There’s a valuable golden idol sitting on the other side of the room, and all you have to do is grab it. Of course, there’s a suspicious-looking floor tile nearby, a couple of spikes waiting below, and something moving around just out of sight. You could leave the treasure alone and head for the exit, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?
That’s the sort of terrible decision Spelunky 2 encourages you to make, and it’s one of the reasons Mossmouth’s underground adventure is so difficult to put down. Every cave is a dangerous playground filled with hidden secrets, unpredictable enemies, and traps that are just as capable of killing each other as they are of killing you. Learning how all these elements interact is half the fun, especially when a carefully planned expedition turns into a spectacular disaster.
If you’ve already spent countless hours exploring its depths and are looking for another adventure that rewards curiosity while punishing carelessness, there are plenty of places left to explore. We’ve picked out ten games like Spelunky 2 that offer dangerous dungeons, challenging platforming, and plenty of opportunities to discover something wonderful moments before it kills you.
1. Angvik
Your father has been captured by a barbarian, and rescuing him means venturing into a dangerous fantasy world filled with monsters, traps, and plenty of opportunities to meet an untimely end. The good news is you’re not heading into battle completely unprepared. Depending on your father’s profession, you can start your adventure with different equipment and abilities, whether that means swinging a sword, casting spells, or relying on a rather unusual assortment of weapons.
Angvik, developed by Alastair John Jack, is a challenging action platformer where equipment can break, enemies are unforgiving, and losing your armor can leave you fighting for survival in your underwear. Experimenting with different starting classes, collecting equipment from defeated enemies, and learning how to navigate each dangerous area, you’ll gradually discover what works and what gets you killed. If you enjoy this one, there’s also Angvik 2 to check out.
2. Caveblazers
Somewhere beneath the surface lies a mysterious cave filled with valuable treasure, ancient secrets, and enough dangerous creatures to make reaching the bottom a serious achievement. Armed with whatever weapons and equipment you can find, you’ll descend through its procedurally generated depths, battling monsters, avoiding traps, and occasionally discovering that the treasure you’ve risked your life to collect wasn’t worth the trouble.
Created by Deadpan Games, Caveblazers is a brutally difficult action platformer combining fast-paced combat, randomized levels, and an enormous collection of items, weapons, and abilities. Finding magical equipment, collecting blessings, experimenting with different builds, and facing increasingly dangerous bosses, you’ll need quick reactions and a good understanding of enemy attacks to survive. It’s particularly unforgiving when you make mistakes, and even a promising run can disappear in seconds, making it an excellent choice for Spelunky 2 players who enjoy a serious challenge.
3. Flinthook
Treasure hunting becomes a considerably more acrobatic occupation in Flinthook, where your pirate captain spends much of his time swinging between platforms, dodging projectiles, and blasting enemies aboard heavily guarded spaceships. Equipped with a trusty grappling hook, a powerful pistol, and a device that can slow down time, you’ll raid procedurally assembled pirate ships in search of treasure and increasingly valuable rewards.
Developed by Tribute Games, this fast-paced action rogue platformer combines precise movement with frantic combat, turning each ship into a dangerous obstacle course filled with enemies, traps, and hidden rooms. Grappling between anchor points, using your time-slowing abilities to navigate difficult encounters, and collecting powerful perks, you’ll gradually improve your chances of surviving longer expeditions. Defeating pirate bosses unlocks new challenges, while the game’s colourful pixel art and wonderfully fluid movement make even the most disastrous treasure hunts entertaining.
4. Nuclear Throne
Humanity has long since disappeared, the wasteland is crawling with mutants, and somewhere among the ruins sits a mysterious throne that everyone seems determined to reach. Unfortunately, getting there involves fighting through armies of heavily armed enemies, dodging enormous amounts of gunfire, and surviving a world where even the smallest mistake can bring your adventure to an abrupt end.
Created by Vlambeer, Nuclear Throne is a brutally fast-paced, top-down rogue shooter where every run offers new weapons, mutations, and opportunities to create increasingly destructive combinations. Choosing from a collection of unusual mutant characters, each with their own abilities, you’ll blast through procedurally generated wastelands, collect radiation to unlock mutations, and battle enormous bosses. Its unforgiving combat might be quite different from Spelunky 2, but the constant danger and satisfaction of mastering its mechanics should feel wonderfully familiar.
5. Downwell
Most adventurers would think twice before jumping into a seemingly bottomless well, especially one filled with dangerous creatures and mysterious underground chambers. The young protagonist of Downwell, however, has decided that exploring its depths sounds like a perfectly reasonable afternoon activity. Fortunately, he’s brought along a rather unusual pair of boots capable of firing bullets directly beneath him.
Developed by Moppin, Downwell turns the traditional platformer on its head, sending players hurtling downward through procedurally generated levels while blasting enemies, collecting gems, and desperately trying to avoid landing somewhere unpleasant. Your Gunboots provide both offensive firepower and a way to slow your descent, with different weapon configurations and upgrades changing how each attempt unfolds. Discovering hidden caves, purchasing useful items, and chaining together enemy kills for rewards, you’ll need to master its unusual movement system if you hope to reach the bottom.
