With roots in games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, the Metroidvania genre continues to prove popular with fans of 2D action-adventure games. This is especially true in the indie scene where there seems to be a new one released every other month, to varying levels of fanfare.

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But when discussing the genre's very best, a few games are bound to come up. And despite the genre's console origins, the good news for PC players is that a lot of these are currently available on the various digital distribution platforms. What follows are the best Metroidvania games available on Steam.

Updated June 3, 2023 by Tristan Zelden: Metroidvanias are likely seen with retro-styled graphics or stylized artistic aesthetic from indie developers. The genre does lean into the triple-A space from some of the world's biggest developers. We have added some additional entries to represent what a Metroidvania, or Metroidvania-like, game can look like when given an enormous budget.

13 Control

Floating to use powers to attack an enemy mid-air

When you have a game with elements of a genre, it can divide people on whether or not it should be included. Control is many things, but it does have Metroidvania pieces that make up some of its DNA. You get all sorts of unique abilities and new designs for your gun that unlock playstyle possibilities and new things you can do.

Remedy knows how to take big swings. Control delivers a triple-A scale with dynamic physics, envelope-pushing graphical fidelity, and high-concept sci-fi. The fascinatingly crafted world offers mind-melting moments that make it a must-play to experience some of the best beats for Remedy fans and newcomers.

12 Tunic

The fox waving a sword at the sky

Tunic leans heavily into its Metroidvania personality. The world is more of a puzzle as you figure out how to progress through the story or reach that optional goal that caught your attention. It finds a way to deliver the pieces of the puzzle that are familiar yet in smart and creative ways that make elevates the genre.

Developer Tunic Team strikes a balance of difficulty with its enemies and obstacles while making it all cute and stylish. Playing as a little fox as you go around this world makes it a cozy experience. The switch flips, then you find yourself sweating through boss battles.

11 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Short beared Cal with BD-1

Jedi: Fallen Order did a lot right, but Survivor improved upon every seed planted by Respawn Entertainment. The combat has more depth, the exploration is smarter, and quality-of-life improvements make for a less frustrating experience.

Exploration is the core of Metroidvanias. Whether it is the wide open areas of Koboh or the smaller worlds you travel to, the devs knew they had something in Fallen Order and grew it in Survivor. Getting new abilities and finding solutions to problems gets more creative this time around. It makes you want to stay in the faraway galaxy longer.

10 Monster Sanctuary

Monster Sanctuary Dracozul Fight in a snowy area of the Sanctuary.

Rather untypically for a Metroidvania, Monster Sanctuary also doubles up as a monster-catching game in the style of Pokemon. Instead of catching monsters in small balls, though, you defeat them and procure monster eggs as loot, hatching them into a colorful yet dangerous army of your very own.

The Metroidvania aspects come in when you realize that you need to collect a wide range of monsters to be able to explore the entire map, with each monster having its own uses. Activating elemental switches, flying for a few seconds, speeding over traps, and smashing rocks to bits - all of these classic Metroidvania tasks are handled by different critters.

9 Islets

Islets Tomb of 1000 Spirits Enraged Spirit Head
Enraged Spirit Head

Islets is a very charming Metroidvania with very tight platforming and fun combat encounters with memorable bosses. While you don't end up collecting a plethora of unique skills and there are no incredibly deep systems to master, the game will test your skills and reflexes incredibly well.

It looks like a simple experience, and to some extent, it is, but there are some very rewarding challenges to be found in Islets, and the presentation alone is worth giving the game a closer look.

8 Salt And Sanctuary

Salt and Sanctuary Knight fighting

While at first glance Salt and Sanctuary seems to veer more towards being a Soulslike than anything else, there are plenty of strong Metroidvania mechanics pumping through this game's arteries.

RELATED: Best 2D Soulslike Games

The challenging combat and incremental upgrade systems may be the stars of the show, but you'll need to acquire unique abilities to unlock new areas and traverse them safely, just like in any classic Metroidvania. The unique art style and intense feelings of accomplishment make this game very memorable, and all of these themes are continued in its sequel, Salt and Sacrifice.

