- #1 Axiom Verge
97% matchVery Positive90% of 6,442 reviews2015
Dev: Thomas Happ Games LLC
Windows · Linux
Median: 6.3 hrsMean: 9.6 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Explore and uncover the mystery of a surreal alien world by blasting aliens and glitching your environment in this intense retro side-scrolling action/adventure.
Why similar: Metroidvania 49.4%, Platformer 10.5%, Pixel Graphics 7.5%, Sci-fi 7%, Retro 6.7%
Why You'll Like It: It is the definitive modern homage to classic sci-fi metroidvanias, featuring deep exploration and unique weapon upgrades similar to Xeodrifter.
- #2 Gato Roboto
96% matchVery Positive94% of 5,065 reviews2019
Dev: doinksoftPub: Devolver Digital
Windows
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 5.4 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Pounce inside of your cozy armored mech and set off on a dangerous trek through an alien underworld full of irritable creatures and treacherous obstacles in a valiant effort to save your stranded captain and his crashed spaceship.
Why similar: Metroidvania 41.2%, Platformer 9.8%, Pixel Graphics 9.1%, Retro 8.6%, Side Scroller 4.4%
Why You'll Like It: This short, punchy adventure captures the same tight, sci-fi action loop and retro aesthetic as Xeodrifter.
- #3 Haiku, the Robot
95% matchVery Positive90% of 3,390 reviews2022
Dev: Mister Morris Games
Windows · Mac
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 6.5 hrs≥1hr: 87%
Delve into the depths of a mechanical world in this cute, adventure-exploration game. Explore and fight in a land full of corrupt robots and machinery. All while seeking answers to the mysteries around you.
Why similar: Metroidvania 36.2%, Platformer 11.9%, Retro 9.2%, Pixel Graphics 9%, Side Scroller 8.6%
Why You'll Like It: It features a charming, interconnected world and a focus on exploration that feels very much in the spirit of Xeodrifter.
- #4 Environmental Station Alpha
96% matchVery Positive83% of 1,601 reviews2015
Dev: Arvi TeikariPub: Hempuli Oy
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 6.2 hrs≥1hr: 82%
Explore an abandoned space station in this retro-themed explorative action platformer.
Why similar: Metroidvania 47.6%, Platformer 11.4%, Pixel Graphics 10.6%, Retro 5.8%, Difficult 5.7%
Why You'll Like It: This game offers a challenging, retro-styled sci-fi exploration experience with a heavy emphasis on secrets and boss encounters.
- #5 Rebel Transmute
94% matchMostly Positive75% of 272 reviews2024
Dev: Fatal Fawn GamesPub: JanduSoft
Windows
Rebel Transmute is a challenging 2D action-platformer epic with heart! Explore the twisting caverns of an alien planet, augment your play-style to fit your strengths, battle deadly bosses, and uncover a dark truth as Moon Mikono searches for her long lost mother.
Why similar: Metroidvania 29.9%, Sci-fi 10.2%, Retro 9.8%, Difficult 9.7%, Platformer 8.7%
Why You'll Like It: This modern metroidvania features a sci-fi setting and fluid combat that feels like a natural evolution of the genre.
- #6 Ghost Song
93% matchVery Positive83% of 1,404 reviews2022
Dev: Old MoonPub: Balor Games
Windows
Median: 2.7 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 58%
On the desolate moon of Lorian, a long-dormant Deadsuit awakens from slumber. Journey beneath the surface on an atmospheric 2D adventure of self-discovery, ancient mysteries, and cosmic terror. Explore winding caverns and acquire new abilities to unearth this alien world’s long-buried secrets.
Why similar: Metroidvania 36.7%, Platformer 12.8%, Sci-fi 12%, Side Scroller 8.9%, Difficult 8%
Why You'll Like It: A moody, atmospheric sci-fi metroidvania that mirrors the lonely, interstellar exploration found in Xeodrifter.
- #7 MindSeize
94% matchMostly Positive75% of 305 reviews2020
Dev: Kamina Dimension
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 80%
MindSeize is a 2D Metroidvania game set in a Sci-Fi-universe. Transfer your mind to a robot and rescue your beloved one!
