The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you want another game after Hollow Knight: Silksong, start with the part of its appeal you most want to keep: demanding combat, fluid platforming, hidden paths, or a strange world to explore. These recommendations vary substantially in how they balance those elements; none is a one-to-one substitute.
For technical, deflection-focused fights, try Nine Sols. For expressive movement and atmosphere, choose Ori and the Will of the Wisps; for secrets and puzzles with less emphasis on direct combat, choose Animal Well. The other picks lean toward directed action, acrobatic combat, classic ability-gated progression, or repeatable runs.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Voidwrought Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch | $34.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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ULTROS - Nintendo Switch | $34.53 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Shadow Labyrinth Nintendo Switch Standard Edition | $19.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Metroid Prime Remastered Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41WaOVAna-L._SL160_.jpg)
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Metroid Prime Remastered Standard - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code] | $39.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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The Messenger - Nintendo Switch | $26.99 | Buy on Amazon |
How to choose a game like Silksong
“Metroidvania-like” covers different experiences. Before choosing, consider what you want most:
- Combat: Do you want precise deflections and boss encounters, broad action combat, or exploration that favors puzzle solving over fighting?
- Route and exploration: Would you rather uncover a labyrinth and backtrack through it, or follow a more directed route?
- Movement: Are challenging platforming and fluid traversal a priority?
- Mood: Do you want a strong audiovisual presentation or a mysterious world that leaves its secrets to you?
- Platform: Check the game’s current platform and edition listings before buying. The sources cited here do not establish a current platform matrix for every recommendation.
The descriptions below are recommendations based on those differences, not a shared difficulty rating or the result of comparative testing.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- 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.
Best picks by the experience you want
Nine Sols: demanding, deflection-led combat
Choose Nine Sols if the part you want to carry forward is learning enemy patterns and meeting tough bosses with precise defense. GamesRadar describes it as a difficult Metroidvania/Soulslike built around relentless deflection-based combat and challenging boss fights. That makes it the clearest fit here for players seeking technical encounters, rather than a broad claim that its exploration or tone mirrors Silksong.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: fluid platforming and expressive atmosphere
For movement, visual mood, and an emotional story, try Ori and the Will of the Wisps. GamesRadar highlights its smooth platforming, hand-painted art, orchestral music, story beats, bosses, and puzzles. A separate GamesRadar genre roundup also praises its platforming, atmosphere, and tuned-up combat. It is a strong option if expressive traversal matters more to you than matching one particular combat system.
Rank #2
- 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 instead of combat-first play
Pick Animal Well if your favorite part of exploring a connected world is wondering what a strange object or hidden passage means. GamesRadar emphasizes its labyrinth, secrets, puzzles, and creative solutions. It offers a useful contrast to recommendations centered on bosses and fighting: the appeal here is discovery and problem solving.
Metroid Dread: directed side-scrolling action
Metroid Dread suits players who want side-scrolling action but are comfortable with a more directed path. GamesRadar recommends it as a similar action experience while noting that it is more linear than Hollow Knight. That distinction matters if open-ended exploration and backtracking are the main things you want to preserve. The guide lists Nintendo Switch as a platform; check current availability for your region and preferred edition before purchase.
Rank #3
- 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
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: acrobatic action and time powers
Try Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown if you want exploration and platforming alongside acrobatic combat and abilities that manipulate time. Ubisoft describes it as a Metroidvania with time powers, boss fights, exploration, puzzles, and quests; GamesRadar also points to its sprawling world, traps, bosses, platforming, and combat. Ubisoft’s Complete Edition description says it includes the base game, the Mask of Darkness story DLC, outfits, an amulet, and a digital guide. Edition contents can change or differ by platform, so confirm the listing you intend to buy.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night: classic ability-based progression
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the pick for a more old-school, Castlevania-style loop. GamesRadar describes its castle setting and abilities gained from defeated enemies. Choose it if collecting new powers from foes and using them to progress sounds more appealing than seeking a close match in atmosphere or combat feel.
Rank #4
- Become intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran and explore an alien planet in this critically-acclaimed first-person adventure
- Use and upgrade abilities like the Morph Ball, Missiles, and an array of beams to survive the harsh environments and lethal creatures of the planet Tallon IV
- Gain abilities and revisit areas to uncover the different routes and secrets hiding in a beautiful-yet-threatening interconnected world
- Scan your surroundings to gather information about the planet’s history and the creatures that call it home or to reveal enemies’ weak points
- Choose from multiple control options and experience revamped graphics, sound, and unlockable art in this remastered classic
Dead Cells: repeatable runs and responsive action
For punchy action and runs through changing layouts, consider Dead Cells. GamesRadar describes its run-based progression and shifting layouts, but also notes that it offers less exploration and backtracking than Hollow Knight. Treat it as an adjacent action-platformer choice, not the closest structural match if mapping a connected world is what you want.
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.
Quick decision guide
| If you want… | Try | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Demanding, deflection-led fights | Nine Sols | Its combat and challenging bosses are the defining fit. |
| Fluid platforming and a strong audiovisual mood | Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Praised for smooth movement, art, music, and emotional story beats. |
| Secrets and puzzles over direct combat | Animal Well | Its labyrinth and creative puzzle solving foreground discovery. |
| Side-scrolling action on a more directed route | Metroid Dread | A similar action format, but more linear than Hollow Knight. |
| Acrobatic action, platforming, and time powers | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Combines exploration and puzzles with time abilities and boss fights. |
| Classic castle exploration and enemy-earned abilities | Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Offers a Castlevania-style progression loop. |
| Responsive action in repeatable runs | Dead Cells | Its changing layouts and run-based progression trade away some 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.
