Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Metroidvania Games, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. Dead Cells, Ori and the Blind Forest and SteamWorld Dig 2 lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 88/100, out of 40 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Metroidvania Games (2026)”: Dead Cells (90.2/100). Close behind: Ori and the Blind Forest and SteamWorld Dig 2.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 40 games catalogued
Dead Cells is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. That is why it tops the ranking.
Players and critics agree on Ori and the Blind Forest, which is rarer than it sounds in Metroidvania Games. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 90/100. Enough for the podium: number 2.
No argument here: SteamWorld Dig 2 wins over players and critics alike. Enough for the podium: number 3.
No argument here: Yoku's Island Express wins over players and critics alike. Number 4, inside the top 10.
Players and critics agree on FEZ, which is rarer than it sounds in Metroidvania Games. Number 5, inside the top 10.
Reventure is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. That gets it into the top 10, at number 6.
No argument here: The Messenger wins over players and critics alike. Number 7, inside the top 10.
Players and critics agree on Hollow Knight: Silksong, which is rarer than it sounds in Metroidvania Games. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 406,513 Steam reviews. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
ANIMAL WELL is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the newest on the list (2024), and has already earned its place. Number 9, inside the top 10.
Berry earns its place on presence rather than on a score. That gets it into the top 10, at number 10.
Metroid: Zero Mission earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It sits at 11 of 20.
A Castle Full of Cats is carried by its players more than by its reviews. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 99%. It sits at 12 of 20.
Players and critics agree on VVVVVV, which is rarer than it sounds in Metroidvania Games. It sits at 13 of 20.
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™ is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 14 of 20.
Pseudoregalia is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 15 of 20.
No argument here: Rogue Legacy wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 16 of 20.
No argument here: The Swapper wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 17 of 20.
Little Kitty, Big City is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 18 of 20.
Metroid Fusion is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the oldest game in the ranking (2002) and still here. It lands at 19 of 20.
Owlboy is one of the few Metroidvania Games where players and critics say the same thing. It sits at 20 of 20.