Why similar: Metroidvania 27.2%, Action 8.7%, Platformer 8.1%, Indie 7.7%, Adventure 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi action-platformer that emphasizes combat and exploration in a way that aligns perfectly with the seed game.
- #8 SteamWorld Dig 2
91% matchOverwhelmingly Positive95% of 8,836 reviews2017
Dev: Image & Form Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.9 hrsMean: 15.6 hrs≥1hr: 71%
SteamWorld Dig is back! Dig deep, gain riches and unearth the terrors of the underworld in this platform mining adventure influenced by classic Metroidvania style games.
Why similar: Metroidvania 52.8%, Platformer 18.5%, Adventure 5.8%, Action 5.2%, Indie 4.9%
Why You'll Like It: It excels at the core loop of exploring, upgrading your gear, and uncovering secrets in a beautifully realized environment.
- #9 Iconoclasts
91% matchVery Positive86% of 4,919 reviews2018
Dev: Joakim SandbergPub: Bifrost Entertainment
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.4 hrsMean: 8.7 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Join renegade mechanic Robin and uncover the secrets of a dying planet. Explore a big world filled with intricate puzzles, interesting characters and menacing bosses in a beautiful platform adventure that tells a personal story about faith, purpose and the challenge of helping people.
Why similar: Metroidvania 45.3%, Pixel Graphics 12.5%, Platformer 12.3%, Indie 5.1%, Action 4.9%
Why You'll Like It: While more story-driven, it features the same high-quality pixel art and action-platforming foundation as Xeodrifter.
- #10 Lone Fungus
90% matchVery Positive84% of 1,139 reviews2023
Dev: BASTI GAMES
Windows
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 8.8 hrs≥1hr: 61%
A handcrafted open-world platformer set in a world built by Mushrooms! Explore different locations filled with secrets, acquire new abilities and use those abilities to reach new places!
Why similar: Metroidvania 33%, Platformer 11%, Precision Platformer 8.3%, Pixel Graphics 8.2%, 2D Platformer 7.9%
Why You'll Like It: This game features excellent platforming mechanics and a vast, interconnected world that rewards curious players.
- #11 Islets
89% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 2,209 reviews2022
Dev: Kyle ThompsonPub: Armor Games Studios
Windows
Median: 7.4 hrsMean: 10.7 hrs≥1hr: 72%
Take to the sky and reunite a fragmented world in this surprisingly wholesome metroidvania! Help Iko adventure across beautiful hand-painted islands, receive letters from a quirky cast of characters, and face powerful monstrous adversaries.
Why similar: Metroidvania 47%, Platformer 17.5%, Exploration 7.3%, Adventure 4.6%, 2D 4.6%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a polished, accessible metroidvania experience with tight platforming and a focus on exploration across floating islands.
- #12 Xanthiom Zero
89% matchVery Positive96% of 127 reviews2023
Dev: MathanGames
Windows
Play as Captain Grisham, and uncover the secrets of Planet 4-514 in this thrilling prequel to Side Scape!
Why similar: Metroidvania 28.4%, Retro 9.3%, Platformer 8.8%, Space 7.1%, Pixel Graphics 7%
Why You'll Like It: A retro-styled sci-fi metroidvania that emphasizes exploration and classic platforming challenges.
- #13 Axiom Verge 2
88% matchMostly Positive79% of 907 reviews2022
Dev: Thomas Happ Games LLC
Windows · Linux
Median: 2.4 hrsMean: 11.0 hrs≥1hr: 63%
Explore a sprawling, alien world in the sequel to the award winning Axiom Verge.
Why similar: Metroidvania 39.7%, Platformer 13.4%, 2D Platformer 8.2%, Sci-fi 8%, Side Scroller 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: It expands on the exploration-heavy nature of its predecessor with a focus on discovery and environmental puzzles.
- #14 SHEEPO
87% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 561 reviews2020
Dev: Kyle Thompson
Windows
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 54%
Explore a strange planet, collect the creatures you find, and then shape-shift into them to expand your world. Build your own path, chat with the locals, and discover the planets sprawling secrets in this quirky metroidvania platformer.
