Unworthy
4.5 out of 5. A Souls-like hybrid with a greater emphasis on its Metroidvania aspects. Unworthy is a fantastic example of a focused and well-realized experience, with challenging dungeons and bosses.
Mortal Manor
2.5 out of 5. Substance over style. If you can push past the incredibly frustrating process of getting good at the game, you can easily get your money’s worth in terms of time per dollar spent.
Catmaze
4 out of 5. A Unique Slavic Tale. Even if you don’t like cats, if you enjoy excellent Metroidvania Exploration and a well-told story with endearing characters, you owe it to yourself to buy this game.
Skautfold: Usurper
3 out of 5. Lovecraftian Horrors, fascinating new game design and a compelling story make this a unique take on Metroidvania and Souls-Like ideas. Its experiments aren’t perfect, but I still love it.
Legends of the Universe – Cosmic Bounty
1.5 out of 5 – Addresses some of the major issues with the first game, while taking a couple of steps backwards in interesting level design. Retains the same fun aesthetic, but hard to recommend.
Legends of the Universe – Starcore
2 out of 5- A good effort. Borrows its style from Mega Man and 90s Sega Genesis games, but lacks the same kind of tight design that made the classics of that era great. I look forward to its sequels.
Last Stitch Goodnight
2 out of 5. Like Ice Cream and Pickles, it has good ideas that simply don’t mix well. Exploration is fun, and I recommend checking it out for its pseudo-philosophy ideas, but overall poor execution.
Treasure Adventure World
3.5 out of 5. Curl up to a pleasant Zelda-Like experience filled with wonder and surprises. While the production values could use a bit more polish, the labor of love that made this game is evident.
Dandara
3.5 out of 5. Delightfully unique concept that will provide a novel challenge to wrap your brain around. Falls just short of its full potential, but it’s worth playing if the premise appeals to you.
Kingdom of the Dragon
2.5 out of 5. What Kingdom of the Dragon lacks in polish, it makes up for with heart. If you’re interested in amateur game design, KOTD offers a fun world to explore, and near impossible challenges.
Iconoclasts
5 out of 5. If you enjoy JRPG Style storytelling in conjunction with deeply philosophical themes, as well as spatial reasoning puzzles and intense combat, this may be your best Metroidvania ever.
Ori and the Blind Forest
5 out of 5. An intense focus on Metroidvania Platforming makes Ori a brilliant stand-out for those interested in that specific thing. Pleasant graphics and music enhance its masterful game design.
Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse
3 out of 5. Heads and shoulders above its predecessor, Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a exciting romp in a colorful world with quirky characters and slightly dark humor.
La-Mulana
5 out of 5. Not a game for everyone, but perhaps the best puzzle-based Metroidvania in the genre. Cryptic clues and dangerous tombs captures the feel of an Indiana Jones-style archeology adventure.
Mini Ghost
3 out of 5. A Mini-Metroidvania as advertised. While not the best “Minimalist” Metroidvania I’ve played, it’s still a fun diversion with a cute theme if you enjoyed Ghost 1.0.
Ghost 1.0
3 out of 5. Emphasis on Wave-Based challenge rooms and robot possession puzzles add a unique twist to the Metroidvania explorative format. Story seems cringe at first, but it really grew on me.
Pharaoh Rebirth+
4 out of 5. A True Hidden Gem. Its flaws are eclipsed by the pure fun provided by its lovable characters, power-tripping weapons, delightful treasure-hunting, and challenging bosses.
Dungeon of Zolthan
3 out of 5. Like a prototype for Metroidvania Ideas. Extremely short, but for a dollar or less it’s completely worth the purchase if you like a good old school challenge.
Salt and Sanctuary
4 out of 5. Local Co-op. Souls-Like Metroidvania Hybrid. Methodical and rewarding combat sweetened by its punishing nature. Potentially thousands of ways to customize your character.
Cave Story
5 out of 5. While relatively linear and more story focused, Cave Story provides some of the best challenging shooter-platformer gameplay available. Full of secrets to uncover and lovable characters.
Apotheon
2.5 out of 5. Beautiful Graphical Style and fun exploration, but the simplicity of its story clashes with its devotion to its visuals, and while the combat is promising, it fails to deliver.
Rogue Legacy
3 out of 5. Roguelike Castlevania where death only makes you stronger. The procedural castle and random character quirks keep this game interesting for a good while.
Hollow Knight
5 out of 5. A near perfect mix of thoughtful exploration, challenging platforming, and brutal combat. Definitely not for those looking for an easier experience, but wholly rewarding to complete.
Axiom Verge
4 out of 5. Captures the feel of Metroid while doing more than enough to establish its own identity. Metroidvania Exploration at its best, with a thought provoking (but enigmatic) story to go with it.
Outland
2.5 out of 5. Local Co-op. A lot of solid design decisions and unique ideas without the level design to support it. Could have been better with tighter, more linear design.
Shadow Complex
3 out of 5. So-bad-it’s-good Action Movie style story with wonky experimental 2.5D combat and excellent Metroidvania style exploration. A fun romp overall.
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
4 out of 5. While simple in design, it presents a fun castle to explore and a variety of challenging bosses to defeat. It’s a nice short and sweet way to fill an evening or two of game time.