Castlevania is a gothic horror series set in the castle of Count Dracula, the arch-enemy of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters. It started in 1986 on the Famicom Disk System, and most of the games are side-scrolling action platformers. You crack the Vampire Killer whip, find the upgrades hidden in candles and climb staircases toward a boss at the end of each level. Then Symphony of the Night opened the castle up with nonlinear exploration and role-playing game elements. Alongside Super Metroid, it is credited for establishing the Metroidvania genre.
Plenty of developers have chased that feeling since, including a former Castlevania producer. These are the 25 games players recommend most to Castlevania fans, ranked by how many different people named each one. Most of them are metroidvanias, and a few go back to the old level-by-level style.
25 Games Like Castlevania Where You Explore a 2D World Room by Room
Timespinner (2018)
Timespinner is a 2D metroidvania platformer about a young woman who travels through time to destroy the empire that killed her family. You play as Lunais, a Time Messenger. Its makers name the expansive gothic castle of Symphony of the Night as an influence, next to the tight gameplay of Mega Man X. The sprites look closer to a PS1 game than a SNES one.
The big difference is how long it took to arrive. It was funded on Kickstarter in June 2014 and was meant to come out in November 2015. The project grew, and it finally came out in September 2018. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (2018)
Curse of the Moon is the closest thing on this list to an old NES Castlevania. Inti Creates gave it an 8-bit look and gameplay similar to the Castlevania games on the NES, particularly Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. Critics praised it as a satisfying homage to Castlevania III. It was the retro-style companion promised to backers after the Kickstarter for Ritual of the Night beat its goals.
The big difference is how fast it was made. The game was developed in six months, revealed at a Japanese indie game festival and released two weeks later. It has a Casual mode and a Veteran mode, for players who want the old punishment and players who do not. Play it on 3DS, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Apotheon (2015)
Apotheon is a platform game by Alientrap with an art style based on ancient Greek pottery, in the black-figure style. Every room looks like it was painted on a vase. You play Nikandreos, a young warrior whose village suffers because Zeus has forced the gods to stop giving their gifts of life to the Earth. Hera sends him to slay Zeus and his siblings.
The big difference is who the bosses are. You hunt the gods of Greece, and you grow more powerful by stripping them of their powers. One critic called it "As pure a take as you're likely to get on the adventure platformer formula established by the likes of Castlevania and Metroid". It was also given away free to PlayStation Network subscribers. Play it on PS4.
VVVVVV (2010)
VVVVVV is a puzzle-platform game by Terry Cavanagh, built from more than 400 individual rooms. You play Captain Viridian, out to rescue the missing crew members and find the cause of the dimensional interference. Like a Castlevania castle, it is one big map you learn piece by piece. The music by Magnus Pålsson came out as its own album, PPPPPP.
The big difference is that you cannot jump. When you stand on a surface you reverse gravity and fall upwards or downwards, and that one move gets you past spikes and moving enemies. It is short and hard, and it makes a good palate cleanser between longer games. Play it on 3DS, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Metroid Fusion (2002)
Fusion is the Metroid to play if you loved the Game Boy Advance Castlevanias. It was developed by Nintendo R&D1, the same team that created Super Metroid, and the gameplay, screen layout and controls mimic Super Metroid. As Samus Aran you solve puzzles, shoot enemies and search for power-ups that allow her to reach new areas. It won Handheld Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.
The big difference is the story. Fusion is more linear than other Metroid games, and Navigation Rooms tell you where to go. Critics loved the controls and music but criticised its shorter length. Play it on GBA, 3DS or Wii U.
Sundered (2017)
Sundered is a Metroidvania game inspired by Rogue Legacy and Super Metroid, made by Thunder Lotus Games in Montreal. It was pitched as an eldritch horror Metroidvania, and it blew past its Kickstarter goal in six hours. It is part roguelike, part metroidvania. Thunder Lotus made it between Jotun and Spiritfarer.
The big difference is how it grabs people. Players who tried it recommend it warmly, often after buying it on a whim. If you like a Castlevania map with a darker, stranger mood, it is worth the gamble. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)
Ori is a 2D Metroidvania built around exploring and backtracking to areas you could not reach before. Moon Studios made it, and Microsoft Studios published it. You play Ori, a white guardian spirit, with Sein, who shoots Spirit Flames at enemies. Some of the gameplay was inspired by Rayman and Metroid, and the story by The Lion King and The Iron Giant.
The big difference is how you save. A system called Soul Links lets you save your progress at will with limited resources. It came out to critical acclaim, and a direct sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, followed on March 11, 2020. Play it on Switch, where it came out in September 2019.
La-Mulana (2006)
La-Mulana starts you off with a whip. Lemeza is a whip-wielding adventurer exploring a tomb, and the game was designed to imitate the look and feel of MSX games. The team started it after talking about making "something like The Maze of Galious". It first came out in Japanese for Windows in 2006 and was later remade from the ground up in a 16-bit style.