6. Noita
A single misplaced spell can turn an entire cavern into a blazing inferno, melt the ground beneath your feet, or trigger a chain reaction that kills everything nearby, including you. That’s life in Noita, a magical underground adventure where every pixel is physically simulated and almost everything in the environment can react to your increasingly dangerous experiments.
Developed by Nolla Games, this side-scrolling action roguelite combines procedurally generated exploration with an extraordinarily detailed physics system, allowing liquids to flow, materials to burn, and entire environments to be destroyed. Collecting magical wands, experimenting with spells, and combining different effects into increasingly unpredictable creations, you’ll venture deeper into a world filled with monsters, hidden secrets, and dangerous discoveries.
Like Spelunky 2, understanding how the environment behaves is essential to survival, although Noita gives you considerably more opportunities to accidentally blow yourself to pieces.
7. Spirits Abyss
According to an ancient legend, a child thrown into a mysterious abyss beneath a blood-red moon might one day return with extraordinary powers. Unfortunately for the unfortunate youngster at the center of Spirits Abyss, that means being dropped into a sprawling underground world filled with ghostly creatures, hidden treasures, and dangerous environments that aren’t particularly interested in letting anyone escape.
Created by caiys, Spirits Abyss is a colourful, fast-paced rogue platformer that shares plenty of similarities with Spelunky 2, including destructible terrain, randomized levels, and an enormous underground world waiting to be explored. Digging through different environments, battling supernatural enemies, discovering unusual items, and meeting strange characters, you’ll gradually uncover the secrets hidden beneath the mountain. Eight unlockable game modes offer additional challenges, including arena survival, collectible card battles, and special trials, while local cooperative play allows two adventurers to explore the depths together.
8. Rogue Legacy
Dying in Rogue Legacy isn’t the end of your adventure, although it does mean your unfortunate hero won’t be around to enjoy whatever treasure they’ve collected. Instead, the responsibility of exploring a dangerous, monster-filled castle passes to one of their children, who might inherit some rather unusual characteristics. One descendant could be colourblind, another might suffer from vertigo, and the next could be a dwarf with an entirely different approach to combat.
Developed by Cellar Door Games, this side-scrolling rogue platformer combines procedurally generated castles with permanent progression, allowing each generation to benefit from the wealth collected by its predecessors. Choosing heirs with different classes and traits, upgrading your family manor, purchasing equipment, and battling enormous bosses, you’ll gradually strengthen your bloodline while uncovering the castle’s secrets. And if the family business keeps you entertained, there’s also Rogue Legacy 2 to explore afterward.
9. The Swindle
London, 1849. Scotland Yard is preparing to activate a revolutionary artificial intelligence known as the Devil’s Basilisk, and you’ve got exactly 100 days to steal it before the authorities become practically unstoppable. Pulling off the heist means breaking into heavily guarded buildings, hacking security systems, stealing enormous amounts of cash, and escaping before the police arrive to ruin your evening.
The Swindle, developed by Size Five Games, combines stealth, platforming, and rogue progression in a procedurally generated steampunk world where every burglary carries serious risks. Sneaking past guards, disabling security cameras, hacking computers, and collecting valuable loot, you’ll use your earnings to purchase new equipment and abilities aboard your airship. Better tools allow you to tackle increasingly secure locations, but getting caught can cost you a thief and precious time. Much like Spelunky 2, knowing when to abandon a risky treasure hunt is often the difference between a successful expedition and a spectacular disaster.
10. 30XX
A thousand years have passed since the events of 20XX, and the world has changed beyond recognition. Humanity has lost much of its ambition, an artificial intelligence known as the Synthetic Mind has reshaped civilization, and the planet has become a strange, overgrown landscape filled with dangerous machines. Awakening in this unfamiliar future, two powerful heroes set out to discover what happened and fight for whatever remains.
Developed by Batterystaple Games, 30XX combines the precise movement and challenging combat of classic Mega Man X games with procedurally generated levels and rogue progression. Playing as the sword-wielding Ace or the ranged specialist Nina, you’ll battle through ever-changing environments, collect powerful abilities, and defeat enormous mechanical guardians. Each character offers different ways to approach combat, while local and online cooperative play allows two players to tackle the adventure together. There’s even a level editor for creating entirely new challenges once you’ve mastered the existing ones.
There’s Always Another Cave to Explore
Spelunky 2 has a special talent for making you believe that your next run will finally be the one where everything goes according to plan. Of course, that confidence usually lasts until you accidentally set off a trap, anger a shopkeeper, or discover an entirely new way to get yourself killed.
The games on this list have plenty of their own nasty surprises waiting for you. Whether you’re experimenting with dangerously unpredictable magic in Noita, swinging through pirate ships in Flinthook, or descending into the punishing depths of Caveblazers, there are countless secrets to uncover and challenges to overcome.
Some stick closely to Spelunky 2‘s dangerous underground exploration, while others take its unforgiving difficulty, unpredictable levels, and rewarding progression in different directions. Whichever you choose, there’s a good chance you’ll be seeing the game-over screen more than you’d like.
Have you played any of these games, or is there another game like Spelunky 2 that deserves a place on this list? Let us know in the comments!