10 Best Metroidvania Games on Steam (July 2026)

Looking for the best Metroidvania Steam games in 2026? 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 ten 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 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.

List of 10 Best Steam Metroidvania Games in 2026

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

10. Rain World

Survive as a tiny creature in a brutal ecosystem

Rain World is one of those rare games where the world truly does operate without you. You play as a slugcat, a small, vulnerable animal stuck right in the middle of the food chain, and the moment you step into this crumbling, overgrown landscape, you realize something unusual. The predators here have their own routines, their own hunger, and their own territories, so they will hunt you down whether or not you are ready. Meanwhile, the creatures below you on the food chain are equally desperate to stay alive, so your next meal can slip away if you hesitate even briefly.

In addition to this, massive rainstorms roll in at regular intervals, and if you haven’t found shelter by the time the downpour hits, that’s the end of your run. Your slugcat has real weight and momentum to its jumps, so you can’t float through the air the way characters do in most platformers. Instead, you grab poles, slide through pipes, and scramble up walls with a scrappy physicality that makes locomotion itself a skill to master. The map itself is enormous, too, with distinct regions connected by underground passages and vertical tunnels. Over time, you start to memorize safe routes through hostile territory, and those mental maps become your greatest asset against the ecosystem’s constant dangers.

9. Carrion

You are the monster escaping a secret underground lab

Most horror games put the scary thing on the other side of the screen, but Carrion completely reverses that setup. Here, you control a massive, writhing blob of red biomass trapped deep inside a research facility, and your one goal is to break free. The creature moves with a fluid, organic grace through vents, across ceilings, and through water, and the pixel art brings every tendril and tentacle to life with incredible detail. Armed guards try to stop you at every turn, but they are outmatched from the start, and watching them scatter in panic as you crash through a doorway is endlessly entertaining.

The facility itself is structured as one large, interconnected map, so you are always looping back through familiar corridors with fresh abilities that open up new paths. Your creature grows and changes throughout the game, and at different sizes, different powers become available. This creates an interesting layer of strategy because certain barriers require you to shed mass at designated pools or to consume enemies until you reach the right form. Carrion knows exactly how long it should be, and that confidence in its own scope is refreshing. If you have ever wanted to live out the fantasy of being the unstoppable horror movie monster, this game gives you exactly that experience.

8. Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition

Jump between surfaces in any direction through a gravity-free world

Dandara breaks one of the most basic rules of side-scrolling games, and that rule is walking. Your character has zero ability to stroll across the ground, so movement happens entirely through directional leaps between surfaces. You aim your trajectory, release, and zip in a straight line to the nearest floor, wall, or ceiling. Because of this, every room becomes a spatial puzzle, and combat encounters turn into frantic repositioning sessions as enemies fill the screen with projectiles. The learning curve is steep during the first hour, but once the movement clicks, you start to zip around rooms with a rhythm and speed that no other Steam Metroidvania games can match.

The world itself has a dreamlike, abstract quality to it, with gold-and-white architecture and surreal visual design that gives the whole experience a unique identity. On top of that, boss encounters are particularly clever here because they test your mastery of the leap-based movement system in creative and unexpected ways. You need to read enemy patterns, pick the right surface to land on, and fire off your attacks between jumps, all within a few seconds. Dandara is a wonderful reminder that the Metroidvania formula still has room for radical reinvention.

7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Run, leap, and soar through a hand-painted forest as a tiny spirit

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is gorgeous from the moment the title screen loads. The entire world is hand-painted with luminous color, and the character animation is so fluid that Ori practically dances across the screen. But this game is far more than a pretty face, because underneath all that beauty sits one of the tightest and most responsive movement systems in the entire genre. Ori can dash, wall-jump, grapple, burrow through sand, and launch off enemy projectiles, and as you unlock more of these abilities, traversal becomes a kind of improvisational performance.

You chain moves together mid-air, touch a platform for a split second, and then rocket off again in a completely different direction. The momentum grows as the game progresses, so by the final hours, you are practically flying through levels that would have seemed impossible earlier. The combat is equally impressive, especially compared to the first Ori game. And the emotional storytelling ties everything together beautifully. Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes a higher spot on this list through sheer craftsmanship, and it remains one of the most polished and memorable Metroidvanias available on Steam today.

6. ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist

Command powerful companions to fight corrupted creatures in a fallen kingdom

ENDER MAGNOLIA casts you as Lilac, a young girl with the rare ability to purify corrupted beings called Homunculi. The world is the Land of Fumes, a once-prosperous kingdom brought to ruin when toxic fumes drove its artificial lifeforms mad. Lilac herself does very little direct attacking. Instead, she summons Homunculi companions who serve as her weapons, and there are over thirty unique skills to mix and match. Short-range swords, spinning scythes, long-range firearms, and autonomous turret-style allies can all be equipped at the same time, so you have a staggering number of combat loadouts to experiment with. Finding the right combination for a tough boss or a tricky gauntlet of enemies is half the fun.

