Punishing combat, tight platforming, deep and intricate lore – these are the three main pillars of Hollow Knight. Team Cherry’s beloved 2D Metroidvania Soulslike has been a game-changer for fans of the genre. You don the role of an unnamed Knight as you traverse through the insect kingdom of Hollownest and watch a bleak story unfold slowly.
Although a sequel dubbed Silksong has been announced for a while now, we don’t have any confirmed release date as of yet. While you wait, here are seven excellent alternatives that you can try out to scratch that Hollow Knight itch.
Blasphemous
What if Hollow Knight Was Darker and Steeped in Religious Imagery?
| Release Date | September 10, 2019 |
| Platform | PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch. |
| Developer/Publisher | The Game Kitchen, Team 17 |
If Hollow Knight drew you in with its haunting silence, Blasphemous will grip you with raw dread. You play as The Penitent One, a silent warrior who awakens from a pile of bloodied corpses. From the opening moments, it’s clear that the world is steeped in sin, and you’re not here to save it. You’re here to endure it.
Much like the world of Hollownest, Cvstodia feels ancient, broken, and most of all, sacred. The world here is rotting from the inside out, and the story is cleverly delivered using obscure item descriptions, grotesque imagery, and cryptic dialogue.
Combat, however, is where the two titles start to branch off in their own direction. The combat system in Blasphemous leans heavily into its parry mechanics, letting you deflect enemy attacks and follow up with a counter if you time things right. With just a sliver of health remaining on the enemy, you’ll sometimes get the ability to execute a brutal finisher.
The boss fights in Blasphemous will remind you a lot of Hollow Knight. Each boss you face has their own story and deep lore that makes it feel real and adds weight to each encounter, just like the bosses in Hollow Knight. If you loved it for its mysterious world, the sense of loneliness, and the oppressive mood that Hollow Knight created, Blasphemous is an absolute must play for you.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Not As Dark As Hollow Knight, But Just As Easy To Get Lost In.
| Release Date | March 11, 2020 |
| Platform | PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One |
| Developer/Publisher | Moon Studios |
In many ways, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the direct antithesis of Hollow Knight. If the latter is a descent into darkness, Ori is a glowing, emotional journey. Visually, it’s nothing short of breathtaking, with every frame packed with color which makes exploration a complete delight.
But the core idea is the same across both games. Both of them feature a beautifully crafted world, layered exploration elements with plenty of backtracking, tight, satisfying movement, and most importantly, an emotional story that makes you think. While Hollow Knight is a lot darker, on the surface, they both rely on that familiar Metroidvania structure.
Like the Charms in Hollow Knight, Ori and the Will of the Wisps gives you Spirit Shards to customize your playstyle. Combat is faster and fluid here, giving you three different weapons that can be used simultaneously. It’s not quite as punishing, but there’s enough enemy variety and challenge to keep things interesting.
Platforming, however, is where Ori gets ahead. The movement is smooth, and as you unlock new abilities, you will be chaining dashes, double jumps, and glides to effortlessly move through the vibrant landscape.
The game leans more on raw emotions and doesn’t try to be as cryptic as Hollow Knight. Backed with a score that’s just as gut-wrenching, this is a title that no players should miss out on.
Salt and Sanctuary
Gets Flak for Being Too “Soulsy” But Still Worth it For Hollow Knight Fans.
| Release Date | March 15, 2016 |
| Platform | PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch. |
| Developer/Publisher | Ska Studios |
Salt and Sanctuary leans much heavier into its Soulslike roots than most Metroidvanias, but that’s exactly what makes it such a great choice. At first, it might feel like a side-scrolling Dark Souls, with its muted color palette, cryptic lore, and brutally punishing enemies that take you out with a single hit. But spend some time with it and you’ll start noticing how much it shares with Hollow Knight, especially in terms of world design.
Your journey begins on a cursed island, where you are armed with nothing but scraps. The world is sprawling and interconnected with winding paths and hidden shortcuts. Secrets are tucked behind platforming segments that require you to unlock new abilities, as in Hollow Knight. Each time you unlock a new ability, you can backtrack to find additional loot, optional bosses, and tidbits of new lore.
Combat is weightier than what Hollow Knight fans might be used to. It’s slower and more deliberate, where stamina management, dodge rolls, and equipment load matter a lot more. There’s a huge focus on build variety like a traditional RPG, which gives the game incredible replay value.
