It feels almost unfair to start with the game you have definitely played, but no list of games like Silksong is complete without the original. Hollow Knight didn't just revive the genre; it perfected it. The fallen kingdom of Hallownest is a masterclass in atmospheric storytelling, where every gloomy cavern and overgrown greenpath tells a sad, beautiful history.

If you jumped straight into Silksong without finishing the original, or if it has been a few years, a replay is essential. Exploring Hallownest with fresh eyes in 2026 proves that its tight controls and melancholic vibe are truly timeless. The slower, more grounded combat of the Knight offers a fascinating contrast to Hornet's aerial dynamism.

If the combat in Silksong felt like a deadly dance, Nine Sols is a knife fight in a phone booth. Developed by Red Candle Games, this "Taopunk" action-platformer features a hand-drawn art style that rivals the best in the business. The gameplay loop is heavily focused on deflection mechanics, demanding precision and rhythm similar to Sekiro.

You play as Yi, a long-forgotten hero on a quest for revenge against the nine alien rulers of a forsaken realm. The lore is deep, blending sci-fi technology with Taoist mythology, and the boss fights are some of the most intense you will find on PC. It fills that void of "hard but fair" combat perfectly.

Ubisoft Montpellier surprised everyone by dropping one of the smoothest Metroidvanias in history. The Lost Crown puts you in the shoes of Sargon, a warrior with time-bending abilities. Much like Hornet in Silksong, Sargon is fast. The movement here is incredibly fluid—he dashes, slides, and teleports with a responsiveness that makes even simple traversal feel stylish.

The combat depth is surprising, allowing for juggle combos that feel like they were ripped straight from a fighting game. It is polished, massive, and features some of the cleverest environmental puzzles in recent memory.

While Silksong focuses on intricate, tool-based combat, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the king of aerial grace. The sequel to Blind Forest improved on everything: better combat, deeper customization, and a world that feels more alive. The art direction uses dynamic lighting and 3D layered backgrounds to create a forest that feels like it is breathing.

The story will absolutely try to make you cry, but the gameplay keeps you hooked with its satisfying flow. By the end, you are not just jumping; you are flying, grappling, and burrowing through sand in a continuous motion that rivals the best platformers ever made.

The follow-up to the acclaimed Ender Lilies, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist takes us to the Land of Fumes, a magical superpower falling into ruin. You play as Lilac, an "Attuner" who can purify the corruption driving artificial lifeforms mad. Instead of wielding weapons directly, you command these purified homunculi to fight for you, mixing and matching their spirits to create custom loadouts.

The visual style retains that haunting, gothic beauty of the first game, but with more refined mechanics and a slightly more interconnected world. It captures that specific melancholic vibe of exploring a ruined civilization that Team Cherry fans love.

Don't let the pixel art fool you; Animal Well is a dense, mysterious labyrinth that trusts you to figure it out. There is no combat in the traditional sense. Instead, you use tools like a frisbee, a slinky, and a bubble wand to interact with the environment and the sometimes-hostile wildlife. It feels like a survival horror game wrapped in a puzzle-platformer.

The map is incredibly dense, with secrets hidden inside of secrets. It is a game that encourages community collaboration to solve its deepest mysteries, offering a sense of discovery that few games achieve.

Set on a colossal, derelict spaceship known as the Vessel, MIO: Memories in Orbit offers a striking sci-fi twist on the genre. You play as an android trying to save the ship from its own decay and the rogue machines that inhabit it. The art style is crisp and vibrant, leaning into neon teals and deep blacks.

The gameplay emphasizes fluid movement and collecting "pearls" to upgrade your abilities. The premise of exploring a technological ruin rather than a magical one provides a refreshing change of pace while scratching that same itch for exploration.

Constance is a hand-drawn Metroidvania where you wield a paintbrush to fight back against corruption. The protagonist is an artist trapped in a decaying inner world created by her own declining mental health. This narrative framing allows for some incredibly creative biome designs, representing different aspects of her psyche.

The core mechanic involves using paint for both combat and traversal—you can morph into paint to slide along walls or dive into the floor. It is fluid, expressive, and visually distinct, blending the grim themes of Hollow Knight with a splash of color.

If Silksong’s high-speed, acrobatic combat left you craving more precision-based action, Have a Nice Death is a mandatory hire. You play as a tiny, overworked Death trying to regain control of his company, Death Inc., from a bunch of unruly employees. While it leans more into the "Rogue-lite" side of the spectrum than a traditional Metroidvania, its inclusion here is earned through its incredibly snappy, hand-drawn animation that rivals Team Cherry's best work.

The combat is lightning-fast, focusing on scythe-swinging combos and magical abilities that feel weighty and satisfying. Each department of Death Inc. serves as a distinct biome, complete with challenging bosses that demand the same level of pattern recognition as Hollow Knight’s toughest foes. It’s a stylish, darkly comedic romp that trades Hallownest's melancholy for corporate satire without sacrificing an ounce of difficulty.

This is the wildcard on the list. Shadow Labyrinth is a darker, action-platformer interpretation of the Pac-Man universe. You play as Swordsman No. 8, exploring a mysterious planet alongside a floating companion named Puck. The game blends traditional combat with a unique "consumption" mechanic where you grow from prey to predator.

It sounds bizarre on paper, but the execution is surprisingly grippy, offering a maze-like world that rewards aggressive play. It is a testament to how flexible the genre can be.

