Metroidvania Archives

AppWizard

December 3, 2025

Grab this Sekiro-style Metroidvania and six other great Steam Deck games for just $15, saving you over $156

Seven Steam Deck games are available through this month's Humble Choice subscription, including Nine Sols and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. The Steam Deck remains the top handheld gaming PC, with seven out of eight titles in the bundle receiving Steam Deck Verified or Playable ratings. The subscription costs .99 / £11.49 per month, providing access to eight games valued at .92 on Steam. The games included are: 1. Nine Sols - Steam Deck Verified 2. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name - Steam Deck Verified 3. Streets of Rage 4 - Steam Deck Verified 4. Lost Skies - Unsupported 5. Intravenous II - Steam Deck Playable 6. Dungeon Tycoon - Steam Deck Playable 7. Beholder Conductor - Steam Deck Verified 8. Godlike Burger - Steam Deck Verified Lost Skies does not fully support the Steam Deck, but can be played with keyboard and mouse controls.

AppWizard

December 1, 2025

Five new Steam games you probably missed (December 1, 2025)

Steam unveils approximately a dozen new games daily, providing a mix of variety and potential for hidden gems to be overlooked. - Hail to the Rainbow - Release Date: November 28 - Developer: Hосков Сергей - Description: A quirky boomer shooter where players control Captain Wayne, who aims to rob and eliminate wealthy individuals, featuring absurd ballistics and animated cutscenes. - The Use of Life - Release Date: November 26 - Developer: Daraneko Games - Description: A multi-ending adventure book style JRPG that combines turn-based combat with quick-time events and presents its narrative in a storybook format. A free demo is available. - Abandoned Archive - Release Date: November 25 - Developer: Vedal - Description: An action roguelike focusing on spellcasting and elemental magic synergy, with exploration mechanics in a dungeon-crawling style. It has received over 600 overwhelmingly positive reviews. - Randomice - Release Date: November 26 - Developer: Videoludid - Description: A metroidvania roguelite where players control a mouse in a suburban house, with randomized upgrades and a consistent house layout, featuring whimsical items like rockets and grappling hooks.

AppWizard

November 24, 2025

This week in PC games: warriors, painters, roguelikes, sailors, shotguns, subs and metroidvanias

The gaming industry is currently experiencing a wave of creativity and innovation, with a potential revival of third-person cover shooters on the horizon. Several new PC games are being highlighted: 1. Nientum - Op.ZERO (early access): A 2D platforming and rhythm-action game featuring amnesiac anime girls restoring a creepy theatre. 2. Constance: A 2D metroidvania where players control a painter navigating worlds influenced by mental health struggles. 3. Primal Fray: A turn-based, creature-collecting strategy roguelike set on floating hexagonal islands. 4. A.I.L.A: A narrative-driven game where players act as a game tester against a malicious AI level designer. 5. Captain Wayne - Vacation Desperation: A cartoon FPS featuring a sailor on a mission to challenge wealth. 6. Red Rogue Sea: A turn-based combat and deck-building game with a pirate theme. 7. Holder Of Place: An autobattling roguelite deckbuilder confronting a dragon that has cast the world into eternal night. 8. Kings Of Hell (early access): A nostalgic beat 'em up set in a chaotic world with upwardly mobile demons. 9. Veterum: A turn-based fantasy strategy game focused on battlefield manipulation. 10. Death In Abyss: A 3D underwater combat game where players battle massive leviathans. 11. Ayasa: Shadows Of Silence: A platforming adventure through six themed worlds. The gaming landscape remains unpredictable, with these titles adding to the excitement and anticipation for the future of the industry.

AppWizard

November 23, 2025

Constance is a metroidvania that wants its monsters to mean something

Constance's store page on Steam presents her as a heroine in a vibrant yet deteriorating inner world, exploring themes of mental health, creativity, and inner purpose. The game features mechanics like boss health bars and pogo-jumping that seem inconsistent with its serious themes. It draws comparisons to titles like A Short Hike and Celeste, but Constance's journey often feels superficial, with violent encounters treated as currency drops. The dreamlike realms, including an astronomy area, raise questions about their significance but lack meaningful insight. Characters, such as Frida, are visually appealing but do not deepen the narrative. The game warns of its mental health themes but fails to explore them genuinely, with fleeting moments lacking dialogue or reflection. While gameplay mechanics are engaging and the environments visually stunning, the narrative lacks depth, leaving players wanting a more profound exploration of its themes.

BetaBeacon

November 16, 2025

Top 20 Offline Android Games in 2025: Best RPG, Action, Puzzle Titles and More

Dead Cells is a high-speed roguelike action-platformer available on Android as a premium game currently priced at Rs. 413.

AppWizard

November 16, 2025

That weird Pac-Man metroidvania just got a big update, adding a new mode that ‘significantly lowers the difficulty of combat and exploration’

Shadow Labyrinth is a Metroidvania game featuring Pac-Man in a grimdark setting. The game has received a mixed reception, with critiques focusing on poor controls, sparse save points, and punishing difficulty spikes, leading to a muted impact on Steam. In response, Bandai Namco released an update that includes a new gameplay mode called "Veteran Mode" and improvements to controls, such as enhanced mid-air control and a dedicated button for vertical jumps. Reviewer Abbie Stone criticized the game's narrative as overly talkative and filled with clichés, noting that its self-serious tone detracts from the experience. The game faces competition from other titles in the genre, particularly Hollow Knight: Silksong.