The world of Salt and Sanctuary is bleak, decaying, and filled with grotesque horrors. Its tone echoes the despair of Hallownest, even though the art style leans more on the grim than the gothic of Hollow Knight. But at the end of the day, Salt and Sanctuary manages to deliver the same sense of exploration and discovery that you get while traversing the depths of Hallownest.
Haiku The Robot
A Rusty, Pixel-Art Echo Inspired by Hollow Knight’s Design Philosophy.
| Release Date | April 28, 2022 |
| Platform | PC, Nintendo Switch |
| Developer/Publisher | Mister Morris Games |
Don’t let the charming Gameboy-esque visuals fool you, Haiku the Robot is every bit a Metroidvania and wears its inspirations proudly on its sleeve. You play as Haiku, a small robot exploring the decaying ruins of Arcadia. Think Hallownest, but instead of a bug kingdom, you’re exploring a mechanical world filled with tiny machines.
Like Hollow Knight, there’s no hand-holding. The game just drops you into the map with no objective marker or quest log. Just you, your sword, and a vague sense that something’s wrong with the world around you. The early hours can feel aimless, but as you keep exploring, you’ll start to piece the map together and unlock new traversal abilities to progress through the story.
Combat is simpler than Hollow Knight but responsive. It has a Chip system similar to the Charms in Hollow Knight. Haiku also borrows a lot from Metroid, giving you a variation of the Morph Ball, which is a cool little addition to the game.
While Haiku the Robot falls short of the narrative tone of Hollow Knight, it makes up for it with its smart level design, tight controls, and rewarding exploration. It’s a smaller, scrappier sibling to Hollow Knight, but still worth a try for fans of Metroidvania.
Nine Sols
Hollow Knight in Taopunk Style and a Score To Settle.
| Release Date | May 29, 2024 |
| Platform | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch |
| Developer/Publisher | Red Candle Games |
Nine Sols is what you’d get if Hollow Knight borrowed Sekiro’s swordplay and draped it in neon-soaked Eastern mythology. Set in New Kunlun, a fictional world ruled by godlike beings known as the Sols, you play as Yi, a feline warrior resurrected to take revenge. From the first few steps, the world feels ancient and artificial all at the same time. Shrines sit beside high-tech doors, and floating lotuses drift across rusted rooftops, that too, under a synthetic sky.
Unlock the hop-and-slash flow combat, Nine Sols is all about precision and patience. The parry system plays a central role, and you’ll need to deflect attacks to stagger enemies and strike back. It’s fast, unforgiving, and insanely satisfying once you master it. Boss fights are brutal and beautifully animated, each one demanding complete focus and timing.
Exploration feels a bit more directed, but not restrictive. While the map isn’t as puzzling as Hallownest, it’s filled with branching paths, hidden upgrades, and secret encounters that make backtracking rewarding.
The revenge narrative in Nine Sols is not as cryptic, but still just as compelling. Instead of infection and decay, it explores the tone of abandonment and betrayal. While the emotional weight isn’t as heavy, the skill-based combat and atmospheric world-building will remind players of Hollow Knight every step they take.
Our walkthrough for Nine Sols will make the early game easier.
The Last Faith
If Hollow Knight And Bloodborne Had A Gothic Lovechild.
| Release Date | June 13, 2023 |
| Platform | PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, Nintendo Switch. |
| Developer/Publisher | Kumi Souls Games, Playstack |
The Last Faith leans hard into the gothic and grim, calling back to games like Bloodborne and Blasphemous, but with a style and flow that’ll feel surprisingly familiar to Hollow Knight fans. You play as Eryk, a cursed man who wakes up in an asylum with fragmented memories. Nycrux, the curse that transforms the afflicted into monstrous creatures, plagues the world around you, and you’re on a journey to find the cure.
From the start, the heavy atmosphere of the game hits you hard across the face. Misty graveyards, decaying cathedrals, and cavernous crypts- these are the areas that you’ll have to explore as you progress through the story. The entire world is stitched together with a gothic elegance.
Combat is methodical and brutal, and while it’s not as free-flowing as that in Hollow Knight, it’s every bit as meaningful. You’ll have access to a wider arsenal of weapons, both melee and ranged, along with different spells and abilities.
What The Last Faith manages to pull off perfectly is the oppressive mood of Hollow Knight. The world is grim, the fights are challenging, and the world-building is nothing short of exceptional. It’s the perfect closing entry on this list, one that doesn’t reinvent the wheel but delivers an excellent Metroidvania experience filled with style.
Check out our complete walkthrough of The Last Faith if you decide to give it a shot.
Thank you for reading our list of games like Hollow Knight. For other interesting articles, check out the links below: