12 Best Games Like Cuphead

Best games like Cuphead at a glance

1. Mega Man 11

Best overall alternative

Mega Man 11 is the clearest next choice for players who value Cuphead’s combination of side-scrolling stages, ranged attacks and boss-focused progression. Each stage introduces hazards and enemies built around a particular Robot Master, culminating in a fight that rewards pattern recognition and disciplined movement.

The Double Gear system gives Mega Man temporary speed or power advantages. These abilities create tactical options without removing the need to learn enemy behavior. Using a gear at the right moment can make a demanding section manageable, but careless use can cause overheating and leave Mega Man without the boost when it matters most.

Difficulty options make Mega Man 11 more approachable than Cuphead while preserving a demanding experience for players who choose the harder settings. Its 2.5D presentation is less visually experimental, but the underlying run-and-gun structure is exceptionally close.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Side-scrolling shooting and platforming
• Distinct stage themes and hazards
• Bosses built around readable attack patterns
• Weapons gained from defeated bosses
• Difficulty settings for different skill levels

Main difference: Mega Man 11 uses a modern 2.5D visual style and a traditional weapon-progression system rather than hand-drawn cartoon animation.

2. Furi

Best boss-rush alternative

Furi strips action down to a sequence of major confrontations. Every opponent tests a different combination of shooting, dodging, parrying and close-range sword combat, making progress depend almost entirely on mastering boss behavior.

Its battles often shift between top-down bullet-hell movement and direct duels. Long patterns require concentration, while close confrontations demand precise reactions. Multiple phases prevent a successful opening from guaranteeing victory.

The neon science-fiction presentation is completely different from Cuphead’s animation, but Furi captures the same feeling of repeatedly challenging a difficult boss until an apparently impossible pattern becomes understandable.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Boss-focused campaign
• Bullet-hell projectile patterns
• Shooting, melee attacks and parrying
• Fast retries after defeat
• Distinct visual and musical identity

Main difference: Furi has no traditional platforming stages or cooperative mode, and combat is viewed from a top-down or third-person perspective.

3. Enter the Gungeon

Best replayable bullet-hell alternative

Enter the Gungeon is a bullet-hell dungeon crawler built around guns, dodge rolling and randomized runs. Players select a character, clear rooms, discover unusual weapons and fight bosses while searching for a gun said to kill the past.

Enemy projectiles regularly fill the room, forcing the player to read patterns and identify safe movement routes. Dodge rolls provide brief protection, while tables and other environmental objects can create temporary cover.

Random weapons and items make every attempt different. One run may produce a precise long-range build, while another revolves around strange effects and close-range risk. The multiplayer mode also makes it relevant to Cuphead players seeking shared action.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Dense bullet-hell combat
• Frequent bosses and minibosses
• Dodge-focused movement
• Extensive weapon and item variety
• Single-player and multiplayer support

Main difference: Enter the Gungeon uses randomized top-down dungeon runs instead of handcrafted side-scrolling stages.

4. Hollow Knight

Best for exploration and difficult bosses

Hollow Knight sends a silent traveler into the ruined underground kingdom of Hallownest. Its interconnected world contains new routes, movement powers, optional areas and challenging creatures.

Boss fights reward many of the same skills demanded by Cuphead. Players need to recognize animations, learn safe positions and decide when an opening is large enough for an attack or heal. Mistakes can be costly, especially during longer encounters.

The hand-drawn 2D presentation creates a strong visual identity, although its atmosphere is more melancholy than comedic. Exploration carries much more weight, making Hollow Knight suitable for players who want demanding bosses inside a larger adventure.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Hand-drawn 2D world
• Difficult, pattern-driven bosses
• Precise platforming and movement upgrades
• Large interconnected environment
• Strong soundtrack and atmosphere

Main difference: Hollow Knight is an exploration-focused Metroidvania rather than a linear run-and-gun boss game.

5. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Best retro platforming collection

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove collects five games built around precise 2D platforming, distinctive playable characters and memorable bosses. Its retro style recreates the clear visual logic and mechanical focus of classic platformers while adding modern responsiveness.

The central Shovel Drop lets Shovel Knight bounce from enemies and objects, turning attacks into movement opportunities. Other campaigns introduce different abilities and routes, so the collection offers more variety than one conventional platforming adventure.

Co-op support and the large amount of included content make Treasure Trove a strong choice for players who want another demanding platformer to share locally.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Precise 2D stages
• Memorable bosses
• Several campaigns with different mechanics
• Retro visuals and soundtrack
• Co-op, multiplayer and split-screen support

Main difference: Combat emphasizes melee attacks and retro platforming rather than constant ranged shooting and bullet-hell patterns.

