7 games like Hollow Knight if you've already blasted through Silksong

Well, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally here, and the world has (justifiably) lost its mind. We've seen gamers taking leaves from work (not me, I was really sick), ghosting their friends, and just straight-up disappearing into the depths of Pharloom. Just under a week later, some madlad speedrunner has already run through the game in two hours, all before the first patch has even gone online.

But once the dust settles, and you've already put in 40, 50, or even 100 hours into this masterpiece, the only question that arises is "what's next?" The Metroidvania genre has been absolutely thriving over the past few years, and sure, none of them has reached quite the fever-pitch hysteria of Silksong, but plenty of them deserve to be your next weekend obsession.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024)

Silksong but with 50 times the visual flair

Prince of Persia started off as one of the most memorable and punishing platformers of all time. Once the world went 3D, the early 2000s saw Ubisoft create one of the greatest trilogies of all time with the Sands of Time, Warrior Within, and The Two Thrones. Now, the remake has been stuck in who knows how many layers of developmental hell, and I truly would give anything to see those games remade, but what we got in 2024 was a game much closer to the franchise's original roots.

The Lost Crown was a strong return for the franchise, and gave players smooth platforming, fluid and incredibly rewarding combat, and some of the sharpest Metroidvania design we've seen on this side of the century. The visuals and combat in The Lost Crown are definitely the key winners here, with the moment-to-moment combat and platforming systems being easy to learn, but nigh impossible to truly master. Think about the way Hollow Knight makes you sweat with boss duals, and make it 50 times more stylish, and you get The Lost Crown, with its cinematic set-pieces and blazing, vibrant neon powers.

Ori and The Blind Forest + Will of Wisps

Two fantastic Metroidvanias that aren't as tough, but just as impactful

My personal favorite Metroidvania series that I still happily rank over Hollow Knight (it's subjective, of course), Ori and the Blind Forest was a revelation for my teenage self when I played it a decade ago. And when its sequel came along and amped everything up to eleven, I didn't have a single complaint as I watched the credits roll. Both Ori games are remarkably fluid platformers full of heart and vibrant colors, and they marry a tight Metroidvania structure with emotional storytelling with such excellence that it's impossible not to recommend this to anyone who loves either platformers, Metroidvanias, or just great, unforgettable games in general.

Full disclosure, Ori won't challenge you with combat the way Hollow Knight or Silksong do, but instead, it will test your ability to platform superbly by chaining together movements in environments that will slowly become more hostile and demanding. In fact, that's where the games excel — the movements feel buttery smooth no matter what you do. The real winner, however, is the music. Both of these games have scores that are as incredibly iconic as their visuals, and I guarantee you that they'll stay with you forever. If you end up shedding a tear or ten while playing the games, don't say I didn't warn you.

Dead Cells (2017)

Hollow Knight's rogue-lite cousin

Combat is what Dead Cells is all about, and while it's not a Soulslike, it's definitely a rogue-lite adjacent cousin to Hollow Knight, if you will. It absolutely nails the basics — the combat is crunchy, the movement is fluid, and you've got a plethora of weapons and mutations at your disposal, which makes every single run in the game entirely unique. In Silksong, your progression is directly tied to the game's exploration and its narrative, as is par for the course. However, in Dead Cells, dying is a feature. You lose, you learn, and then you jump back in, but armed with better knowledge and tools this time around.

The best part about this game is inarguably its incredibly unique art style. It's a pixel aesthetic, which is gorgeous but also deceptive. Keep a keen eye out while exploring the game, and you'll understand exactly why. Where Dead Cells and Hollow Knight are most similar is definitely the boss fights, and the former definitely has boss fights that will have you hitting the same adrenaline highs that Team Cherry gave us through both their games. The atmosphere is muted, yes, but not brooding like Hollow Knight's, and the gameplay loop is all about staying in the zone, trying and trying again until you finally land a perfect run.

