Best Games Like Cuphead

Anyone who picks up Cuphead expecting a feel-good Saturday-morning cartoon is quickly reminded they’ve come to the wrong game. Arguably one of the most difficult 2D action platformers ever released, Cuphead feels like a love letter to vintage run-n-gun games like Contra III, Mega Man X, and Gunstar Heroes.

Aside from its ability to take players on a rollercoaster of pain, frustration, and occasional elation, what truly sets Cuphead apart is its unique 1930s cartoon-inspired visuals. Every animation in the game was hand-drawn frame by frame, a tedious process that developer Studio MDHR claims was the most demanding aspect of designing Cuphead.

Here, we will be highlighting the best games available on PC/current-gen consoles that incorporate similar gameplay mechanics as Cuphead and feature compelling visuals.

Make sure to check back as we will be updating this list in the future with new entries and if you would like to receive more gaming suggestions, consider reading through our other curated lists:

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Yacht Club Games took the indie scene by storm when they released Shovel Knight back in 2014, with the game going on to become one of the most celebrated 2D platformers of the era.

Aside from having a charming 8-bit retro aesthetic, the game features some of the finest platforming mechanics in recent years, centered around the titular hero using his shovel blade to bounce on obstacles and enemies’ heads.

Much like Cuphead, a crucial part of Shovel Knight‘s appeal stems from its engaging gameplay, which sees you combining different gadgets and tools to defeat bosses and traverse environments.

This has been developed over the years through recent expansions such as Plague of Shadows and Specter of Torment, which introduce fresh characters with their distinctive abilities.

If you’re looking to recreate Cuphead‘s headache-inducing difficulty, Hollow Knight is an outstanding alternative. Released by indie developer Team Cherry in 2017, the 2D Metroidvania managed to catch many by surprise for both its stunning visuals and high degree of challenge. 

The game takes place in the dark Hallownest and you play as a knight with a sword. You need to solve the kingdom’s mysteries.

Whereas Cuphead attempts to entice players into a false sense of security with its vibrant and animated visuals, Hollow Knight fully embraces its gloomy atmosphere, portraying deadly insects and somber environments.

While it may not be a 2D platformer, Enter the Gungeon delivers the same amount of chaos and thrill as Cuphead does through its twin-stick shooter gameplay.

Categorized as a bullet-hell rogue-lite, the game sees players diving deeper and deeper into “The Gungeon,” a vast procedurally-generated labyrinth brimming with bullet-shaped enemies and powerful weaponry.

The game’s difficulty continues to soar as you unlock new parts of The Gungeon, with each section culminating in a challenging boss fight.

Similar to Cuphead‘s arsenal of game-altering weapons and abilities, ETG features four unique character classes with exclusive skills such as lock-picking, faster reload speed, and a dodge with extended invincibility.

Blazing Chrome is a lot closer visually to the conventional run-n-gun classics that Cuphead draws a majority of its inspiration from.

Additionally, the 2D side-scroller also happens to support local co-op for up to two-players, allowing you and a friend to team up once more. However, instead of Cuphead and Mugman, you’ll be playing as a brave rebel soldier and her mohawk-wearing robot companion.

The game takes place in a Terminator-esque future where AI machines have taken over the world, and a small group continues to survive in hiding. You’re sent on a suicide mission to infiltrate and destroy an AI-controlled power plant using an arsenal of advanced weaponry.

If you like challenging platformers such as Cuphead and Super Meat Boy, then Neon the Ninja might be the perfect game to satisfy that craving.

The game features vibrant, punk rock-inspired 2D visuals, gratifying skill-based gameplay, and smooth controls reminiscent of classics like Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man.

You play as a ninja with the ability to hide in plain sight by blending into vibrant environments to quietly assassinate enemies once they’re in range.

Like Cuphead, the game works primarily as a boss challenge, with each level placing you against powerful adversaries. Each boss battle has multiple stages and grants you unique abilities that enhance your gameplay and continue from level to level.

Furi is another boss rush style game that’s sure to offer the kind of difficulty Cuphead fans will appreciate. While it ditches 2D in favor of a more immersive 3D presentation, you’ll find its neon-bright visuals and captivating gameplay deliver an equally satisfying experience.

You play as a hero looking to regain their freedom and escape from a complex prison guarded by mighty villains.

Combat sees you learning enemy attack patterns and identifying openings to strike using your sword and gun. Similar to Cuphead’s parry maneuver, Furi provides you with a dodge ability that is essential for surviving the barrage of unblockable attacks bosses will throw at you repeatedly.

Released way back in 2012 for Xbox Live Arcade, Dust: An Elysian Tail is a refined Metroidvania that ended up slipping under the radar for many players. Similar to Cuphead, the game features a distinctive art style in which environments, characters, and cutscenes are all meticulously-detailed and crafted with a remarkable amount of care. 

Set in a fantasy world populated by anthropomorphic creatures, the game sees you playing as a swordsman suffering from amnesia who stumbles upon a sentient weapon called the Blade of Ahrah along with its guardian, a flying vulpine creature named Fidget.

Eventually, you find yourself on a quest the natural world from malicious forces using an array of fighter-style combat abilities.

Titan Souls is a top-down action game with demanding boss fights that give Cuphead a run for its money.

Set in a magical world where colossal titans lie dormant in scattered ancient ruins, the game sees you taking on the role of a tiny hero tasked with awaking and defeating each creature to piece their world back together.

The difficulty stems from enemies possessing the ability to 1HKO you with ease in addition to your character’s limited use of a simple bow and arrow. This forces you to take your time and memorize each titan’s distinct attack patterns as you frantically dodge a series of brutal attacks.

Bleed 2 is an outstanding shoot ’em up that incorporates features, and mechanics fans of Cuphead will immediately recognize. This includes vivid 2D visuals, support for two-player local co-op, rapid combat with bullet-reflecting parries, and tons of demanding boss fights consisting of multiple phases.

Additionally, Bleed 2 has received a considerable amount of post-launch support from developer Ian Campbell. Since its 2017 release, new modes and features such as daily challenges and randomly-generated levels have been added, significantly increasing the game’s replayability.  

Last up we have The Bug Butcher, an exciting shoot ’em up with a distinctive twist: instead of shooting horizontally like you would in Cuphead, the game sees you aiming shots vertically at enemies who constantly jump and attach themselves to the ceiling.

It’s a design choice inspired by the classic arcade game Super Pang! and goes a significant way towards setting TBB apart from other games in the genre.

What you end up with is an entertaining, arcade-based shooter that emphasizes using power-ups and outrageous weapons to dispose of a massive alien bug infestation plaguing a research facility.

TBB‘s use of humor and cartoonish visuals are also worth mentioning as they do a superb job of establishing the game’s playful tone.