Games like Hollow Knight but not?
October 19, 2022 7:05 AM Subscribe
I stepped away from gaming for a long time, but in the last year got into Hollow Knight after playing a demo version at museum. I've been picking at it for a while now and I'm now 98% of the way through the game, but I'm bored. The end of the game seems to be all boss fights and fiddly platforming, but what I enjoyed was the aesthetic, the mythos, and most of all: exploring. What other games might scratch that itch?
I'm on a Mac (no consoles).
Back in ye olde 90s when I gamed regularly I enjoyed the Lucasarts RPGs like Sam & Max and Monkey Island for the humour, design, and world-building. I also really got into Frontier: First Encounters (flawed though it was) for that feeling of exploring.
I'm on a Mac (no consoles).
Back in ye olde 90s when I gamed regularly I enjoyed the Lucasarts RPGs like Sam & Max and Monkey Island for the humour, design, and world-building. I also really got into Frontier: First Encounters (flawed though it was) for that feeling of exploring.
Kind of orthogonal but A Short Hike is a beautiful little game. It's got no real action, not very "hard", but excels at creating a relaxed feeling of exploring. There's no map, not even free camera control. It's kind of like hiking, you'll have to look around and use land marks to orient. Read signs and ask people for directions. Or go to a high spot for a better view (some lookouts have binoculars!).
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:10 AM on October 19, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:10 AM on October 19, 2022 [4 favorites]
Hallow Knight is a Metroidvania. There's many metroidvania games, and they vary in how much fun they are, but that's the name of the genre.
But, the namesake of the genre, released Metroid Dread - it's a pretty solid game! Some good vibes, some good exploring, not terribly hard. I do recommend it (sigh, yes, even at full price).
posted by bbqturtle at 7:50 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
But, the namesake of the genre, released Metroid Dread - it's a pretty solid game! Some good vibes, some good exploring, not terribly hard. I do recommend it (sigh, yes, even at full price).
posted by bbqturtle at 7:50 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
Hollow Knight is often described as a "metroidvania" (Metroid + Castlevania) type game, so using that term in your searching may help you find similar titles. Explore, acquire new items/powers that let you access previously unreachable areas (high jump, double-jump, new weapon type perhaps) and explore more.
The follow-up to Hollow Knight, Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming soon.
Other games in that genre: TUNIC, Antichamber, Shadow Complex (warning: Orson Scott Card), FEZ, VVVVVV, and so on. If you're using the Steam client on your Mac, you can filter the store by OS, and by tags. If these games are your jam, filtering by "macOS" and "metroidvania" will give you a ton of options.
posted by xedrik at 8:02 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
The follow-up to Hollow Knight, Hollow Knight: Silksong is coming soon.
Other games in that genre: TUNIC, Antichamber, Shadow Complex (warning: Orson Scott Card), FEZ, VVVVVV, and so on. If you're using the Steam client on your Mac, you can filter the store by OS, and by tags. If these games are your jam, filtering by "macOS" and "metroidvania" will give you a ton of options.
posted by xedrik at 8:02 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
Have you played 'Breath of the Wild'? It's a beautiful game (I would place it very high in my 'best games ever' list without question) and exploration is central to its makeup. Yes, you will also battle, but the learning curve and focus on combat is not as steep as Hollow Knight.
One of my favourite explorative gaming experiences of recent year was 'Manifold Garden'. It's a mind bending puzzle game, but the explorative aspect of it is incredible. Very different to Hollow Knight or BOTW (i.e. no fighting). Like wandering around a living fractal. Gorgeous,
posted by 0bvious at 8:15 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
One of my favourite explorative gaming experiences of recent year was 'Manifold Garden'. It's a mind bending puzzle game, but the explorative aspect of it is incredible. Very different to Hollow Knight or BOTW (i.e. no fighting). Like wandering around a living fractal. Gorgeous,
posted by 0bvious at 8:15 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
Although: as a non-gamer who's spent a lot of time watching my partner play metroidvania games, my sense is that almost all have platforming and boss fights, but very few have aesthetics and lore that can stand on their own in such a compelling way. So you might or might not find that they meet your needs.
One small recommendation: Gris is... arguably a metroidvania? — anyway, an exploration-oriented side-scroller of some sort — with a similarly gorgeous aesthetic and deeply imagined setting. It's less "hardcore" and less twitchy than Hollow Knight, but my partner still found it interesting to play.
On preview: Oh god yes, also Breath of the Wild. Amazing world that's worth wandering around for the sake of wandering, amazing lore, gorgeous to watch, and I'm told very fun to play.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:16 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
One small recommendation: Gris is... arguably a metroidvania? — anyway, an exploration-oriented side-scroller of some sort — with a similarly gorgeous aesthetic and deeply imagined setting. It's less "hardcore" and less twitchy than Hollow Knight, but my partner still found it interesting to play.