Celeste (2018)

An emotionally-charged therapeutic experience, in the garb of a platformer

Now look, I know Celeste isn't a Metroidvania, but it definitely deserves a place on this list for one reason, and one reason alone — mastery. Just like Hollow Knight and Silksong will teach you patience and precision (often brutally), Celeste pushes you to break through your limits every single time you press the jump button. This game is unabashedly difficult, and the special part about it is how it layers its story into every climb. Through its spike-filled rooms, you'll wrestle with anxiety, doubt, and fear, and the challenge of overcoming those emotions comes wrapped in the metaphor of climbing a mountain.

In Celeste, the controls are so superbly precise that failure is absolutely guaranteed, but never unfair. Every time you die, it will always be your fault, and that is what will make you want to try again immediately. This one is far more... intimate than Silksong, and reflects on an inward journey. One of the most emotional games you could ever play, reaching the summit in Celeste feels just as earned as conquering a Hollow Knight boss. Celeste is therapy in the form of a game, and I can't recommend it enough for anyone looking for something just a tiny bit different.

Animal Well (2024)

A solodev Metroidvania worth every minute

We've all enjoyed the undeniable thrill of peeking behind a hidden wall to discover a new area in Hollow Knight. Animal Well is a game that dials that up to eleven, and then some. A bit of an odd ball on this list, Animal Well gives you a labyrinthine world with secrets, cryptic puzzles, and strange creatures who don't behave like regular enemies at all. It's not a game that holds your hand, either. You have to be curious at every moment, and you have to be open to experimentation as you play this fantastic Metroidvania that comes from the mind of a solo developer.

The visuals are clearly the most unforgettable part about Animal Well, with its retro aesthetic that hides layer upon layer of clever design, rewarding only the most observant players. Now, the reason why I called this an oddball? Animal Well has no combat. Well, at least none in the traditional sense, and all the tension comes from navigating a world that is always unsettling, but you can't quite put your finger on it. Animal Well may not be like Silksong in tone or pacing, but it definitely is in the spirit of discovery.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights (2021)

This way this game is slept on, is almost criminal

Ender Lilies flew under the radar for a lot of people, and that's a damn shame. In my opinion, the Ender games certainly deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Hollow Knight. It's a hauntingly beautiful Metroidvania with gothic visuals, a heart-rending soundtrack, and combat that feels tragic and graceful, all at the same time. Every battle in this game is a dance of borrowed strength because you summon fallen knights to fight on your behalf, and while the core gameplay loop may feel significantly slower than Silksong, it is definitely more deliberate.

If you're anything like me, playing through Silksong will leave you craving another somber and poetic journey, and Ender Lilies games will take you through similar ruin and beauty.

Blasphemous (2019)

This is what you should be playing after Hollow Knight

What do you love Hollow Knight: Silksong for? The Soulslike combat? The visuals? The Metroidvania structure? All of it together? Well, if you're done with Silksong, your next game should absolutely be Blasphemous, without a shadow of a doubt. This is a Metroidvania drenched in religious horror, filled with imagery straight out of grotesque medieval paintings, and I promise you it will leave a mark on you that won't fade any time soon.

The combat here is as punishing and brutal as it is rewarding, as you wield your sword, donning the shoes of The Penitent One. Each swing, parry, and dodge in Blasphemous carries heft and weight to it, and the boss duals are nothing short of trials to go through to prove yourself. The game drips with dread, and every NPC you come across has a tragic backstory. Blasphemous is far more unsettling and impactful than Hollow Knight, and it's this haunting intensity that makes the game worthy of praise as high as Hollow Knight.

There's plenty more where Silksong comes from

If you've run through Silksong, there's an entire world of Metroidvanias waiting for you.

Hollow Knight: Silksong is certainly a once-in-a-generation release, and it's the kind of game that unites the entire community in its obsession with it. However, Silksong's magic doesn't exist in isolation. It's part of a genre that has been evolving constantly, with devs constantly trying to push the boundaries of what a 2D platformer can really be.

So, now, if you've run through Pharloom in Silksong, there's an entire world of more Metroidvanias waiting for you. There are plenty more bosses to conquer, maps to explore and figure out, and lessons to learn.