Metroidvania. The genre named after two games that defined it — and on mobile, it has no right being this good. Between ports of PC classics and genuinely original iPhone exclusives, you can spend hundreds of hours exploring interconnected worlds, unlocking abilities, and backtracking through areas that finally make sense. The catch is knowing which games are actually worth your time.
These ten are. Some are brutal, some are breezy, some are so old they predate most mobile games yet haven’t aged a day. What they share is that satisfying feeling of a world that opens up as you grow stronger — the sense that every new area you reach is a reward you earned rather than one the game handed you.
Grimvalor is a dark fantasy action-platformer built from scratch for touchscreens. You play as a lone warrior cutting through a cursed kingdom across five acts, with fast combat, wall-running, and boss fights that demand precision. Direlight spent years perfecting the controls — and it shows.
Direlight built the combat around thumbs rather than porting a gamepad setup — Grimvalor feels better on iPhone than most metroidvanias feel with a controller.
The best mobile-exclusive in the genre and one of the finest premium games on the App Store.
Dead Cells is the standard by which every other mobile action game gets measured. A procedurally-arranged castle, hundreds of weapons, roguelite permadeath, and years of free DLC updates — the Playdigious mobile port is exceptional, with tight touch controls and the complete version of a game that keeps getting better.
Hundreds of weapons and constantly shuffled layouts mean every run teaches you something new — the depth here genuinely rivals any console title.
The gold standard of mobile action-platformers and still the most content-rich game on this list.
Dandara ignores everything you think you know about movement. Instead of walking, you slingshot between surfaces in zero gravity — disorienting for the first five minutes, then impossibly satisfying. The world is vast, the narrative draws from Brazilian folklore, and the combat rewards spatial thinking over reflexes.
The gravity-defying movement transforms every room into a spatial puzzle — it's not a gimmick, it fundamentally changes how you think about exploration.
Unlike anything else on the App Store; if you want something genuinely original, Dandara is it.
You storm a procedurally-generated castle, die, and your child inherits your gold to try again — each heir arrives with different traits and flaws. Rogue Legacy invented a formula that dozens of games have borrowed since, and the Wanderer Edition iOS port is the best version of the game.
The genealogy system makes every death meaningful — each heir carries your progress but faces the castle fresh, keeping the loop personal for dozens of hours.
A genre-defining classic that somehow got better in its mobile incarnation.
A pastel-colored ghost cat explores a beautifully illustrated world, unlocking new abilities and discovering hidden areas as she goes. Super Phantom Cat 2 was built entirely for mobile — no console roots, no awkward remapping. Veewo's level design is tight and purposeful, each stage built around a specific mechanic.
Every level is designed around a single ability or mechanic, making progression feel earned — a discipline most big studios can't manage on any platform.
The most charming game on this list and the easiest to recommend to someone new to the genre.
Shantae is a half-genie who transforms into animals to reach new areas — a textbook Metroid-style setup executed with WayForward's trademark charm. Risky's Revenge is the most mobile-friendly entry in the series: compact, colorful, and built around a satisfying exploration loop. The pixel art looks stunning on Retina displays.
Each transformation ability is so tightly woven into the world design that unlocking a new form makes you mentally revisit every dead-end you previously walked past.
A WayForward classic that proves the genre can be warm and welcoming without losing its edge.
Released in 2012 and still going strong, Swordigo is the original iOS metroidvania. You explore a fallen kingdom, upgrade spells, and hunt for ancient artefacts across a world that rewards patient explorers. Touch Foo built something timeless — and they made it free.
A decade-old iOS exclusive whose world design still surprises — secret rooms, branching paths, and genuine discovery that most modern mobile games have completely forgotten.
The best free metroidvania on the App Store, full stop.
FDG built Venture Kid as a love letter to NES Mega Man — eight worlds, a shop between stages, and pixel art that earns genuine respect. It has enough exploration and hidden paths to qualify as a real metroidvania, even if the level structure leans more linear than most on this list. The boss fights are excellent.
FDG nailed the NES feel without making a lazy tribute — Venture Kid has real personality and boss fights inventive enough to rival the games that inspired it.
Retro done right: familiar enough to feel comfortable, original enough to feel fresh.
SotN is literally why the genre is called "metroidvania" — Alucard's descent through Dracula's inverted castle remains one of gaming's great adventures. The iOS port isn't perfect: virtual controls need adjustment and Konami's mobile track record gives pause. But the game underneath is still extraordinary.
SotN's castle is so dense with secrets that 30 years later, discovering a hidden room still produces an electric feeling no newer game has quite replicated.
A flawed port of a perfect game — the source material is strong enough to clear the bar.
Goblin Sword is a compact dungeon-crawler with 60+ hand-crafted levels, multiple playable characters, and a satisfying upgrade loop. You slash through pixel-art dungeons, rescue captured heroes, and collect loot. It's lighter on exploration than the rest of this list, but heavy on moment-to-moment fun.
Each level is hand-crafted and short enough to clear in two minutes — perfect for commuters who want the satisfaction of the genre in bite-sized sessions.
Light on scope but relentlessly enjoyable; the friendliest entry point on this list.
Best overall: Grimvalor — Direlight built a mobile-exclusive masterpiece that proves iPhone can be a first-class home for the genre.
Best free pick: Swordigo — twelve years old, zero cost, and it still out-designs most games that launched last year.
Best hidden gem: Venture Kid — NES-era action that most people walk right past; don’t be one of them.
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