You’ve conquered the Radiance. You’ve survived the Pantheon of Hallownest. Now you’re sitting there, controller in hand, wondering if any game will ever hit the same way again.
- Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Movement Perfected
- Ender Lilies: Gothic Beauty Meets Strategic Combat
- Nine Sols: Precision Combat Redefined
- Dead Cells: Roguelite Chaos Done Right
- Blasphemous: Spanish Horror Intensified
- Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: The RPG Hybrid
- Axiom Verge: Sci-Fi Mystery Box
- Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
- GRIME: The Body Horror Experiment
- Unsighted: Time Pressure Innovation
- Salt and Sanctuary: 2D Dark Souls
- Vigil: The Longest Night: Lovecraftian Nightmares
- AWAKEN – Astral Blade
- Conclusion
- FAQs
That post-Hollow Knight emptiness is real. You’re craving that perfect mix of challenging combat, exploration that rewards curiosity, and atmosphere that sticks with you long after you stop playing. The good news? I’ve spent hundreds of hours hunting down games that capture that magic.
This isn’t some generic list thrown together in twenty minutes. Every game here earned its spot by sharing Hollow Knight’s DNA in meaningful ways. Some nail the combat. Others perfect the exploration. A few might even surpass Team Cherry’s masterpiece in certain areas.
Let’s find your next obsession.
Read our Hollow Knight guide: learn essential combat tips, find hidden charms, beat tough bosses, and master this indie masterpiece.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Movement Perfected
Will of the Wisps takes everything Hollow Knight does well and cranks the movement system to eleven. The dash mechanics feel buttery smooth. The combat got a massive upgrade from Blind Forest, adding depth that rivals nail combat.
What sets Ori apart is its emotional storytelling. Where Hollow Knight keeps things mysterious and melancholic, Ori grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. The escape sequences hit different too. They deliver that same adrenaline rush you felt sprinting through White Palace, but with orchestral music that makes every frame feel cinematic.
Key highlights:
- Movement tech that makes platforming feel like dancing
- Boss fights that test reflexes without feeling cheap
- Visual design that belongs in an art museum
The 25-hour campaign flies by because you’re always discovering something new. One minute you’re solving environmental puzzles. The next you’re barely surviving a chase sequence that has you sweating.
Quick verdict: Difficulty 8/10 | Exploration 10/10 | Emotional Impact 11/10
Read More: Amazon Prime January 2026: Full Free Games List updated
Ender Lilies: Gothic Beauty Meets Strategic Combat
Think of Ender Lilies as Hollow Knight’s darker, more strategic cousin. The spirit-summon combat system looks simple at first. You’re basically calling in ghostly allies to fight for you. But the depth reveals itself quickly.
Each boss you defeat becomes a summonable spirit with unique abilities. It’s like Hollow Knight’s charm system on steroids. You’re constantly experimenting with different spirit combinations, finding synergies that completely change your playstyle.
The atmosphere here is tragic elegance. Where Hallownest feels abandoned and melancholic, Ender Lilies leans into Gothic horror. Rain-soaked landscapes, haunting piano melodies, and a story about corrupted lands that hits surprisingly hard.
Key highlights:
- 26 different spirits to collect and master
- Boss design that encourages learning patterns, not memorization
- A difficulty curve that respects your time
One player on Reddit called it “Hollow Knight meets anime Gothic horror,” and honestly, that’s perfect. The art style blends 2D anime aesthetics with dark fantasy in ways that shouldn’t work but absolutely do.
Quick verdict: Difficulty 7/10 | Exploration 9/10 | Combat Variety 10/10
Nine Sols: Precision Combat Redefined
If you mastered Hollow Knight’s nail arts and loved every second of the Mantis Lords fight, Nine Sols is your game. The entire experience revolves around parry-based combat that demands perfect timing.
The Asian-inspired aesthetic immediately sets it apart. You’re not exploring bug kingdoms or enchanted forests. You’re navigating a cyberpunk world with Taoist mythology woven throughout. It’s visually fresh while still capturing that atmospheric quality Hollow Knight nails.
