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For a balanced first Metroidvania, start with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It brings together connected-world exploration, platforming, puzzles and combat, with equippable amulets that let you shape your playstyle. That broad mix makes it a strong all-round recommendation—not a guarantee that it will feel easy to every player. If you want a gentler, gadget-led introduction, try SteamWorld Dig 2; if movement and presentation matter most, choose Ori and the Will of the Wisps.
What makes a Metroidvania beginner-friendly?
Metroidvanias generally connect exploration with progression: discovering an ability or route can open new parts of an interconnected world. That structure often means navigating, backtracking, platforming and fighting, but the balance—and the pressure from bosses—varies from game to game. There is no single difficulty measure that captures what every newcomer needs.
| # | 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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Instead, choose according to the part of the genre you find most intimidating:
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- Navigation: Consider how much searching and backtracking you want to do.
- Combat: Look for a game whose fights and bosses sound appealing rather than punishing.
- Platforming: Decide how much precision movement you want to handle.
- Complexity: Consider whether you want a broad range of upgrades and playstyles or a more focused introduction.
- Story: If following the main narrative matters more than finding every secret, favor a game that supports that approach.
The recommendations below answer different versions of “beginner-friendly”; they are not ranked on a single difficulty scale.
#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
Best games to start with
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — best balanced starting point
Ubisoft describes The Lost Crown as a Metroidvania built around acrobatic combat, time powers, puzzles, quests and exploration through an interconnected world. Equippable amulets let players shape their playstyle, giving newcomers several systems to discover without limiting the game to one kind of challenge.
That range makes it a persuasive all-round starting choice. It does not, by itself, show that the game is easy: Ubisoft’s page does not establish a difficulty comparison with the other games here. Ubisoft also describes a Complete Edition, DLC and a digital adventure guide; check the current edition contents and purchase options before buying.
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.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps — best for movement and presentation
GamesRadar praises Ori and the Will of the Wisps for its platforming and audiovisual presentation. The publication says the sequel smooths over some difficulty spikes from the first game, while refining its platforming and tuning up combat. That makes it a good fit for players drawn to fluid movement and a polished presentation. The comparison is relative to the first Ori, not proof that this sequel is easy in absolute terms.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsGamesRadar lists PC, Nintendo Switch and Xbox as platforms. Confirm current availability for your system before purchasing.
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
SteamWorld Dig 2 — best for a gentler exploration-and-gadget introduction
PC Gamer describes the SteamWorld Dig games as approachable and not too difficult. The series centers on digging, exploration, gadgets and upgrades, making SteamWorld Dig 2 a clear option if you want progression to feel tied to what you uncover and improve. PC Gamer’s guide calls the sequel the best place to begin in the series and notes its larger world and more varied environments.
That description comes from an older guide, so check current platform and edition availability rather than relying on its catalog information.
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
Dust: An Elysian Tail — best if you want to follow the story
GamesRadar presents Dust: An Elysian Tail as an option for newcomers, describing its side-scrolling beat-em-up combat as not frustrating and noting that players can focus on the story instead of searching for every secret. This suits someone who wants a narrative route through the game more than exhaustive exploration. That is an editorial characterization, not a measured difficulty rating.
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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.
Shantae – Half-Genie Hero — a shorter, lighter-feeling alternative
GamesRadar describes Shantae – Half-Genie Hero as a few hours of uncomplicated fun, with transformations that act as essential traversal skills. A separate hardcore mode offers more challenge, so it may suit someone looking for a more focused introduction with an optional step up.
GamesRadar lists PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. Verify current platform availability before buying.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Hollow Knight a good first Metroidvania?
Hollow Knight is a strong genre benchmark and a natural next choice if you want a large world, progression, combat, platforming and a charm system. GamesRadar ranks it first in its roundup and praises its world, systems and art. Those strengths make it worth considering, but acclaim is not evidence that it is the gentlest entry point. Choose it for its depth and appeal, not because it has been established as the easiest game here.
Quick Recap
Which game should you choose?
| If you want… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| A broad mix of exploration, platforming, puzzles, combat and playstyle choices | Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown |
| Movement and audiovisual presentation, with some difficulty spikes smoothed over compared with the first game | Ori and the Will of the Wisps |
| An explicitly approachable introduction built around exploration, digging and gadgets | SteamWorld Dig 2 |
| A story-focused route that does not require finding every secret | Dust: An Elysian Tail |
| A shorter, lighter-feeling game with a separate hardcore mode | Shantae – Half-Genie Hero |
| A highly regarded, deeper genre example | Hollow Knight |
