Hollow Knight has still not shipped on Android, and Silksong’s mobile port is not confirmed. What people usually want when they search “games like Hollow Knight for Android” is the same feel on their phone: an interconnected map you draw in your head, tight air control, weight in every hit, and a lore you piece together from scattered notes. That is a real gap, but the Android store has more solid picks than the reputation suggests. We tested seven metroidvanias on Android that pull from Hollow Knight’s DNA in different ways, from Grimvalor’s souls-like combat to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown’s full-scale AAA port to ENYO’s grid-based tactics.
Every game below runs on a mid-range phone with 4GB of RAM, supports at least Xbox and PlayStation controllers over Bluetooth, and has been updated within the last 18 months. Where a port trims content or adds ads that were not in the console version, we call it out.
What to look for in a Hollow Knight-alike on Android
Not every metroidvania hits the specific Hollow Knight loop. Five things separate the ports and mobile-first titles that scratch the itch from the ones that just borrow the genre label:
- Interconnected map. A single continuous world you learn by walking, not a stage-select menu. Rooms unlock as your movement kit grows.
- Tight combat with weight. Attacks have wind-up and recovery. Enemies telegraph. Whiffed hits punish you. Grimvalor and Dead Cells both hit this bar; twin-stick roguelikes usually do not.
- Movement upgrades that reshape the map. Wall jump, dash, double jump, hover, superdash. Each one opens shortcuts and new zones. Games without this loop feel linear even when the map is big.
- Controller support. Hollow Knight is a controller-first game. Any Android metroidvania worth playing has proper gamepad support and rebindable buttons.
- Runs offline. No forced login screen, no daily-login banners, no ads mid-boss. Free-to-play conversions of the genre usually fail this test; premium ports pass.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dead Cells: Netflix Edition | Combat-first roguevania | Netflix members only | Free with Netflix | 2.5 (Aptoide) |
| Grimvalor | Souls-like Android metroidvania | Chapter 1 free | $6.99 unlock | 5.0 (Aptoide) |
| Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown | AAA metroidvania on phone | Free demo | $19.99 unlock | 5.0 (Aptoide) |
| Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls | Konami stage-select metroidvania | Yes, with limits | Free with in-app purchases | 3.1 (Aptoide) |
| Sword of Xolan | Retro pixel metroidvania | Yes, ad-supported | $2.99 remove ads | High (Google Play) |
| ENYO | Turn-based rogue-metroidvania | Yes | Free | High (Google Play) |
| GRIS | Atmospheric platformer | No | $4.99 | High (Google Play) |
The games
1. Dead Cells: Netflix Edition — best for combat-first metroidvania on Android
Dead Cells: Netflix Edition is the strongest Hollow Knight-adjacent pick on Android right now. It is not a pure metroidvania (each run is procedurally shuffled), but the combat feel, upgrade-loop density, and boss design pull directly from the same lineage. The Netflix edition bundles every paid DLC including Return to Castlevania, which drops Richter Belmont and Alucard into a Castlevania biome. Controls are surprisingly good with touch. With a Bluetooth pad it lands at console parity. Content is unlocked from the start rather than paced across a save.
Where it falls short: Netflix account required, and the game disappears if you cancel. The rogue-lite structure means map exploration resets between runs, so if what you want from Hollow Knight is the feeling of drawing a persistent map, this is closer to Slay the Spire than to Dirtmouth.
Pricing:
- Free: No — requires a Netflix subscription (from $7.99/mo)
- Paid: Included with Netflix
Platforms: Android, iOS (both via Netflix Games), plus separate paid versions on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch.
Bottom line: Pick Dead Cells if you loved Hollow Knight’s combat rhythm and can accept a rogue-lite structure. Skip it if the persistent map exploration was the point for you.
