13 Games for Hollow Knight Fans to Discover New Metroidvania Worlds

If you were captivated by the secrets, dark atmosphere, and precise gameplay of Hollow Knight, you’re not alone. Team Cherry’s title became a landmark in the metroidvania genre, raising expectations with its interconnected world, challenging combat, and minimalist yet powerful storytelling.

There are several games that capture that same essence, whether through atmosphere, mechanics, or the way they unfold their stories. Up next, we’ll explore 13 Games Hollow Knight Fans Will Love. Each one offers its own unique and memorable experience.

Dead Cells is a blend of metroidvania and roguelike, with fast, fluid, and challenging combat. You control a formless creature that takes over the bodies of dead prisoners inside a dark, ever-changing prison. Unlike Hollow Knight, where progression is continuous, Dead Cells emphasizes replayability and constant adaptation. Movement is sharp and full of possibilities: rolls, double jumps, grenades, traps, and a wide variety of weapons and spells. Each run feels fresh, and you’re rewarded with cells that permanently boost your chances in future attempts.

Despite its roguelike structure, the sense of discovery remains intact. Maps offer alternate routes and well-hidden secrets. It’s a game about reflexes, adaptation, and persistence. For those who loved the difficulty of Hollow Knight but want something faster and more frenetic, Dead Cells is an excellent choice.

Created by Koji Igarashi, one of the key figures behind the modern metroidvania, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a true spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You play as Miriam, a young woman cursed with demonic crystals, exploring a haunted castle filled with grotesque enemies and dark powers. Progression is steady, as you unlock new abilities, find shortcuts, and discover hidden areas filled with rewards.

The game leans into a gothic atmosphere similar to Hollow Knight and features a vast arsenal of weapons, spells, and upgrades that make every playthrough distinct. Combat is slower and more deliberate, but the variety of styles is impressive. Systems like crafting, weapon familiarity, and unique skills add even more depth.

For fans of Hollow Knight who want more direct storytelling while keeping the sense of discovery and measured combat, Bloodstained delivers a rich and personality-filled adventure.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a visual treasure inspired by Japanese folklore, blending a carefully crafted aesthetic with classic metroidvania design. You play as Bō, a lotus flower spirit traveling through a mythical world inhabited by yokai and forgotten gods. Like Hollow Knight, it builds its universe through atmosphere and mystery rather than direct exposition.

Bō’s movement is fluid, with acrobatic mechanics that expand as you unlock new abilities. Combat focuses more on timing and precision than frantic combos. Bosses stand out, each with unique attack patterns that require patience and adaptation.

The art is stunning, resembling living traditional Japanese paintings. There’s a serene and melancholic beauty that echoes Hollow Knight’s introspective journey. Bō is perfect for players who appreciate artistic worlds, challenging platforming, and a more contemplative pace.

Ori and the Blind Forest is a landmark metroidvania known for its breathtaking visuals, emotional soundtrack, and smooth gameplay. You play as Ori, a small guardian spirit who must restore balance to the forest of Nibel after tragedy strikes. The story is simple but deeply moving, evoking emotions similar to Hollow Knight while leaning more on themes of loss, sacrifice, and hope.

Controls are incredibly fluid. With each new ability, traversal feels like a graceful dance across the map. Combat is light, but platforming challenges are intense and rewarding. The world is vast, full of secret areas, upgrades, and alternate paths. While Ori doesn’t feature many boss fights, its escape and chase sequences are as thrilling and memorable as any major battle.

Every frame of Ori feels like a painting, with hand-crafted details, beautiful animation, and emotionally charged lighting. The soundtrack is melancholic and epic, always perfectly matched to the action. Ori and the Blind Forest is ideal for those who love the beauty and silence of Hollow Knight, but want even more emotion woven into the journey.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes everything the first game achieved and elevates it further. Ori embarks on a larger journey in a new forest, facing greater threats and deeper themes. If you enjoyed the first game, this sequel is unmissable.

