.
By the way, the developers have recently released a new game — Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. The Game Kitchen has returned to the genre of metroidvania, but with a new setting about a ninja who defends the village of Hayabusa from a demonic invasion. We will consider this game a bonus in this list.
Dead Cells
After the gothic and gloomy metroidvania —, you need to dilute the colors with something bright and cheerful. This is exactly the experience Dead Cells will bring, which begins on an infected island. The player takes on the role of an amorphous creature (I called it Ooze) — the Prisoner, who comes to life again and again in the body of an executed soldier. There is no search for repentance, cure or curse here — it’s about endless attempts to escape, where death is not the end but the beginning of a new cycle. In a rotten world.
It is difficult to understand the plot here, although not as much as in Blasphemous. Dead Cells doesn’t have a clear narrative – you have to look for fragments, cryptic inscriptions, locations, and objects. In general, every detail matters if you learn to read between the lines.
The thing I liked most about the gameplay here is that it’s a cocktail of roguelike and Metroidvania, where every run can turn into a killing fest. At the beginning, Zhizha has basic weapons, but later on, swords, bows, shields, magic… and a frying pan are unlocked. Fighting with it is especially funny. Classically, you have to remember about dojis, jumping, mating, etc. When you die, you lose everything except for the permanent improvements you bought for cells (this is the currency).
The base game takes about 15-20 hours to complete, but with all the DLC, secrets, and high difficulty levels — it’s easy to get stuck for 60+. It’s a game that doesn’t have a clear ending unless you decide to stop yourself. Visual style — dynamic and very colorful pixel art. The soundtrack is energetic and epic.
Nine Sols
The atmosphere here is different and beautiful for contemplation. The game is set in the world of New Kunlun, the last refuge of the Solarians, an ancient alien race. They had to flee their home planet because of a deadly virus, and to save their sanity they created a special simulation. They couldn’t think of anything better than to kidnap people and make them into their own biomaterial. Our protagonist Yi comes from this race, but they betrayed him and tried to kill him. Somehow he survived and came back for revenge. His goal is to destroy the system.
Some players compare the combat system to Sekiro, where everything is built around parrying. Here, you have to wait for the right moment to counterattack and make powerful strikes. Over time, more opportunities open up, but we won’t spoil what they are. Let’s just say that you need to level up through a skill system with active and passive abilities.
Visually, the game resembles a comfortably drawn anime, which is complemented by electronics mixed with oriental motifs. Throughout the game, the player is immersed in temples, laboratories, organic ships — everything has its own unique style. The campaign lasts about 21 hours, but if you play through everything, it can be up to 33. But this is a metroidvania — it’s more interesting to sniff out every corner.
Afterimage + Trial of Soul
If we mentioned the manga style above, now it’s anime. The protagonist Renee has lost her memory and is trying to find her mentor to uncover the secrets of Engardin. This fantasy world has experienced a catastrophe that changed it forever. Plus, there’s a Soul Trial mode where the character wakes up in a strange temple where souls are tested. In fact, this is a separate adventure in the Afterimage world that throws you into a new story with new mechanics.
Visually, the game looks nice, but more for fans of anime style. All of this is accompanied by a gentle piano playing. As for the gameplay, it brings a system of souls. You need to collect them to unlock new abilities, so the leveling up is not just through experience.
The story of the main game lasts from 20 to 45 hours, depending on whether you complete it at 100%. The challenge mode will give you another six hours.
Super Roboy
Or something that visually reminded me of Hollow Knight. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a little robot goes in search of his missing father. At the beginning, he is guided by the artificial intelligence Virgil, who will lead the player by the hand only during the introduction. At first, the robot doesn’t understand what’s going on, but eventually we discover Robot’s past, explore the world and meet its inhabitants.
I still have some doubts about the controls. I played on a gamepad and it was not convenient to shoot the gun obliquely. The battle combines RPG elements: a combination of attacks, overlaying effects, etc. At the beginning, the hero can only roll quickly, but there is no blocking as a separate button. The double jump is unlocked later, but even the regular one can be praised as dynamic. You can level up through special crystals.
Gameplay — this is a classic open-world Metroidvania that lasts only 10-14 hours, depending on the style of play and the desire to explore all the nooks and crannies. I can also praise the visual style created by tattoo artist Vincent Penning. The world looks very bright and rich, despite its gloomy atmosphere. The soundtracks here have a touch of retro-futurism with a little bit of melancholy.
Gestalt Steam & Cinder
Among this list, this game has a unique atmosphere — the city of Kanan is actually a steampunk metropolis where old conspiracies, legendary and forgotten technologies, as well as the threat of world destruction are hidden. Our protagonist — Alethea, who is an elite mercenary who just came to complete a task. At the beginning of the game, an incident occurs that turns everything into a personal mission for her.
The plot unfolds through dialogues (which, at least at the beginning, are plentiful), cutscenes, and research. There is no religious theme here, but rather a technocratic and conspiratorial one, which eventually turns into a human tragedy. What surprised me about the gameplay was the ability to take on jobs on a message board. Although Alethea is a mercenary, so this can be logically explained. Otherwise, there is an emphasis on melee weapons that can be charged for ranged attacks. The skill tree will allow you to customize your playstyle.
The campaign lasts about 12-15 hours, depending on how deeply you dive into the world of Kanan. Visually, the game looks like retro pixel art, but with modern detail. And the music is atmospheric, with industrial motifs that emphasize the steampunk aesthetic.
Death’s Gambit
Here, the plot is familiar to classic metroidvania: a ruined kingdom. There, death has lost its power, and immortal beings wander in search of meaning. In the world of Ciradon, our hero — is an agent of death who has made a deal to fulfill a mission. Later, it becomes his personal story about life, death, and the price of immortality. The plot is fully revealed through dialogues, cutscenes, descriptions of objects, and even through bosses who have their own tragedies.
As for the gameplay, it is also unusual to choose a class where you have to level up skills, use different weapons and abilities. After defeating the bosses, you can return to the “heroic mode” where they become even tougher.
The passage of Death’s Gambit: Afterlife takes about 20-25 hours to complete. Visually, it’s gothic art with detailed locations, and the music is atmospheric, melancholic, and sometimes a bit epic.
Crypt Custodian
And finally — the cat. The plot takes place in the afterlife, where the main character Plutonium — is a dead cat who has been sentenced to eternal cleaning as a janitor of the afterlife. We don’t envy him. The isometric world around us is filled with ghosts who hide their tragic stories and get stuck between worlds. Here, too, you have to gradually learn the history of the world through dialogues.
The gameplay is focused on exploration, boss battles, and puzzle solving. The combat system is reminiscent of Hades in terms of movement and Hollow Knight in terms of difficulty — fast, precise, with a lot of attention to timing. However, there are levels where jumping on platforms is a separate circle of hell. If you play the game, you’ll understand what level I’m talking about.
The story lasts about 20 hours if you take your time, and with all the secrets — even longer. Visually, the game is a cozy isometric style with nice animations, and the music is atmospheric, calm, and with a touch of magic.
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