6. Contra Anniversary Collection

Best classic run-and-gun alternative

Contra Anniversary Collection brings several entries from one of the defining run-and-gun series into one package. Players move through side-scrolling stages, collect weapon upgrades and survive enemies that can often defeat a character in a single hit.

The connection to Cuphead is direct. Both games demand awareness of the entire screen, careful platforming and fast responses to projectile patterns. Bosses frequently occupy large portions of the battlefield and require players to understand how attacks cycle.

Co-op increases the chaos and creates the same shared trial-and-error appeal that makes Cuphead entertaining with another player. The collection also shows how earlier arcade shooters established many of the ideas later refined by modern run-and-gun games.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Classic side-scrolling run-and-gun action
• Difficult stages and bosses
• Weapon pickups and constant movement
• Several games in one collection
• Co-op and split-screen support

Main difference: Contra’s pixel-art military science-fiction presentation is more conventional and far less animated than Cuphead’s cartoon world.

7. Broforce

Best chaotic multiplayer alternative

Broforce turns the run-and-gun formula into a destructible action spectacle. Each playable character parodies an action-film archetype and brings a different weapon or ability to the battlefield.

Stages can collapse under gunfire and explosions. Destruction creates shortcuts but can also remove safe ground or trigger chain reactions. The result is less controlled than Cuphead, particularly when several players unleash incompatible abilities at once.

Online and split-screen co-op support make Broforce one of the strongest multiplayer choices on this list. Boss encounters exist, but the larger appeal comes from escaping stages while the environment disintegrates around the team.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Side-scrolling shooting and platforming
• Destructible environments
• Many characters with different weapons
• Bosses and explosive set pieces
• Online and split-screen co-op

Main difference: Broforce emphasizes improvisation, destruction and comedy rather than carefully authored bullet patterns.

8. 20XX

Best roguelike run-and-gun co-op alternative

20XX combines Mega Man-style movement and shooting with roguelike level generation. Each run rearranges stages and rewards, forcing players to adapt instead of memorizing one fixed campaign.

Characters gain powers and upgrades while defeating bosses. A strong run depends on movement skill, weapon use and choosing bonuses that complement one another. Failure ends the current attempt, but familiarity with mechanics improves future performance.

Online and split-screen co-op distinguish 20XX from many difficult action platformers. Two players can coordinate attacks and movement while coping with procedural layouts.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• 2D running, jumping and shooting
• Mighty bosses and collectible powers
• Procedurally arranged levels
• Roguelike replayability
• Online and split-screen co-op

Main difference: Its levels change between runs, so mastery depends less on memorizing one handcrafted sequence.

9. SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance

Best hand-drawn action alternative

SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance revives SEGA’s ninja series as a hand-drawn 2D action platformer. Combat combines movement, melee attacks and martial-arts abilities across stages built around agility and precision.

The visual presentation is the strongest connection to Cuphead. It does not imitate 1930s animation, but every environment and character benefits from a distinct illustrated style created for side-scrolling action.

Its combat is more melee-focused, with combinations and ninja movement replacing Cuphead’s constant projectile fire. It is a good choice for players who want a modern, visually expressive platformer with demanding action.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Hand-drawn 2D visuals
• Side-scrolling action and platforming
• Fast melee combinations
• Distinct stages and enemy encounters
• Full controller support

Main difference: SHINOBI focuses on solo ninja combat and Metroidvania-influenced exploration rather than shooting and co-op boss battles.

10. Katana ZERO

Best instant-death precision alternative

Katana ZERO is a neo-noir action platformer in which a single hit can defeat the protagonist. Each stage becomes a short tactical problem involving movement, sword attacks, projectile deflection and time manipulation.

Fast restarts prevent failure from becoming slow. Players can immediately reconsider the route, change the order of attacks or use an environmental object differently. Successful completion then replays the action as one uninterrupted sequence.

The combat is less boss-focused than Cuphead, but the cycle of rapid failure, learning and clean execution feels familiar. Its short scenarios also make it easy to pursue a more efficient result.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Fast and precise 2D action
• Instant-death combat
• Immediate retries
• Time manipulation and projectile deflection
• Strong visual and musical style

Main difference: Katana ZERO emphasizes melee planning and story rather than repeated shooting and co-op play.

11. Ori and the Blind Forest

Best for fluid movement and artistic presentation

Ori and the Blind Forest is a visually rich action platformer built around movement through a large interconnected forest. New abilities gradually transform how Ori crosses hazards and reaches previously inaccessible areas.

