If you want another game after Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, start with Hollow Knight for the deepest exploration, Blasphemous for the closest gothic brutality, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for the smoothest movement, or Ori and the Will of the Wisps for a brighter, more storybook take on the same Metroidvania structure.
Belmont’s Curse is KONAMI and Evil Empire’s new 2D action-exploration Metroidvania. It released on October 14, 2026, and continues the series 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, this time following Rose Belmont. The recommendations below focus on the things that matter when moving from it: map design, ability-gated exploration, combat rhythm, atmosphere, difficulty, and how much the game asks you to backtrack.
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What kind of Metroidvania is Belmont’s Curse?
Belmont’s Curse uses the classic side-scrolling action-exploration formula: you fight through connected areas, discover routes blocked by abilities or environmental obstacles, open shortcuts, and revisit earlier rooms after gaining new tools. Steam categorizes it as a Metroidvania, action RPG, 2D platformer, dark-fantasy, vampire, and exploration game. Those tags describe the broad shape, but they do not tell you whether its moment-to-moment play will suit you. The most useful comparison is therefore not “which game has vampires?” but “which game gives me the kind of exploration and combat I want next?”
#1 Best Overall
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The story is set 23 years after Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and follows Rose Belmont. That makes the game a direct continuation of the series’ lineage rather than an unrelated gothic platformer. You can enjoy the alternatives below without knowing the older games, but players who value family history, dark-fantasy iconography, and a traditional 2D presentation will find the strongest thematic bridge in the first two recommendations.
Quick comparison: the four best starting points
| Game | Exploration structure | Combat and movement | Atmosphere | Best fit for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollow Knight | Large, interconnected world with extensive detours, shortcuts, and ability-gated routes | Precise melee, spells, charms, and demanding boss encounters | Melancholy, ruined fantasy kingdom | Players who want the biggest exploration commitment and tougher combat |
| Blasphemous | Interconnected regions built around secrets, locked paths, and return visits | Deliberate swordplay, executions, ranged options, and build choices | Gothic, religious, grotesque, and oppressive | Players seeking the closest grim and brutal mood |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Ability-gated map with clear traversal upgrades and shortcut routes | Fast melee, air movement, parries, and highly mobile platforming | Mythic adventure with a polished, colorful presentation | Players who value fluid traversal and readable action |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Open-ended zones connected by movement abilities and optional paths | Expressive platforming, agile attacks, and upgrade-driven mobility | Bright, storybook fantasy with an emotional narrative | Players who want movement and storytelling more than gothic horror |
The table reflects editorial guidance. GamesRadar identifies all four as modern Metroidvanias that extend the side-scrolling adventure formula associated with Castlevania; the differences in tone, pacing, and challenge are practical recommendations for choosing among them.
Hollow Knight: the strongest exploration-first follow-up
Why it fits
Choose Hollow Knight if the part of Belmont’s Curse you enjoy most is learning a world’s geography. Its map is broad and interconnected, with regions that fold back into one another through elevators, gates, hidden passages, and movement abilities. Progress often comes from remembering an apparently impossible ledge or sealed doorway, then returning much later with the right upgrade. That loop of discovery, uncertainty, and payoff is the defining reason it belongs at the top of this list.
Combat is more demanding than a casual side-scrolling adventure. The Knight’s basic attacks are readable, but positioning, healing windows, enemy patterns, and boss tells matter. Spells and charms let you adjust the character toward different priorities, so exploration and build experimentation reinforce each other rather than sitting in separate menus. Treat the difficulty as an editorial expectation, not a universal ranking: players comfortable with pattern-based fights may find it fair, while newcomers to precision combat may need more attempts.
Rank #2
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What changes from Belmont’s Curse
The atmosphere is mournful rather than overtly vampire-gothic. You trade castles, stained glass, and family-hunt imagery for an insect kingdom buried under decay. The result is still dark fantasy, but its storytelling is quieter and more environmental. If you want constant forward momentum and a clearly signposted route, Hollow Knight can feel deliberately opaque. If you want to draw your own map and uncover optional corners for dozens of hours, it is the safest recommendation.
Blasphemous: the closest tonal match
Why it fits
Blasphemous is the pick for players who want their next Metroidvania to feel hostile, ceremonial, and visually severe. GamesRadar places it in the same modern lineage as Castlevania, and its grim religious imagery, grotesque enemies, and gothic brutality make the connection immediately legible. The setting is not a copy of Castlevania’s mythology; its identity comes from its own rituals, symbols, and tragic history.
Exploration follows the familiar pattern of connected regions, blocked routes, secrets, and return trips after acquiring new capabilities. Swordplay is weightier than a pure twitch platformer: spacing, attack commitment, and timing are important, while executions and ranged tools add variety. Equipment and upgrade choices provide some build expression without turning the game into a menu-heavy role-playing game.