Why similar: Metroidvania 44%, Platformer 17.4%, 2D Platformer 10.6%, Exploration 8.3%, Adventure 4.1%
Why You'll Like It: A unique, non-violent metroidvania that focuses on movement and exploration in a vibrant, alien setting.
- #15 Goodboy Galaxy
86% matchVery Positive96% of 138 reviews2024
Dev: Goodboy Galaxy Ltd.
Windows · Linux
A vibrant sci-fi platform adventure game where you help Maxwell the dog explore unfamiliar worlds, make strange new friends and contend with mysterious forces - by jumping, shooting, slicing, shrinking, warping and drilling.
Why similar: Metroidvania 35.5%, Platformer 16%, Exploration 7.9%, Pixel Graphics 7.2%, Aliens 6.6%
Why You'll Like It: A modern take on the retro metroidvania genre that feels right at home alongside Xeodrifter's design philosophy.
- #16 Exographer
85% matchVery Positive95% of 130 reviews2024
Dev: SciFunGamesPub: Abylight Studios
Windows · Mac
Exographer is an exploration game based on science. Become an explorer, stranded in an alien planet, and discover the secrets of an extinct civilization. Gain new powers to avoid dangers and obstacles in your journey, and use your camera to reveal particles and hidden clues.
Why similar: Metroidvania 16.5%, Platformer 16.3%, 2D Platformer 13%, Exploration 10.4%, Sci-fi 10.4%
Why You'll Like It: It blends exploration with puzzle-solving in a sci-fi setting, appealing to those who enjoy the discovery aspect of Xeodrifter.
- #17 Vision Soft Reset
86% matchVery Positive89% of 154 reviews2019
Dev: Seafloor Games LLC
Windows
Perceive the future in this time-loop metroidvania.
Why similar: Metroidvania 39.9%, Platformer 14.2%, 2D Platformer 9.4%, Sci-fi 8.8%, Exploration 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: This game focuses on exploration and time-based progression, capturing the sense of discovery found in Xeodrifter.
- #18 Quarion
82% matchVery Positive94% of 149 reviews2025
Dev: ZejoantPub: Bootleg Bytes
Windows · Linux
A short 2D pixel-style metroidvania where you explore, fight bosses, aquire items and abilities and find secrets. Inspired by games such as You Have to Win the Game and VVVVVV.
Why similar: Metroidvania 39.7%, Retro 12.4%, Platformer 11.6%, Pixel Graphics 8.2%, Exploration 8%
Why You'll Like It: A nonlinear exploration game that rewards players for navigating its interconnected, retro-styled world.
- #19 Cosmos Bit
84% matchVery Positive88% of 93 reviews2022
Dev: SEEP
Windows
Cosmos Bit is an old school metroidvania that will take you in an extraterrestrial world painted with the legendary Amstrad CPC's colour palette, reworked for modern devices. The game is enjoyable for both veterans and newbies of this genre!
Why similar: Metroidvania 20.6%, Platformer 19.8%, Pixel Graphics 11.4%, Space 10.8%, Retro 9.9%
Why You'll Like It: It offers a concise, retro-inspired space adventure that focuses on action and exploration in a compact world.
- #20 Rex Rocket
84% matchMostly Positive75% of 262 reviews2014
Dev: Castle Pixel, LLC.
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.0 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 96%
Inspired by the retro glory days of 8-bit games, Rex Rocket is a traditional 2D platformer brought into the 21st century. Paying tribute to classic NES games like Mario, Mega Man, and Metroid, old-school platformer fans will find Rex Rocket a breath of fresh air.
Why similar: Metroidvania 40.7%, Platformer 15.4%, Retro 11.5%, Difficult 8.5%, Pixel Graphics 7.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game is a direct love letter to retro sci-fi platformers, sharing the same aesthetic and challenge level as Xeodrifter.
