Owlboy next to other metroidvanias
Owlboy is usually filed under metroidvania, and that filing is half right. It has a connected world, ability gates and a map that opens up as you gain tools. It also has flight instead of jumping, a fixed campaign and a story that ends when it ends. The differences matter if you are deciding what to play next.
This page compares Owlboy with three reference points — Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, and Super Metroid — on the things that actually change the experience. It does not rank them.
The comparison
| Dimension | Owlboy | Hollow Knight | Ori and the Blind Forest | Super Metroid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movement | Flight, roll, dash | Jump, dash, wall climb | Jump, bash, glide | Jump, wall jump, shinespark |
| Structure | Linear areas, hubs | Open interconnected map | Linear with backtracking | Open interconnected map |
| Length | About 8h main | 25–30h main | 8–10h main | 7–10h main |
| Combat | Gunner switching, simple | Melee, charms, depth | Projectiles, bash | Beam upgrades, simple |
| Difficulty | Low to moderate | High | Moderate | Moderate to high |
| Story | Explicit, character-led | Environmental, oblique | Explicit, emotional | Minimal |
| Price | $19.99 list | $14.99 list | $19.99 list | Legacy pricing |
The table is the honest summary. Owlboy is the shortest and the least mechanically demanding of the four, and it is the most story-forward.
Flight changes the level design
Most metroidvanias are built around the jump: platform spacing, wall grabs, vertical shortcuts. Owlboy is built around hover and drift. Rooms are wider, ceilings matter more than floors, and the challenge is positioning rather than timing a jump.
That is why the game's platforming feels different from Hollow Knight's. There is no wall jump to master and no dash cancel to learn; there is a roll, a Super Dash and a gunner you can drop. The skill ceiling is lower, and the floor is more forgiving.
It also means the game cannot rely on jump puzzles for difficulty. Its challenges are enemy patterns, escort sections and the Floating Tower's gravity rooms, which are closer to a shoot-em-up than a platformer.
Length and structure
Owlboy's areas are connected but not open. You go Vellie, Tropos, Advent, Strato, the Continent, Mesos, the Tower, and you do not choose the order. Backtracking exists for coins, not for progression.
Hollow Knight and Super Metroid are the opposite: the map is the game, and the order you explore is part of the challenge. Ori sits between the two, with a linear story and ability-gated returns.
If you love the "I can see a ledge I cannot reach yet" loop, Owlboy will feel restrained. If you find that loop stressful, Owlboy is the gentler version.
Combat depth
Owlboy's combat is a switching puzzle. Geddy's blaster, Alphonse's shotgun and Twig's grapple each solve different enemies, and the final boss is literally a colour-matching exercise. There are no combos, no upgrades beyond the shop's range and damage trinkets, and no reason to grind.
Hollow Knight's combat is a system: charms, nail upgrades, spells, timing. Ori's is movement-based: bash, dash, projectiles. Super Metroid's is about beam stacking and positioning. Owlboy's is the simplest of the four, and it is designed around variety rather than depth.
That is not a criticism. A game can be good with simple combat if the encounters are readable, and Owlboy's are.
Story and tone
Owlboy tells its story directly. Characters talk, the plot moves, and the ending resolves. Hollow Knight tells its story through implication and item descriptions; Super Metroid barely tells one at all.
If you play games for narrative, Owlboy is the most immediately rewarding of the four. If you play for the feeling of uncovering a world, Hollow Knight does that better.
Which should you play
| You want | Play |
|---|---|
| A short, beautiful story | Owlboy |
| A long, hard exploration game | Hollow Knight |
| Movement and set pieces | Ori and the Blind Forest |
| The genre's foundation | Super Metroid |
None of these is a substitute for another. The buying guide covers whether Owlboy is worth two dollars; the length page covers how long it takes.
What "metroidvania" means here
The term usually implies an open map, ability gates and optional exploration. Owlboy has the gates and the connected world, but it does not have the openness. Its areas unlock in a fixed order, and the abilities you gain are mostly new gunners rather than new ways to move.
That makes it closer to a story-driven action adventure with metroidvania furniture. The temples are dungeons, the hubs are towns, and the map is a corridor with branches for coins. If you are using the label to decide whether you will like it, that distinction is the one to check.
It also explains why the game is short. Linear games do not need a hundred rooms to justify their systems; they need eight hours of authored content, and Owlboy has that.
The price question
At $1.99, Owlboy is cheaper than a sandwich and shorter than a work week. At $19.99, it is competing with Hollow Knight at $14.99 and Ori at $19.99, both of which offer more hours and more mechanical depth.
That does not make Owlboy worse; it makes the discount the right way to buy it. The price page tracks the sales, and the buying guide gives the short verdict.
_Checked 2026-11-03 against the Steam store pages for the four games and HowLongToBeat's averages._