Who should choose it
Pick Blasphemous when atmosphere is your deciding factor. It is especially suitable if you want oppressive scenery and brutal encounters rather than a bright adventure or a gentle emotional journey. Players who dislike punishing mistakes should approach it with patience and use every healing, upgrade, and shortcut opportunity. Those who want a lighter tone or movement-led platforming should choose Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown or Ori and the Will of the Wisps instead.
Rank #3
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Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: the movement specialist
Why it fits
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the best alternative when the appeal of Belmont’s Curse is reaching places that initially look impossible. Its Metroidvania design ties new abilities directly to traversal: air control, wall movement, dashes, and other mobility tools turn previously inaccessible routes into deliberate platforming challenges. The map still rewards backtracking, but the reason to return is often a new movement puzzle rather than a newly discovered piece of lore.
Combat is fast and readable, with attacks, defensive timing, and aerial movement working together. The presentation is polished and adventurous rather than gothic, so the emotional register is closer to a mythic action game than a haunted castle. That contrast is useful: you get the same broad exploration logic while avoiding a second dose of horror imagery.
Trade-offs
The game favors momentum and mobility over the slower, heavier swing timing associated with classic vampire-hunting adventures. If you want every room to feel dangerous and oppressive, its brightness may feel too clean. If you want responsive controls, generous movement options, and a route that constantly teaches you a new traversal idea, it is the most approachable transition on this list.
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Ori and the Will of the Wisps: the bright, emotional alternative
Why it fits
Ori and the Will of the Wisps stays firmly within the Metroidvania family but shifts the emphasis toward expressive movement and emotional storytelling. Its world is colorful and storybook-like, with environments designed to make gliding, climbing, swimming, and rapid changes of direction feel graceful. Exploration remains ability-gated, so returning to an earlier area with a new movement skill still produces the familiar “now I can reach that” satisfaction.
Rank #4
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Combat is more agile and upgrade-driven than the deliberate gothic duels many players associate with Castlevania. The game asks you to combine movement and attacks rather than hold a defensive line. That makes it a strong choice for players who loved navigating Belmont’s Curse but want less oppressive scenery, clearer emotional storytelling, and a greater focus on flow.
When it is not the right match
Do not choose Ori expecting vampires, grim religious imagery, or a direct continuation of the Belmont family story. Its value is contrast: it demonstrates how the same interconnected, ability-gated structure can support warmth, color, and character-driven drama.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which game feels closest to Belmont’s Curse?
For gothic atmosphere
Start with Blasphemous. Its religious-gothic imagery and brutal presentation are the nearest tonal neighbors among these four, even though its setting and mythology are distinct.
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Start with Hollow Knight. It offers the largest commitment to map knowledge, hidden routes, shortcuts, and optional discoveries. Expect a more expansive world and a greater tolerance for getting lost.
Best Value
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- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
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For movement and accessibility
Start with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. Its traversal abilities make progress feel physically expressive, and its action presentation is polished and easy to read.
For a gentler tonal change
Start with Ori and the Will of the Wisps. It preserves the genre’s exploration loop while replacing gothic horror with colorful fantasy and emotional storytelling.
A practical play order
- Play Hollow Knight first if you want the most substantial exploration test and do not mind demanding combat.
- Play Blasphemous second if the dark-fantasy mood is what you want to preserve.
- Move to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown when you want faster traversal, clearer mobility upgrades, and a brighter adventure tone.
- Finish with Ori and the Will of the Wisps when you want the most movement-led and emotionally focused variation on the formula.
You can reverse this order without losing anything. The sequence simply moves from the closest exploration commitment to the largest tonal departure.
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Platforms and editions for Belmont’s Curse
KONAMI lists releases for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, and Steam. That covers current console generations and PC storefronts, but availability can differ by region and account storefront. Check the platform page you use for language, performance, and purchase details.
The physical and digital Midnight Editions add the same types of bonus content: alternate costumes, a Digital Sound & Art Gallery, and an in-game relic item. KONAMI confirms that a physical edition exists, but exact regional pricing, retailer stock, and collector packaging should be verified at the time you buy. Do not assume that a listing in one territory applies to another.
Steam reception: useful context, not a permanent score
On the Steam listing checked in October 2026, Belmont’s Curse showed 1,937 user reviews with 82% positive ratings. That is a storefront snapshot, not a fixed review score: the count and percentage change as more players post reviews, and Steam’s aggregate does not explain why individual players liked or disliked the game. Use it as a current temperature check alongside the game’s genre, story setup, and platform availability.
How to decide in one minute
- Choose Hollow Knight for the largest, most exploration-heavy world and demanding combat.
- Choose Blasphemous for gothic brutality, religious imagery, and a severe mood.
- Choose Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for fluid traversal, mobility upgrades, and polished action-adventure pacing.
- Choose Ori and the Will of the Wisps for graceful platforming, colorful fantasy, and emotional storytelling.
All four preserve the central Metroidvania appeal: a side-scrolling world that becomes more navigable as your abilities grow. The right follow-up depends on which part of Belmont’s Curse you want to keep—its map, its combat, its darkness, or its sense of movement.
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