Zelda-like recommendation list
A thread to share your Zelda-like recommendations.
Here is a starting list (based on [this] one), that I will update based on your recommendations, comments and clarifications below.
>I did not play most of these, so details might be off. Especially at first. Also, not every suggestion is equally great, or even good, but all of them should scratch a particular Zelda-like itch to some extend.
WHAT IS A CLASSIC ZELDA-LIKE?
The term can mean different things to different people. I happened to pick the definition from the earlier link. NOT TO GATEKEEP (!) but to make things more objective, thereby make it easier to find games with specific focuses.
>Please do not derail this thread by arguing semantics on this. Just create a new thread for that if you feel you must. And there is nothing limiting you from recommending adjacent games below.
CLASSIC ZELDALIKE:
- An Action-Adventure game with
- Mandatory puzzle solving
- Progression gating via new abilities (usually in the form of items)
- Dungeons that are distinctly separate from the overworld
LOOSE ZELDALIKE:
- Games with just 3 out of 4 aspects.
For example: "Golden Sun" has 2, 3 and 4, but combat is turn-base instead of real time.
Also note that ironically BotW/TotK, while Zelda games, lack 2 and 3. It's for sure a break from the past formula in several ways. But again: I'm not looking to gatekeep, so I'll still mention them somewhere on the list as they come up.
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2D CLASSIC ZELDALIKES (+ isometric 3D):
RELEASED:
- 3D Dot Game Heroes [PS3]
- Adventure of Rikka - [PC]
- Airoheart - [PC][SWITCH][XBOX X][PS5] *Mixed rating
- Alundra - [PS1]
- Beyond the Mountains - [PC] *Mostly positive rating
- Blossom tales - [PC][SWITCH]
- Blossom tales 2 - [PC][SWITCH]
- Cast away - [PC] *Short
- Crosscode - [PC][PS4][XBOX ONE][SWITCH] *Also contains some RPG mechanics
- Crusader of Centy - [SEGA GENESIS][MEGA DRIVE]
- Echo Isle - [PC] *Short
- Elementallis - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][PS5][XBOX ONE/X]
- Frogboy - [itch.io / browser]
- Hob - [PC]
- Ittle dew - [PC][Wii U][Linux][MacOS]
- Ittle dew 2 - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE]
- Lenna's inception - [PC]
- Master Key - [PC]
- Saga of the Moon Princess - [PC]
- Shipwreck - [PC] *Short
- Shrine's legacy - [PC]
- Ocean's heart - [PC][SWITCH]
- Oceanhorn - [PC][PS4][XBOX ONE][IOS][ANDROID]
- Ogu and the Secret Forest - [PC][MacOS][Android]
- Phoenotopia: Awakening - [PC][SWITCH] *Zelda2-like
- Pipistrello and the cursed yoyo - [PC]
- Prodigal - [PC]
- Ratcheteer DX - [PC][SWITCH][MacOS]
- Spindle - [PC]
- The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales - [PC][SWITCH2][PS5][XBOX X/S]
- The Girl from Arkanya - [PC]
- Tombwater - [PC] *Blends Zeldalike and Bloodborn designs
- Turnip boy commits tax evasion - [PC][SWITCH][XBOX ONE][XBOX X/S][PS4][PS5]
- Under the Island - [PC]
- Veritus - [PC]
- Yono and the Celestial Elephants - [PC]
UPCOMING:
- Beyond the Mountains II - [PC]
- Dawnthorn - [PC] *Cancelled?
- Draco and the Seven Scales - [PC]
- Graytail - [PC]
- Havenlocked - [PC]
- Hazelnut Bastille - [PC] *News has slowed down
- Horn of Balance - [PC]
- Knight George - [PC]
- Maple Forest - [PC] *News has slowed down
- Mazestalker: The Veil of Silenos - [PC]
- Isles of Reveries - [PC]
- PROUDHEART - [PC] *Zelda2-like
- Sandcaster - [PC]
- Sun Saga: Legend of the Sun - [PC]
- The book of Buja - [PC]
- Unsung Warriors - [PC] *Sidescroller. To clarify: The storepage is outdated atm. This listing is based on an inside look offered by the devs. I'll leave it to them to explain/reveal further details.