On preview: Oh god yes, also Breath of the Wild. Amazing world that's worth wandering around for the sake of wandering, amazing lore, gorgeous to watch, and I'm told very fun to play.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:16 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
I don't know if you're specifically looking for 2d platformers / Metroidvania, but if you'd consider 3D, I often recommend The Witness for being all about peaceful, meditative exploration in an exquisitely designed but relatively small world (compared to eg. Breath of the Wild), while solving puzzles. Solving puzzles unlock more places to explore. Mythos there is for sure, but it's entirely of your own interpretation, since the game has no story or exposition whatsoever. There is no action, combat, or even platforming – you cannot even fall off a ledge if you try.
posted by snarfois at 8:22 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by snarfois at 8:22 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
(OP is on Mac only folks, so Nintendo exclusives are not so helpful)
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:22 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:22 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
What about Amanita Design's games, like the Samorost series? They're side-scrolling point & click puzzlers rather than platforming, but with a strong exploration aspect, simple story, and gorgeous aesthetic.
posted by snarfois at 8:24 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by snarfois at 8:24 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
There are still people making good Monkey Island style story-rich 2D puzzlers – for example Broken Age by Double Fine Productions (founded by Tim Schafer, ex of LucasArts and Monkey Island).
And for the same sort of thing but with a very British spin, try Lucy Dreaming, released just yesterday by a lovely chap I used to work with a long time ago.
posted by snarfois at 8:30 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
And for the same sort of thing but with a very British spin, try Lucy Dreaming, released just yesterday by a lovely chap I used to work with a long time ago.
posted by snarfois at 8:30 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
Everyone should play Breath of the Wild. It's just a universal law of gaming imho @SaltySalticid :) Second hand and cheap Switch systems or even old Wii U's can be grabbed easily. Or if OP wishes to jump into emulation, and has a solid spec Mac, that's always an option too.
Also, Monkey Island and Sam and Max are not RPGs, as mentioned in OP question. For those type of games you want to search for Point-and-Click or Adventure games. The new Return to Monkey Island game came out very recently. As a hardcore fan (of 30+ years) I was excited, but it hasn't wowed me at all. Worth knowing about though.
posted by 0bvious at 8:31 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Also, Monkey Island and Sam and Max are not RPGs, as mentioned in OP question. For those type of games you want to search for Point-and-Click or Adventure games. The new Return to Monkey Island game came out very recently. As a hardcore fan (of 30+ years) I was excited, but it hasn't wowed me at all. Worth knowing about though.
posted by 0bvious at 8:31 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Breaking out of the Metroidvania genre and looking at the "explore and mythos" elements...
Terraria side-scrolls; it's like a 2D Minecraft, so it is a crafting-and-building game, but really scratches my "explore weird new world" itch. Starbound is much the same. They do arc toward combat to progress past certain points, but there's a lot of early game where you just footle around digging and finding weird stuff underground or on strange new planets, etc.
Sable is apparently being released for Mac but not out yet. It's an open-world 3D platformer like a Grand Theft Auto game but with practically no combat or violence; you wander around an alien or post-apocalyptic desert world, look at interesting stuff, fly a hoverbike, talk to people, collect things.
It's a card/combat/puzzle game, but I have enjoyed the mythos, narrative and discovery of Griftlands more than anything else in the past couple of years. There are two types of "fighting," combat and negotiation, which is neat. The characters and writing are, in my opinion, exemplary; witty without being too try-hard, a very deep world that's dripped out through context clues rather than slabs of exposition.
Finally, Spiritfarer is a "cozy management game" with a ton of lore and a beautiful storyline. It's the only video game that's ever made me cry. It gets a bit jump-and-dodge as you get further up there, but on the whole it's just a beautiful piece of work.
posted by Shepherd at 8:37 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
Terraria side-scrolls; it's like a 2D Minecraft, so it is a crafting-and-building game, but really scratches my "explore weird new world" itch. Starbound is much the same. They do arc toward combat to progress past certain points, but there's a lot of early game where you just footle around digging and finding weird stuff underground or on strange new planets, etc.
Sable is apparently being released for Mac but not out yet. It's an open-world 3D platformer like a Grand Theft Auto game but with practically no combat or violence; you wander around an alien or post-apocalyptic desert world, look at interesting stuff, fly a hoverbike, talk to people, collect things.
It's a card/combat/puzzle game, but I have enjoyed the mythos, narrative and discovery of Griftlands more than anything else in the past couple of years. There are two types of "fighting," combat and negotiation, which is neat. The characters and writing are, in my opinion, exemplary; witty without being too try-hard, a very deep world that's dripped out through context clues rather than slabs of exposition.
