Hollow Knight is widely known as a game following the Metroidvania framework. Some gamers define this game as Souls-like, a nod to Dark Souls, for being challenging to play. In the end, this game is popular for being Metroidvania-like and Souls-like at the same time.
While waiting for the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, here is a list of 15 games that play like Hollow Knight.
Hollow Knight Game Features
 Release Date: | 24 February 2017 |
 Developer: | Team Cherry |
 Publisher: | Team Cherry |
 Platforms: | Microsoft Windows Linux macOS Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
 Genre: | Metroidvania |
 Setting: | Fantasy World |
 Game Modes: | Single-player |
1. WarriOrb
The first game on this list is an indie game that might not be popular, but it should be. WarriOrb is a difficult game that players quit early on. There is actually an option in the game settings to toggle “Forgiving Jump” to “Always”. Forgiving Jump allows players to have the usual game mechanics in platformers when it comes to jumping. The default is that the game requires pressing the jump button before landing.
Also, do not be discouraged by its truthfully unattractive art direction. It may look like a cheap 3D animation aimed at toddlers but this game is not for children. This is indeed a challenging game. Although light in combat, the puzzle-solving portions of the game should keep your mind away from Hollow Knight in the meantime.
- Developer: Not Yet
- Publisher: Not Yet, Maple Whispering Limited
- Release Date: April 28, 2020 (PC) / September 8, 2020 (Xbox One and Series X|S) / October 8, 2020 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Switch
2. Aeterna Noctis
In Aeterna Noctis, you play as the King of Darkness, a being that has eternal strife against the Queen of Light. According to legend, the King and Queen descend to the mortal realm and repeat their ascension as part of this unending war.
Aeterna Noctis’ gameplay is similar to those of other recent and older Metroidvanias. You begin in a vast open environment. You are free to explore the areas until there is some form of roadblock or hindrance that disallows you to gain access to some parts of the world. Then you return and proceed in the opposite direction until you find something that allows you to explore parts of the environment you previously did not have access to.
In the gameplay department, at the onset, you are going to face tribulations. You are going to jump off moving objects and while you gain new abilities, another set of challenges will come at you.
Aeterna Noctis’ environment is made up of 16 distinct, hand-drawn biomes that range from Dark Ages Europe to retro-futuristic. This game should be the same as Hollow Knight in terms of difficulty.
- Developer: Aeternum Game Studios S.L
- Publisher: Aeternum Game Studios S.L
- Release Date: December 15, 2021 (PC, Xbox One and Series X|S, PS4, PS5)
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Switch
3. The Dark Dwellers
The title of this game is indeed stylized in all-caps. In THE DARK DWELLERS, you will play The Mortali, an unnamed man who was abducted as a youngster and forced to grow up surrounded by death and sorrow. You are to solve the mysteries of The Maddening Curse.
The art direction of this game, unlike WarriOrb, is fantastic. It is not mind-blowing pixel perfection, yet the dark hues and animations are very succinct to the mood of the game. It also helps a lot that this game is fully voice-acted.
Immersion is never a problem, it is like you are dwelling in the darkness yourself. This game evokes Dark Devotion, but without the rogue-like elements.
- Developer: COLNELIUS
- Publisher: COLNELIUS
- Release Date: February 18, 2022
- Platform: PC
4. Unbound: Worlds Apart
Here is the checklist of a game like Hollow Knight: (1) difficult platforming, (2) mind-bending puzzles to solve, and (3) a large world that you gradually reveal as you acquire new powers that allow you to visit previously unreachable regions. Unbound: Worlds Apart has all of these and more.
Unbound: Worlds: Apart has two unique mechanics that are absent in other morbidly laborious Metroidvanias: portals and non-traditional combat. Portals change the world around Soli, the controllable character, from revealing hidden platforms to turning enemy forces into platforms themselves. It is not as simply turning an area with the portal, as sometimes you must skillfully and rapidly change portals to reach places. There is even a portal that will change the gravitational pull so it is not just the environment is different, the effects too will be affected.
The world behind the world unlocked by the portal provides unpredictability on how to go about the game. Good thing that the controls are responsive. One of the greatest weaknesses of some Metroidvanias is that they are only difficult because you have to grapple with the controls themselves. Unbound: Worlds Apart has snappy controls that make things a little bit easier.
- Developer: Angel Pixel Studios
- Publisher: Angel Pixel Studios, Digerati Distribution
- Release Date: July 28, 2021 (PC, Nintendo Switch) / February 9, 2022 (PS4, PS5) / February 11, 2022 (Xbox Series X|S)
- Platform: PC, Switch, PS, Xbox
5. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition
Ori And the Blind Forest was published in early 2015 as an Xbox One exclusive for a significant stretch of time. That sounds underwhelming for those who participate in list wars and console fanboyism, but in itself, this game is an incredible platformer that plays as well as it looks and sounds.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is just the same as its 2015 original release except for some additional content. They are entirely optional, and if you played the original, they play exactly the same without omission or enhancement in the gameplay department other than the optional content. Some noted that there are performance fixes in the Definitive Edition, although the original was not exactly a slideshow or Demon’s Souls’ Blighttown on the PS3.
