Motion Twin’s critically-acclaimed indie roguelite Dead Cells blends Metroidvania-style exploration with demanding Soulslike combat for a unique and satisfying action-platforming experience.
Although the game effectively fulfills its principal concept, there are many other games like Dead Cells that fans may be interested in exploring after playing it extensively.
In this list, we’ll highlight the finest games like Dead Cells to play in 2025, including the best roguelites like Dead Cells and top Metroidvanias like Dead Cells.
We’ll be updating this list in the future with new titles, so make sure to check back and let us know if we missed any of your cherished games similar to Dead Cells!
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Skul: The Hero Slayer
Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
Our initial suggestion for anyone who enjoys Dead Cells is Skul: The Hero Slayer, a similar 2D roguelite action-platformer about a tiny cape-wearing skeleton hero.
Because of his skeletal structure, Skul possesses an incredible skill allowing him to exchange his head with various skulls, which alters statistics like harm, range of assault, and velocity of movement. Additionally, he can also attain fresh abilities through this method.
Combine this with a broad array of weapons tailored for different play preferences and you have numerous imaginative choices for addressing every obstacle.
Like Dead Cells, there’s a lot of adaptability to Skul’s combat system and you’ll constantly find yourself having to improvise and explore a variety of tactics from run to run.
Rogue Legacy 2
Platform: Windows
Most contemporary roguelites (and roguelikes) can be traced back to Rogue Legacy, which helped pave the way for the genre as it stands today.
Here, we’re recommending the sequel, Rogue Legacy 2, which is currently in Steam Early Access and features a similar gameplay loop to that of Dead Cells.
In it, you play as a protagonist with specific traits that get passed down through a family tree; each death sees you spawning in as a new relative who may inherit those same traits or be assigned their own unique attributes.
Like Dead Cells, the game uses procedural generation to determine the layout of its ever-changing dungeons and features varied weapon and enemy types to master.
Hades
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, Mac
Although Hades and Dead Cells may feature distinct camera perspectives, with one being 2D and the other 3D isometric, both games follow a comparable structure in terms of progression.
In Hades, the gameplay is centered on hack and slash style combat, with the main character Zagreus being able to combine melee and ranged capabilities to rip through opponents.
Like Dead Cells, the player gets to choose which weapon they’ll carry into battle and can pick from different routes, obtain run-based perks, and unlock permanent rewards.
Story-wise, the game offers a bit more to munch on than Dead Cells, chronicling Zagreus’ numerous attempts to escape the underworld and his father’s wrath.
Dreamscaper
Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch
Dreamscaper is another 3D roguelike with enduring upgrades and run-based mechanics that play out comparably to Dead Cells.
The game has you taking on the role of a woman named Cassidy as she delves deep into her subconscious, manifested as a tangible, ever-shifting world.
However, Cassidy isn’t alone as her most horrifying fears and nightmares come to life in the form of increasingly formidable foes that stand in the way of her salvation.
Each run sees you wielding various weapons, artifacts, and lucid powers that let you manipulate different elements, warp physical spaces, and even control time itself.
Chasm
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
In Chasm, you play as a rookie recruit tasked to investigate an subterranean mine after its inhabitants mysteriously vanish and supernatural creatures start to appear.
To restore tranquility to the Kingdom, you’ll have to fight your way through mobs of monsters and explore the ancient catacombs in search of clues and equipment to help you along the way.
Similar to Dead Cells, Chasm uses procedural generation to determine the arrangement of its map while individual rooms are hand-crafted.
There are a total of six distinct biomes that offer Metroidvania-style exploration and progression based on new weapons, tools, and spells your character obtains.
Sundered
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Sundered is a hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania about an eldritch warrior trapped in ever-changing caverns overrun with terrifying beasts.
The game presents players with an intriguing decision: do you harness the power of these dark monstrosities at the cost of your humanity, or struggle to survive in the mortal shell you were given?
Regardless of what you choose, there are hundreds of upgrades and build possibilities at your disposal, many of which come in handy while exploring a mixture of procedural and hand-crafted levels.
Like Dead Cells, Sundered incorporates traditional Metroidvania elements into its gameplay loop, allowing you to backtrack to earlier sections using novel abilities and unlock more secrets.
Hollow Knight
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
If you’re a fan of contemporary Metroidvanias, there’s a good chance you’ve already ventured into Hollow Knight‘s dark and gloomy 2D world.
