Metroidvanias are infamous for their challenging combat and disorienting maps, but not every game in the genre is a hair-pulling, white-knuckled experience.
Some metroidvanias trade their frustrating intensities for a more relaxing experience, focusing on charming color palettes and endearing characters instead of endless frustration.
If you love the metroidvania concept but hate getting PTSD from demanding gameplay mechanics, then cozy metroidvanias are about to be your next obsession!
These games offer mechanics that emphasize discovery and charm over brutal difficulty, making them endlessly more approachable for a much wider audience.
10Indivisible
RPG + Metroidvania = Indivisible
Indivisible
Indivisible is the perfect title for gamers looking to dip their toes into the metroidvania genre. This game is as if a classic fantasy RPG had a baby with a metroidvania; it’s the best of both worlds!
In this game, you play as Ajna, a fierce yet lovable protagonist with the ability to absorb allies into her mind and summon them in battle (weird, but also super cool). Armed with her invisible allies and a fearless sense of determination, nothing will stop her from saving the world she loves.
With self-proclaimed gameplay mechanics that are “easy to learn but difficult to master”, this game feels more like an enjoyable challenge than a brutal experience. As a metroidvania-lite, Indivisible is the younger sibling of the classic metroidvania titles that we all know and fear.
9Magical Delicacy
A Metroidvania-Lite Restaurant Sim
Magical Delicacy
Like Indivisible, Magical Delicacy is perfect for gamers just starting out in their metroidvania journeys. This game is a perfect blend of metroidvania,restaurant management, and slice-of-life adventure, easily making it one of the coziest metroidvania games on the market.
In Magical Delicacy, you get to play Flora, a young witch who travels to a distant town to hone her craft—both in cooking and spellcasting.
As a new shop owner in the harbor town of Grat, you’ve got a lot of orders to fill and not enough resources to fill them; you’ll have to go on dangerous quests through the cliffs and caves surrounding the town if you want to keep your business afloat, but be warned: you aren’t the only witch wandering the cliffs…
8Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
Earring-Wielding Ghost Fox in Japan
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus
If you’re a fan of games that highlight Japanese folklore and myth, then you’re going to fall in love with Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. This game will make you feel like you’ve just stepped into a Japanese fairy tale, complete with ancient prophecies and living legends.
As a celestial blossom (fox tentaihana) named Bō, it’s your job to descend from the heavens and fulfill an ancient prophecy.
Using your shapeshifting earring as your weapon (man, what I wouldn’t do for a pair of those), you’ll have to plow your way through yokai and demons left and right, all in the name of protecting the world you love.
I’d still buy this game even if itwasn’tthe masterpiece that it is; Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus has some of the most stunning gameplay and graphics that I’ve ever seen in a 2D platformer, let alone a metroidvania game. The acrobatic combat and breezy platformer mechanics are almost reminiscent of Hollow Knight or Windblown.
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7The Knight Witch
A Shoot-Em-Up Deckbuilder-vania
The Knight Witch
I still remember the excitement I felt watching the trailers for this game when it first came out; it’s the first real metroidvania that I’d ever considered getting into and for good reason. The Knight Witch is an amazing blend of metroidvania, deckbuilder, and shoot-em-up bullet hell that anyone would find hard to resist.
In this game, you play as Rayne, a Knight Witch trying to save her world from a mechanical invasion, all while making friends and gaining power through the belief of her supporters along the way.
As you slice your way through Dungeonidas, its citizens will see and discuss your heroic efforts and deeds. Since Knight Witches gain their power through gratitude and praise, the more heroic you seem, the more powerful you’ll become!
Though you can earn this praise in many different ways, not all methods are entirely sincere. Whether you try to stay true to the path of justice or gain popularity at any cost is entirely up to you, but just make sure you don’t lose sight of your goal along the way.
6Crypt Custodian
Ghost Cat Janitor Simulator
Crypt Custodian
There are few metroidvanias out there that are as cute or as cozy as Crypt Custodian. Am I being totally biased because I get to live out my dreams of becoming a broom-wielding ghost cat? Probably. Should that deter you from playing this masterpiece of a Metroidvania? Absolutely not!
Crypt Custodian puts you in the paws of Pluto, a mischievous ghost cat sentenced to oversee the sprawling, interconnected afterlife he now calls home.
While exploring and sweeping up your new territory, you’ll come across a variety of fellow doomed spirits and ghostly monsters, some of which you’ll become buddies with, while others… you’ll have to clean up.
Becoming a broom-wielding janitor in the afterlife is something I never knew I needed until I had it. If you love Metroidvanias but always thought they could use more cats, then you won’t be disappointed with Crypt Custodian.