Key highlights:
- Parry system that’s unforgiving but incredibly satisfying
- Boss encounters that feel like martial arts duels
- Movement abilities that unlock new areas naturally
Every enemy telegraphs their attacks just enough. You need to read patterns, react fast, and commit to your decisions. There’s no spamming your way through tough sections. It’s pure skill expression from start to finish.
Quick verdict: Difficulty 9/10 | Combat 10/10 | Innovation 9/10
Dead Cells: Roguelite Chaos Done Right
Dead Cells throws a curveball at the Metroidvania formula. Permadeath means every run starts fresh, but permanent unlocks keep you progressing. It’s the game you boot up for “just one more run” and suddenly it’s 3 AM.
The combat fluidity rivals Hollow Knight’s best moments. Weapons feel distinct. Dodging through attacks at the last second never gets old. And the procedural generation means you’re not just memorizing routes.
Key highlights:
- 100+ hours of content through different difficulty levels
- Build variety that encourages experimentation
- That perfect balance of punishment and progression
The genius here is how Dead Cells keeps Metroidvania exploration fresh despite randomization. Biomes connect logically. Your growing arsenal opens new paths. It respects the genre while innovating within it.
Blasphemous: Spanish Horror Intensified
Blasphemous isn’t messing around. This is Hollow Knight’s difficulty cranked up with Spanish Catholic imagery creating an atmosphere that’s genuinely unsettling.
Combat is execution-focused and less forgiving. You can’t button-mash through sections. Every swing needs purpose. Every dodge window matters. The pixel art depicts religious horror in ways that stick with you between sessions.
Key highlights:
- Boss fights that feel like dark rituals
- Environmental storytelling through disturbing imagery
- Punishment that teaches without feeling unfair
If you found Hollow Knight too easy, Blasphemous is your answer. Just know what you’re getting into. This game shows no mercy.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: The RPG Hybrid
Bloodstained asks a simple question: what if Hollow Knight had RPG depth? The answer is 120+ weapons, dozens of shards (abilities), and a castle that rivals Hallownest in size.
The loot system adds a collection element Hollow Knight doesn’t have. You’re constantly finding new weapons that change your playstyle completely. Want to use whips? Giant swords? Magic books? All viable.
Key highlights:
- 30+ hours for first completion, 100+ for everything
- Castle design that rewards thorough exploration
- Crafting system that makes collecting materials meaningful
The map is enormous. Multiple areas connect in ways that make backtracking feel natural once you unlock new abilities. It’s Castlevania’s spiritual successor that Metroidvania fans deserve.
Axiom Verge: Sci-Fi Mystery Box
Axiom Verge nails that “what’s behind this wall?” feeling perfectly. The glitch-based abilities give you tools Hollow Knight never explores. You’re literally breaking reality to access secrets.
The retro aesthetic could feel dated, but modern design philosophy keeps everything tight. No wasted space. No padding. Just pure exploration and discovery from start to finish.
Key highlights:
- Environmental storytelling that rewards attention
- Unique progression mechanics through glitching
- A sci-fi mystery that actually pays off
It’s shorter than Hollow Knight but incredibly focused. Every area introduces new ideas. Every ability fundamentally changes exploration.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
Momodora proves you don’t need 40 hours to deliver a masterpiece. This 8-12 hour experience is concentrated excellence. Three boss fights here rival Hollow Knight’s best encounters.
The pixel art creates atmosphere that punches way above its visual fidelity. You feel the weight of a dying world through clever environmental design and minimal dialogue.
Key highlights:
- Perfect length for testing the genre
- Boss design that emphasizes pattern recognition
- Soundtrack that elevates every moment
It’s the game you finish in a weekend and immediately want to replay on higher difficulties.
GRIME: The Body Horror Experiment
GRIME takes the absorption mechanic from Kirby and makes it genuinely disturbing. You consume enemies to grow stronger, literally absorbing their mass. The visual design feels like H.R. Giger designed a Metroidvania.
Parry-based combat meets platforming in ways that create a high skill ceiling. You’re not just fighting enemies. You’re using their attacks against them, timing absorptions perfectly to gain advantages.