2. Grimvalor — best souls-like Android metroidvania
Grimvalor is the closest thing on Android to a straight Hollow Knight substitute in feel. Dark fantasy setting, moody colour palette, air-dash and wall-jump traversal, boss fights that punish greed, and an interconnected castle map you learn by dying to it. It is the game most Reddit threads recommend when someone asks the “Hollow Knight for Android” question, and once you have played the first hour it is easy to see why. The touch controls are rebindable and support a phone-sized layout that does not fight the action. On a controller it is genuinely excellent.
Where it falls short: Shorter than Hollow Knight (roughly 8 to 12 hours to credits) and a smaller enemy roster. The story is thinner too. If you played Hollow Knight for the lore-piecing, this will feel light.
Pricing:
- Free: Chapter 1 as a demo, no ads
- Paid: One-time unlock, around $6.99, no in-app purchases beyond the main unlock
Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC.
Bottom line: Pick Grimvalor if you want the closest Hollow Knight substitute on Android in combat feel and mood. Skip it if you were hoping for 40 hours of content.
3. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown — best AAA metroidvania on Android
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is the biggest metroidvania to ship on Android in years. Ubisoft’s 2024 return to the series is a real, full-fledged metroidvania with a hand-drawn art style, a large interconnected map, and a movement kit that rewards mastery. The Android port launched in mid-2025 with the full campaign, no gating, no ads, no timers. Combat is more parry-and-combo than Hollow Knight’s spacing game, but the map design, secret density, and difficulty tuning land in the same neighbourhood. Time-power gimmicks in the mid-game genuinely reshape traversal.
Where it falls short: Storage-heavy (over 4GB installed) and the touch controls are workable but not great; a Bluetooth controller is a near-requirement. Battery drain is significant on longer sessions.
Pricing:
- Free: A short prologue demo
- Paid: One-time unlock around $19.99 for the full game; occasional discounts
Platforms: Android, iOS, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, Amazon Luna.
Bottom line: Pick Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown if you want the biggest, most polished metroidvania you can put on Android. Skip it if you do not own a controller or if the storage footprint is an issue.
4. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls — best for Konami metroidvania fans
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is Konami’s mobile Castlevania, and while it uses a stage-select structure (chapters, not a single map), the combat, weapon variety, and character switching all hit the classic Symphony of the Night beats. You unlock Alucard, Simon, Charlotte, and other series regulars, each with distinct move sets. The subweapon and soul systems reward long-term progression the way Hollow Knight’s charm system does. Free-to-play with in-app purchases for cosmetics and premium content, but the core loop is playable without spending.
Where it falls short: Not a real interconnected metroidvania map. Each chapter is a stand-alone level. Also relies on Konami servers, so an offline stretch will lock you out. The gacha layer is soft but present.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, with cosmetics and premium chapters as IAP
- Paid: Optional bundles from $4.99
Platforms: Android, iOS (relaunched in 2024).
Bottom line: Pick Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls if the Konami DNA is what you actually want. Skip it if you need a single interconnected map or plan to play without a data connection.
5. Sword of Xolan — best retro pixel metroidvania
Sword of Xolan is the sleeper pick on this list. A one-developer pixel platformer with real metroidvania bones: an interconnected map spanning castles, forests, and mines; hidden rooms tied to movement upgrades; a stat-driven character; and a soundtrack that sits nicely in the background. It runs on almost anything (60MB install, 4GB RAM phones handle it fine) and the touch controls are the best of any game on this list because the layout was designed for a phone screen from day one.
Where it falls short: The default free version carries ads, which occasionally break the mood mid-boss. The paid unlock removes them. The world is small compared to Hollow Knight (six to eight hours to finish) and the pixel art, while charming, is not going to blow anyone away.
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, with banner and interstitial ads
- Paid: Around $2.99 to remove ads permanently
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: Pick Sword of Xolan if you want a lightweight, offline-friendly metroidvania that respects mobile-first controls. Skip it if you want a big-budget presentation.