The big difference is the puzzles. The plan, as the manual puts it, is to explore and solve as many puzzles as possible before your life runs low, then teleport back. There are very few ways to restore life, and a hit can knock you off a hard-to-reach ledge. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Blasphemous (2019)
Blasphemous is a Metroidvania from Spanish studio The Game Kitchen, and it is as gothic as anything with Dracula in it. You play the Penitent One in the region of Cvstodia, exploring and fighting enemies. Defeated enemies drop Tears of Atonement, the currency you spend on upgrades and items. Upgrades raise your health and Fervor and unlock abilities for exploring and combat.
The big difference is the checkpoints. Resting at an altar refills your health and Bile Flasks and saves your game, but every enemy except the bosses comes back. It began as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, and Blasphemous 2 came out in 2023. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014)
Pirate's Curse is the third Shantae game and the one players name most. WayForward made it for the 3DS and the Wii U. Shantae fights with her hair, and you buy upgrades for that hair attack with gems from enemies and breakable objects. Each island hides a Den of Evil with a pirate item and a boss that guards the map to the next island.
The big difference is the writing, which critics praised along with the level design. Jake Kaufman wrote a new soundtrack for it. It was listed in the Top 10 of the Club Nintendo 2014 survey of fans' favorite games. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4 or Switch.
SteamWorld Dig (2013)
SteamWorld Dig is a 2D platform game about mining from Swedish studio Image & Form. You play Rusty, a steam-powered robot who arrives in the Western mining town of Tumbleton with a deed from his long-forgotten uncle, Joe. As you dig, you upgrade your tools and unlock new abilities. It is the same pull that keeps you going deeper into a Castlevania castle.
The big difference is that you make the map. You dig out the platforms yourself, so the world takes the shape of your route. You need coal for light and water for special abilities. It first came out on the 3DS in August 2013. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Chasm (2018)
Chasm is open about where it comes from. Bit Kid, a studio from Maryland, made it with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night as the inspiration. You play an aspiring knight sent to a mining town, and the combat is similar to Castlevania, with a melee weapon and a sub-weapon. Weapons go from swords to whips, and the map is split into themed sections like catacombs and gardens.
The big difference is the map. The story is the same for all players, but the layout is unique for each adventure, made with procedural generation combined with handmade room sequences. Freeing townspeople from cages opens a shop or service back in town. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Strider (2014)
Strider brings back Capcom's ninja Strider Hiryu in a massive interconnected game world. Capcom made it with Double Helix, and Capcom's Osaka studio handled the character designs. Hiryu goes to Kazakh City to kill Grandmaster Meio, and the city is freely explorable in search of weapons and items. Upgrades for his plasma sword, the Cypher, are found by exploring.
The big difference is how he moves. Hiryu climbs walls and ceilings, the way he did in the 1989 arcade game, and fights enemies from almost any direction. The producers wanted the classic Strider games less linear and longer. Play it on PS3 or PS4.
Xeodrifter (2014)
Xeodrifter is a Metroidvania from Renegade Kid, made first for the Nintendo 3DS. You can visit its planets in any order, but how far you get on each one depends on the power-ups you have found. It has a retro graphical style, and you unlock powers from a legendary supreme culture.
The big difference is the length. Players who recommend it keep saying that it is short, and they still call it fun. The 3DS version holds a Metacritic score of 73/100 from 17 critic reviews. It is a good pick for one or two evenings. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Cave Story (2004)
Cave Story is a Metroidvania made by one person, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. It is reminiscent of the games he played in his youth, such as Metroid and Castlevania. You play Quote, a robot who wakes up with amnesia and explores the caves to learn his story. You power up your weapons by collecting triangular experience crystals.
The big difference is the story. Critics praised its characters and setting, and it slowly gained popularity on the Internet after Amaya released it himself in December 2004. It showed that a single person could make a game, and it became an influence on indie games. Play it on 3DS, Wii or Switch, where Cave Story+ came out in 2017.
Rogue Legacy (2013)
Rogue Legacy sends you into a castle over and over. The dungeon is randomly generated, with four bosses in each of the four environments before the final boss. You jump and slash with your sword, and magic attacks use mana. Brothers Kenny and Teddy Lee made it as Cellar Door Games in Toronto, and it took 18 months.
The big difference is death. When your character dies, you pick one of three heirs, each with their own traits, like color-blindness that turns the game black and white. Gold you found buys upgrades that pass down to the next heir. Before you go back in, you pay any unspent gold to Charon. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Dead Cells (2018)
Dead Cells is a roguelike Metroidvania from Motion Twin, and Castlevania characters have even appeared in it. You explore procedurally generated levels for new weapons, and you dodge or jump over enemy attacks. Cells from defeated enemies buy permanent upgrades. It grew out of Motion Twin's browser game Die2Nite, rebuilt as a single-player game focused on combat.
The big difference is permadeath. Die and you lose all your items and other abilities. Critics praised its combat and visuals, and by June 2023 it had sold over 10 million copies. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Super Metroid (1994)
Super Metroid is the other half of the word metroidvania. Alongside Symphony of the Night, it is credited for establishing the genre. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems made it for the SNES. Samus Aran travels to the planet Zebes to retrieve an infant Metroid stolen by the Space Pirate leader Ridley, and you explore a sprawling alien world for power-ups that reach new areas.
