Ninja Gaiden

27 Melee games like Ninja Gaiden that you should try

Games like Ninja Gaiden · Find similar →

More about this game →

Filter by:Melee×← Back to home

We filtered the 45 games similar to Ninja Gaiden down to the 27 that fit the “Melee” category. UnEpic, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master top the list, ranked by affinity and similarity score to Ninja Gaiden.

iRank79/ 100

Did you find what you were looking for?

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

Tags

SoloCo-op

Year 1988Dev Tecmo

Quick answer

Within the “Melee” category, the closest game to Ninja Gaiden is UnEpic — scoring 91/100 on our similarity scale. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master follow close behind.

#1UnEpic91 #2Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night91 #3Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master88 #4Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories86 #5Aztaka85

🗳️

Help us build the best rankings

Community powered

Vote on each result below — good match or not. Every vote directly shapes how we rank similar games for everyone.

The best melee games like Ninja Gaiden

27 similar games foundUpdated July 2026

Handpicked by our similarity algorithm, these are the titles with the highest gameplay match to Ninja Gaiden. Each one has been evaluated across 8 real attributes — from combat style and progression mechanics to world structure and visual perspective — so every recommendation is based on how the game actually plays, not just its genre label.

91

UnEpic

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloCo-opMeleeMagicFantasy2D

Steam👍 91%· 8.1KRAWG👍 81%· 253MC68IGDB68· 4OC72· 24

Year 2011Dev @unepic_fran · EnjoyUp GamesPlaytime ~5hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, melee combat and combat magic

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, adventure storytelling and puzzle design, while skipping action RPG combat

#2Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

91

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloCo-opMeleeMagicFantasy2D

Steam👍 93%· 41KIGDB83· 11OC83· 135

Year 2019Dev ArtPlay · 505 GamesOn PS4 · PC · iOS

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, melee combat and combat magic

≠ Its own twist: Metroidvania exploration, adventure storytelling and precision platforming, while skipping action RPG combat

#3Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

88

Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMeleeMagic2D

Year 1993Dev Sega Enterprises, Ltd. · Tec ToyOn Linux · PC · Mac

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, while skipping fantasy world

#4Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

86

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMagicMeleeFantasy2D

IGDB80· 1

Year 2004Dev Jupiter Corporation · Nintendo

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, combat magic and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: turn-based strategy and multiplayer gameplay, while skipping action RPG combat

85

Aztaka

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMeleeMagicFantasy2D

Steam👍 68%· 161

Year 2009Dev CiteremisPlaytime ~1hOn PC · Apple Macintosh

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, Metroidvania exploration and adventure storytelling, while skipping co op

85

Spellsworn

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

Co-opMagicMeleeFantasyMultiplayer

Steam👍 89%· 1.5KRAWG👍 46%· 25

Year 2015Dev Frogsong StudiosPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Linux

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and combat magic

≠ Its own twist: MOBA team gameplay, battle royale tension and shooter, while skipping single-player focus

#7Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

84

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMagicMeleeFantasy2D

IGDB80· 3

Year 2006Dev Konami

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, combat magic and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, adventure storytelling and Metroidvania exploration, while skipping action RPG combat

83

Comix Zone

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMeleeMagic2DHardcore

Steam👍 94%· 18

Year 1995Dev Sega Technical Institute · Tec ToyOn PlayStation 3 · Linux · Android

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, fighting mechanics and punishing difficulty, while skipping fantasy world

#9Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

83

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMagicMelee2DDark

IGDB90· 1

Year 2001Dev Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe · Gradiente

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, combat magic and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with precision platforming, adventure storytelling and Metroidvania exploration, while skipping action RPG combat

#10Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

83

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMeleeMagic2DCozy

Steam👍 93%· 3.0KIGDB82· 5OC81· 52

Year 2014Dev WayForward · Rising Star GamesOn PS4 · PC · PS5

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, melee combat and combat magic

≠ Where it differs: brings precision platforming, Metroidvania exploration and adventure storytelling, while skipping action RPG combat

83

10,000,000

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMagicMelee2DCasual

Steam👍 90%· 2.4KRAWG👍 80%· 45MC67IGDB80· 1

Year 2012Dev EightyEight GamesPlaytime ~4hOn PC · iOS · Android

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, combat magic and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with puzzle design, deep simulation and vibe casual, while skipping action RPG combat

#12Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

83

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloMagicMelee2DDark

IGDB92· 3

Year 1997Dev Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo · KonamiOn PlayStation 3

✓ Like Ninja Gaiden, it's known for deep RPG systems, combat magic and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: precision platforming, adventure storytelling and Metroidvania exploration, while skipping action RPG combat

91

Guacamelee!

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

SoloCo-opMeleeFantasy2D

IGDB84· 11

Year 2013Dev Drinkbox Studios · Spike ChunsoftOn PlayStation 3 · Linux · PC

✓ Shared with Ninja Gaiden: deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: puzzle design, precision platforming and adventure storytelling, while skipping combat magic

#14Dungeon Siege III

90

Dungeon Siege III

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

Co-opSoloMeleeFantasyOffline

Steam👍 58%· 2.9KRAWG👍 40%· 227MC72

Year 2011Dev Square EnixPlaytime ~2hOn PC · PS · Xbox

✓ If you enjoyed Ninja Gaiden, expect deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Its own twist: offline, while skipping combat magic

#15Guacamelee! Gold Edition

86

Guacamelee! Gold Edition

GenreRPGSubgenreAction RPG

Co-opSoloMeleeFantasy2D

Steam👍 93%· 6.0KRAWG👍 79%· 305MC88IGDB94· 2

Year 2013Playtime ~3hOn PC · Apple Macintosh · Linux

✓ Shared with Ninja Gaiden: deep RPG systems, action RPG combat and melee combat

≠ Stands apart with Metroidvania exploration, precision platforming and adventure storytelling, while skipping combat magic

Complete list of melee games like Ninja Gaiden

The full catalog of games sharing gameplay DNA with Ninja Gaiden, ordered from highest to lowest similarity score. Use the filters above to narrow down by genre, setting or game mode and find the alternative that best fits your playstyle.

Songs for a Hero

Songs for a Hero

RPG · Platformer

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile

RPG · Action RPG

Islets

Islets

RPG · Metroidvania

Trine Enchanted Edition

Trine Enchanted Edition

RPG · Puzzle

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

RPG

Chasm

Chasm

RPG · Metroidvania

Dust: An Elysian Tail

Dust: An Elysian Tail

RPG · Action RPG

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

RPG · Adventure

KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX

KAPITAL PUNISHMENT 22XX

RPG · Action RPG

Battletoads

Battletoads

RPG · Action RPG

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

Alex Kidd in Miracle World

RPG · Action RPG

The Revenge of Shinobi

The Revenge of Shinobi

RPG · Action RPG

Explore games similar to Ninja Gaiden by category

Rankings in the same genre

Best Action RPGs Best RPG Games