Start with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night if you want the closest modern follow-up to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Its side-scrolling exploration, gothic fantasy, weapons, spells, upgrades and RPG progression most closely reproduce that combination. Choose Hollow Knight for the deepest nonlinear discovery, Blasphemous or Blasphemous 2 for severe combat and religious-gothic imagery, Ori and the Will of the Wisps for movement and platforming, and Dead Cells for fast fights and repeatable runs rather than a single fixed castle map.
Which Castlevania-like game should you play first?
These games share the qualities that make Castlevania memorable—interconnected areas, ability-gated routes, secrets, boss encounters and dark fantasy—but they emphasize different parts of the formula. The table below is a quick way to identify the right fit before you commit to a long campaign.
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| Game | Map and backtracking | Combat and difficulty | Build or progression depth | Atmosphere | Progression structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Exploration-focused interconnected map with return trips and gated areas | Weapon- and spell-based action RPG combat | Strong RPG progression, equipment and upgrades | Gothic dark fantasy; closest overall Castlevania match | Persistent character progression |
| Hollow Knight | Highly nonlinear world, hidden routes and ability-gated access | Precise combat with substantial boss content | Exploration tools and build choices rather than traditional loot-heavy RPG systems | Gothic mood with its own visual identity | Persistent exploration and abilities |
| Blasphemous | Interconnected Metroidvania exploration | Demanding, punishing combat with Soulslike sensibilities | Build-oriented upgrades | Grim religious gothic imagery | Persistent progression |
| Blasphemous 2 | Metroidvania exploration with gated traversal | Harsh combat aimed at players who enjoy difficulty | Build and weapon choices | Dark religious fantasy | Persistent progression |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Large areas opened through abilities and movement skills | Fluid action with platforming emphasis | Less focused on Castlevania-style weapons, loot and RPG builds | Atmospheric fantasy rather than gothic castle horror | Persistent abilities and exploration |
| Dead Cells | Procedurally generated routes; no single fixed castle to memorize | Fast, responsive combat and repeated attempts | Unlocks and run-to-run variety | Dark action-fantasy tone | Roguelite runs with persistent unlocks |
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the closest modern Symphony of the Night substitute
If your question is “What should I play after Symphony of the Night?”, this is the most direct answer. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an exploration-focused side-scrolling action RPG built around gothic dark fantasy. Its design combines a connected world with weapons, spells, upgrades and RPG progression, so exploration and character development reinforce each other instead of feeling like separate systems.
Why it fits Castlevania fans
The important similarity is not merely the side-on camera or gothic decoration. Progress comes from learning the map, finding upgrades and returning to places that were previously inaccessible. Combat gives you meaningful equipment and ability choices, allowing a character to develop through more than one preferred approach. That combination is the reason it is repeatedly identified as the modern game most aligned with Symphony of the Night.
#1 Best Overall
- LIMITED EDITION: Official Limited Run Games release #251 of the Castlevania Dominus Collection featuring Order of Ecclesia cover art for Nintendo Switch
- GAME FORMAT: Physical DVD-ROM release, not a digital download, packaged in standard Nintendo Switch game case
- CONTENT: Action-packed collection of classic Castlevania games, rated T for Teen by ESRB
- PACKAGING DIMENSIONS: Comes in standard Switch case measuring 6 inches high, 3 inches wide, and 2 inches deep
- REGION AND LANGUAGE: US release with English language support, compatible with Nintendo Switch systems
What to expect from exploration and combat
Plan on a traditional Metroidvania rhythm: investigate a new wing, reach a barrier, obtain a capability or stronger gear, then revisit earlier rooms with new options. Fights are more varied than a purely weapon-focused platformer because the game gives equal importance to weapons, spells and upgrades. Boss encounters provide major checks on both your combat choices and your ability to read enemy patterns.
Who should choose it
- Players who want the nearest modern equivalent to Symphony of the Night.
- Anyone who values persistent RPG growth, equipment choices and supernatural abilities.
- Players who prefer a fixed interconnected world over procedurally generated runs.
It is not the choice for someone who wants only precision platforming or a relentlessly punishing Soulslike experience. Its strength is the full package: map exploration, gothic presentation and RPG-driven action.
Hollow Knight sets the exploration standard
Hollow Knight is the strongest recommendation when discovery matters more to you than reproducing Castlevania’s weapons and RPG structure. Its nonlinear world contains hidden areas, secrets, bosses and routes that open as you gain new abilities. You can miss substantial content, follow different paths and gradually build a mental map of a world that rewards curiosity.
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The game treats exploration as an ongoing investigation rather than a checklist of rooms. Ability-driven access means a blocked passage can remain meaningful after you first encounter it, because remembering that location is part of the intended experience. The result is a strong sense of discovery: progress comes from both character capabilities and your own understanding of the terrain.
Combat, bosses and difficulty
Combat is precise and supports substantial boss content. Encounters test timing, positioning and pattern recognition, while the nonlinear structure lets you approach many challenges in a flexible order. Its difficulty can be demanding, but the appeal is not simply punishment; the game ties difficult fights to the satisfaction of uncovering another piece of the world.
Castlevania similarities and differences
Hollow Knight has a gothic mood, but it is not a literal Castlevania clone. Its art direction and combat identity are distinct, and it does not center the same weapon-and-loot fantasy as Symphony of the Night. Choose it because you want a genre landmark built around nonlinear discovery, not because you expect a replacement castle, vampire roster or identical RPG system.
Rank #2
- Castlevania Dominus Collection is on a region-free physical disc for the PlayStation 5.
- Genre: Arcade, Platformer, Role-playing
- # of Players: 1 Player
- Supported Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
- Three incredible action adventure games from the Castlevania series have finally returned, for the first time!
Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 are the atmosphere-and-difficulty choices
The Blasphemous games are the best fit for players who want their gothic action to be grim, religiously themed and mechanically severe. Their imagery draws on dark religious motifs, while combat has harsh, Soulslike sensibilities. They are stronger recommendations for atmosphere and difficulty than for a relaxed power-fantasy progression curve.
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Blasphemous
The original presents an interconnected Metroidvania world where movement through hostile areas is inseparable from the game’s oppressive tone. Fights demand care, and mistakes are costly enough to make ordinary encounters feel consequential. Its build-oriented upgrades give you room to shape your approach, but the core appeal is the combination of disturbing religious imagery and demanding action.
Blasphemous 2
Blasphemous 2 belongs in the same recommendation for readers who want more of that grim religious-gothic identity and punishing combat. Treat it as another entry point for the atmosphere-and-difficulty preference rather than assuming it is simply a longer version of the first game. The key qualities remain interconnected exploration, severe fights and persistent character development.
Who should pick the series
- Players who want gothic imagery that is explicitly religious and macabre.
- Anyone who enjoys demanding combat with Soulslike pressure.
- Players who prefer a build-oriented challenge over a light, movement-first adventure.
If you mainly want the forgiving flow and equipment variety associated with classic Castlevania, start with Bloodstained instead. The Blasphemous games are deliberately harsher.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps favors movement over RPG combat
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a strong recommendation for exploration, atmosphere and fluid traversal, but it is a less direct Castlevania combat substitute. Its defining pleasure is movement through spaces that open as your abilities improve. Platforming, mobility and environmental challenges carry more weight than weapons, loot and deep RPG builds.
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The game makes traversal feel expressive. New movement abilities change how you read previously visited areas, turning familiar routes into opportunities for alternate paths and secrets. If your favorite Castlevania moments involve reaching an apparently impossible ledge or threading through a dangerous room, Ori offers that satisfaction through fluid platforming rather than equipment management.
Rank #3
- COLLECTION CONTENTS: Features multiple classic Castlevania titles in one comprehensive Nintendo Switch collection from Konami
- LIMITED EDITION: Special Limited Run physical release for Nintendo Switch collectors and series enthusiasts
- GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE: Action-packed side-scrolling adventure featuring vampire hunting, gothic environments, and classic Castlevania combat
- RATING DETAILS: Teen-rated game suitable for players 13 and older, containing fantasy violence and mild themes
- PLATFORM COMPATIBILITY: Exclusively designed and optimized for the Nintendo Switch gaming system
What you give up compared with Castlevania
Do not select Ori expecting the same emphasis on weapons, loot and RPG character builds. Its progression is centered on abilities and movement, so players who mainly want to compare swords, spells or gear may find it less satisfying. It also presents a different atmospheric identity: evocative fantasy rather than a direct gothic-castle imitation.
Dead Cells is a “roguevania,” not a fixed-map replacement
Dead Cells is the outlier in this group. It delivers fast combat, responsive platforming and strong replayability, but its procedural structure changes what exploration means. The British Film Institute describes it as a self-described “roguevania,” and that label is useful: you repeatedly enter runs through changing layouts, learn from failure and carry selected unlocks into future attempts.
How its structure changes backtracking
Traditional Metroidvanias ask you to memorize one interconnected map and return to a previously blocked room. Dead Cells instead builds routes procedurally, so the exact arrangement of areas is not a permanent puzzle. Repeated runs provide familiarity with enemy behavior and route types, but not the same fixed-map backtracking found in Castlevania, Bloodstained or Hollow Knight.
