Epic’s free game this week is a metroidvania, which is reason enough to spend a Saturday inside one. The genre is the steadiest part of the indie release calendar — exploration, slow upgrades, doubling back to unlock the door you remembered three biomes ago. Seven games carry the genre on desktop right now, and these are the ones we’d install first.
The picks stretch from the entry-level cult favorite to the precision platformer to the puzzle-box that nobody has finished yet. Every game on the list runs on Windows; six of seven run on macOS, and most are verified on Steam Deck.
What to look for in a metroidvania
The label covers a wide range of games. Before you pick one, decide what kind of metroidvania you actually want:
- Combat depth, or platforming precision, or exploration and secret-hunting. Few games do all three at the top tier.
- Length. A 12-hour playthrough feels different from a 60-hour one.
- Difficulty tolerance. Some are punishing by design; some let you tune it down.
- Visual style. Hand-drawn, pixel art, or 3D-rendered, each tells a different kind of story.
- Replay value. Roguelite hybrids and randomizers extend playtime; pure metroidvanias do not.
- Steam Deck status. Verified is ideal; Playable is fine; some still want tweaks.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Steam appid | Approx playtime | Steam Deck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollow Knight | Atmosphere and exploration | 367520 | 30–60 hours | Verified |
| Hollow Knight: Silksong | The long-awaited sequel | 1030300 | 30+ hours | Verified |
| Dead Cells | Combat and replay value | 588650 | 30+ hours | Verified |
| Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Platforming and presentation | 1057090 | 12–20 hours | Verified |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | Modern AAA polish | 2751000 | 25–35 hours | Verified |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Classic Igavania feel | 692850 | 25–40 hours | Verified |
| Animal Well | Puzzle-box secret hunting | 813230 | 8–40 hours | Verified |
1. Hollow Knight — best atmosphere and exploration
Hollow Knight is the modern metroidvania most newcomers start with, and the one most veterans rank near the top. Hand-drawn art, a melancholy soundtrack, and a sprawling underground kingdom that rewards the player who reads environmental cues over map markers. Combat is tight without being punishing for the first dozen hours, then it sharpens.
Where it falls short: No spoken dialogue and limited map markers — players who want a guided experience will struggle to orient. The late-game endurance challenges sit behind a difficulty wall some never clear.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase, frequently on sale below $10
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The entry point everyone recommends, and it earns it.
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong — best long-awaited sequel
Hollow Knight: Silksong swaps the Knight for Hornet and trades meditation for momentum. Movement is faster, attacks chain into platforming, and the world tilts toward verticality. The kingdom of Pharloom rewards exploration with the same density Team Cherry built into Hallownest, with a sharper combat layer on top.
Where it falls short: Tougher than the original from the opening hours, which catches some Hollow Knight veterans off guard. The story leans on context players bring from the first game.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The clear pick if you finished the first one and wanted more.
3. Dead Cells — best combat and replay value
Dead Cells is the roguelite metroidvania that swaps a fixed world for procedurally arranged biomes connected by permanent unlocks. Each run is short, the build variety is enormous, and the combat is the snappiest in the genre. The base game has had years of free content updates that doubled the original biome count.
Where it falls short: Run-based structure won’t satisfy players who want a single, persistent map to memorize. Difficulty levels above the second require real commitment.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase; multiple DLC expansions
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Required reading for anyone who wanted Hollow Knight with a roguelite loop.
4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps — best platforming and presentation
Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the genre’s prestige picture. Painterly backgrounds, an orchestral score, and a story that does not pretend to be subtle. The platforming is the standout layer — by the late game, momentum-based traversal sequences feel closer to a rhythm game than a metroidvania.
Where it falls short: Difficulty curve spikes in late-game escape sequences. Combat is the weakest of the top metroidvanias on this list.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase, often on deep discount
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Pick this if presentation and platforming matter more than combat depth.
5. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — best modern AAA polish
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is Ubisoft Montpellier’s full-budget take on the genre, and the team delivered. The platforming is precise, the combat layered with parries and counters, and the map tools include a screenshot pin feature that lets you mark interesting doors without leaving the game. Persian mythology gives the art direction a look the indie scene cannot replicate.
Where it falls short: Long cutscenes break the metroidvania pacing some players prefer. A few late-game biomes blend together visually.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase; DLC expansion adds Mask of Darkness
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The AAA-budget pick on the list, and the one that scratches the action-game itch the indies don’t.
6. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night — best classic Igavania feel
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is Koji Igarashi’s spiritual successor to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, made for the people who measure every metroidvania against the genre’s defining game. The shard system that powers your abilities, the gothic castle, the demon hunt — all of it pulls directly from the Igavania template, updated for modern resolutions.
Where it falls short: Visuals lag behind newer competition. Backtracking is heavier than most modern entries in the genre.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase; multiple free content updates
Platforms: Windows
Download: Steam
Bottom line: The right pick for players who keep replaying Symphony of the Night every few years.
7. Animal Well — best secret-hunting puzzle box
Animal Well is the metroidvania that does not act like one until you stop expecting an upgrade and start expecting a clue. The credits roll around hour eight. Players who keep going find a second game underneath, then a third — a community of solvers is still finding answers two years after release. The pixel art and the audio carry their own quiet horror.
Where it falls short: Combat is barely present — players who want to fight will be confused. The deepest secrets demand outside help or hundreds of hours.
Pricing:
- Free: None
- Paid: One-time purchase
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Download: Steam
Bottom line: Buy it if you want a metroidvania that respects your intelligence more than your reflexes.
How to pick the right one
- If this is your first metroidvania: Hollow Knight
- If you finished Hollow Knight and want more: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- If you want runs you can fit in a lunch break: Dead Cells
- If presentation and platforming matter most: Ori and the Will of the Wisps
- If you want AAA polish and combat depth: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- If Symphony of the Night was your favorite game: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
- If you want to think more than fight: Animal Well
FAQ
What is the best metroidvania for beginners? Hollow Knight is the standard recommendation — the early game eases you in, the map is fair, and the difficulty ramps gradually. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the alternative for players who want a friendlier difficulty curve.
Which metroidvania has the best combat? Dead Cells for run-based combat, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for full parry-and-counter combat with depth, and Hollow Knight: Silksong for movement-focused fighting.
Are these games on Steam Deck? All seven on this list are Steam Deck Verified. Battery life ranges from three hours on the heaviest games to six on the indies.
What is the longest metroidvania to play? Animal Well’s full hundred-percent run is the longest by far. Hollow Knight and Bloodstained both clear 40 hours on a thorough playthrough.
Is Hollow Knight: Silksong harder than the original? Yes, from the opening hours. The boss patterns are faster and demand more movement, and the early bosses pose more of a wall than the first game’s opening encounters.