The game’s structure follows classic Metroidvania principles. You explore an interconnected world, defeat bosses to gain new traversal abilities, and loop back through earlier areas to reach previously inaccessible paths. The story also unfolds through companion interactions. ENDER MAGNOLIA builds on the foundation of its predecessor, ENDER LILIES, with more variety, more polish, and a larger world. If you want the best Steam Metroidvania games with deep combat customization and a quietly emotional story, ENDER MAGNOLIA should be high on your checklist.

5. Rogue Legacy 2

The funniest and most replayable of all Metroidvania Steam games

Rogue Legacy 2 introduces a brilliant generational twist to the Metroidvania formula. You explore a sprawling, ever-shifting castle filled with enemies, traps, and treasure. When you die (and you will die frequently), your character is gone for good. But their gold passes on to one of three randomly generated heirs, and you pick the one whose traits suit your next run. One heir might be a powerful knight with gigantism who fills half the screen. The next might be a tiny ranger with colorblindness, which literally turns your game black and white. The traits are funny, surprising, and mechanically meaningful, and they ensure that every run is distinct from the last.

Between runs, you spend your accumulated gold to upgrade a persistent skill tree, unlock new character classes, and improve your equipment. Certain biomes are locked behind ability gates. You might need a special dash or a double jump to reach a new zone, and those unlocks carry over permanently. So while the castle layout reshuffles, your overall progression through the game’s regions follows a deliberate, satisfying arc. It is a game you can play for fifteen minutes or five hours, and it is always entertaining.

4. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

One of the most impressive Metroidvania titles on Steam in recent years

Ubisoft surprised everyone with this one because, after years of silence, the Prince of Persia franchise came back as a 2D Metroidvania. You play as Sargon, a young warrior from an elite group called the Immortals, and your mission is to rescue a kidnapped prince from deep within Mount Qaf. Right from the opening moments, the combat grabs your attention because Sargon moves with incredible speed and precision. Every sword swing chains smoothly into the next, and once you get comfortable with the parry system, even the toughest enemies become opportunities to show off your skill.

Moreover, when you deflect an enemy attack at the perfect moment, the game opens up a brutal counter-attack window, and once you nail that rhythm with a tough enemy type, the satisfaction is hard to describe. Beyond the combat, though, Mount Qaf is an absolute joy to explore because the map loops and folds in on itself so cleverly that you constantly stumble into shortcuts you never expected. You’ll frequently catch a glimpse of a locked gate or a distant platform that you can’t quite reach yet, and that little moment of curiosity keeps you motivated to push forward.

3. Blasphemous 2

Choose your weapon and fight through a dark world full of strange miracles

Blasphemous 2 greets you with a decision right at the start. You pick one of three weapons, and your choice opens up a different section of the map before anything else. This small detail already sets the tone for how the game treats you, because it trusts you to shape your own path from the very first minute. Once you step into the world, you find yourself surrounded by towering churches, underground tunnels filled with bones, and giant statues wrapped in thorns and gold. The art style draws from old Spanish religious paintings, which gives everything a look you won’t find in any other Metroidvania game on Steam.

Your enemies are equally strange and memorable, with bosses so large that they fill the entire screen while you dodge between their attacks. The pixel art here is also detailed down to every tile, every background element, and every animation frame. Combat is where Blasphemous 2 truly comes alive, though, because the three weapon types play so differently from one another that switching between them mid-fight completely changes your strategy. The heavy flail swings wide and hits hard but leaves you open for a second after each attack, while the twin blades let you stay aggressive and close the distance fast. You can eventually unlock all three and swap freely.

2. Dead Cells

The gold standard of action-packed Metroidvania games

Dead Cells puts a straightforward challenge in front of you with multiple ways to chase it. You start at the bottom of a prison island, pick up whatever weapons you can find, and fight your way forward through a series of connected areas until you either reach the final boss or die somewhere along the way. Death, however, is where the fun really begins. You restart from the very first room, but the weapons and routes you’ve unlocked over previous attempts stay with you permanently. So the more you play, the more options open up, and your next attempt always has something fresh to offer. On top of that, the areas themselves rearrange their layout with every new run, so you can never memorize your way through.

In this game, you have to stay sharp, adapt on the fly, and make solid decisions about which weapons to keep and which to trade for something better. The whole structure feeds a “one more try” loop that is genuinely difficult to walk away from, and you’ll find yourself still playing at 2 AM on a work night wondering where the hours went. Moreover, the game has received years of free updates that have added new areas, new enemies, and new story content. If you search for any list of best Metroidvania Steam games, Dead Cells will almost certainly be there. Very rare is the game that stays this thrilling after hundreds of hours, yet Dead Cells does it effortlessly.