- #21 Genopanic
82% matchMostly Positive77% of 364 reviews2024
Dev: Mobirate
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Genopanic is a pixel-art, Metroidvania-inspired adventure-platformer. Explore corridors of the space station, teeming with secrets and dangers, and engage in boss fights. Solve puzzles and uncover hidden mysteries in the dark atmosphere of a sci-fi research complex. Discover the truth with each step
Why similar: Metroidvania 30.6%, Platformer 11.5%, Side Scroller 9.7%, Precision Platformer 9.4%, Pixel Graphics 8.2%
Why You'll Like It: A sci-fi metroidvania with a strong emphasis on atmosphere and exploration in a hostile space station environment.
- #22 OUTBUDDIES DX
83% matchMixed70% of 283 reviews2019
Dev: Julian LauferPub: Headup
Windows
Median: 4.6 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 91%
Run, gun and explore an open undercity in this otherworldly non-linear Metroidvania adventure about the Old Gods, strange creatures and the remnants of a lost world!
Why similar: Metroidvania 38.9%, Platformer 11.7%, Difficult 9.8%, Pixel Graphics 7.6%, Side Scroller 5.7%
Why You'll Like It: It features a unique companion mechanic and deep exploration that complements the style of Xeodrifter.
- #23 Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon
81% matchVery Positive94% of 4,427 reviews2018
Dev: INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 5.5 hrs≥1hr: 77%
Battle with swords and whips in this retro-style action game brought to you by game creator Koji Igarashi and Inti Creates! Play as Zangetsu, a demon slayer bearing a deep grudge, who must travel through perilous lands to defeat a powerful demon lurking in a dark castle.
Why similar: Metroidvania 28.8%, Platformer 14.2%, Retro 13.9%, Pixel Graphics 10.2%, Side Scroller 9.2%
Why You'll Like It: It delivers a pure, retro-action experience that captures the difficulty and charm of early 8-bit and 16-bit classics.
- #24 Astronite
81% matchMostly Positive75% of 183 reviews2022
Dev: Dume Games StudioPub: JanduSoft
Windows
Astronite is a 1bit metroidvania that combines action, exploration, puzzles and platforms. Recover the planet where you and yours lived before it was invaded by strange creatures.
Why similar: Metroidvania 27.6%, Side Scroller 10.6%, Platformer 10.4%, Sci-fi 8.2%, Precision Platformer 7.5%
Why You'll Like It: A monochromatic, retro-styled metroidvania that emphasizes exploration and challenging boss fights.
- #25 Hyper Light Drifter
79% matchVery Positive93% of 18,466 reviews2016
Dev: Heart Machine
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.7 hrsMean: 7.4 hrs≥1hr: 81%
Explore a beautiful, vast and ruined world riddled with dangers and lost technologies.
Why similar: Metroidvania 22%, Pixel Graphics 20.9%, Difficult 19.4%, Exploration 7.3%, Sci-fi 6.4%
Why You'll Like It: While more combat-focused, it shares the atmospheric, sci-fi, and pixel-art qualities that make Xeodrifter special.
- #26 PSYCRON
79% matchVery Positive94% of 113 reviews2021
Dev: Mothware
Windows
A fast-paced 2D handcrafted metroidvania with strange sci-fi environments. Something is roaming the halls, watching your every move.
Why similar: Metroidvania 35.2%, Sci-fi 10.9%, Platformer 9%, 2D Platformer 7.9%, Pixel Graphics 7.8%
Why You'll Like It: This sci-fi action-platformer captures the retro aesthetic and exploration-heavy gameplay of the seed game.
- #27 Cosmobreeder Yiffai
77% matchVery Positive86% of 155 reviews2025
Dev: KEMOSHOCO
Windows
Travel to a forgotten world and study alien creatures in this authentic retro metroidvania!
Why similar: Metroidvania 36.7%, Platformer 14.2%, Retro 13.2%, 2D Platformer 9.4%, Pixel Graphics 8.8%
- #28 Escape From Tethys
80% matchMixed69% of 457 reviews2018
Dev: Whimsical
Windows · Mac
You're trapped, alone and cold on a distant planet. Pursued by a droid with only one purpose: killing everything. You must find an escape. Explore the hostile environment, find secret upgrades and new weapons, and finally make your escape from this dark, hostile planet...