The most notable change is in combat. Ori now wields a variety of weapons, enhances abilities with “shards,” and faces complex bosses, bringing the experience closer to Hollow Knight’s depth. The map design is more open, allowing exploration in multiple orders depending on your skills.

Visually, the game feels like a living animation, with light and color beautifully balanced. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a love letter to the metroidvania genre and an essential experience for any Hollow Knight fan.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a somber, melancholic metroidvania that shares much with Hollow Knight, from its ruined, silent atmosphere to its precise combat and steady sense of discovery. You play as Lily, a young priestess in a world devastated by a cursed rain, exploring gothic ruins and confronting fallen knights to uncover the truth behind the catastrophe.

Its beauty lies in the contrast between Lily’s fragility and the power of her spectral allies. She doesn’t fight directly, but summons purified spirits who battle for her. Each spirit functions as a unique ability or weapon, enriching combat. A light customization system based on spirit combinations lets you adjust your playstyle strategically.

Ender Lilies is perfect for Hollow Knight fans seeking an equally introspective, challenging, and immersive experience. Its slower pacing and fragmented storytelling make it ideal for players who enjoy delving into tragic and mysterious worlds filled with visual poetry.

Guacamelee! is one of the most irreverent and colorful takes on the metroidvania genre. Instead of Hollow Knight’s melancholy, it bursts with humor, Mexican culture, and lucha libre–inspired combat. You play as Juan Aguacate, a wrestler who gains mystical powers to save both the world of the living and the dead. Despite its comedic tone, the game features a solid metroidvania structure with interconnected areas, unlockable abilities, and inventive platforming challenges.

Combat is a highlight, with melee moves and special abilities that also serve as traversal tools. Switching between the worlds of the living and the dead adds intensity, sometimes requiring you to shift realities to reach platforms or battle certain enemies.

The art embraces Mexican folklore, from vibrant music inspired by mariachi to bosses that echo mythical figures. Humor is everywhere, full of visual gags, gaming references, and a playful tone—the opposite of most dark metroidvanias.

In Guacamelee! 2, we pick up once again with Juan Aguacate’s adventure, and everything here is bigger, funnier, and more polished. If the first game already offered a great mix of combat and creative exploration, the sequel raises the stakes with more complex maps, challenges that demand sharper precision, and an even more entertaining story centered on the multiverse of the “Mexiverse.”

Juan returns to action after years of retirement, called upon to save multiple realities from a threat that seeks to unravel all of creation. Humor is still at the heart of the game, but its greatest strength is the gameplay. The combat system has more depth, introducing new moves, extended combos, and customizable upgrades. Platforming sections are tougher, requiring full mastery of Juan’s abilities.

Switching between the world of the living and the dead is still a core mechanic, but now there are also portals between realities that bring unique visual and gameplay variations. The game looks more vibrant than ever, with colorful animations, eccentric characters, and areas that pay tribute to multiple genres and classic games.

For fans of Hollow Knight who want a break from the darker atmosphere without leaving behind the depth of well-crafted metroidvania gameplay, Guacamelee! 2 is a fantastic pick. It strikes a rare balance of humor, challenge, and creativity, delivering an experience you won’t forget.

Nine Sols is one of the most remarkable metroidvania experiences today. Developed by Red Candle Games, it blends an Eastern-inspired cyberpunk setting with soulslike combat and nonlinear exploration, creating a fusion unlike anything else. You play as Yi, a warrior seeking vengeance against the nine solar gods who betrayed his people. The result is a game that combines technical combat with a philosophical narrative and striking visuals.

Combat is one of the game’s highlights. Inspired by Sekiro and Hollow Knight, the system integrates parries, dodges, and precise strikes. Every encounter demands focus and keen observation of enemy patterns. Progression is more direct, but exploration remains essential, with hidden shortcuts and upgrades for those who enjoy uncovering everything at a careful pace.

The world of Nine Sols is mysterious and captivating, merging Taoist spirituality with advanced technology and fictional mythology. The 2D art is incredibly detailed, with colors that leap off the screen and elegantly crafted animations. The electronic, atmospheric soundtrack completes the mood of a ruined yet futuristic universe.

