10 Best Metroidvania Games on Steam (August 2025)

Looking for the best Metroidvania games on Steam in 2025? Steam has a huge collection of games, and Metroidvania titles bring some of the most fun experiences out there. These games mix action, exploration, and puzzle-solving in a way that keeps you playing for hours. With so many great choices, we’ve picked out a list of the 10 best Metroidvania games you can enjoy right now. Each one offers something special, and all of them are packed with exciting moments and smart gameplay.

What Defines the Best Steam Metroidvania Games?

When picking the best Metroidvania games, I care about a few simple things. Exploration has to feel natural. I want to get lost, but in a good way. The game should make me want to look around, not just rush forward. Movement matters too. If it feels boring to jump or climb, I lose interest fast. Combat should be responsive and fun, even if it's simple. I also look at how upgrades affect the game. The best ones change how you move or fight in ways that feel worth it.

To curate this list, I focused on games that do these things well. Exploration, movement, combat variety, and how rewarding the progress feels. Every game here has something that pulls you in and makes you want to keep going.

List of 10 Best Metroidvania Games on Steam in 2025

These games have the right mix of smart combat, fun movement, and exploration that keeps you hooked.

10. Rain World

Rain World puts a small, weak creature called a slugcat into a dangerous and uncaring world. The goal is simple: survive. Each day, the slugcat must search for food, avoid predators, and find shelter before deadly rain starts falling. The rain doesn’t just hurt, it kills instantly. Every creature in the world has its own behavior. Some hunt you, others ignore you, but none are predictable. And you have to learn by moving, failing, and trying again. Enemies don’t follow set patterns. They act alive. That makes every moment tense. As a survival-focused experience, it easily earns a spot among the best Metroidvania games on Steam for players who want something raw and challenging.

9. Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition

Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition is a 2D platformer where gravity doesn’t work the usual way. Instead of walking or jumping, Dandara launches herself from wall to wall and sticks to any surface. Movement feels fast, like you’re teleporting between spots. At first, it’s a bit weird, but once it clicks, it’s a lot of fun. The world’s packed with floating platforms, tricky enemies, and tons of hidden secrets. You fight while stuck to surfaces, so aiming and timing really matter. It’s one of the best Metroidvania games because of how creative the movement system is and how much freedom it gives to explore in new ways.

8. Carrion

Imagine a game where a red, slimy creature breaks out of a lab and crawls through dark tunnels. In Carrion, you take control of that monster. It grows bigger the more it eats. It slithers through vents, climbs walls, and grabs enemies with long tentacles. At first, it’s small and sneaky. Later on, it becomes huge and unstoppable. Some paths are blocked until the creature mutates and gains new powers. Combat is quick and messy. One moment it's hiding, the next it’s ripping through rooms. The whole place feels tense and creepy. The camera always follows the creature, so everything stays focused on its side of the story.

7. Leap Year

Out of all the best Steam Metroidvania games, Leap Year takes a very different route with how it plays. Each level works like a puzzle. The screen doesn't scroll. Everything fits inside one room. The challenge is to figure out the right path to collect all the items and reach the exit. Movement is simple but super precise. Instead of fighting enemies, it’s more about thinking and timing. The calendar theme is clever too. Every stage is based on a day of the year, and it all connects through months and seasons. It’s slow and careful, more brain than reflex, and that’s why every solved room feels like cracking a code.”

6. Animal Well

Animal Well is a slow and quiet puzzle game set inside a strange underground world. The character wakes up in a small room and starts walking through dark, maze-like areas. There’s no fighting or enemies chasing you at the beginning. The game gives small tools that help trigger switches, light up hidden paths, or solve puzzles. Nothing tells you where to go next, so it’s all about exploring and thinking. Some paths are blocked in ways that aren’t clear at first. You often go back to earlier places after learning something new. The world feels alive and full of secrets. Every room hides little details, and progress comes from paying attention to those small clues hidden in the environment.

5. Hollow Knight

Hollow Knight has long been known for its deep world and tough battles. You play as a small bug warrior exploring underground ruins packed with strange creatures. Fights get tough, especially when bosses attack fast and barely give any openings. Timing, patience, and learning how each enemy moves really matter. You’ll face all kinds of enemies, from flying bugs to heavy armored beasts, each with different attack styles. As you go deeper, new abilities like dashing and wall jumping unlock. Most of them come after beating strong enemies or finding hidden spots. Also, health is limited, so staying careful matters a lot.

4. ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist

In ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist, combat isn’t done with swords or magic directly. Lilac, the main character, doesn’t fight on her own. She purifies corrupted Homunculi and then uses their powers in battle. Each one you rescue gives a different skill, and those become your main attacks and defense. Some hit up close, others deal damage from a distance. Fights get intense and enemies hit hard, so choosing the right companion skill really matters. The way it mixes story with this kind of combat makes it one of the best Steam Metroidvania games to play in 2025.

3. Rogue Legacy 2

Every time the hero dies, a new one takes their place with random traits. Some swing upside down, some have weird vision, and some are just funny. That’s the fun part of Rogue Legacy 2. It’s never the same twice. The castle changes every time, so nothing gets boring. Pick a character, jump in, and fight enemies while collecting gold. After dying, use the gold to upgrade health, damage, or unlock new classes. Each run makes the next one stronger. Over time, builds get better and enemies get tougher. Some heroes are easy to control, others feel tricky.

2. Crypt Custodian

In Crypt Custodian, a young cat ghost ends up in the afterlife after causing too much trouble while alive. Instead of moving on peacefully, it gets punished with a job — cleaning up the mess left behind in a haunted and magical world. The game mixes fast action with lighthearted humor. You fight weird monsters using a mop as your weapon. Each swing knocks enemies around, and different upgrades change how your mop works. Combat is quick, and you can dash to dodge attacks or move through tricky spots.

1. Dead Cells

The final game on our list of best Steam Metroidvania games is Dead Cells. The main thing that makes it different is how every time the game starts, the level layout changes. That means no two runs are the same. You fight through different zones using weapons, traps, and skills you find along the way. If you die, the run ends, and you start over. However, the items you unlocked stay with you for future runs. The more you play, the stronger your options get.