Why similar: Metroidvania 54.7%, Platformer 21.6%, Action 9.3%, Exploration 8.9%, Pixel Graphics 5.4%
Why You'll Like It: This game provides a focused, retro-styled exploration experience on a mysterious alien planet.
- #29 Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
78% matchVery Positive93% of 3,006 reviews2015
Dev: WayForward
Windows
Median: 6.8 hrsMean: 8.1 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Embark on an all-new adventure with Shantae, the hair-whipping belly dancing genie. After losing her magic, Shantae teams up with the nefarious pirate Risky Boots in order to save Sequin Land from a curse.
Why similar: Metroidvania 47.6%, Platformer 21.3%, Pixel Graphics 8.6%, Side Scroller 4.3%, 2D 4.2%
Why You'll Like It: It features a well-structured metroidvania map and tight platforming that aligns with the gameplay feel of Xeodrifter.
- #30 Out There Somewhere
77% matchVery Positive93% of 6,916 reviews2016
Dev: MiniBossPub: Senpai Industrial Studios
Windows · Mac
Median: 2.5 hrsMean: 3.7 hrs≥1hr: 72%
You play an explorer stranded on a dangerous alien planet. Low on fuel, your only hope for escape is to find the planet’s core in this incredibly clever action-puzzle-platformer.
Why similar: Platformer 24.7%, Metroidvania 13.7%, Retro 12.5%, Pixel Graphics 12.3%, Sci-fi 9.1%
- #31 Aggelos
78% matchMostly Positive78% of 656 reviews2018
Dev: Storybird GamesPub: PQube
Windows
Median: 1.3 hrsMean: 5.0 hrs≥1hr: 56%
Critically-acclaimed action-RPG that takes the template laid down by classics like Wonder Boy, nails the 16-Bit aesthetics for nostalgia fans, but updates the mechanics to feel fresh and modern. Explore a beautiful open world and plunder dungeons, caves and forests to help take down epic bosses!
Why similar: Metroidvania 45.7%, Platformer 10.9%, Retro 10.5%, Pixel Graphics 8.9%, Adventure 7.7%
Why You'll Like It: A retro-inspired action-adventure that focuses on exploration and character progression in a classic 2D world.
- #32 Downwell
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive97% of 8,486 reviews2015
Dev: MoppinPub: Devolver Digital
Windows
Median: 1.2 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 53%
Downwell is a curious game about a young person venturing down a well in search of untold treasures with only his Gunboots to protect him.
Why similar: Precision Platformer 20.5%, Platformer 18.1%, Difficult 13.8%, Pixel Graphics 12.6%, 2D Platformer 10.4%
- #33 Gravity Circuit
74% matchVery Positive94% of 3,462 reviews2023
Dev: Domesticated Ant GamesPub: PID Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 3.5 hrsMean: 6.1 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Gravity Circuit is a flashy action packed 2D platformer in the spirit of console classics. Follow Kai, a lone operative war hero who harnesses the mysterious powers of the Gravity Circuit, on an adventure in a futuristic world inhabited by sentient robots.
Why similar: Platformer 22.8%, Pixel Graphics 14.4%, Retro 13.5%, 2D Platformer 11.3%, Side Scroller 9.9%
- #34 MIO: Memories in Orbit
73% matchVery Positive83% of 2,890 reviews2026
Dev: Douze DixièmesPub: Focus Entertainment
Windows
Median: 8.2 hrsMean: 15.2 hrs≥1hr: 84%
Play as android MIO in this mesmerizing metroidvania where you explore the Vessel, an enormous technological ark overgrown with machines gone rogue. Uncover its secrets, enhance MIO's abilities, and save the spaceship and its residents from oblivion.
Why similar: Metroidvania 37.4%, Platformer 13.5%, Difficult 10%, Exploration 7.8%, Sci-fi 6.8%
- #35 VVVVVV
76% matchOverwhelmingly Positive96% of 10,401 reviews2010
Dev: Terry Cavanagh
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 66%
VVVVVV is a platform game all about exploring one simple mechanical idea - what if you reversed gravity instead of jumping?
