10 Metroidvanias That Value Your Time

While I've grown old and busy enough to shy away from long games, there's one genre whose works I enjoy immersing myself in for dozens of hours: Metroidvanias.

However, this occasionally comes at the cost of feeling that, to stay true to their roots, they end up overdoing it, reminding me that more isn't always better.

On the contrary, knowing how far to stretch the concept and striving to do the most within that limit is what makes certain games stand out, whether they last only a couple of hours or extend as usual, but with a high density of content.

It's a difficult task, though not impossible, as demonstrated by these ten Metroidvanias that respect your time, which I encourage you to check out if you have as little free time as I do and want to get the best out of it.

10 Constance

As Lovely as it is Brief

As one of my most anticipated titles of 2025, Constance was both a disappointment and a breath of fresh air because it took an unusual risk within the genre.

Unlike all the Metroidvanias I've played, this one is among the few with single-digit playtime, allowing you to experience absolutely everything relevant to its premise by the time you reach the credits, as the secondary elements are, quite literally, secondary.

For someone accustomed to dedicating 50 hours to every game in this genre, it was a bitter pill to swallow at first, though after digesting it, I began to appreciate its accessibility, making it highly recommended if it's your first foray into this type of game.

It only took me six hours to complete, but in the process, I witnessed one of the year's best art styles, excellent platforming, and a remarkable reflection on art and self-flagellation, making Constance a title as atypical as it is worthwhile.

9 Dandara

Jumping Non-Stop

Speaking of Metroidvanias that don't reach double digits in length, Dandara is a special adventure whose mechanics and concise length are enough to warrant a try, even if it doesn't initially grab your attention.

Among the positive aspects of short video games is the reduced sense of commitment required to play them because, at worst, you can finish them in a couple of days, creating a low-risk environment that perfectly reflects this indie title's approach.

If the concept doesn't work for you, you'll quickly abandon it; if it captivates you, you'll be experiencing a highly distinctive game that combines the tactical feel of turn-based games with the superb structure and exploration of the genre we're discussing here.

Furthermore, it doesn't waste any time laying its cards on the table, understanding its brevity and the need to quickly convince you to stay. Dandara is rather unpredictable in its reception, which makes its respect for your time all the more commendable.

8 Princess Pomu and the 5 Moons

Fewer Secrets and More Action

If you're a Mega Man fan, enjoy the combat systems of genres like beat 'em ups or hack and slash games, and are worried because you only have a couple of hours a week to play, I can't think of a better alternative than Princess Pomu and the 5 Moons.

While I understand one of the genre's biggest draws lies in numerous secrets and areas, along with a high skill ceiling, this adventure is much more restrained and direct, with combo-based action and focused exploration that doesn't leave you wandering for a second.

Of course, it has its fair share of backtracking and different endings depending on whether you choose to kill everything in sight or spare the enemies, though you can find plenty of entertainment in the experience without needing to be completely absorbed by it.

Besides, I'm sure Princess Pomu and the 5 Moons will be engaging enough that wanting to achieve 100% completion won't be a problem, and even then, you can expect a playtime of approximately 10 hours, which will be more than enough to have you pleased.

7 Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist

No Headaches, Big Fun

For every overly complex, convoluted, and confusing Metroidvania I have the pleasure of enjoying, I try to alternate it with simpler, more elegant titles that don't give me headaches, and few have achieved that goal as well as Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist.

Changing the tone of its predecessor, which takes the trouble to be more convoluted and branching, this new installment is clearer, especially if you've already experienced Lily's adventure and are familiar with how the Adglobe and Live Wire teams work.

The bosses' difficulty, the movement abilities' placement, the direction to follow once you obtain them, the NPCs' instructions… It's all very well organized, but presented in such a satisfying way that it doesn't feel effortless at all.

Fortunately, what Ender Magnolia does repeat is tremendous art direction, an emotional story, and a memorable soundtrack, so its specific condition does not detract one iota from the quality that makes this franchise one of the finest in the entire genre.

6 Ori and the Will of the Wisps

A Beautiful Ephemeral Experience

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the kind of title that appears on virtually every list of Metroidvanias, and the reason is simple: it's a practically perfect sequel that doesn't make almost any mistakes.

The first game is certainly shorter, though I'd say the playtime-to-entertainment ratio of its sequel is considerably better, as it lasts longer, but, at the same time, you feel those extra hours are just as valuable as the first.

Whether you're marveling at its unparalleled audiovisual presentation, completing the various side quests set by the inhabitants of the Hub, or simply playing through the main campaign, you have a multifaceted experience that lasts as long as you want it to.

