The Steam Summer Sale 2023 includes discounts on some of the best Metroidvania games on PC, and the genre’s popularity in the last decade means there’s much more than just your usual Metroid and Castlevania-style games to choose from. Whether you’re after a challenging adventure with tinges of Dark Souls flavor, a story-driven journey, or a massive world crammed with secrets to uncover, chances are, there’s a Metroidvania for you on sale – and probably a few more you didn’t know you wanted. Most of the picks on our list work wonderfully on Steam Deck as well.
These Steam Summer Sale discounts last until July 13, 2023.
Dead Cells – $12.49
Dead Cells combines Metroidvania exploration with roguelike replayability, resetting your progress when you die – which you inevitably will – and challenging you to learn the ins and outs of its 150+ weapons to give yourself a fighting chance. After years of paid expansions (which are also on sale) and free updates, Dead Cells is the best it’s ever been, and it was already pretty darn good to begin with.
You can get the base game for $12.49.
Hollow Knight – $7.49
Hollow Knight is a modern classic, the indie game that reinvigorated the Metroidvania genre and sprinkled a touch of Dark Souls in as well. You’ll explore the dank depths of a fallen kingdom in search of the truth behind its destruction. $7.49 gets you the base game, along with all of its free expansions, which add new characters, quests, and more.
Tunic – $20.99
Control – $9.99
The award-winning Control, from the minds behind Alan Wake, is discounted to $9.99 and includes all of the game’s DLC. Control follows Jesse Faden as she delves into the Bureau of Control’s darkest secrets to stop a sinister threat from corroding the world. It’s a surreal adventure where nothing is as it seems, and because this is a Remedy game, it has ties to Alan Wake as well.
Castlevania Advance Collection – $11.99
The Advance Collection bundles three classic Castlevania games together in one package: Harmony of Dissonance, Circle of the Moon, and Aria of Sorrow. You get Dracula X as well, a challenging remake of Rondo of Blood. It isn’t a Game Boy Advance game, but Konami threw it in there anyway.
You can grab it for $11.29.
Blasphemous – $6.24
This dark, exquisitely crafted Metroidvania sets you loose in a twisted world corrupted by religion and gives you some incredible tools to fight the darkness with. Getting it for $6.24 is an excellent way to prepare for the sequel when it launches later in 2023.
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – $11.99
The next best thing to Castlevania is a game from the maker of Castlevania that borrows heavily from the iconic series. Our heroine Miriam wields the power of souls, not unlike Aria’s Soma Cruz, and braves the horrors of a demon-filled castle to save the world – and, if she’s lucky, her only friend as well. You can pick it up for $11.99.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon – $4.99
If you’re after something with more retro flair, Curse of the Moon may be for you – and it’s only $4.99. Curse of the Moon draws inspiration from the NES Castlevania games and tells its story through multiple heroes, each with different powers that change how you interact with the game’s stages.
The sequel is also on sale if you’re particularly keen.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps – $7.49
Will of the Wisps is a sequel to The Blind Forest and improves on everything that made its predecessor great. Platforming is more satisfying, Ori has more powers to experiment with, and the world they inhabit is utterly captivating, and all this is wrapped up in a gripping, emotional tale. You can get it for $7.49, and the first Ori game is on sale for $4.99 as well.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights – $12.49
Ender Lilies is a somber, beautiful tale about a young girl who awakens alone in a church, the only living creature unaffected by the deadly rain relentlessly falling on the kingdom. She and the knights she recruits fight Dark Souls-style to recover what was lost and bring hope back to the land. It’s going for $12.49 during the sale.
Salt and Sanctuary – $4.49
Speaking of Dark Souls, Salt and Sanctuary is also on sale, the Metroidvania that made a name for itself as a 2D Dark Souls. You step into the shoes of a stranded sailor fighting desperately for survival on a cursed island that as as many secrets as it does dark creatures who want to kill you – which is to say, a lot. You can grab it for $4.49.
The Messenger – $4.99
The Messenger adds a generous layer of ninja acrobatics to the Metroidvania formula, with exciting action sequences in 8-bit and 16-bit style that give it a unique identity of its own. It’s an award-winning adventure that will only set you back $4.99. If you’re particularly keen on the story, keep an eye out for Sea of Stars, an RPG that developer Sabotage billed as The Messenger’s prequel.
Timespinner – $5.99
Timespinner often gets overlooked thanks to its more approachable difficulty level, but it’s a standout example of world design and innovative combat. Timespinner lets you combine weapons to challenge its intimidating bosses, which sounds simple on paper, but gives you extensive freedom to tackle each obstacle as you see fit. It’s on sale for $5.99.
Steamworld Dig 1+2 – $5.38
Steamworld Dig sends a cowboy robot and a plucky spelunker underground to find treasure, bring their worlds back to life, and uncover the dark secrets of the advanced civilizations that came before them. The pattern is part Metroidvania part block puzzler, and taking your loot back to power up and handle difficult obstacles makes for a satisfying loop. You can get both games for $5.38 or just try the first one for $0.98 while the sale lasts.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – $52.49
Cal Kestis is back, this time on a daring quest to bring the empire down and find a safe home for fellow survivors. His journey takes him to a handful of intricately designed planets across the galaxy’s outer rim, including the massive rural outpost Kohbo, which is positively riddled with hidden secrets. Survivor encourages you to revisit old planets and mysterious ruins to unlock new areas once you gain more powers, though the emphasis is firmly on storytelling and combat.
You can grab it for $52.49, though the first game, Fallen Order, isn’t on sale this time.
Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection – $9.89
Some of the Zero/ZX games first launched on Nintendo DS and were a slight departure for the series, encouraging you to explore and find new secrets after absorbing powers from bosses. The collection includes six games and is discounted to $9.89.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens – $14.99
The Shantae series channels the soul of Metroid into a brightly colored animated genie in a series whose cute appearance belies the puzzles and challenge that wait in store. Seven Sirens is the latest, and you can pick it up for $14.99.
Guacamelee – $3.74
This hidden gem of a game is dripping with creativity and remains one of the best Metroidvanias around. You play as a farmer-turned-luchador on a mission to recover the president’s daughter before dark forces use her to merge the lands of the living and the dead.
Guacamelee draws heavily on Mexican culture and folklore in everything from its story to its striking visuals, and you can add it to your library for $3.74.
Dust: An Elysian Tale – $3.74
Dust adds a strong extra helping of action to the Metroidvania mix, accompanied by gorgeous graphics and audio design that more than makes up for the flimsy story. This one is going for $3.74.
Yoku’s Island Express – $3.99
Yoku’s Island Express is unique among Metroidvanias – and most games – since your hero is a pinball. Or, more accurately, a bug controlling a pinball. It’s how he gets around the island’s lush jungles and hazardous terrain to deliver everyone’s mail, and this quirky setup completely changes how you approach mobility and traversal. Yoku is on sale for $3.99.
Scourgebringer – $5.94
Scourgebringer blends platforming exploration with roguelike adventuring, and if that sounds like Dead Cells, you’re right. Dead Cells helped inspire Scourgebringer’s action, hordes of enemies, and massive bosses, and you can get it for $5.94.
If you’re after something with a different flavor to add to your cart, check out our overview of the best Steam Summer Sale deals across all genres, including Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