Why similar: Platformer 16.9%, Precision Platformer 14.2%, Pixel Graphics 13.8%, Difficult 11.2%, Retro 10.1%
- #36 Cave Story+
75% matchVery Positive93% of 7,930 reviews2011
Dev: Nicalis, Inc.
Windows · Linux
Median: 1.8 hrsMean: 21.3 hrs≥1hr: 60%
Run, jump, shoot, fly and explore your way through a massive action-adventure reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games.
Why similar: Metroidvania 41.4%, Platformer 18.6%, Retro 8%, Pixel Graphics 7.9%, Difficult 4.1%
- #37 Ascent DX
70% matchVery Positive99% of 272 reviews2025
Dev: Johan PeitzPub: Apskeppet
Windows · Mac
Crashed on a desolate but mysterious planet you find yourself eye to eye with an ancient civilisation. Explore the planet, find powerful upgrades, and fulfill your destiny.
Why similar: Metroidvania 49.1%, Platformer 15.7%, Exploration 9.6%, Retro 7.9%, Pixel Graphics 7.6%
- #38 Space Expedition
72% matchVery Positive93% of 181 reviews2023
Dev: Mobirate
Windows · Mac
Space Expedition is a 2D sci-fi platformer where you play as an astronaut who is sent to a space station to collect samples of mysterious dark matter. Space Expedition combines puzzle platforming, pixel art, and atmospheric adventures set in the style of 1980s sci-fi horror films.
Why similar: Platformer 17.7%, 2D Platformer 16.7%, Pixel Graphics 16.3%, Exploration 13%, Space 11.8%
- #39 Super Win the Game
74% matchVery Positive89% of 652 reviews2014
Dev: Minor Key Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 4.5 hrs≥1hr: 90%
Throw on your nostalgia goggles and travel back in time with Super Win the Game, a retro-core explosion of exploration and platforming action!!
Why similar: Metroidvania 30.6%, Platformer 10.4%, Difficult 9.8%, Precision Platformer 9.6%, Side Scroller 9.6%
- #40 Rift Racoon
73% matchVery Positive94% of 81 reviews2019
Dev: Marcos Game Dev
Windows
Rift Racoon is an intense precision platformer about a lost racoon with a fun abillity: teleportation! Teleport through dangerous traps, use your claws to climb walls and jump your way across difficult platforming levels with retro visuals!
Why similar: Difficult 13%, Platformer 12.9%, Precision Platformer 12.4%, Retro 10.1%, Side Scroller 9.7%
- #41 Capsized
75% matchMostly Positive76% of 1,096 reviews2011
Dev: Alientrap
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 24 minMean: 1.6 hrs≥1hr: 32%
Capsized is a fast paced 2D platformer focused on intense action and exploration. As a intrepid space traveler, your ship has crash landed on a mysterious alien planet. You must navigate through the perilous environment and fight off blood-thirsty creatures to save your crewmates and escape with your lives!
Why similar: Platformer 41%, Sci-fi 22.6%, Action 13.1%, Indie 10.2%, 2D 5.9%
- #42 Blaster Master Zero 2
73% matchVery Positive90% of 551 reviews2019
Dev: INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
Windows
Median: 4.8 hrsMean: 6.5 hrs≥1hr: 88%
Join Jason, Eve, and Fred on an intergalactic journey! The side-scrolling/top-down hybrid action adventure title "Blaster Master Zero" returns with its long-awaited sequel! Experience the yet-untold story of Jason and Eve after defeating Earth's mutant scourge in "Blaster Master Zero".
Why similar: Metroidvania 39.4%, Platformer 17.9%, Retro 16.3%, Pixel Graphics 12.8%, Action 9%
- #43 Cyber Shadow
70% matchVery Positive84% of 1,490 reviews2021
Dev: Aarne "MekaSkull" HunzikerPub: Yacht Club Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.1 hrsMean: 7.9 hrs≥1hr: 68%
The world has been taken over by synthetic lifeforms. A desperate plea for help sets Shadow, the sole survivor of his clan, on one last mission to uncover what started the path to perpetual ruin.
