Blasphemous is a game that’s hard to mistake for any other.
Its gorgeous usage of crisp pixel art is mixed with grotesque designs of monsters and environments and inspired by a certain form of Spanish Roman Catholicism, hence its name. The plot involves a deeply religious land called Cvstodia, influenced by a force called “The Miracle”, just as capable of transforming its devout into monsters, as it is of blessing them.
In terms of gameplay, it’s a rock-solid Metroidvania, with a large map opening up as you acquire new abilities and gear, but its approach to death dips its toes into the realm of Soulslikes as well.
It’s a tasty, spicy, and nourishing dish, blasphemous though it might be, but perhaps it’s not exactly the taste you’re craving at the moment. Thankfully, there are enough options in this buffet for everybody to get their favorite mix.
The best alternatives to Blasphemous
| Game | Release | Genre | Developer | |
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 | The Last Faith | 2023-11-15 | Action | Kumi Souls Games |
 | Skelethrone The Chronicles Of Ericona | 2024-06-30 | Action | 70`Strike |
 | Dark Devotion | 2019-04-25 | Adventure | Hibernian Workshop |
 | Dead Cells | 2017-05-10 | Action & Shooter | Motion Twin |
 | Deaths Gambit Afterlife | 2018-08-13 | Adventure | White Rabbit |
 | Axiom Verge | 2015-05-14 | Adventure | Thomas Happ Games LLC |
 | Salt And Sanctuary | 2016-05-17 | Indie | Ska Studios |
 | Hollow Knight | 2017-02-24 | Action & Shooter | Team Cherry |
 | Katana Zero | 2019-04-18 | Indie | Askiisoft |
 | Sundered Eldritch Edition | 2017-07-28 | Indie | Thunder Lotus Games |
| | Dark Devotion | 2019-04-25 | Adventure | Hibernian Workshop |
 | Souldiers | 2022-06-02 | Action | Retro Forge |
 | Elderand | 2023-02-16 | Adventure | Sinergia Games |
 | Unsighted | 2021-09-30 | Indie | Studio Pixel Punk |
 | Grime | 2021-08-02 | Platformer | Clover Bite |
 | Infernax | 2022-02-14 | Action | Berzerk Studio |
Salt and Sanctuary
| Release date: | 2016-05-17 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Ska Studios |
Dark, gloomy aesthetic? Check. Metroidvania elements? Check. Taking inspiration from the Dark Souls games? Double check. In Salt and Sanctuary you’re playing as a shipwreck survivor, washed ashore after a fight with marauders and a Cthulhu-esque sea monster. Not a happy beginning for you, and especially not for the princess, on whose ship you stowed away.
In time, you’ll learn about this weird Island, about the princess, and the metaphysics of this gloomy world, but you’ll have to fight for it. Salt and Sanctuary, like Blasphemous, is a side-scrolling blend of Metroidvania and Dark Souls, filled with cryptic conversations and intense combat against twisted monsters. And, much like Dark Souls, it provides a lot of visual and mechanical customization.
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Infernax
| Release date: | 2022-02-14 |
| Genre: | Metroidvania |
| Developer: | Berzerk Studio |
While Blasphemous evoked old-school aesthetic, Infernax fully embraced it, and looks like the 8-bit games of old. Don’t let the simple (but evocative!) graphics fool you, Infernax is a satisfying, complex metroidvania set in a Medieval-like land twisted by magic and tormented by monsters. There are even multiple endings decided by several different factors.
The story puts you in the greaves of Alcedor, a Crusader who comes back to see his land in the grips of a sorcerous calamity. What follows is a lengthy adventure filled with combat, exploring the world, and making choices which will affect the people and places you find on your travels, giving Infernax a strong RPG-like aspect. You don’t even need to do it alone, a 2023 update added a co-op mode!