Unlike most of the games on this list, Ori and the Blind Forest Definitive Edition allows four difficulty settings. The default setting is not easy in any way. There are parts in the game that results in insta-death upon the players’ mistakes.
Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition looks, sounds, and plays fantastically, with crisp controls and a spectacular presentation. The great soundtrack is also one of the best parts of the game. Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition does not necessarily set a new standard or innovate within the Metroidvania genre, but it does provide an experience that is boosted by the game’s otherwise excellent production values.
While not exactly Hollow Knight in terms of difficulty, this game is worth the comparison even if it pales to that one particular category.
- Developer: Moon Studios
- Publisher: Microsoft Studios
- Release Date: March 11, 2015 (PC) / September 27, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, Switch
6. The Guise
This game is the total opposite of Ori and the Blind Forest because of its dark themes. Not in visual terms, as the latter does play in darker environments. But in The Guise, you take the role of Ogden, an abandoned child in an orphanage or was a child. He took a strange white mask and wear it transforming her into a four-legged beast.
The Guise is another Metroidvania game in which you explore the environment, learn new powers, and return to previously undiscovered/unreachable regions to discover previously unattainable mysteries to again reach new places.
The gameplay is straightforward: you kill opponents to obtain eyes, which you use to develop your powers, which you obtain by defeating bosses. Some artifacts enhance the aforementioned powers.
While The Guise, is not Hollow Knight in terms of production value, it has enough Metroidvania on it that you might like.
- Developer: Rasul Mono
- Publisher: GameNet
- Release Date: October 20, 2020
- Platform: PC
7. Lost Wish: In the desperate world
Any otaku out there will love this game. With some anime art direction, Lost Wish: In the desperate world will have you control a young girl with a little red riding hood costume flair named Kana in this somber adventure.
This game has all the Metroidvania ingredients: powerups and items that will help you get into places that are there all along. The animation is slick and so is the feedback in the controls. There are some rough English translations out there, but that’s part of the charm of these anime-style games. Any Metroidvania fans will be reminded of Momodora (which is also featured in this article).
https://youtu.be/vcYnmAM7NxY
The game is rough on the edges but it is pretty decent. It’s just hard to be in a Metroidvania crowd with the likes of Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest, but at least, Lost Wish: In the desperate world belongs to that group.
- Developer: Innocent Soul
- Publisher: Innocent Soul
- Release Date: March 25, 2022
- Platform: PC
8. Pronty
Most of the time, Metroidvanias’ setting is in castles, outer space, or landscapes, it is rare for this genre to tackle the underwater world. Pronty is a Metroidvania set under the oceans. You have to control the titular protagonists in exploring the deep sea and fight the mutants.
Aside from the underwater traversing, another unique characteristic of this game is that Pronty makes use of a robotic swordfish aptly named Bront the Javelin. This means that you, as a player, do not attack the enemies directly but rather the swordfish does all the dirty work. This makes a lot of sense since there is no traditional platforming here since there is no jumping and skimping around underwater.
Two character stats are important in this game: Heart and Stamina. Pronty needs Stamina so that he can use moves like dashing. He also needs some Heart so that he can fight for longer periods. The resource to upgrade both of these is the same, so you have to choose wisely. There is a Memory Board with 11 available slots for talents to fit your playstyle, or whatever the situation asks for.
The sprite work is magnificent. The background art is godly, punctuated further by great lighting and apt filters. This game looks incredibly nice on your monitor or HDTV.
- Developer: 18Light Game Ltd., FunZone Games
- Publisher: 18Light Game Ltd., CE-Asia, 樂磚 Joy Brick, Mayflower Entertainment
- Release Date: November 19, 2021
- Platform: PC
9. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
The cuteness of this game is not commensurate with how difficult it is. Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a difficult Metroidvania when the genre already infers such difficulty spike compared to other genres. This game has its heroine, Kaho, very weak in the beginning parts of the game and is easily overwhelmed and defeated. This is in no way all due to the player’s fault, she is that vulnerable.
Power creep is the unique offering of Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight. As long as you stay the course, explore, and collect items, the game gets easier as you progress. You have to master first the mechanics and inventory management.
As of this writing, this is the third of the four titles of the Momodora series. Reverie Under the Moonlight is probably the one with the most mainstream appeal due to its polish.
- Developer: Bombservice
- Publisher: Playism, Dangen Entertainment
- Release Date: March 4, 2016 (PC) / March 16, 2017 (PS4 and PS5) / March 17, 2017 (Xbox One and Series X|S) / January 10, 2019 (Nintendo Switch)
- Platform: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch
10. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
When something becomes so popular that the market is saturated with identical games, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out, not to mention how difficult it becomes to sift through so many ideas to find those that are truly worth it. Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, is a truly great game and the best representative of Metroidvania since the magnificent Hollow Knight.
