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Owlboy

22 Melee games like Owlboy that you should try

Games like Owlboy · Find similar →

We filtered the 38 games similar to Owlboy down to the 22 that fit the “Melee” category. Iconoclasts, Teslagrad and Ori and the Blind Forest top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Owlboy.

NextGameLike82/ 100

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GenreAdventureSubgenreMetroidvania
Tags
NarrativeCozySolo
Year 2016Dev D-Pad Studio

Quick answer

Within the “Melee” category, the closest game to Owlboy is Iconoclasts — scoring 95/100 on our similarity scale. Teslagrad and Ori and the Blind Forest follow close behind.

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The best melee games like Owlboy

22 similar games foundUpdated May 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Owlboy. Each one has been evaluated across 13 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

1

Iconoclasts

95
NGL85
Iconoclasts
Closest overall match
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeCozySci-FiExplorationPixel Art2D
Year 2018Dev Joakim Sandberg · Bifrost EntertainmentOn PS4 · Linux · PC

Of everything here, this is the nearest thing to Owlboy — the two agree on genre, combat and game mode. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. Where they diverge is setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Progression100Visuals100
2

Teslagrad

90
NGL82
Teslagrad
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeCozySci-FiExploration2D
Year 2013Dev Rain Games · CIRCLE EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Linux

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting. The common ground extends to 2D presentation and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is visuals and setting: punishing difficulty.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Tone80Setting65
3

Ori and the Blind Forest

89
NGL92
Ori and the Blind Forest
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeCozyFantasyExploration2D
Year 2015Dev Moon Studios · Microsoft StudiosOn PC · Xbox · Switch

Same family as Owlboy: strong narrative focus, melee combat and fantasy world. Both also lean on exploration and discovery, and 2D presentation. The distance is in visuals and progression — its own ground is loot and gear systems.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone72Setting68Progression55
4

Ato

87
NGL97
Ato
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeFantasyExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2019Dev WolfWoot · Tiny Warrior GamesPlaytime ~2hOn PC

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and fantasy world. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is tone and setting: punishing difficulty.

Released 3 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Setting67
5

ANIMAL WELL

86
NGL90
ANIMAL WELL
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeCozyExplorationPixel Art2D
Year 2024Dev Shared MemoryPlaytime ~7hOn PC · PS · Nintendo

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and single-player focus. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and pixel art. Where the two diverge is setting: horror setting.

Released 8 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Tone76
6

Carrion

85
NGL85
Carrion
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeSci-FiExplorationPixel Art2D
Year 2020Dev Phobia Game Studio · Devolver DigitalOn PS4 · Linux · Android

If Owlboy worked for you because of strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting, the same is here. To that it adds pixel art and single-player focus. They part company on tone and setting: this one brings dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Released 4 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Setting45
7

Waking Mars

84
NGL76
Waking Mars
Closest on setting
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeSci-FiExploration2D
Year 2012Dev Tiger Style · Tiger Style GamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC · iOS · Android

What brings it close to Owlboy is strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting, and the two track each other on genre, combat and game mode. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and 2D presentation. They part company on tone and visuals.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Setting70Tone53
8

qomp

84
NGL96
qomp
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2021Dev Stuffed Wombat · AtariPlaytime ~2hOn PC · Linux

If Owlboy worked for you because of strong narrative focus, melee combat and single-player focus, the same is here. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and pixel art. They part company on tone: this one brings punishing difficulty.

Released 5 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Tone31
9

STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™

83
NGL84
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order™
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeSci-FiFantasyExploration
Year 2019Dev Respawn Entertainment · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~8hOn PC · PS · Xbox

What brings it close to Owlboy is strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting, and the two track each other on genre, combat and game mode. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. They part company on visuals and tone: this one brings punishing difficulty and a space setting.

Released 3 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Setting67Tone37
10

The Fall

83
NGL82
The Fall
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeSci-FiExploration2D
Year 2014Dev Over The MoonOn PS4 · Linux · PC

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. Where the two diverge is tone and setting: dark, oppressive atmosphere and horror setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals53Setting52
11

Berry

81
NGL99
Berry
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeCozyNarrativeExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2021Dev Leuns · DegicaPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Web

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: cozy, relaxing feel, melee combat and single-player focus. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and 2D presentation. It sets itself apart with a top-down view.

Released 5 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Tone100Progression100Visuals83
12

Gato Roboto

77
NGL85
Gato Roboto
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeCozySci-FiExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2019Dev doinksoft · Devolver DigitalOn PC · Xbox · Switch

If Owlboy worked for you because of cozy, relaxing feel, melee combat and a sci-fi setting, the same is here. Both also lean on exploration and discovery, and 2D presentation. The distance is in tone and setting — its own ground is punishing difficulty.

Released 3 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Setting65
13

SHEEPO

76
NGL90
SHEEPO
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeCozyNarrativeExploration2D
Year 2020Dev Kyle Thompson · TBAPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Xbox · Apple Macintosh

What brings it close to Owlboy is cozy, relaxing feel, melee combat and single-player focus, and the two track each other on genre, combat and game mode. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and 2D presentation. Where the two diverge is visuals: a casual, approachable feel and open world exploration.

Released 4 years after Owlboy.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Tone73Visuals55
14

Axiom Verge

75
NGL87
Axiom Verge
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeNarrativeSci-FiExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2015Dev Thomas Happ GamesOn PS4 · Linux · PC

It shares the essentials of what Owlboy does: strong narrative focus, melee combat and a sci-fi setting. To that it adds exploration and discovery, and single-player focus. They part company on tone and setting: this one brings a cyberpunk setting.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Progression100Visuals100Setting48
15

Metroid Fusion

75
NGL85
Metroid Fusion
AdventureMetroidvania
SoloMeleeSci-FiExploration2DPixel Art
Year 2002Dev Nintendo R&D1 · Nintendo

If Owlboy worked for you because of melee combat, a sci-fi setting and single-player focus, the same is here. The common ground extends to exploration and discovery, and pixel art. Where the two diverge is progression and setting: loot and gear systems.

It predates Owlboy by 14 years, with what that implies technically.

Genre100Combat100Game mode100Visuals100Setting63Progression52

More similar-games lists to keep going

Found one on the list you already love? Open its own list: the games that play most like it, ranked, with the reason for each.

Explore games similar to Owlboy by category

If Owlboy left you wanting more, this is where you narrow it down. Was it the puzzle or the narrative that hooked you? There is a list of just that. And if you play on PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PlayStation, Xbox and Mobile, filter by platform and skip the games you could not play anyway.

Rankings in the same genre

Sometimes what you want is not a Owlboy look-alike but simply the best Metroidvania Games there are. That is what these rankings are for: no comparison to anything, just the highest-rated games. And if you feel like widening the net, the Adventure Games ranking is a good way to run into something you were not expecting.