Its strongest similarity to Cuphead is the care placed into animation, music and visual composition. The forest is atmospheric and expressive, while escape sequences test precise movement under pressure.

Combat is less demanding than Cuphead’s bosses, but platforming becomes increasingly elaborate as mobility options expand. Players who value the artistic side of Cuphead may appreciate Ori even when seeking a different type of challenge.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Carefully animated 2D presentation
• Fluid movement and platforming
• Atmospheric soundtrack
• Challenging escape sequences
• Interconnected world and ability progression

Main difference: Ori is an emotional exploration adventure with lighter combat and no cooperative mode.

12. Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition

Best colorful co-op platforming alternative

Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition combines Metroidvania exploration with melee combat, platforming and a bright cartoon presentation. Wrestling moves function as both attacks and traversal tools, giving combat abilities practical uses outside fights.

Stages introduce colored barriers, dimension changes and movement sequences that require players to combine powers accurately. Battles can become crowded, particularly in co-op, but the mechanics remain readable through clear visual effects.

Split-screen co-op makes Guacamelee a useful alternative for players who want a colorful side-scrolling adventure to share. The campaign is more exploration-driven than Cuphead, but difficult platforming challenges provide additional tests.

Why Cuphead players should try it:

• Colorful 2D art
• Platforming and combat challenges
• Memorable bosses and characters
• Abilities used for movement and fighting
• Co-op and split-screen support

Main difference: Guacamelee is a melee-focused Metroidvania with exploration and ability gating rather than a boss-centered shooter.

How to choose the right Cuphead alternative

Choose the closest run-and-gun game

Start with Mega Man 11 for modern stage-and-boss action. Contra Anniversary Collection is the stronger option when classic arcade difficulty and co-op are essential, while 20XX offers a procedural roguelike variation.

Choose another boss rush

Furi provides the purest sequence of demanding bosses. Its bullet patterns, phase changes and fast retries produce the closest feeling of learning a Cuphead encounter through repeated failure.

Choose bullet-hell replayability

Enter the Gungeon offers randomized rooms, weapons and builds. It is less predictable than Cuphead, but provides much more long-term variation between runs.

Choose a hand-drawn world

Hollow Knight is best for exploration and difficult bosses. SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance is the stronger linear action choice, while Ori and the Blind Forest prioritizes movement, atmosphere and emotional storytelling.

Choose co-op

Contra Anniversary Collection is the closest classic run-and-gun option. Broforce is better for chaotic online and local action, while 20XX combines co-op with roguelike progression. Guacamelee and Shovel Knight are stronger when platforming and melee combat matter more than shooting.

How we chose these games

Every pick is a PC game we price that covers this topic, or a game sharing at least four of Cuphead’s most characteristic Steam user tags (read on 7 October 2026). We kept the games that centre on demanding bosses, precise platforming or run-and-gun combat, and ranked them by how much of that mix they deliver.

Frequently asked questions

What game is closest to Cuphead?

Mega Man 11 is the closest overall alternative because it combines side-scrolling shooting, demanding platforming, themed stages and boss-focused progression. Furi is closer if the boss-rush structure matters more than platforming.

Which alternative has the best bosses?

Furi is the strongest dedicated boss-rush recommendation. Hollow Knight offers a larger world filled with difficult optional and mandatory bosses, while Mega Man 11 provides classic stage-ending Robot Master battles.

Are there cooperative games like Cuphead?

Yes. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove, Contra Anniversary Collection, Broforce, 20XX and Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition support cooperative play.

Which game has art most like Cuphead?

No alternative recreates Cuphead’s exact 1930s cel-animation style. SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance and Hollow Knight are the strongest hand-drawn action choices, while DuckTales: Remastered is another pick with a cartoon presentation.

Which alternative is best for beginners?

Mega Man 11 is the most approachable starting point because its difficulty options let new players learn the stage-and-boss structure gradually. Ori and the Blind Forest is another accessible choice for players more interested in movement and art than shooting.

Which game is hardest?

Furi provides the most concentrated sequence of difficult bosses. Enter the Gungeon demands consistent dodging across randomized runs, while Hollow Knight combines difficult bosses with exploration and resource recovery after defeat.

Final verdict

Mega Man 11 is the best game like Cuphead overall because it offers the closest mixture of run-and-gun combat, precise platforming and boss-focused progression. Furi is the better choice for players who want one demanding boss after another.

Choose Enter the Gungeon for replayable bullet hell, Hollow Knight for hand-drawn exploration, or Contra Anniversary Collection for classic cooperative run-and-gun action. Players seeking modern hand-drawn combat should start with SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance.