For demanding, deflection-focused combat, start with Nine Sols; for fluid platforming and an emotional audiovisual experience, try Ori and the Will of the Wisps; and for secrets and puzzles with less emphasis on direct combat, choose Animal Well. None is a universal substitute for Hollow Knight: Silksong: these games offer different mixes of combat, exploration, platforming, atmosphere, and progression.
How to choose a game like Silksong
“Metroidvania” covers a range of designs. Before choosing what to play after Silksong, decide which part of the experience you want most: technical fights, demanding traversal, open-ended discovery, or a more guided route. The recommendations below are editorial fits, not results from a shared difficulty or performance test.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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ULTROS - Nintendo Switch | $34.53 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Voidwrought Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch | $34.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania Edition Nintendo Switch | $28.40 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Shadow Labyrinth Nintendo Switch Standard Edition | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Messenger - Nintendo Switch | $26.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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- Combat: Do you want precise deflections and boss fights, responsive action, or a puzzle-led adventure where combat is not the main draw?
- Progression: Do you prefer to explore and backtrack, or follow a more directed route?
- Movement: Are you looking for fluid platforming and acrobatics, or a different kind of exploration challenge?
- Mood: Consider whether you want an expressive story and soundtrack, a mysterious world, or a classic castle setting.
- Platform: Check current platform and edition availability before buying; the sources cited here do not establish a current platform list for every game.
Best games like Silksong by preference
Nine Sols: demanding, deflection-led combat
Choose Nine Sols if precise defensive timing and difficult boss encounters are your priority. GamesRadar characterizes it as a challenging Metroidvania/Soulslike built around relentless deflection-based combat. It is the clearest pick here for players seeking a technical, demanding adventure, rather than a match for every part of Silksong. GamesRadar’s recommendation
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: fluid platforming and expressive atmosphere
Ori and the Will of the Wisps suits players who want smooth platforming paired with a strong audiovisual mood. GamesRadar points to its hand-painted art, orchestral music, emotional story moments, bosses, and puzzles; another genre roundup also highlights its platforming, atmosphere, and improved combat. GamesRadar on Ori; Genre roundup
#1 Best Overall
- ULTROS is set in a multifaceted realm - a vast alien landscape teeming with life
- Experience brutal, intimate, close-quarter combat with cosmic lifeforms, driven by a sense of urgency
- Intense combat is juxtaposed with cultivating the greenery and tending to plant life in The Sarcophagus, providing precious moments of contemplation & peace
- A unique loop-based mechanic will allow you to start over at key moments in the story, providing opportunities to unfold secrets
- Experiment with and master your own specific fighting style as you explore the world of ULTROS
Animal Well: secrets and puzzles over combat
For mysterious exploration that is not centered on fighting, consider Animal Well. Its labyrinth, secrets, puzzles, and creative solutions make it a useful alternative if you want to investigate and experiment more than pursue combat-heavy encounters. GamesRadar’s recommendation
Metroid Dread: side-scrolling action with a more directed route
Metroid Dread offers side-scrolling action, but GamesRadar notes that it is more linear than Hollow Knight. That makes it a better choice if you want a guided progression rather than the same degree of exploratory wandering. The recommendation guide lists Nintendo Switch; confirm current platform and retail availability where you plan to buy. GamesRadar’s recommendation
Rank #2
- Descend below the star-scorched surface and explore multidimensional depths filled with secrets and lore. Witness the corrupted revelry of the Court, lose yourself in the icy tunnels of the Old Waters, and discover the grim fate of the Abandoned Expedition.
- The world is filled with treasures sought by the learned, the brave, and the mad. Scour the halls of your shrine, rend the corpses of defeated deities, and hunt in the hidden corners of the cosmos to find objects capable of granting unique powers.
- Excavate into the rubble of the Gray City to construct a shrine filled with loyal followers. As you expand your shrine and followers, new secrets, rewards, and horrors come to light.
- In-game text languages: English, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: acrobatics, combat, and time powers
Consider Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown if you want a Metroidvania that mixes acrobatic movement, combat, puzzles, exploration, and time manipulation. Ubisoft describes time powers, boss fights, quests, and exploration as part of the game; GamesRadar also emphasizes its sprawling world, traps, platforming, and combat. Ubisoft’s Complete Edition includes the base game, Mask of Darkness story DLC, outfits, an amulet, and a digital guide. Check the edition listing for your platform before purchase. Ubisoft’s game and edition description; GamesRadar’s recommendation
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: a classic castle and ability-driven progression
If you want an old-school alternative, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night centers on a castle and progression through abilities gained from defeated enemies. It is a fit for players drawn to that classic action-adventure loop. GamesRadar’s recommendation
Rank #3
- 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
Dead Cells: repeatable runs and responsive action, not a close structural match
Dead Cells offers changing layouts, run-based progression, and punchy combat. Its key trade-off is that it has less exploration and backtracking than Hollow Knight, so treat it as an adjacent action-platformer rather than the closest Metroidvania-style substitute. GamesRadar’s recommendation
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Includes the Picnic Panic DLC!
- Dynamic, acrobatic gameplay and ultra tight controls worthy of an epic ninja adventure.
- Character upgrades, new abilities, hidden levels, and branching paths to discover.
- Meticulously designed 8-bit and 16-bit sprites, animations, and backgrounds in the spirit of the classics.
- Original soundtrack by renowned chiptune composer Rainbowdragoneyes, handmade using Famitracker.
Rank #4
- Includes Base Game
- Search the remnants of an age-old intergalactic conflict, started long before your arrival, and discover new powers and abilities
- Master the fluid combat and combine powerful skills to create a playstyle of your own
- Team up with PUCK, and dive deeper into the maze of a mysterious alien world
Quick picks
| Game | Best fit | Progression or experience distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Nine Sols | Deflection-led combat and demanding bosses | Technical, challenging action |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Fluid platforming and expressive atmosphere | Combines platforming, puzzles, bosses, and emotional story beats |
| Animal Well | Secrets and puzzle solving | Exploration and creative solutions take priority over direct combat |
| Metroid Dread | Side-scrolling action with clearer direction | More linear than Hollow Knight |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Acrobatics, combat, and time powers | Combines exploration, puzzles, quests, and boss fights |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Classic castle adventure | Abilities gained from defeated enemies |
| Dead Cells | Responsive action and repeatable runs | Run-based with less exploration and backtracking |
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
