6 epic Metroidvania games that will keep you playing for hours

The Metroidvania genre exploded in popularity during the indie boom. The formula of exploring an expansive map with areas blocked off until you unlocked new abilities originated with Metroid, but it wasn’t until Castlevania mixed in RPG elements that the genre felt complete. Hence, the name Metroidvania is a combination of the two inspirational series. Since that time, however, developers have played with that core formula in hundreds of ways to varying degrees of success. The basic satisfaction of exploring a map and finding the right tool to access an entirely new area keeps this as one of the most popular genres of games out there.