The big difference is the setting. You are a bounty hunter on an alien planet, far from any castle. It added an automap and the ability to fire in 8 directions, and it shipped 1.42 million copies by late 2003. Play it on SNES, or on the Wii and Wii U Virtual Console.
Shadow Complex (2009)
Shadow Complex takes its gameplay from Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You play Jason, who goes to explore some caverns with his girlfriend Claire. When she goes missing, he finds a massive underground complex with soldiers and high-end technology. You fight through it and find power-ups that open more of it.
The big difference is the look. The game world is three-dimensional, but you can only move in two dimensions, and you dispatch enemies in three dimensions. It sold over 200,000 units in its first week and is seen as a game that revitalized the Metroidvania genre through indie games. Play Shadow Complex Remastered on PS4, out since May 2016.
Shovel Knight (2014)
Shovel Knight is a platform game from Yacht Club Games, a studio founded by former members of WayForward. It plays like the NES action games that Castlevania fans grew up on, and critics consider it one of the greatest video games ever made. Jake Kaufman composed the chiptune music, with two contributions by Mega Man composer Manami Matsumae.
The big difference is the weapon. You trade the whip for a shovel. The checkpoint design came from Dark Souls, with smaller influences from DuckTales and Super Mario Bros. 3. Get Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, which adds three other campaigns and a multiplayer fighting game. Play it on 3DS, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Vita or Switch.
Salt and Sanctuary (2016)
Salt and Sanctuary combines aspects of the Metroidvania and Soulslike genres. Ska Studios gave it 2D hand drawn visuals and gameplay similar to the Dark Souls series. You explore an island and gather salt to gain power. There are 600 items, and two-handed weapons give you more power while shields let you defend and parry.
The big difference is the build. You pick an origin and a class, and an extensive skill tree gives hundreds of combinations. If you spent hours in the Symphony of the Night menus, this is the game for you. It came to the PS4 on March 15, 2016. Play it on PS4, Vita or Switch.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (2019)
Ritual of the Night is the Castlevania that Konami never made. Former Castlevania producer Koji Igarashi co-founded ArtPlay and went to Kickstarter to show there was demand. The campaign raised more than $5.5 million, eleven times its original goal. The game follows the Metroidvania-style gameplay of the post-Symphony of the Night games of the Castlevania series.
The big difference is the shards. You play Miriam, and the monsters you beat give you shards for magical attacks. You loot new weapons and armor from monsters and chests. Many reviews called it a worthy successor to the Castlevania games that inspired it. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Guacamelee! (2013)
Guacamelee! is a hybrid 2D Metroidvania-style action platform and brawler from DrinkBox Studios. You play Juan, a luchador, and explore an open, non-linear world collecting upgrades. New abilities come from "Choozo statues", a direct reference to the Chozo statues in Metroid. The world is inspired by traditional Mexican culture and folklore, like alebrijes and Day of the Dead.
The big difference is the second player. A friend can drop in as Tostada, Guardian of the Mask. Get the Super Turbo Championship Edition from 2014. A sequel, Guacamelee! 2, added four-player co-op in 2018. Play it on PS3, PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Hollow Knight (2017)
Hollow Knight is a 2D side-scrolling Metroidvania from Team Cherry, a studio in Adelaide. You play a silent insect warrior exploring Hallownest, a fallen kingdom plagued by a supernatural disease. You strike enemies with a Nail, and each hit gives you Soul, which you spend to heal or cast spells. Its inspirations include Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Mega Man X.
The big difference is the bugs. The characters are insects, friendly and hostile, and critics praised its music and atmosphere. Four free expansions came out between 2017 and 2018, and the sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, came out in September of 2025. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Axiom Verge (2015)
Axiom Verge is a metroidvania by American indie developer Thomas Happ. A lab explosion knocks out a scientist named Trace Eschenbrenner, and he wakes up on the alien world of Sudra. The graphical style draws inspiration from the Metroid series, and the gameplay borrows from Blaster Master and Bionic Commando too.
The big difference is the size of your toolbox. There are over 60 items and power-ups to find, and the game focuses on action and exploration. Players recommend it to Castlevania fans more than any other game on this list. It came out on PS4 in March 2015, and a sequel, Axiom Verge 2, followed in 2021. Play it on PS4, Vita, Wii U or Switch.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Castlevania. Koji Igarashi's Bloodstained games are the closest to the real thing.
If you want the old NES style, play Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon or Shovel Knight. If you want Symphony of the Night again, play Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night or Timespinner. If you love exploring a big map, start with Axiom Verge, then Hollow Knight. If you like a hard fight, play Salt and Sanctuary or Blasphemous. If you want a new run every time you die, try Rogue Legacy or Dead Cells. If you play with a friend, pick Guacamelee!. If you are picking for a younger player, try Shantae and the Pirate's Curse or SteamWorld Dig.