It's not easy to create a title that can give you dozens of hours or a few digits of content without sacrificing quality in either case, which speaks volumes about the high level of Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

5 The Messenger

Moderate Ambitions

Yes, I'm stretching the definition of Metroidvania quite a bit by including The Messenger, I do so for a simple reason: the game is phenomenal (and its Steam page has the label, so I wash my hands of it).

Joking aside, the truth is that Sabotage Studio's playful work is both an outstanding 2D action game and a magnificent ode to classic titles, alternating between 8-bit and 16-bit dimensions to justify its non-linear structure.

The game doesn't just offer excellent combat, tremendous platforming, and genuinely hilarious dialogue; it also incorporates cross-generational backtracking to enhance the experience, allowing you to revisit levels from a completely different perspective and with a new soundtrack.

Although it doesn't lean as heavily into its Metroidvania aspects as some other games on the list, The Messenger continues to captivate you more and more with its mechanical and narrative twists, and I think nothing respects players' time more than the ability to keep them on the edge of their seats from beginning to end.

4 Hollow Knight: Silksong

The Genre's Most Notable Density

I know that seeing a video game whose content can take you fifty hours to complete on a list like this might sound strange, but there are more than enough reasons to include Hollow Knight: Silksong, one of the best indies of 2025.

Ultimately, respecting time isn't strictly synonymous with having a short playtime, but also with ensuring that the hours the player dedicates to the experience live up to expectations, and no game does that better than the best Metroidvania ever made.

Yes, it will take you more than many of the other entries' durations combined to reach the coveted 100% completion, but you won't go a second without discovering a new area, enemy, crest, tool, character, secret, boss, or something else, as it boasts the highest density of content ever seen in the genre.

I'm not giving it the guaranteed top spot in the article because I understand the expectations you might have, but Hollow Knight: Silksong values ​​your time like no other, giving you an entire kingdom brimming with so many wonders that you'll never want to actually finish the campaign.

3 Blasphemous 2

Fully Accessible

Following the example of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Blasphemous 2 is a sequel that, in every sense, enhances the foundation laid by its predecessor, not only increasing the hours of fun but also its quality.

Although this new path of penance lasts longer than the previous one, the backtracking is much more polished and clear, the platforming is more comfortable and less frustrating, the bosses are better adapted to the tools the game provides, and exploration is much more intuitive.

Overall, Blasphemous 2 doesn't neglect anything that made Blasphemous great; instead, it takes the criticisms it received and eradicates them, resulting in a truly outstanding successor that is neither lacking nor superfluous.

Perhaps I would have only liked a bit more difficulty in the main encounters, but that's nitpicking a game that has both Metroidvania veterans and newcomers agreeing on its greatness.

2 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

The Excellence of Directness

Breaking the mold of what the genre has accustomed us to, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance offers a stage-based campaign that completely eliminates interconnectivity between maps, prioritizing a much more focused design.

Each stage is magnificent and highly satisfying to explore, though they always leave a hidden portion for you to return later with new tools to delve even deeper, presenting permanent indicators of all kinds to let you know what and how much you still have left to see.

Not only does it skip the interludes between maps by separating them with a classic selection menu, but it also avoids forcing you to wander aimlessly to find the missing content by presenting it on a silver platter so you can focus on its true strength: combat.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance doesn't worry about letting you explore and feel lost more than necessary because it understands its backbone is its marvelous combat system, whose combinations, animations, art style, and complexity make it one of the best of the last decade.

For Metroidvania purists, it's a lighthearted approach that feels unusual within the genre, but if you can get past its break from tradition, you'll find it's a compact experience that knows exactly where its muscles lie.

1 Nine Sols

There's No Time To Waste

As one of the genre's leading models, Nine Sols is a godsend that arrived in the video game industry to bless our senses of touch, hearing, and sight.

With a perfect length of around 30 hours, a solid number of areas and secrets, a combat system refined to its core, and demanding bosses that will make you sweat profusely in the most satisfying way possible, we are faced with a title difficult to criticize.

Aside from the spatial issues caused by its minimap, Nine Sols is a game that doesn't waste a single pixel on unnecessary events, not even when it strips you of your powers to put you in a pseudo-stealth sequence.

In reality, it dynamically adjusts its approach as needed to keep your attention, preventing you from getting too comfortable and forcing you to adapt to its tough mechanics to overcome the great challenge that its campaign presents.

There's no unnecessary optional area, no useless talisman, no annoying boss, no NPC that doesn't contribute, no boring lore, and no enemy that feels superfluous: Nine Sols is crafted down to the last detail, so much so that it has nothing to envy even from Hollow Knight itself.