Top 10 Metroidvania Games to Try After Hollow Knight Silksong
If Hollow Knight Silksong left you hungry for more meticulous world-building, tight combat, and labyrinthine maps, you’re not alone. Metroidvanias thrive on exploration, backtracking, and the tiny upgrades that unlock new pathways. The games below crest the genre’s best moments while offering distinct flavors—gothic awe, pixel-perfect precision, or bombastic platforming—that echo the mood and challenge of Silksong without being a carbon copy.
“A great metroidvania rewards curiosity: every corridor you explore reveals a secret, and every secret reshapes what you thought was possible in the map.”
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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
A sprawling, gothic castle to conquer, with a loot-driven upgrade loop and an arsenal of transformative weapons. Its dense map invites thorough exploration, much like Hallownest, and boss encounters reward pattern recognition and timing. If you crave a weapon variety that changes how you traverse the environment, Bloodstained scratches that itch.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: grand scale, interconnected areas, and a satisfying sense of progression through exploration.
- Tip: experiment with weapon forms to reach hidden rooms and shortcuts.
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Axiom Verge
A love letter to classic Metroid design, Axiom Verge stacks clever weapon systems on a sprawling, mystery-filled map. Its retro visuals and surprising pivots in movement and form mirror the sense of discovery that Silksong champions, while delivering a modern polish that keeps the pace brisk.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: inventive biomes, modular upgrades, and puzzles that reward careful observation.
- Tip: map every sector carefully—the hidden shortcuts are worth the extra detour.
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Dead Cells
Dead Cells blends roguelite structure with tight metroidvania traversal, producing fast, fluid combat and a constantly changing map. Its emphasis on skillful dodges and weapon variety creates a rhythm you’ll recognize from Silksong’s tempo, while the run-based progression adds a fresh layer of replayability.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: relentless pacing, sharp combat, and a map that reveals itself through movement.
- Tip: prioritize mobility upgrades to maximize exploration choices between runs.
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Timespinner
Timespinner channels classic era Metroidvania with a time-manipulation mechanic that tears open new paths and alters layouts. The blend of precise platforming and puzzle-solving fits well with Silksong’s architectural cleverness, giving you a new toolset to bend the map to your will.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: deliberate pacing, clever map design, and satisfying backtracking powered by time tricks.
- Tip: learn the timing windows for aging and rewinding to access hidden routes.
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Sundered
Hand-drawn and sprawling, Sundered leans into cosmic horror with branching paths and a tendency to punish improvisation. Its multiple endings and evolving boss roster keep you exploring, while the influence of classical metroidvania structure remains front and center.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: atmospheric world, dynamic combat, and the thrill of uncovering altered pathways.
- Tip: experiment with corruption mechanics to unlock new zones and power-ups.
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Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
A lyrical, moody take on the genre, Ender Lilies pairs a haunting world with precise, responsive combat. Exploration is thoughtful and deliberate, inviting you to map its melancholy cathedrals just as Silksong invites you to map its grandeur.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: heavy atmosphere, satisfying dungeon layouts, and boss encounters that reward patience.
- Tip: use your plant-based summons to control space during fights and open routes.
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Salt and Sanctuary marries the brutal, methodical combat of Soulslike games with the freedoms of a 2D metroidvania. It’s a demanding, richly textured world that rewards careful builds and exploration-driven pacing, making it a natural next step for players who relish Silksong’s challenging encounters.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: deep combat systems, sturdy exploration, and a sense of accomplishment after tough trials.
- Tip: tailor your loadout to handle both platforming sections and boss arenas.
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Guacamelee! 2
Guacamelee! 2 adds a vibrant, humor-filled take on the metroidvania formula with dual-world exploration, platforming flair, and a robust move-set. It’s a high-energy counterpoint to Silksong’s darker mood, offering satisfying traversal and crowd-control options as you uncover secrets.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: fluid movement, clever level design, and lots of hidden areas to discover.
- Tip: chain aerial combos to reach otherwise unreachable platforms and chests.
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Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is an atmospheric, compact exploration game with tight combat and cryptic lore. Its map is a character in itself, inviting careful exploration and frequent experimentation with different weapon loadouts—perfect for players who enjoyed Silksong’s moodier, enigmatic corners.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: moody aesthetics, precise combat, and a map that rewards patient exploration.
- Tip: upgrade health and dash early to survive the tougher late-game sections.
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Chasm
Chasm creates a sense of vertical discovery through a procedurally revealed map where platforms and walls become visible as you explore. It captures the adrenaline of uncovering new routes and secrets, echoing Silksong’s reward for meticulous pathfinding and backtracking.
- Why it clicks for Silksong fans: evolving map visibility, vertical exploration, and a steady rhythm of discovery.
- Tip: revisit explored floors after unlocking new abilities—the maze reshapes as you grow.
Whether you crave gothic atmosphere, precise combat, or clever map mechanics, these metroidvanias offer distinct takes on the DNA you love in Hollow Knight Silksong. Pick a few, dive in, and let the maps reveal themselves—one corridor at a time.