5Animal Well
Literally an Animal Well
Animal Well
Animal Well is one of those games that starts off eerie and only gets eerier the longer you play. Sure, you get to meet semi-adorable creatures and enjoy pixelated environments, but there’s always something lurking just out of eyesight that keeps you from relaxing entirely.
In Animal Well, you’ll play as an adorable little creature (who hatched from a flower, if you can believe it) spelunking through a cave-like landscape full of strange animals. You’ll get to encounter strange creatures big and small, experience unconventional upgrades to your character, and even unravel the twisted lore of the Well.
This Metroidvania isas cozy as it is slightly eerie, though its unique atmosphere really only serves to enhance the game’s distinctive gameplay style. If you’re looking for something that doesn’t feel like anything you’ve played before, then Animal Well should be at the top of your wishlist.
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Weirdly Wholesome Metroidvania
Honestly, when I first came across Islets, I was really surprised to learn it was a Metroidvania. Its characters are so adorable and its animation style is just so cute, I thought there was no way that this game could be anything other than, like, a cozy RPG or something, but I was wrong!
Islets is a surprisingly charming Metroidvania about a fuzzy little warrior named Iko and his quest to reunite his home. With your trusty yet rickety airship, you’ll need to travel across the skies to reconnect a series of floating islands by reigniting their magnetic cores (no pressure).
Despite your good intentions, there are still many creatures that don’t want the islands to be reunited, and will stop at nothing to get in the way of your mission.
As if magnetizing giant, floating islands wasn’t hard enough, you’ll have to deal with these guys getting all up in your business too; it’s not an easy job, but someone’s got to do it.
3Ori and the Will of the Wisps
A Little Spirit in a Great Big World
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
From the creators of Ori and the Blind Forest comes Ori and the Will of the Wisps,a masterpiece of a sequelthat takes its players on an even greater adventure than before. No matter what kind of games you usually play, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is an incredible game that every Metroidvania fan should experience at least once.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’d be like to be thrown intoa Studio Ghibli movie, then this is your chance to find out. This game lets you play as a cute little forest spirit, Ori, as they embark on a wild journey to save an injured owlet, heal a broken land, and discover their true destiny.
It may seem surprising to some that Will of the Wisps is a Metroidvania, given its heartfelt narrative and cozy overtones, but that’s exactly what it is. Ori and the Will of the Wisps has all the challenge and ambition of a classic Metroidvania title but with none of the hair-pulling stress!
2Nine Sols
Let’s Take Down the Government!
If today’s political landscape has you feeling like busting down the government’s doors and kicking some serious politician ass, then you might find some solace in playing Nine Sols.
In this game, you play as Yi, a warrior with a grudge and the skills to back it up, slicing your way to the nine rulers who keep your realm held hostage. These rulers make it clear that they don’t have your peoples' best interests in mind, so it’s up to you to put them in the ground and save your people, once and for all.
As if the premise of taking down a corrupt government wasn’t enticing enough, this gamealsohas some pretty insane lore. To give you a small peak, the land that you’re trying to save? It actually used to belong to an ancient alien race that got obliterated a long time ago. Also, humans exist, but they’re in a totally different realm.
And if that wasn’t already the icing on the lore-covered cake, then wait until you find out that there were ancient gods that left behind a magical “promised land” that’s supposed to be protected by a series of sacred rituals. This game’s lore goes so hard, man; seriously, if you’re a fan of games with crazy backstories, then you need to give this one a go.
Nine Sols is a Metroidvania, so you likely already know the drill—new abilities mean new places to explore and a whole lot of backtracking to spots you swore you’d never see again.
Despite its Metroidvania status, though, Nine Sols actually feels so cozy to play, whether it’s because of the relatably down-to-earth characters or its heartfelt protagonist’s determination to save the world they love.
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1Hollow Knight
If “A Bug’s Life” Was Rated R
Hollow Knight (Dupe)
A metroidvania full of bugs might not sound appealing to some, but trust me, Hollow Knight is a title you won’t regret picking up. It’s got all of the difficulty and challenge that metroidvania fans love, but with an overall cozy vibe that keeps you from getting too stressed out while playing.
As a bug-like creature armed with nothing but a rusty nail and your parkour skills, you’ll have to explore the ruined kingdom hiding beneath Dirtmouth, encountering bizarre insect enemies that want nothing more than to separate your head from the rest of your body.
Despite the tough battles and parkour challenges waiting around every corner, there’s something soothing about wandering through the vast underground world of Hallownest; uncovering hidden paths, chatting with quirky (non-murderous) bug NPCs, and slowly piecing together the kingdom’s mysteries at your own pace.
It’s the kind of game that makes you feel lost in the best way possible, offering that perfect mix of challenge and tranquility that keeps you coming back for “just one more area”.
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