Metroidvania

A metroidvania is a game set in one large interconnected map, where new abilities or tools open areas you passed earlier. The name joins Metroid (1986) and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997), the two series it describes.

Where the name comes from

Who coined the word is disputed. Kotaku wrote in 2019 that former 1UP writers Scott Sharkey and Jeremy Parish coined and spread it in the early 2000s; Parish denies coining it, and Symphony of the Night’s producer Koji Igarashi says he did not either. In December 2025 Time Extension reported that the historian Critical Kate found the word used in 2001 by Richard Hutnik, discussing Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. It turned up again in 2003 on the fan site The Castlevania Dungeon, after Aria of Sorrow was announced.

Where the edges are

Critics object that the name describes two series rather than a way of playing, and one proposed replacement is “unlocking world”. The label has spread backwards to games older than both namesakes and outwards to 3D and top-down games, and games gated by knowledge rather than abilities have split off as “metroidbrainias”.

Key metroidvania games

Each game links to its article; the last column links to the source that puts it in the genre.

Related genres: Roguelite, Soulslike.

At a glance

Parent genre

Action-adventure

Named after

Metroid (1986), Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

Name first found

2001, Richard Hutnik (reported 2025)

Sources

Checked November 3, 2026.

1. Metroidvania — Wikipedia
2. Who Created The Term "Metroidvania"? Gaming Historian Critical Kate Tries To Find Out — Time Extension
3. Stop Calling Games 'Metroidvania' — Kotaku
4. Replacing Metroidvania — Game Developer