7 F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch

A screenshot showing gameplay in F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch

In F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch, you play as an anthropomorphic rabbit named Rayton. The game takes place in Torch City, a steampunk-inspired dystopia where the tyrannical Machine Legion is oppressing its animal denizens.

Armed with an upgradeable power armor that includes a large robot fist, Rayton must band together with a group of resistance fighters in order to secure their freedom. Good thing he just so happens to be a former soldier as he'll have to make use of that experience if he hopes to lead the rebellion to victory.

6 Blasphemous

A screenshot showing gameplay in Blasphemous

With a title like Blasphemous, you can pretty much tell what to expect from this bloody 2D Metroidvania from Team 17. Its religious connotations aside, though, the game serves as a distillation of the genre's core elements.

RELATED: Blasphemous: The Best Bosses In The Game

These include its focus on progressive exploration through its ever-expanding world and combat similar to the difficulty of Dark Souls as well as earlier games in the genre, all of which are presented in an almost painterly pixel art style that effectively brings its dark fantasy setting to life. A free update that introduced new areas, items, and bosses was also released for the game, dubbed Wounds of Eventide.

5 Bloodstained: Ritual Of The Night

A screenshot showing gameplay in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Speaking of games that pay homage to the classics of the Metroidvania genre, many could argue that none does it better than Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. The game was in fact developed by Koji Igarashi, who had worked on several Castlevania games.

As such, it is considered a spiritual successor by many, retaining all of its gameplay trappings while telling a completely new story that is as dark as it is captivating. This would propel it to sales of more than a million copies as well as a nomination for Most Promising New Intellectual Property at the SXSW Gaming Awards. A companion title dubbed Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon was also released.

4 Dead Cells

A screenshot showing gameplay in Dead Cells

Developed and published by Motion Twin, Dead Cells is a Metroidvania game with roguelike elements. What that means is that each time you restart the game, the layout of its levels and enemy placements would be different. You also lose all of your weapons and upgrades.

RELATED: Dead Cells: Things Beginners Should Do First

But before you go thinking this would contradict the fundamental principles of a Metroidvania, the game still maintains its sense of progression through certain permanent items that carry over between runs. You also unlock more weapons and items by finding blueprints for them, which stay permanently available within the game's shop once unlocked, ensuring that your options open up over time.

3 SteamWorld Dig 2

A screenshot showing gameplay in SteamWorld Dig 2

The SteamWorld games might have dabbled into a number of different genres over the years, but that doesn't mean they aren't best known as shiny examples in the realm of Metroidvanias. This is primarily due to the influence of SteamWorld Dig, and its even more beloved direct sequel, SteamWorld Dig 2.

The latter has players controlling a robot named Dorothy, as she explores the mines of an old Western town in search of her friend, Rusty. Each expedition into the mines rewards you with gems that can be used to upgrade your abilities, stats, and weapons. This in turn enables you to explore more of the mines in subsequent expeditions, creating a rewarding gameplay loop.

2 Ori And The Will Of The Wisps

A screenshot showing gameplay in Ori and the Will of the Wisp

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest. Released in 2017, the game once again has players guiding a spirit named Ori across a beautiful forest landscape.

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The game boasts some of the most impressive visuals seen in a Metroidvania game, with a stunning art style that wouldn't look out of place in a Disney and Pixar production. This is complemented by a fully orchestrated score as well as a heartfelt story, resulting in a game that is every bit as cinematic as its predecessor.

1 Hollow Knight

A screenshot showing a scene in Hollow Knight

There is a reason why the internet continues to clamor for the eagerly-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong. Most of that is due to its largely well-received precursor, Hollow Knight, a 2D action-adventure game by Team Cherry.

Not only does its game serve as a love letter to the Metroidvania genre, but it also shows that the genre still has a lot to offer within the context of modern gaming. Its lore-rich story is matched with a beautiful hand-drawn art style that makes its subterranean kingdom and its bug-like denizens feel larger than life.

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