Key highlights:
- Surreal art direction that’s genuinely unique
- Combat depth that reveals itself gradually
- Build variety through absorbed abilities
One player called it “the most underrated game on any Metroidvania list,” and they’re not wrong. GRIME deserves way more attention.
Unsighted: Time Pressure Innovation
Unsighted does something most Metroidvanias avoid: it adds real consequences. NPCs die permanently if you don’t act. The world is ending, and every decision about which areas to explore first actually matters.
The top-down perspective proves the genre works beyond side-scrolling. Combat feels punchy. Exploration stays rewarding. But that ticking clock creates tension Hollow Knight never attempts.
Key highlights:
- Dying world mechanic that creates urgency
- Decisions that carry real weight
- Multiple endings based on who you save
It’s anxiety-inducing in the best way. You’ll think about your choices between sessions.
Salt and Sanctuary: 2D Dark Souls
Salt and Sanctuary brings Souls mechanics to 2D with surprising success. Stamina management matters. Build variety changes everything. Losing salt (this game’s version of souls or geo) hurts worse than any Hollow Knight death.
The exploration risk-reward balance leans heavily into Souls territory. You’re venturing into unknown areas with massive upgrade potential but equally massive punishment for mistakes.
Key highlights:
- 20+ weapon types that completely alter playstyle
- Co-op that makes the experience shareable
- Challenge that respects Souls fans’ expectations
It’s less about movement precision and more about combat stat management. If you love both Hollow Knight and Dark Souls, this is your perfect middle ground.
Vigil: The Longest Night: Lovecraftian Nightmares
Vigil leans into cosmic horror harder than any game on this list. The atmosphere makes Hollow Knight look cheerful by comparison. You’re dealing with Lovecraftian entities, sanity mechanics, and a 25+ hour campaign that doesn’t waste time.
Complex skill trees add RPG depth. Every level matters. Every stat allocation changes how you approach encounters.
Key highlights:
- Boss encounters that feel like cosmic rituals
- Skill trees that enable build diversity
- Atmosphere that captures existential dread
If Bloodborne was 2D with Metroidvania structure, you’d get something close to Vigil.
AWAKEN – Astral Blade
This 2024 release is making serious waves. Early reviews compare its polish to Hollow Knight, which is the highest compliment in this genre. The 2.5D graphics push visual boundaries while the combo-focused combat promises depth.
Conclusion
Hollow Knight set an impossibly high bar, but these 13 games prove the Metroidvania genre is thriving. Some match its challenge. Others perfect its movement. A few create atmospheres that rival Hallownest’s haunting beauty.
Your next favorite game is on this list. Maybe it’s Ori’s emotional storytelling that hooks you. Perhaps GRIME’s body horror aesthetic clicks in ways you didn’t expect. Or maybe Dead Cells becomes your new “just one more run” addiction.
The post-Hollow Knight void doesn’t have to last forever. These games fill it in ways that respect what made Team Cherry’s masterpiece special while offering their own identity.
Stop staring at your library. Pick one and start playing.
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FAQs
Which game is most similar to Hollow Knight?
Ender Lilies captures the closest overall experience. It matches Hollow Knight’s atmospheric exploration, challenging boss fights, and ability-gated progression. The spirit-summon combat system offers similar depth to charm builds, while the Gothic aesthetic delivers that same melancholic beauty. If you want the nearest 1:1 replacement, start here.
Are these games harder than Hollow Knight?
It depends on the game. Blasphemous and Nine Sols are definitely harder, with less forgiving combat and tighter timing windows. Dead Cells can be brutal due to permadeath. However, games like Ori and Momodora offer comparable or slightly easier challenges. Most games on this list respect your skill but don’t punish as harshly as Hollow Knight’s endgame content like the Pantheons.
Hager Hesham
Content Writer and your go-to gaming expert. I'm here to share my best practices, valuable strategies, and professional gamer guidance. Also, I'm a gem hunter for the best deals and gift cards, just to enjoy games at almost zero cost with AR-pay.