For players who loved Hollow Knight’s dense atmosphere and precise combat, Nine Sols offers a challenge on the same level with a unique setting of its own. It is one of the boldest and most artistically inspired games in the genre, a must-play that metroidvania fans are unlikely to forget.

Blasphemous is a dark, brutal, and deeply symbolic metroidvania inspired by Spanish religious iconography. You play as the Penitent One, a silent warrior on a quest for redemption in a world corrupted by twisted faith. If you appreciated the oppressive and melancholic tone of Hollow Knight, you will feel right at home in this universe of suffering, sacrifice, and powerful visual symbolism.

Combat in Blasphemous is weighty and methodical. Strong sword strikes, precise dodges, and mystical abilities form a punishing yet fair combat system. Enemies are grotesque and varied, while the bosses stand as unforgettable embodiments of human suffering. A system of relics and prayers allows you to customize your playstyle.

For players looking for a more mature experience steeped in religious themes and haunting imagery, Blasphemous is a gothic metroidvania masterpiece and a dark spiritual sibling to Hallownest.

Blasphemous 2 is everything a great sequel should be. The Penitent One returns from eternal punishment to a new cursed land, facing an even more twisted faith and grotesque creatures. The game expands on every aspect of the original, with new progression systems, three distinct weapons with unique playstyles, and an even more interconnected map.

One of the most significant evolutions is in combat, as you can now choose your main weapon. Each weapon has its own skill tree and opens different routes through the map, adding layers of strategy and replay value. Boss fights remain spectacular, grotesque sacred abominations that demand both patience and skill.

For fans of Hollow Knight who want to dive further into gothic horror, Blasphemous 2 is an ideal choice.

GRIME combines soulslike combat with a surreal and philosophical universe. You control a creature born of living black matter in a world built of flesh, bone, and shifting forms. The game avoids traditional aesthetics, offering an environment that feels alien, unsettling, and yet fascinating.

The world of GRIME is designed nonlinearly, with maps that fold back on themselves and hide secret shortcuts. The story is cryptic, often open to interpretation, but consistently intriguing. For players who want something unconventional, with technical combat and a philosophical exploration of existence and form, GRIME is a plunge into the strange. It stands as one of the boldest games in the genre, highly recommended for Hollow Knight fans who want something truly different.

Death’s Door is an isometric adventure that combines metroidvania elements, action, and dark humor into a charming yet challenging journey. You play as a small soul-reaping crow tasked with retrieving a stolen soul beyond the doors of death. The atmosphere is somber, with environments that shift between melancholic and comedic, creating a rare balance.

Although its perspective is different, the design strongly recalls Hollow Knight with clever exploration, well-hidden secrets, and combat that rewards agility. Maps expand as you gain new abilities, opening previously inaccessible areas. Combat starts out simple but grows more complex as you progress.

The narrative is surprisingly heartfelt, touching on themes such as death, time, purpose, and regret. It is told with lightness yet delivers moments of deep emotional impact. The soundtrack is subtle and enchanting, perfectly complementing the tone of the journey. The art combines pastel shades with heavy shadows, giving the game a distinct visual identity.

For fans of Hollow Knight who want something lighter, funnier, and with a different perspective, Death’s Door is essential. Do not be fooled by its charming visuals, as the game is profound, challenging, and moving at every door you pass through.

If Hollow Knight left you with a heavy heart and countless questions, these games are perfect for players looking for journeys through worlds that are equally beautiful, cruel, and mysterious. Some, like Ender Lilies and Blasphemous, explore the genre’s darker and more contemplative side. Others, like Guacamelee! and Death’s Door, bring levity and charm without losing depth. Titles such as Nine Sols and GRIME push the aesthetic and philosophical limits of what a metroidvania can be.

Whatever your preference, this list has something for every type of explorer and lone warrior. The emptiness of Hallownest may be eternal, but there will always be new realms waiting to be discovered, filled with challenges, secrets, and emotions worth the journey.