The female protagonist is also a common theme with Metroidvania just like first-person interactive adventures. In Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, you control Lily, a girl who wakes up in a completely devastated kingdom where the rain never stops. From here, she will embark on a journey to discover what happened to the world, and what is her role.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a 2D action, role-playing, and platform adventure in which you must explore a massive landscape with all of its connecting areas. Of course, to progress through it, we will need to acquire new talents that will allow us to reach previously inaccessible regions, thus the more we play, the more the game world will open up and backtracking will become more vital.
Backtracking is never a problem in this game even if it sounds like it’s strenuous. It is maybe labyrinthine and complex, but it looks good, and more importantly, it plays great.
- Developer: Adglobe, Live Wire
- Publisher: Binary Haze Interactive
- Release Date: June 22, 2021 (PC, Nintendo Switch) / June 29, 2021 (Xbox One and Series X|S), July 20, 2021 (PS4)
- Platform: PC, PS, Xbox, Switch
11. Grime
Metroidvanias mostly employ dark and depressing settings and circumstances. In Grime, the unsettling factor is shot up to the highest level. The brutality of the premise is also shared by the difficulty of this game.
The universe of Grime is entirely built of rocks, from the surroundings to the characters and weaponry. When you defeat foes, you gather their ‘mass’ which you may use to level up and spend in trader encounters. You are literally a black hole who descended into the bottom pits of existence.
The drab art direction might deter anime fans or those who like detailed pixel art. There is a very unique story in this game and core mechanics too.
Unlike the majority of the games on this list, and even Metroidvanias in generals, Grime has multiple attributes: Health, Focus, Strength, Dexterity, and Resonance. These attributes are important in determining what weapons you can wield.
- Developer: Adglobe, Live Wire
- Publisher: Binary Haze Interactive
- Release Date: June 22, 2021 (PC, Nintendo Switch) / June 29, 2021 (Xbox One and Series X|S), July 20, 2021 (PS4)
- Platform: PC, PS , Xbox, Switch
12. Salt and Sanctuary
Salt and Sanctuary has a lot to share with Dark Souls than Metroidvania. In fact, it can easily be said that this game is just Dark Souls in 2D. Both the oppressive difficulty and atmosphere ever lingering in Souls game are here.
You start with a character editor, with the art style of icons and the user interface evoking Dark Souls. As compared to its inspiration, Salt and Sanctuary is not that difficult. Well, anything compared to Souls games will pale in comparison but it doesn’t mean everyone can tolerate this game.
Salt and Sanctuary also has its own peculiar feature in the progression system, that is not in Dark Souls. Instead of improving the stats of our warrior with souls individually, as in Dark Souls, you slither along the branches of a talent tree, on which you place values such as strength, dexterity, or endurance.
- Developer: Ska Studios
- Publisher: Ska Studios
- Release Date: March 15, 2016 (PS4) / May 17, 2016 (PC) / March 28, 2017 (PlayStation Vita) / August 2, 2018 (Nintendo Switch) / February 6, 2019 (Xbox One)
- Platform: PC, PS , Xbox, Switch
13. Ori and the Will of the Wisp
Ori is back on this list. The game is too good, you have to play both the original and the sequel. So what is new in the sequel? Everything in the first game and more, like lots more.
Ori and the Will of the Wisp are more combat heavy than the original. It also takes cues from Hollow Knight with shards, side quests, and other things. Ori picks up her story right after the events of Ori and the Blind Forest.
The visual style of the game is still clear enough to tell you where you need to go and how you can get there even with all the lush and detailed environment.
As you progress and gain more skills ( the number of abilities here in the sequel is higher than in the original game), Ori’s motions evolve magnificently, opening up the world for more exploration. The entire map transforms into a lovely playground, with hidden items buried everywhere possible.
The gameplay mechanics can easily be mixed because of the responsive controls, resulting in rapid, nimble, and fluid movement.
- Developer: Moon Studios
- Publisher: Xbox Game Studios
- Release Date: March 11, 2020 (PC, Xbox One) / September 17, 2020 (Nintendo Switch) / November 10, 2020 (Xbox Series X|S)
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Switch
14. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Finally, a game that has the same motif as the other half of Metroidvania: Castlevania. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is considered as the spiritual successor of one of the most beloved games.
- Developer: ArtPlay
- Publisher: 505 Games, Netease
- Release Date: June 18, 2019 (PC, Xbox One, PS4) / June 25, 2019 (Nintendo Switch) / December 3, 2020 (iOS / Android)
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Switch, Mobile, PS4
15. Blasphemous
Yet another Castlevania-inspired 2D platformer, Blasphemous is as grotesque as what you can insinuate from its title. It lets you control the Penitent One, a gangly man in a conical helmet who must purify a lost civilization on behalf of a religious being named Miracle.
The main distinction between this game and the Souls series games is the level of difficulty, which is not as terrible as you may think. In fact, this is one of the most welcoming Metroidvanias on this list. The game features pixelated graphics reminiscent of 16-bit games from the 90s.
- Developer: The Game Kitchen
- Publisher: Team17
- Release Date: September 10, 2019 (PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One)
- Platform: PC, Xbox, Switch, PS4
Conclusion
Hollow Knight: Silksong can wait, as you have the above games to burn time with. You can be certain that you have all the traversing and backtracking you need until Team Cherry decides to announce the release date.
