Thinky Games presents a definitive guide to metroidbrania games: What they are, how different games explore the idea in their own way, and a list of our favorites.
Ah, finally, a name for my favorite type of game. With a LONG list of suggestions to play. I love the potential of ‘i could beat this in a short amount of time if I had a clue wtf I was doing’
There’s a great video of the Outer Wilds devs watching someone speedrun their game, and at the end of it one of them jokes, “We made a very short game”
This article is about to make my steam wishlist a good chunk longer, I think
I hate it, I think it’s silly, and will potentially confuse anyone who’s not familiar with it, but if it makes it easier for people to find these games eventually then eh 🤷♂️
I hate “character action games” too but I use that tag regularly to find new games.
I wish we go back to just layering descriptors though… more room for nuance this way.
nonlinear + puzzle + first-person = The Witness
action + long combos + style meter + third-person = Bayonetta
I understand a shorthand tag is convenient, but it also adds confusion.
The name is a little stupid, but I find it makes a lot of sense too. Metroidvanias are games where you explore and slowly unlock the means to reach new areas and explore more. Metroidbranias are the same idea but you need knowledge to progress rather than collecting items
You can have mysteries where progress and knowledge aren’t tied to each other. For example in Professor Layton games, there is an overarching “mystery”, but it’s a linear game you progress by solving effectively random (and mostly disconnected) puzzles.
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Outstanding article! Gosh, I love reading this kind of stuff. Thanks for sharing!
Ah, finally, a name for my favorite type of game. With a LONG list of suggestions to play. I love the potential of ‘i could beat this in a short amount of time if I had a clue wtf I was doing’
There’s a great video of the Outer Wilds devs watching someone speedrun their game, and at the end of it one of them jokes, “We made a very short game”
This article is about to make my steam wishlist a good chunk longer, I think
I hate it, I think it’s silly, and will potentially confuse anyone who’s not familiar with it, but if it makes it easier for people to find these games eventually then eh 🤷♂️
I hate “character action games” too but I use that tag regularly to find new games.
I wish we go back to just layering descriptors though… more room for nuance this way.
nonlinear + puzzle + first-person = The Witness
action + long combos + style meter + third-person = Bayonetta
I understand a shorthand tag is convenient, but it also adds confusion.
The name is a little stupid, but I find it makes a lot of sense too. Metroidvanias are games where you explore and slowly unlock the means to reach new areas and explore more. Metroidbranias are the same idea but you need knowledge to progress rather than collecting items
There’s already a term for progress gated by knowledge: mystery. All of these games are about discovering facts that lead you further along.
With mystery games (at least some of the time) the player character needs to learn the details too.
You can have mysteries where progress and knowledge aren’t tied to each other. For example in Professor Layton games, there is an overarching “mystery”, but it’s a linear game you progress by solving effectively random (and mostly disconnected) puzzles.
Yeah, but the tag makes it sound like these games have more similarities with metroidvanias than just gated areas.
Imagine someone clicking on the tag because they recognized Metroid only to find The Witness…