In it, you take on the role of a mute sword-wielding knight forced to face challenges and dangers much larger than himself as he explores the treacherous kingdom of Hallownest.
Similar to Dead Cells, the game blends platforming challenges with difficult Soulslike combat that forces you to learn enemy attack patterns.
Although it may not feature any roguelite mechanics, Hollow Knight is a wonderful execution of the Metroidvania formula that manages to instill fear and dread in the player from start to finish.
Vagante
Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac
Vagante is a 2D action-platformer roguelike with permanent death mechanics and randomly generated levels reminiscent of Dead Cells.
You take on the role of a courageous adventurer occupying a gloomy fantasy world filled with monsters, demons, and double-crossing crooks at every turn.
Undeterred by the challenges in your way, you set out to explore a mysterious cave that lies beyond an unforgiving forest where an unfathomable treasure is rumored to be.
Each run sees you traversing four distinct biomes using unique heroes that can be customized and assigned different classes, enchanted items, and weapons.
Hyper Light Drifter
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Mac, iOS
If Dead Cells’ pixel art presentation is what sold you on the game, then you may also enjoy Hyper Light Drifter’s stunning pixel-based graphics.
Billed as an action-adventure RPG, it casts you as a protagonist suffering from a lethal illness who ventures out into the mysterious lands of Buried Time in search of a cure.
From there, things open up significantly as you embark on an eerie journey through menacing environments brimming with branching paths and hidden secrets to uncover.
Like Dead Cells, most of the game’s story is told through action, exploration, and striking visuals.
Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
While lacking any roguelite elements, Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight is a demanding action-platformer that emphasizes combat and Metroidvania-style exploration.
In it, you play as a priestess named Kaho whose ill-fated village is on the brink of eradication, prompting her to seek out the Queen of the land before it’s too late.
However, time is finite and sees each night falling gloomier than the one before as corrupted creatures slowly take over the village.
Like Dead Cells, gameplay primarily revolves around rapid-paced battles that revolve around melee combos, dodge mechanics, and combining different items and spells to slay enemies.
Wizard of Legend
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Dead Cells fans will likely enjoy spell-casting their way through Wizard of Legend, another action-packed indie roguelite with adaptable rapid-paced combat.
In it, you play as an arcane wizard taking part in a competition known as the Chaos Trials, a gauntlet of magical challenges in which contestants attempt to defeat the strongest wizards.
These increasingly demanding battles will put your skills to the ultimate test and demand precise dodging as mobs of enemies will often bombard you with attacks.
Like Dead Cells, each death brings you back to the beginning of the map, retaining some of the spells you picked up during your previous attempt.
Moonlighter
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
Moonlighter is another action-adventure RPG with beautiful pixel art that does an excellent job of telling its story using visual cues along with the occasional dialogue.
You take on the role of Will, a shopkeeper with lofty dreams of becoming an adventurer whose name will be remembered throughout history.
His passion causes him to go exploring nearby dungeons at night, battling foes and gathering materials and other trinkets to sell in his shop to friendly patrons.
This manifests itself in a risk versus reward gameplay loop that, much like Dead Cells, compensates and penalizes you for delving deeper into each dungeon.
Children of Morta
Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Last but not least, Children of Morta is a narrative-driven action RPG that chronicles the adventures of a valiant family fighting against an evil power called the Corruption.
The game gives you the option to fully commit to a specific character or divvy up their time and resources among the entire Bergson clan, with each family member having unique attacks and characteristics.
Like Dead Cells, environments are procedurally generated and can be navigated with any of the six playable characters, though some excel in different areas such as crowd control, long-range, melee, etc.
Additionally, Children of Morta features vibrant 2D pixel art that further compliments the game’s intense hack and slash combat system.
Salt and Sanctuary
Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, Mac
Before games like Dead Cells took center stage, Salt and Sanctuary was praised for its challenging Soulslike take on 2D action games.
And although the game may not look and feel as striking today in a sea of similar titles, it’s still a superb example of how to adapt complex 3D combat for a 2D Metroidvania game.
In it, you play as a shipwrecked sailor doomed to explore a peculiar island teeming with salt-worn structures, winding passageways, and hostile undead nightmares.
Similar to Dead Cells, excelling in combat relies on precise dodges, swift attacks and counters, efficient stamina management, and salt-collecting.