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GRIME
| Release date: | 2021-08-02 |
| Genre: | Platformer |
| Developer: | Clover Bite |
Grime is weird, in a good way! It’s the kind of weird that leaves you asking “I don’t know what that was about, but it was awesome”. The game puts you in the body of a humanoid stone creature with a black hole for a head, who goes on a weird journey through dangerous lands filled with creatures known as the Stoneborn. The world of Grime is fascinating and odd, thankfully, the gameplay also… rocks.
Grime is a Metroidvania, with a combat system which favors parrying. Thanks to having a black hole for a head you can absorb your enemies fully or partially (depending on their strength), which is one of the most unique concepts for a parry system. There’s also a fair amount of platforming, not quite as much as in games like Ori and… but enough to make sure gameplay doesn’t become monotonous.
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Unsighted
| Release date: | 2021-09-30 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Studio Pixel Punk |
Now it’s a good time for a little change of perspective and genre. Unsighted ditches the 2D, side-scrolling for an isometric camera, and instead of fantasy aesthetic opts for the science fiction stylings. The player character is Alma, a robot awakening in a world on the brink of devastation. Still troubled by memory loss, you must find a way to restore access to a precious resource known as anima.
Over the course of the game, you’ll encounter plenty of typical Metroidvania stuff like platforming and combat, but what’s interesting, is that there is a time limit. Over time certain characters will disappear due to becoming “unsighted”, and only a limited resource can extend their existence. It generates an interesting pressure and forces hard choices, but you can turn it off, if you want to.
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Elderand
| Release date: | 2023-02-16 |
| Genre: | Indie |
| Developer: | Sinergia Games |
We’re back in the realm of side-scrollers. Elderand is a metroidvania with a dark fantasy setting, pixel-art look, and intense combat, which are all the traits needed to make it a great fit for this list. It puts you in the role of a customizable mercenary fighting their way through a dangerous land with a wide array of weapons catering to different playstyles.
Of course, there’s also a story to piece together from scraps and descriptions elaborating on the game’s lore. All in all, Enderand is an extremely capable Metroidvania with a vibrant art style, great combat, and juicy exploration. If you’re looking for something that has a richer color palette and leaves a bit more space for player expression than Blasphemous, then this is a great choice.
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Souldiers
| Release date: | 2022-06-02 |
| Genre: | Action |
| Developer: | Retro Forge |
As one might suspect based on the title, Souldiers is more upbeat and heroic than most other games on the list. Souldiers’ art style is reminiscent of old 16-bit Japanese RPGs, but it terms of gameplay itself it’s definitely a Metroidvania. There are three classes to choose from, sword-and-board Scout, as well as self-explanatory Archer and Caster, all coming with their own abilities and playstyles.
The story involves a war, issues related to the afterlife, an endangered world tree, and a lot of other stuff that wouldn’t be out place in old Final Fantasy games. Combat is very dynamic, with a mixture of dodges, light and heavy attacks, and all that good stuff. There’s also, of course, progression over time, as you gain new abilities related to elemental magic.
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Dark Devotion
| Release date: | 2019-04-25 |
| Genre: | Adventure |
| Developer: | Hibernian Workshop |
And to complete the recommendations, we’ve got something that will bring us all the way back to the gloomy tones and dangerous combat we started this list with. Dark Devotion’s protagonist is a Templar who explores a massive temple by her god’s decree. Of course, it’s not an easy task, the place is ridden with foes and monsters all too keen to end this noble quest of faith and discovery.
Dark Devotion’s combat is Stamina based. Both dodges and weapon attacks consume stamina, which adds a degree of tactical consideration to the experience. There is a decent selection of weapons and armor to assemble your playstyle out of, and a degree of perk-based progression providing some extra finishing touches. You’ll need all of that, the temple is a nasty place.
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Grim exploration ahead
This concludes our list of games worth checking out, if you liked Blasphemous and want to play something similar. Some games share its vibe, others feature similar playstyle, or aesthetic. There are also some differences, in case you don’t want something *exactly* like Blasphemous. After all, if you did, you could just play Blasphemous 2.
Whether you go for more blasphemy or choose to find adventures in the alternatives, you can find great offers on all these games on our marketplace, which also holds many other Metroidvanias and dark fantasy games.