1. Hollow Knight: Silksong

The most anticipated sequel in indie history delivered everything and more

Hollow Knight: Silksong was the game the entire indie world held its breath for, and the exhale was glorious. After years of anticipation, it launched on Steam last year and promptly broke the platform. Five million players dove in during the first three days, and the response was thunderous. You play as Hornet, the agile warrior from the original Hollow Knight, who has been captured and transported to the kingdom of Pharloom. Where the original game’s protagonist was deliberate and grounded, Hornet is acrobatic, fast, and fierce. She dashes through the air and fights with a needle that feels precise and deadly in equal measure.

Pharloom itself is a massive, interconnected kingdom with distinct zones that flow together seamlessly. You receive missions from the characters who inhabit this world, and completing them deepens your understanding of the kingdom and its troubled history. The boss roster is staggering, with over 200 unique enemies and a collection of major bosses that rank among the most thrilling encounters the genre has produced. Silksong earned the top spot on our best Steam Metroidvania games list by doing what few sequels manage. So, if you play one Metroidvania this year, let this be the one.

FAQs

Do I need prior experience with Metroidvania games to enjoy the titles on this list?

You absolutely do not. Several games here welcome first-time players with open arms. Ori and the Will of the Wisps eases you in with clear visual cues and gentle early challenges before ramping up the difficulty. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown offers robust accessibility features and a clever screenshot-based map system that helps you track where to go next. Rogue Legacy 2 also works well for beginners because your characters grow stronger over time, so even rough early attempts contribute to long-term progress.

Which Metroidvania game on this list has the best combat system?

It depends on your preference. If you love fast, fluid combat with tons of weapon variety, Dead Cells is hard to beat. If you prefer deliberate, pattern-based boss fights with heavy-hitting melee weapons, Blasphemous 2 delivers that in abundance. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown blends time-manipulation powers with responsive swordplay for something truly unique. For a companion-based combat system where you can swap between different fighting styles on the fly, ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist stands out from the rest.

Can I play these Metroidvania games with a controller on Steam?

Yes, and most players prefer it that way. All ten games on this list support standard controllers, and titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Dead Cells, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps feel particularly responsive with a gamepad. Keyboard and mouse also work perfectly well for every title here, so you can use whichever setup feels more comfortable to you.

How long does it take to finish these games on average?

The length varies quite a bit across the list. Carrion is one of the shorter experiences at around 5 to 7 hours, which makes it a perfect weekend game. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Blasphemous 2 offer 20 to 30 hours for a thorough playthrough. Hollow Knight: Silksong can stretch well beyond 40 hours if you explore everything, and Rogue Legacy 2 and Dead Cells can last hundreds of hours thanks to their roguelike structure where repeated runs remain fresh and satisfying.

Which game on this Metroidvania Steam games list is the most challenging?

Rain World is arguably the toughest because the entire ecosystem operates independently, and the game offers very little hand-holding. Survival depends entirely on your ability to learn predator behavior and find safe routes through trial and error. Hollow Knight: Silksong also features demanding boss encounters that require precise timing and patience. If difficulty concerns you, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown both include adjustable difficulty options so you can tailor the experience to your comfort level.

Are there any Metroidvania Steam games on this list that offer something beyond traditional side-scrolling exploration?

Definitely. Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition completely removes conventional movement and instead has you leap between surfaces in any direction, which changes how you approach both combat and exploration. Carrion flips the genre by letting you play as the monster rather than the hero. Rogue Legacy 2 reshuffles its map with every new run, so the layout stays unpredictable. These three games prove that the Metroidvania formula can stretch far beyond its traditional boundaries.

Which of these games have the most satisfying exploration?

Hollow Knight: Silksong leads here with a massive interconnected world full of hidden paths, secret bosses, and optional areas that reward curious players generously. Prince of Persia: Blasphemous 2 also excels with its densely layered world full of looping shortcuts and cleverly concealed passages that connect zones in surprising ways.

Can my low-end PC handle any of these Metroidvania games?

Yes. Several titles on this list run well on modest hardware. Hollow Knight: Silksong, Dead Cells, Rain World, Carrion, and Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition all have low system requirements and perform smoothly on budget laptops and older desktops. Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown are slightly more demanding but still manageable on mid-range systems with adjusted graphics settings.

Which Steam game should I play first if I want to fall in love with the Metroidvania genre?

If you want the definitive modern Metroidvania experience, start with Hollow Knight: Silksong. It represents the genre at its absolute peak, with exploration, combat, and world design all working in perfect harmony. If you would prefer something shorter to test the waters, Dead Cells offers fast runs that let you experience the core loop of the genre without a massive time commitment upfront. And if you value emotional storytelling above all else, Ori and the Will of the Wisps will captivate you from the very first moment and leave a lasting impression.