Why its combat remains a strong recommendation
Combat is punchy and responsive, with each run encouraging experimentation. The reset at the end of a run is part of the design rather than a failure of persistence; you return with knowledge and selected permanent unlocks, then make new choices under different conditions. Choose it when combat variety and repeatable attempts matter more than completing one carefully authored castle.
Salt and Sanctuary is the harsher build-focused alternative
Salt and Sanctuary suits players who want two-dimensional combat with Soulslike severity. Position it as a demanding, build-oriented alternative rather than a direct gothic-castle replacement. Its appeal is the pressure of difficult fights and the ability to shape a character around different build choices, not a one-to-one recreation of Symphony of the Night’s tone or loot flow.
Choose it after Blasphemous if you want another punishing option, especially when combat difficulty and build experimentation are higher priorities than accessible exploration. Choose Bloodstained instead if you want the closest overall Castlevania structure.
Rank #4
- Classics that defined the Castlevania series.
- Includes the "History of Castlevania - Book of the Crescent Moon" ebook.
- This includes eight classic Castlevania games preserved on one disc with a full-color manual.
- The Castlevania Anniversary Collection on physical disc for the PlayStation 4. Also works on PlayStation 5. Region-free.
Nine Sols is for deflection-focused combat
Nine Sols is a modern adjacent choice for players who enjoy demanding deflection-based fights. It is described as a punishing Metroidvania/Soulslike centered on relentless deflection-focused combat. That emphasis makes it a particularly good recommendation for readers who define “gothic combat” less by castles and more by high-pressure defensive timing.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose by the feature you care about most
You want another Symphony of the Night
Choose Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It is the only recommendation here whose central pitch combines gothic exploration, weapons, spells, upgrades and RPG progression as directly as the classic formula.
You want to get lost and discover secrets
Choose Hollow Knight. Its nonlinear world, hidden content and ability-gated routes make exploration the primary source of satisfaction.
You want the darkest imagery and hardest regular fights
Choose Blasphemous or Blasphemous 2. Their religious-gothic tone and punishing combat are the clearest match for a harsher experience.
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Choose Ori and the Will of the Wisps. It trades some RPG-combat depth for fluid traversal and ability-driven platforming.
Best Value
- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
You want to replay runs and chase better combat decisions
Choose Dead Cells. Its procedural routes, resets and persistent unlocks make every attempt a new combat-and-route problem.
You want Soulslike build pressure in two dimensions
Choose Salt and Sanctuary for a build-oriented challenge, or Nine Sols if deflection timing is the specific combat skill you want to master.
Fixed-map Metroidvania or roguelite: the decision that matters most
The biggest structural choice is whether you want one authored world or a sequence of changing runs. In a fixed-map Metroidvania, upgrades open previously unreachable routes, and the satisfaction comes from remembering where a barrier was and returning with the right capability. Bloodstained, Hollow Knight, Blasphemous, Blasphemous 2 and Ori all place that form of exploration at the center, though they differ in combat and tone.
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A roguelite such as Dead Cells replaces that long-term map memory with run knowledge. Layouts change, a run can end in a reset, and permanent unlocks provide continuity without preserving one exact route. Neither structure is universally better: select the first when you want a world to learn, and the second when you want combat variety and the tension of starting another attempt.
Recommended play order for different Castlevania fans
- Closest overall continuation: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
- Exploration deep dive: Hollow Knight.
- Darkness and difficulty: Blasphemous, followed by Blasphemous 2.
- Traversal change of pace: Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
- Combat-focused replayability: Dead Cells.
- Specialized challenge: Salt and Sanctuary for build severity or Nine Sols for deflection combat.
This order moves from the most direct Castlevania match to games that reinterpret one part of the formula. You can stop at the first recommendation that matches your priority instead of treating every title as an interchangeable clone.
Common mismatches to avoid
- Expecting every Metroidvania to have RPG loot: Ori emphasizes movement, and Hollow Knight builds its identity around exploration rather than a traditional weapon-and-armor ladder.
- Assuming every interconnected map is fixed: Dead Cells uses procedural runs, so its routes cannot be learned in the same way as a single castle.
- Choosing atmosphere without checking difficulty: the Blasphemous games and Salt and Sanctuary are intentionally demanding.
- Calling every dark game gothic Castlevania: Hollow Knight, Ori and Nine Sols have distinct visual and thematic identities even when they share exploration mechanics.
Bottom line
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the best all-around answer for a Castlevania fan because it preserves the series’ most important blend of gothic exploration, action combat and RPG progression. Hollow Knight is the exploration benchmark; Blasphemous and Blasphemous 2 are the grim, punishing choices; Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the movement specialist; and Dead Cells is the replayable combat alternative when a procedural “roguevania” structure sounds better than retracing one fixed map.
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