If the gloomy, isolated vibes of Hallownest are what you’re chasing, Ghost Song is an essential play. Set on the desolate moon of Lorian, you wake up as a Deadsuit—a long-dormant shell with no memory of its purpose. Much like the early hours of Silksong, the game excels at making you feel small in a world that is ancient, indifferent, and incredibly dangerous.

The combat is a rhythmic blend of ranged blaster fire and heavy melee strikes. It features a clever "heat" mechanic: firing your gun heats up your suit, making your physical attacks deal significantly more damage. This encourages you to get up close and personal with the cosmic horrors lurking in the tunnels. It’s a melancholic, atmospheric masterpiece that prioritizes discovery and emotional storytelling over pure twitch-reflexes.

Grime is weird, beautiful, and unsettling. You play as a humanoid black hole with a rock body, exploring a world made of anatomical horror and stone. The combat relies heavily on parrying; timing your absorption of enemy attacks is key to survival and gaining new abilities.

The atmosphere is thick with dread, and the weapon system—living weapons that mutate as you use them—adds a great RPG layer to the experience.

Before Ender Magnolia, there was Ender Lilies. You guide Lily, the last surviving priestess, through a kingdom destroyed by a cursed rain. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful, piano-heavy and melancholic, perfectly matching the visuals.

The combat system, where you summon fallen knights to attack for you, allows for significant build variety. It is a quieter, more emotional journey than most action games, but no less difficult.

If you wished Bloodborne was a side-scroller, The Last Faith is your dream come true. It leans hard into the "Soulsvania" subgenre, featuring gothic architecture, Lovecraftian horrors, and a wide arsenal of melee weapons and firearms.

The pixel art is incredibly detailed, dripping with atmosphere (and blood). It is challenging and grim, perfect for those who like their Metroidvanias with a side of Victorian horror.

Blasphemous is steeped in the iconography of Spanish Catholicism and folklore, creating a world that is uniquely disturbing and fascinating. You play as The Penitent One, traversing the nightmare land of Cvstodia.

While the platforming can be instant-death punishing, the combat is visceral and heavy. The boss designs are some of the most memorable (and grotesque) in the genre's history.

Technically a "Roguevania," Dead Cells ditches the fixed map for procedurally generated levels, but keeps the unlocking of abilities and the tight combat. It is incredibly fast; you are encouraged to speedrun, dodge-roll, and smash through doors.

With years of DLC and updates (including a crossover with Castlevania), it offers hundreds of hours of content. The combat is crunchy and satisfying, making every run feel fresh.

Salt and Sanctuary was one of the first games to successfully translate the Dark Souls formula into 2D. It features a deep skill tree, character creation, and distinct weapon classes. It also has a feature many modern titles lack: local co-op. If exploring a dark, perilous island sounds too scary to do alone, check out our guide to 10 Best 2-Player Games for more titles you can enjoy with a friend on the couch.

Created by Koji Igarashi, the godfather of the genre, Bloodstained is pure comfort food for Castlevania fans. It is campy, colorful, and loaded with RPG systems. You can craft gear, cook food for stat buffs, and collect "shards" from enemies to gain their powers.

It doesn't take itself as seriously as Silksong, but the sheer variety of weapons and spells makes it a playground for experimentation.

Islets is a breath of fresh air. You play as a mouse warrior trying to reconnect floating islands to stabilize the world. The twist? Connecting the islands physically joins the map sections, opening up new paths and secrets.

It is generally more forgiving than other games on this list, with charming characters and a bright, hand-drawn art style. It is a great palate cleanser if you are burnt out on grimdark settings.

HAAK takes place in a wasteland and features a protagonist equipped with a multi-functional energy hook. The movement is snappy, and the hook allows for some creative platforming and combat options.

The retro-futuristic aesthetic and the smooth animation give it a distinct identity. It is a hidden gem that nails the feeling of being a nimble wasteland survivor.

If your favorite part of Metroidvanias is getting lost in a huge map, Afterimage is for you. The world of Engardin is absolutely massive, filled with diverse biomes ranging from fiery volcanoes to serene forests. The art style is vibrant and anime-inspired.

It offers a deep RPG system with multiple weapon types and talent trees, giving you plenty of reasons to scour every corner of its gigantic map.

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder brings a steampunk aesthetic to the table, featuring 32-bit era pixel art that looks fantastic. You play as Aletheia, a soldier uncovering a conspiracy in the steam-powered city of Canaan.

The combat mixes melee combos with ranged gunplay, allowing for stylish juggling of enemies. It is narrative-heavy, with choices that can affect the outcome of the story.

While the first game was a love letter to Metroid, Axiom Verge 2 tries something different. It focuses less on combat and more on exploration and hacking. You can switch between the physical world and a "breach" dimension, which changes the layout of the map.

It is a cerebral experience that rewards curiosity and understanding the game's unique "glitch" mechanics.

Tunic might look like a Zelda clone, but its structure is pure Metroidvania (sometimes called a "Tunic-vania" or "Knowledge-vania"). You explore a mysterious world where the instructions are written in an alien language you have to decipher.

The real progression isn't just getting items, but learning how the world works. Realizing you could do something all along—if only you knew the button combo—is a magical feeling.

We end with the first Ori game. While the sequel improved the combat, Blind Forest is still a masterpiece of platforming design. The "Bash" ability, which lets you launch yourself off enemies and projectiles, remains one of the best mechanics in the genre.

It is shorter and more focused than its sequel, making it a perfect weekend playthrough if you want to experience a touching story and tight controls.