Why similar: Metroidvania 27.1%, Retro 14%, Platformer 13.1%, Pixel Graphics 8.9%, Difficult 7.8%
- #44 Super Life of Pixel
72% matchMostly Positive79% of 379 reviews2014
Dev: Super Icon LtdPub: WhiteMoon Dreams, Inc.
Windows
Median: 3.0 hrsMean: 4.2 hrs≥1hr: 93%
Join Pixel as he quests through gaming history, teleporting across the most iconic video game systems of generations past. He’ll have to jump, dodge and play smart if he wants to survive all the traps, puzzles and enemies waiting to take him down at every turn.
Why similar: Platformer 33.5%, Retro 28%, Pixel Graphics 17.4%, Indie 8.2%, 2D 7.2%
- #45 Waking Mars
71% matchVery Positive89% of 1,195 reviews2012
Dev: Tiger Style
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 54 minMean: 4.3 hrs≥1hr: 49%
In 2097, life is discovered on Mars. When your mission of first contact becomes trapped by a cave-in, you must master the alien ecosystem to survive. Soon you stumble upon more than anyone expected, and with time running out, you will make a decision that determines the fate of a lost planet.
Why similar: Metroidvania 25.1%, Sci-fi 22.7%, Platformer 19%, Exploration 11.5%, Adventure 6.6%
- #46 Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan
71% matchVery Positive87% of 90 reviews2019
Dev: CollectorVision Games
Windows · Mac
In this pixel-perfect homage to the classic action platformers, you play as Sydney Hunter - an explorer who gets trapped inside a Mayan pyramid while he's out exploring!
Why similar: Metroidvania 19.8%, Platformer 14%, Retro 12%, Action 9.2%, Adventure 7.7%
- #47 MO:Astray
68% matchVery Positive92% of 5,025 reviews2019
Dev: Archpray Inc.Pub: Rayark International Limited
Windows
Median: 3.2 hrsMean: 4.9 hrs≥1hr: 76%
MO: Astray is a pixel art, side-scrolling, action-platformer. Lead MO through mind-bending puzzles using special abilities. Bizarre enemies, threatening traps and ingenious level designs await.
Why similar: Platformer 18.8%, Pixel Graphics 17.4%, Sci-fi 15.1%, Action 7.9%, Side Scroller 7.6%
- #48 Stardust Demon
68% matchVery Positive84% of 76 reviews2024
Dev: resnijars
Windows · Mac · Linux
A retro story-rich metroidvania filled with unique and diverse abilities, and quirky, charming aliens and demons. Algol is witness to a catastrophe that sends the universe into disarray, uncover a mysterious evil plot and find many hidden rooms that test your skills.
Why similar: Metroidvania 43.8%, Retro 14.3%, Pixel Graphics 11%, Exploration 9%, Space 8.3%
- #49 Legends of the Universe - StarCore
71% matchMostly Positive77% of 124 reviews2016
Dev: LunarCore Games
Windows
Median: 3.4 hrsMean: 4.6 hrs≥1hr: 98%
Metroidvania style action/platformer with tons of abilities, enemies and exploration.
Why similar: Metroidvania 39.7%, Platformer 16.9%, Sci-fi 7.7%, Pixel Graphics 7%, Space 5.7%
- #50 Trash Quest
69% matchVery Positive93% of 121 reviews2021
Dev: Francis Vace
Windows
Trash Quest is a compact metroidvania with a single spawn point, run and gun action and tight platforming. Navigate an interwoven maze of rooms through this space station, destroying robots, collecting power ups and unlocking shortcuts.
Why similar: Metroidvania 34.7%, Retro 11.1%, Precision Platformer 10.7%, 2D Platformer 8.9%, Exploration 7.3%
- #51 bobo robot
70% matchVery Positive89% of 79 reviews2020
Dev: Sokpop Collective
Windows · Mac
A wacky metroidvania. ⚡ Meet weird characters, unlock new abilities and complete a mysterious mission . . .
Why similar: Metroidvania 27.2%, Action 22.4%, Adventure 20.4%, Indie 20%, Exploration 5.6%
- #52 Astronite - Landing on Neplea
68% matchVery Positive85% of 183 reviews2022
Dev: Dume Games StudioPub: JanduSoft
Windows
Astronite Landing on Neplea is the prologue to this fantastic 1bit metroidvania that combines action, exploration, puzzles and platforms. Take on Astronite's first major challenge and defeat the deadly Kronch.