6. ENYO — best turn-based rogue-metroidvania
ENYO by Arnold Rauers (of Card Thief fame) is the wildcard pick. It is turn-based rather than real-time, but the traversal, exploration, and upgrade loop feel closer to a compact Hollow Knight than most action-metroidvanias. You move Enyo the huntress around a grid, use a shield, hookshot, and spear in tandem, and each floor is a chunk of interconnected rooms you clear tactically. Bosses are puzzles. Runs are short (10 to 20 minutes) which makes it ideal for a phone. Free with an optional unlock for the full run structure.
Where it falls short: The turn-based combat is the opposite of Hollow Knight’s twitch action. If what you loved was pogo-hopping off spike traps to reach a corner charm, this is the wrong pick. It also lacks a persistent map (runs reset).
Pricing:
- Free: Yes, full game free with an ad model
- Paid: Around $2.99 for the premium unlock
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: Pick ENYO if a 15-minute tactical run appeals more than a 40-hour campaign. Skip it if you specifically wanted twitchy platforming.
7. GRIS — best atmospheric platformer if you skipped Hollow Knight for the mood
GRIS is not a metroidvania in the strict sense, but it belongs on this list for anyone whose favourite Hollow Knight moments were the quiet ones. Nomada Studio’s watercolour side-scroller has almost no combat, an interconnected world tied to colour-based traversal upgrades, and a soundtrack by Berlinist that carries most of the emotional weight. Where Hollow Knight is bleak, GRIS is grief. The Android port from Devolver is faithful to the console version with no ads, no timers, and no in-app purchases.
Where it falls short: No combat, so if the fight-first loop was the point for you, skip this. Also shorter than the rest (four to five hours).
Pricing:
- Free: No
- Paid: Around $4.99, sometimes discounted to $1.99 in Devolver sales
Platforms: Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC.
Bottom line: Pick GRIS if you played Hollow Knight for the atmosphere and want a five-hour mood piece with the same visual restraint. Skip it if combat mattered.
How to pick the right one
If you want the closest overall Hollow Knight feel, pick Grimvalor. Souls-like combat, dark mood, interconnected map, real metroidvania upgrade loop, and a fair one-time price.
If you want the biggest, most modern metroidvania you can put on a phone, pick Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It is the AAA option.
If you already pay for Netflix and combat is what you want, pick Dead Cells: Netflix Edition. No extra spend.
If you want a Castlevania-flavoured game with characters and lore you already know, pick Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls.
If you want something lightweight for a bus commute, pick Sword of Xolan or ENYO. Sword for pixel action, ENYO for turn-based tactics.
If atmosphere is the whole reason you played Hollow Knight, pick GRIS. It is not a metroidvania, but it is the closest emotional match on Android.
FAQ
Is Hollow Knight on Android?
No. Team Cherry has never released Hollow Knight for Android or iOS. The original 2017 game runs on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox. As of mid-2026 Silksong is out on PC and console but has not been confirmed for mobile.
Will Hollow Knight: Silksong come to Android?
Team Cherry has not announced an Android port. Historically the studio has been slow to add platforms even for the first game, so an Android release is possible but not on any published roadmap. If it happens, expect a delay of a year or more after the console launch.
What is the closest game to Hollow Knight on Android?
Grimvalor is the closest match in combat feel, mood, and map structure. It is a smaller game (roughly 8 to 12 hours) but the DNA is unmistakable.
Are there any free games like Hollow Knight for Android?
Sword of Xolan and ENYO are free with ads or an optional paid unlock. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is free with in-app purchases. Dead Cells: Netflix Edition is included in an existing Netflix subscription. There is no truly free premium Hollow Knight equivalent on Android.
Do these games work with a controller on Android?
All seven support Bluetooth controllers (Xbox, PlayStation, and generic HID). Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Grimvalor are best played with one. Dead Cells and Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls are workable on touch but noticeably better with a gamepad. Sword of Xolan and ENYO were designed for touch first.