Finally, Spiritfarer is a "cozy management game" with a ton of lore and a beautiful storyline. It's the only video game that's ever made me cry. It gets a bit jump-and-dodge as you get further up there, but on the whole it's just a beautiful piece of work.
posted by Shepherd at 8:37 AM on October 19, 2022 [3 favorites]
In the Sam and Max/Monkey Island vein, The Cave is GREAT. It's funny and the puzzles are good, with similar logic to Monkey Island.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 8:52 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 8:52 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Seconding Fez. Maybe Ori and the Blind Forest. Hades, sorta, it has a good story but it's pretty gameplay oriented. Hyper Light Drifter didn't work for me but in in the same area.
posted by Nelson at 9:31 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 9:31 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Journey is all about exploring. There's kinda/sorta some enemies scattered around, but no combat, you just need to avoid danger and it's impossible to die.
posted by Eddie Mars at 10:13 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Eddie Mars at 10:13 AM on October 19, 2022 [2 favorites]
Definitely The Cave. Don’t know if these are available on Mac, but I’d also recommend Steamworld Dig 1 and 2, and Yoku’s Island Express.
posted by imalaowai at 10:48 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by imalaowai at 10:48 AM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Games that may or may not scratch a similar itch:
Castlevania Advance Collection
Indivisible
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps
Abzu
Sundered
Dead Cells
Inside
Limbo
Night in the Woods
Spiritfarer
Firewatch
Kentucky Route Zero
They don't all tick every box, but I think each one has something from your parameters, so hopefully one (or a few) will be to your liking.
posted by xenization at 1:03 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Castlevania Advance Collection
Indivisible
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Ori and the Blind Forest/Will of the Wisps
Abzu
Sundered
Dead Cells
Inside
Limbo
Night in the Woods
Spiritfarer
Firewatch
Kentucky Route Zero
They don't all tick every box, but I think each one has something from your parameters, so hopefully one (or a few) will be to your liking.
posted by xenization at 1:03 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Castlevania Symphony of the Night is an older game, but a really good one. I'd argue it's the Vania part of the metroidvania portmanteau. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is the spiritual successor/ a modern version with the serial numbers filed off.
posted by Jacen at 2:11 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Jacen at 2:11 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another vote for Limbo and Inside. The aesthetic is unique and the story intriguing (mostly up to the player to interpret). Incredibly atmospheric and engrossing. Side-scrolling platform + puzzler, linear rather than exploratory, relatively low difficulty level, so excellent for the non-hardcore gamer.
posted by snarfois at 3:35 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by snarfois at 3:35 PM on October 19, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: So many great recommendations, thank you everyone! I'm looking forward to lots of exploring, metroidvania-ish or otherwise.
posted by threecheesetrees at 7:35 AM on October 20, 2022
posted by threecheesetrees at 7:35 AM on October 20, 2022
Castlevania Symphony of the Night is an older game, but a really good one. I'd argue it's the Vania part of the metroidvania portmanteau
C:SotN is basically the foundation of the entire genre. Prior Metroid games had the sprawling map with progress gated behind various power-ups to unlock areas, but SotN combined that with a leveling and inventory system of character progress and customization that is a staple of the genre today. Also, SotN is absolutely gorgeous to this day, brimming with weirdness and secrets, and worth a playthrough at all times - I do a run-through about once every two years just for the delicious comfort of it all. It's also not as difficult as many modern takes on the genre - not to say there's not tough parts, but once you know what you're doing it's possible to find gear or powerlevel yourself to the point that the game is just a fun playground to romp around and slap monsters without much threat of dying and losing progress.
NOTE - it is a game from the era of manual saves at save locations, so the consequence of dying is losing progress if you haven't done so recently. Always save!
posted by FatherDagon at 11:25 AM on October 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
C:SotN is basically the foundation of the entire genre. Prior Metroid games had the sprawling map with progress gated behind various power-ups to unlock areas, but SotN combined that with a leveling and inventory system of character progress and customization that is a staple of the genre today. Also, SotN is absolutely gorgeous to this day, brimming with weirdness and secrets, and worth a playthrough at all times - I do a run-through about once every two years just for the delicious comfort of it all. It's also not as difficult as many modern takes on the genre - not to say there's not tough parts, but once you know what you're doing it's possible to find gear or powerlevel yourself to the point that the game is just a fun playground to romp around and slap monsters without much threat of dying and losing progress.
NOTE - it is a game from the era of manual saves at save locations, so the consequence of dying is losing progress if you haven't done so recently. Always save!
posted by FatherDagon at 11:25 AM on October 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
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I love the exploring aspect of games too, and both those games have it in spades.
posted by whatnotever at 7:10 AM on October 19, 2022 [7 favorites]