Why similar: Metroidvania 43.4%, Platformer 14.6%, Sci-fi 11.6%, Pixel Graphics 11.2%, Action 4.8%
- #53 Teslagrad
69% matchVery Positive84% of 2,460 reviews2013
Dev: Rain Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 4.2 hrsMean: 6.0 hrs≥1hr: 88%
A journey begins... A treacherous tower... Unravel its mysteries!Discover the secrets kept in the long abandoned Tesla Tower!Magnetism and other electromagnetic powers will help you explore a non-linear world of beautiful hand-drawn environments, in a steampunk-inspired vision of old Europe.
Why similar: Metroidvania 37.6%, Platformer 25%, Difficult 7.8%, Side Scroller 5.1%, Retro 5%
- #54 MOMIBOSU
66% matchVery Positive92% of 60 reviews2025
Dev: PenGames
Windows
A boy and a girl with a mysterious weapon drone in their hands embark on an adventurous journey from their small underground village to the vast world of new lands. Enjoy a precision 2D platformer that will challenge you no matter how many times you get hit!
Why similar: Metroidvania 21.8%, Difficult 12.1%, Precision Platformer 11.8%, Platformer 10.5%, Pixel Graphics 8.4%
- #55 LUNARK
66% matchVery Positive88% of 330 reviews2023
Dev: Canari GamesPub: WayForward
Windows · Mac
Median: 1.6 hrsMean: 3.4 hrs≥1hr: 59%
A pixel-art sci-fi adventure set in the midst of a rebellion against a totalitarian regime, LUNARK is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the '90s. Run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot your way through gorgeous and mysterious locations!
Why similar: Platformer 16%, Retro 13.6%, Sci-fi 11.8%, Pixel Graphics 11.3%, Side Scroller 8.5%
- #56 You Have to Win the Game
67% matchVery Positive93% of 5,714 reviews2014
Dev: Minor Key Games
Windows · Mac · Linux
Median: 42 minMean: 3.6 hrs≥1hr: 43%
You Have to Win the Game is a free exploration platformer with a retro 1980s PC aesthetic.
Why similar: Metroidvania 46.8%, Retro 12.9%, Platformer 12.4%, Difficult 6.6%, Pixel Graphics 4.8%
- #57 Auridia
63% matchVery Positive98% of 144 reviews2025
Dev: Norseboar Games
Windows · Mac
Explore an interconnected world full of platforming challenges in this short metroidvania. Reach new areas by swinging from ceilings, throwing bombs, bouncing off spikes, and more. Examine dozens of artifacts, commune with forgotten gods, and piece together what happened to Auridia.
Why similar: Metroidvania 50.3%, Platformer 14.2%, Pixel Graphics 12.5%, Exploration 10.6%, Adventure 4.8%
- #58 B.I.O.T.A.
65% matchVery Positive88% of 253 reviews2022
Dev: small brosPub: Retrovibe
Windows
Median: 4.9 hrsMean: 10.3 hrs≥1hr: 83%
Intense 2D action-platformer set in a mining colony infected by an alien plague. In B.I.O.T.A. you can choose your hero, fight gruesome monsters, and customize your 8-bit retro experience with swappable 4-color palettes.
Why similar: Metroidvania 25.4%, Retro 10.3%, Platformer 10.1%, Side Scroller 8.4%, Sci-fi 8.2%
- #59 Super Magbot
66% matchVery Positive84% of 401 reviews2021
Dev: Astral PixelPub: Team17
Windows
Median: 24 minMean: 4.8 hrs≥1hr: 37%
A precise 2D platformer with a twist. NO JUMPING. Master your magnetic powers to beat each level with speed and skill. Enjoy classic 16-bit gaming vibes, tackle challenging achievements and compete for global leaderboard supremacy along the way.
Why similar: Precision Platformer 21.5%, Difficult 12.6%, Pixel Graphics 11%, Platformer 9.8%, Retro 8.1%