Games Like Muramasa The Demon Blade
Quick Answer
The closest games to Muramasa The Demon Blade are Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, Dragon's Crown, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Katana ZERO. Below are 9 picks with the reason for each — what carries over from Muramasa The Demon Blade, and what does not.
What Made Muramasa The Demon Blade Work
Muramasa is a Vanillaware game, which means hand-painted 2D art doing things sprites should not be able to do, wrapped around a fast side-scrolling combat system with swords that break and get re-forged. The art and the combat are inseparable — recommend one without the other and it does not land.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade is Vanillaware's 2009 Wii action RPG, set in Genroku-era Japan, later re-released as Muramasa Rebirth on PS Vita. You play Momohime or Kisuke, collecting and forging over a hundred swords across side-scrolling hand-painted landscapes. Swords break if overused and recover when sheathed. Fans usually want the same hand-drawn beauty with fast 2D swordplay.
Also written as Muramasa — same game, same list.
9 Games Like Muramasa The Demon Blade
1.Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
Same studio, same artist, and the combat was completely rebuilt for the remaster.
Why it fits: Vanillaware's 2016 remaster of its 2007 PS2 game uses the same hand-painted 2D art and rebuilt its combat for PS3, PS4 and PS Vita.
What is different: Norse-flavoured fantasy rather than Japanese folklore, with cooking and alchemy between fights.
Where to play it: PS3, PS4 and PS Vita.
More about this game →2.Dragon's Crown
Vanillaware's beat-em-up, and the best-looking one.
Why it fits: Vanillaware's 2013 fantasy brawler has painted art, up to four players and loot-driven progression.
What is different: A co-op brawler with classes and loot, set in western fantasy; there are no katana to forge.
Where to play it: PS3 and PS Vita; also on PS4 as Dragon's Crown Pro.
More about this game →3.13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim
Vanillaware again, and the best story they have written.
Why it fits: Vanillaware's 2019 game combines a branching sci-fi story with real-time strategy, told through the studio's detailed 2D art.
What is different: Most of it is reading and a branching mystery; the fighting is a strategy map, not swordplay.
Where to play it: PS4 and Switch.
More about this game →4.Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
If the Japanese swordplay was the appeal, in three dimensions.
Why it fits: FromSoftware's 2019 game is set in a fictional Sengoku-period Japan, with combat built around swordplay and deflection.
What is different: 3D, much harder and built on parrying; there are no blades to collect.
Where to play it: PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
More about this game →5.Katana ZERO
Fast 2D sword combat with a striking hand-drawn style.
Why it fits: Askiisoft's 2019 action game, published by Devolver Digital, is a fast 2D sword game with one-hit kills and a time-slowing ability.
What is different: Modern neo-noir and one-hit deaths; each level is a puzzle, not a long fight.
Where to play it: PC and Switch.
More about this game →6.Ghost of Tsushima
The same setting and tone at full budget.
Why it fits: Sucker Punch Productions' 2020 game is set during the 1274 Mongol invasion of Tsushima, with samurai sword combat.
What is different: A 3D open world set in history, not myth, and far more grounded in tone.
Where to play it: PS4, PS5 and PC.
More about this game →7.Blasphemous 2
Gorgeous 2D pixel art and heavy, deliberate combat.
Why it fits: The Game Kitchen's 2023 2D action game has detailed pixel art and deliberate melee combat with three weapons.
What is different: Grim Spanish Catholic imagery rather than Japanese folklore, and a slower, heavier style of fighting.
Where to play it: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch.
More about this game →8.Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
For the 2D exploration and weapon variety.
Why it fits: ArtPlay's 2019 Metroidvania, led by Koji Igarashi, has many weapon types to collect and craft.
What is different: Gothic Europe and a castle to map, with RPG shards and crafting; the combat is less flashy.
Where to play it: PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch.
More about this game →9.Hollow Knight
The best hand-drawn 2D action game there is.
Why it fits: Team Cherry's 2017 Metroidvania uses hand-drawn art and precise sword-based combat.
What is different: A huge map, one nail and much harder bosses, with a far quieter mood than Muramasa's colour.
Where to play it: PC and Switch.
More about this game →
Where to Start
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is the closest game — same studio, same painted art. Dragon's Crown is the pick if you want the art with co-op. Katana ZERO is the choice if the fast swordplay was the draw.
How We Picked These Games
Every pick needed hand-drawn or beautifully illustrated art, sword-focused combat, or a Japanese setting. We gave priority to Vanillaware's own games, and then 2D action games that share the same speed and craftsmanship.
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How These Picks Match Muramasa The Demon Blade
Muramasa The Demon Blade is catalogued here as an action-adventure and art-led game on the Nintendo Wii. All nine picks share at least one of its genre tags — eight action games and three adventures among them.
Going by the "where to play it" notes, six can be played on PC, seven can be played on a PlayStation, five can be played on a Nintendo system and three can be played on an Xbox. Katana ZERO, Blasphemous 2 and Hollow Knight are from small or self-published studios.
| Game | Genre | Shares with Muramasa The Demon Blade | Where to play |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odin Sphere Leifthrasir | Action, RPG, Fighting | Action | PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. |
| Dragon's Crown | Fighting, RPG, Action | Action | PS3 and PS Vita; also on PS4 as Dragon's Crown Pro. |
| 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim | Adventure, Strategy | Adventure | PS4 and Switch. |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | Action, Adventure | Action, Adventure | PC, PS4 and Xbox One. |
| Katana ZERO | Action, Platformer, Indie | Action | PC and Switch. |
| Ghost of Tsushima | Action, Adventure, RPG | Action, Adventure | PS4, PS5 and PC. |
| Blasphemous 2 | Platformer, Action, Indie | Action | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Switch. |
| Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Platformer, Action, RPG | Action | PC, PS4, Xbox One and Switch. |
| Hollow Knight | Platformer, Action, Indie | Action | PC and Switch. |
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