Besides having players explore a large non-linear map in order to find items that will help them progress, the other main similarity between most Metroid and Castlevania titles is the fact that they both have horror elements. Because of this, it's not surprising that many games within the Metroidvania genre also have horror-like aspects.
Most Metroidvanias, like Hollow Knight or Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, have some light horror elements without fully committing to it. But, there are certain games that are truly made to be both a horror title and a Metroidvania experience.
REDDER
Originally released in 2010 as a Flash game on Newgrounds and later rereleased in 2016 on Itch.io, REDDER is a science-fiction puzzle platformer about an astronaut named Hannah who must land on Mars because her spaceship ran out of fuel. To continue her journey, she explores the abandoned civilization on the planet in order to find the glowing gems she uses for fuel, but she has to be careful because the civilization's defense systems are still online.
Besides the ominous music created by Amon26, Gyossait, the game initially appears to be another Metroid-like title. But, as the player gathers the gems, the game slowly becomes glitched, the music transforms into something more distorted, and the player begins to feel that their actions may have unintended consequences.
Sanctuarium Online
Developed in 15 days for the 2022 Dying MMO Jam, Sanctuarium Online is a 3D platformer and one of the many great horror titles available on Itch.io. According to the fictional lore surrounding the game, Sanctuarium Online was an obscure MMO created in 2005 for the Nintendo DS. Despite being abandoned and forgotten for years, one server has remained alive even after the developers tried to end it.
Because of this, the player must enter this final server, explore the world, find the 10 "divinities," and destroy the being that is keeping the world alive. To successfully do this, the player must quickly switch between the first-person and third-person modes, which will each allow the player to see things they normally couldn't with only one perspective.
REDO!
Released in 2019, REDO! is a science fiction action platformer that takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where biomachines have destroyed almost all of humanity. After receiving a message from an anonymous source that says to meet them at the Solar cathedral, the main character, who is a young girl and one of the last surviving humans, decides to travel there in order to finally find another human being.
Inspired by the works of Tsutomu Nihei and H.P. Lovecraft, the game has the player explore a vast, decaying city filled with disturbing monsters, rusty environments, and a foggy atmosphere. To progress, the player will need to gather various different weapons and tools found throughout the journey.
Dark Dreams RHN
Created by indie developer Arkhouse in 2019, Dark Dreams RHN is a survival horror Metroidvania that is based on the developer's own nightmares. Within the game's universe, the player is using an RHN, which is a machine that records and interprets dreams. After activating the machine, the player enters a "dark dream" or "perfect nightmare" where they control a knight who decides to rescue a princess who has imprisoned herself because she thought it was cute to do so.
Similarly to Yume Nikki, the game accurately simulates the surreal logic of dreams by mixing absurdist humor, incomprehensible plots, and horrifying imagery. Using swords and spears, which are actually guns and rockets, the player must navigate through brutal platforming sections and defeat terrifying bosses.
Salt and Sanctuary
With the sequel game, Salt and Sacrifice, scheduled to release on May 10, now is the perfect time to play the 2016 2D Souls-like action RPG Salt and Sanctuary. After the player customizes their own unique protagonist using a fairly in-depth character creator, the journey begins with the player being a stowaway on a ship that's carrying a princess. When the ship gets attacked, the player is overrun by the intruders and wakes up on a foggy shore.
As the player explores the large in-game world and completes quests, they defeat various strange and terrifying creatures which all drop salt that the player can use to upgrade themself. While making their way deeper into the ground to reach the unspeakable evil within the depths, the game's only drawback is the fact that there's no map.
Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights
One of Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights. Taking place in the kingdom of Land's End, an endless cursed rain has transformed every living creature into undead monsters known as the Blighted. The main character, Lily, is the last surviving white priestess, which means she can purify the blighted creatures.
After waking up in a church with no memory of her past, Lily must use her powers to travel across the land and discover the source of the rain. Unlike other Metroidvanias, Lily herself doesn't have the power to fight. Instead, she summons the spirits of the creatures she has purified to battle for her.
Sundered
Developed by Thunder Lotus Games, who also created the 2020 management sim Spiritfarer, Sundered is a Lovecraftian hand-drawn roguelike Metroidvania released in 2017. During an intense sandstorm, the main protagonist, a wanderer named Eshe, encounters some mysterious ruins and is pulled underground by an unknown force. Within this maze-like underworld, she meets the Shining Trapezohedron who gives her special abilities so that she can defend herself and escape.
To differentiate itself from the rest of the genre, the underground ages change each time the player dies, and enemies can spawn in at random moments. Depending on whether the player uses Elder Shards, they will obtain one of three endings.
Grime
Released in late 2021, Grime is a Souls-like Metroidvania that manages to stand out from other similar titles because of its surreal and detailed world. Taking place in a universe filled with sentient rock creatures, the protagonist, a human-shaped rock creature with a black hole for a head, is created after two beings embrace.
To find these beings, the player must defeat and consume the other rock creatures. Since this world has a tiered system where the jagged rocks live at the bottom and the smoothly-carved rocks live at the top, the protagonist threatens the current world, so most creatures will try to stop the protagonist from ascending through the ranks.
Blasphemous
Released in 2019, Blasphemous is a Souls-like Metroidvania that has strong religious imagery and themes. The game takes place in the fictional region of Cvstodia, which has been cursed by a force known as "The Miracle." After the religious order called the Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow is destroyed, the sole survivor, who is known as The Penitent One, goes on a pilgrimage to defeat His Holiness Escribar and climb the mountain of ash.
At the top of the mountain, the Penitent One will find the sacred relic called the Cradle of Affliction, which is the main thing he seeks. Depending on how much the player completes and whether they have the DLCs, they will receive one of several different endings.
Carrion
Described as a "reverse horror" game, Carrion is a 2020 action-adventure puzzle game where the player controls a blob-like tentacled monster who has escaped from its containment in a research facility. As the player explores the large facility, they will need to defeat and consume the humans within the building in order to survive and grow.
While exploring, the monster will also find pieces of its genetic code that allow it to evolve and gain more abilities. Throughout the experience, players will see flashbacks that explain the origin of the creature and the creepy reveal at the end.
