If you’ve finished Hollow Knight: Silksong and want more adventures in the same spirit, you’re in luck. The platforming/Metroidvania genre is filled with games that have atmospheric worlds, tough battles, and rewarding exploration. Here are five great games that capture what made Silksong feel so special.
Hollow Knight
Return to the original masterpiece
It may seem obvious, but if you jumped straight into Silksong first, going back to play the original Hollow Knight is a must. Set in the ruined underground kingdom of Hallownest, the game places you in the role of the silent, mysterious Knight, who explores a vast, interconnected world filled with a ton of secrets to find and a lot of hostile bugs to fight.
Like Hollow Knight: Silksong, exploration is at the heart of the experience: you gradually unlock new abilities, such as wall climbing and dashing, which, in turn, allow you to open previously inaccessible areas. Its dark yet elegant art style, with hand-drawn environments, and an eerie soundtrack, creates a moody atmosphere that only gets darker the deeper you go. Known for its difficult combat and challenging platforming segments, it’s widely considered one of the best modern Metroidvanias.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
A haunting and emotional journey
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a dark fantasy Metroidvania released in 2021 by Live Wire and Adglobe. The game follows Lily, a young priestess who awakens in a cursed kingdom devastated by a deadly “Blight” that has corrupted its people into monsters. Lily herself cannot fight, but she summons the spirits of fallen warriors to protect her. Each defeated boss grants her a new spirit ally with unique abilities, which change how you traverse the environment or fight enemies. While the combat might not hold a candle to Silksong, the world is eerily similar.
Dead Cells
Fast-paced action with endless replayability
Dead Cells is a fast-paced roguelike Metroidvania developed by Motion Twin and released in 2018. You play a mysterious, headless prisoner brought back to life on a constantly shifting island. The game blends nonlinear exploration with procedurally generated levels, meaning no two runs are ever the same. At its core, Dead Cells is all about combat, with a wide variety of weapons, abilities, and traps to master.
Each death sends you back to the start, but you retain certain permanent upgrades, giving you a permanent boost for your future runs. The movement is slick and acrobatic, allowing for dashes, wall climbs, and swift dodges that keep the action fluid throughout the level. Unlike the slower, moodier pace of games like Silksong, Dead Cells thrives on momentum, and its colorful pixel-art style, paired with an energetic soundtrack, is what fuels the intensity in each new run.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
A beautiful adventure full of light
Ori and the Will of the Wisps, developed by Moon Studios and released in 2020, is a stunning Metroidvania platformer that continues the emotional journey of Ori, a small guardian spirit. Set in a vast, hand-painted world filled with lush forests, ancient ruins, and dangerous swamps, the game has a much lighter tone to it than other titles in this list so far. The story is heartfelt and deeply emotional, focusing on themes of friendship, sacrifice, and hope, all carried by a moving soundtrack. As you progress, Ori gains new abilities, such as dashes, grappling, and spirit weapons, that allow players to traverse environments more easily and take down enemies quickly. While it lacks the dark tones of Hallownest, it does have combat and traversal mechanics that pair well after playing Hollow Knight.
Blasphemous 2
Brutal combat and a dark story
Blasphemous 2, developed by The Game Kitchen and released in 2023, is a brutal yet beautiful Metroidvania steeped in dark, religious themes. You once again play as the Penitent One, a silent warrior bound to a cycle of penance in a land twisted by divine punishment.​​​​​​​ The sequel expands on the original with smoother combat, deeper exploration, and a choice of three distinct weapons, each with its own movesets and abilities.
In traditional Metroidvania fashion, progression is tied to acquiring new powers that unlock previously unreachable areas. The world is filled with grotesque enemies, punishing bosses, and cryptic lore that weaves a story of tragedy, faith, and despair. Compared to Hollow Knight: Silksong, Blasphemous 2 emphasizes heavier combat and has a lot more religious imagery.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
A modern revival of a classic series
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, released in 2024 by Ubisoft, is a modern revival of the classic franchise, reimagined as a fast-paced Metroidvania action-platformer. You play as Sargon, a young warrior from an elite group known as the Immortals, who journeys to the mythical Mount Qaf to rescue the kidnapped Prince Ghassan. The platforming segments rely on fast-paced wall runs, air dashes, with a bit of time-bending power sprinkled in. Exploration is nonlinear, with tons of puzzles, secrets, and hidden abilities waiting to be found.
These games should offer you more of a challenge
If Silksong captured your imagination, these titles are the perfect way to keep that sense of discovery alive. Although many of these titles share different settings, each of these games offers something special for fans of the genre.