AppWizard

November 15, 2025

My favorite game of 2025 won’t get a sequel, says its developer: ‘Each of my projects will be completely standalone’

Tonda Ros, the creator of the puzzle game Blue Prince, has been approached for a cinematic adaptation but is not considering it, stating that he views the game as a standalone piece of art. He has no plans for a sequel to Blue Prince, emphasizing that each of his projects will be unconnected. However, he hinted at the possibility of exploring different narratives within the broader universe of Blue Prince, without a direct connection to the game itself. Ros acknowledged the appeal of sequels due to the game's success but prefers to avoid that path. He has conceived several ideas for future projects, including a multiplayer puzzle game and a metroidvania concept, but has not decided which direction to take next.

AppWizard

November 12, 2025

Every PC and Xbox game shown during Sony’s PlayStation State of Play Japan November 2025

The PlayStation State of Play occurred on November 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. ET, with the full show available on YouTube for over 40 minutes. Games and updates featured include: - Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, launching on February 5, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. - BrokenLore: Unfollow, releasing on January 16, 2026, and BrokenLore: Ascend, both available on Xbox, PC, and PlayStation. - Coffee Talk Tokyo, launching on March 5, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. - DAMON and Baby, expected on PlayStation and PC in early 2026. - DLC for Digimon Story Time Stranger, PAC-MAN WORLD 2 Re-PAC, and Super Robot Wars Y. - Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake, set for March 12, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. - Dynasty Warriors Origins DLC, launching on January 22, 2026. - Fate Trigger entering early access in Q1 2026 for Windows PC and PlayStation 5. - Monster Hunter Wilds Update 4 on December 16, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. - Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse, launching on March 5, 2026, for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. - A demo for Octopath Traveler 0 is available now, with the full game releasing on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. - Elden Ring Nightreign DLC titled The Forsaken Hollows, launching on December 4, 2025, for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation.

AppWizard

November 11, 2025

PC Gamer’s highest review scores of 2025

This year's PC Gamer rankings highlight the absence of several anticipated titles from the Game of the Year conversation, including Elden Ring Nightreign, Battlefield 6 (82%), Europa Universalis 5, Arc Raiders (86%), and Clair Obscur (70%). To be considered exceptional, a game must score 89% or higher. Notable games that received high praise include Halls of Torment, Thank Goodness You're Here, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Keep Driving, The Alters, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Silent Hill f, Keeper, Nine Sols (91%), Blue Prince (92%), Abiotic Factor (92%), and Promise Mascot Agency (94%).

AppWizard

October 31, 2025

Game Pass Horror Picks: 17 Excellent Games To Play This Halloween

Gamers with Game Pass on Xbox or PC can access a selection of horror games for Halloween, including: - Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Co-op sci-fi shooter) - Good for those wanting to battle Xenomorphs; not ideal for players who dislike loadouts or glitches. - A Plague Tale: Requiem (Cinematic stealth adventure) - Great for fans of intricate narratives; not suitable for those who prefer direct confrontations. - CARRION (2D pixel art adventure) - Appeals to Metroidvania enthusiasts; not for players who dislike backtracking. - Costume Quest (Turn-based comedy RPG) - Nostalgic for trick-or-treating; not for those seeking complex mechanics. - Dead By Daylight (Online survival horror co-op) - Perfect for horror movie scenario fans; not for those who dislike being hunted. - Diablo IV (Loot-based action-RPG) - Great for demon-slaying fans; not for players who disengage during button-mashing. - Doom 2016 (First-person shooter) - Ideal for chaos lovers; not for cautious players. - Inscryption (Deck-building horror adventure) - Appeals to strategy and chance lovers; not for those averse to plot twists. - Inside (Cinematic platforming adventure) - Great for emotional storytelling fans; not for those who prefer dialogue-heavy narratives. - Little Nightmares II (Dark fantasy puzzle adventure) - Perfect for atmosphere lovers; not for players frustrated by intricate controls. - Pacific Drive (Haunted car sim) - Good for scavengers; not for those who prefer smooth rides. - Redfall (Co-op demon hunter) - Appeals to vampire hunting fans; not for those seeking loot shooters. - Resident Evil 2 (Survival horror shooter) - Great for survival fantasy enthusiasts; not for those afraid of monsters. - State of Decay 2 (Open-world base-building zombie survival) - Ideal for resource gatherers; not for those who find repetition daunting. - Still Wakes the Deep (Lovecraftian walking sim) - Appeals to fans of eerie atmospheres; not for those lacking patience. - The Evil Within (Psychological survival horror) - Great for boundary-pushing horror fans; not for those struggling with jarring mechanics. - The Walking Dead (Point-and-click zombie adventure) - Ideal for fans of the comic or show; not for those easily moved to tears.