2D LOOSE ZELDALIKES (+ isometric 3D):
RELEASED:
- Aggelos - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE] (1-34) *Sideview
- Ancient mind - [PC][Android] (123-) *Dungeons are levels on a node based worldmap.
- Anodyne - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE][IOS] (12-4) *Layered
- Azaran: The demon bottle - [PC] (12?-) *Great if you're looking for a short string of crafty Zelda1-esq dungeons.
- Death's door - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][PS5][XBOX ONE][XBOX X/S] (1-3?) *Expect more Soulslike combat.
- Eastward - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE] (12-4)
- Kharon's Crypt - Even Death May Die - [PC][SWITCH] (123-) *One continuous dungeon
- Landstalker - [GENESIS] (12-?)
- Mages of Mystralia - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE] (123-)
- Minishoot adventures - [PC] (1-34) *A bullet hell game, but more Zelda-like than you might expect
- Minit - [PC] (123-) *Short :)
- Tearscape - [PC] (1?3-) *Expect more of a 2D Bloodborn game
- Tunic - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][PS5][XBOX ONE][XBOX X/S] (1??-) *Expect more Soulslike combat and secrets over puzzles
- Unsighted - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE] (1?3-) *Expect parry based combat
UPCOMING:
- Aggelos 2 - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][PS5]XBOX ONE][XBOX S/X] (????) *Not sure if it shifted to a Metroidvania now.
3D ZELDALIKES:
RELEASED:
- Altheia: The Wrath of Aferi - [PC][PS3][PS4][XBOX ONE][XBOX X/S]
- Blue Fire - [PC][SWITCH][PS4][XBOX ONE] *Expect a 3D action platformer
- Darksiders - [PC][SWITCH][PS3][PS4][XBOX360][XBOX ONE]
- Darksiders 2 - [PC][Wii U][SWITCH][PS3][PS4][XBOX360][XBOX ONE] *Expect loot focus
- Dungeons of Hinterberg - [PC][XBOX X/S]
- Oceanhorn 2 - [PC][SWITCH][PS5][XBOX X/S][Apple Arcade]
- Okami - [PC][SWITCH][PS2][PS3][PS4][XBOX ONE]
- Okamiden - [DS]
- Sphynx and the cursed mummy - [PC][GAMECUBE][SWITCH][PS2][XBOX]
- StarFox Adventures - [GAMECUBE]
UPCOMING:
- Abyss X Zero - [PC]
- Azaran: Islands of the Jinn - [PC]
- Demi and the fractured dream - [PC]
- Legend 64 - ??
- No More Fathers [PC]
- REAL WEB LEGENDS: Carter's Quest - [PC] *Currently in Early Access
- Seed of Life - [PC]
- Trinity 64 - [PC]
3D LOOSE ZELDALIKES
RELEASED:
- Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the lost Demon - [SWITCH] (1?3-)
- Beyond good & evil - [PC][GAMECUBE][PS2][XBOX] (12-?)
- The plucky squire - [PC][SWITCH][PS5][XBOX X/S] (12?-) *More of a hybrid adventure game
HONORABLE MENTIONS
RELEASED (2D + isometric 3D):
- Hyperlight drifter - [PC] (1--?) *More of a great action game with exploration.
- Mina the Hollower - [PC][SWITCH2][PS5][XBOX X/S] (?---) *More of a non-linear action game with tons of polish
RELEASED (3D):
- [?]
UPCOMING (2D + isometric 3D):
- ZWAARD - [PC] (????) *Adding it here for the seemingly heavy Hyperlight Drifter similarities
You might also like Metroidvanias (?-3-) and MetroidBrainias (??3-)
ZELDA MAKERS
RELEASED:
UPCOMING:
- 3D - Temple Maker 64 - [PC]
Is something missing or incorrect about the list? (There probably is). Post about it and I'll update the list periodically.
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STILL NEED TO LOOK UP:
Wonderboy series
Alwa's Awakening
Immortals Fenyx Rising
Warden: Melody of the Undergrowth
Batman Arkham series
Star Wars Jedi (Fallen order & survivor)
Supraland series
Dinosaur Planet
Essence of the Tjikko
Star Fable
Nulphia
Night Stones
Wonder wand
DX Legends
Chico and the Magic Orchards DX
Mansion of a Million Monsters!
Rogue heroes
(Man there are a lot of Zeldalike (adjacent) games out there)