MIO: Memories in Orbit Is the Metroidvania Silksong Fans Should Watch
MIO: Memories in Orbit is a compelling Silksong alternative, blending hand-drawn exploration, tough combat, and rich lore in a haunting robot world.
Players who watched Hollow Knight: Silksong turn launch day into a stress test for storefronts already know the rhythm: finish a demanding campaign, stare at the credits, and start hunting for the next Metroidvania that can fill the silence. That is where MIO: Memories in Orbit enters the chat. Douze Dixiemes' hand-drawn adventure has been building a quiet reputation as one of the most Silksong-adjacent games on Steam, and in 2026 it remains a title fans of moody exploration, tough combat, and lore-rich worlds should keep on their radar. 🎮
On the surface, MIO wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The world looks hand-drawn. The map stretches its legs in a way that invites backtracking and note-taking. Some enemies lean insect-inspired, and the combat carries Soulslike weight rather than floaty button-mashing. Those ingredients explain why Silksong fans keep circling back to it: it scratches the same itch without pretending to be a clone.
Element
Why Silksong fans may care
🎨 Hand-drawn art
Gives the world a storybook mood that rewards slow looking
🗺️ Huge map
Encourages exploration, secret-hunting, and mental note-taking
🐜 Insect-inspired enemies
Echoes the creepy-crawly flavor many genre fans enjoy
⚔️ Soulslike combat
Suggests deliberate fights with real risk and reward
💬 NPC-driven lore
Lets players piece together the world through conversations
Where MIO: Memories in Orbit pulls away is in its setting. Instead of an ancient kingdom like Pharloom, it presents a futuristic world where robots have gone rogue. That contrast is not a bug; it is part of the appeal. The game uses art and music to tell environmental stories, and players uncover details by talking with interesting NPCs. The result sounds less like a copy and more like a cousin with a different accent. The world has a personality of its own, and that matters when a genre is crowded with lookalikes.
Focus Entertainment is publishing, and that name carries weight. The company has backed My Time at Portia, Aliens: Fireteam Elite, the A Plague Tale series, Atomic Heart, and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Douze Dixiemes is smaller but promising; its 2020 release Shady Part of Me holds Very Positive reviews on Steam. That track record is no small feat for a studio with only one other title to its name. It suggests MIO has a real chance to land as a polished, atmospheric experience rather than a rough genre exercise.
Practical note for 2026: players should check the current store page for launch status, demo availability, and platform details before planning a weekend around it. The game's public messaging has centered on a 2025 target and a playable demo, so the smart move is to verify the latest status rather than rely on old chatter. A wishlist remains the simplest way to catch updates. Frankly, that small step is worth it for anyone who likes to be ready when a genre gem lands.
Combat in MIO appears to have teeth. The trailers and screenshots suggest deliberate encounters, not endless swarms. The map seems built for players who like to peek into corners and remember locked doors. The music and hand-drawn illustrations do a lot of the heavy lifting, giving the world a personality that can stand beside its inspirations. Fans of Silksong's challenge and replayable loop will likely appreciate that MIO is not trying to smooth away the difficulty; it wants players to earn their progress.
Silksong's shadow is long, but it is not the only shadow worth standing in. MIO: Memories in Orbit has enough of its own identity -- rogue robots, futuristic ruins, NPC-driven lore -- to avoid feeling like a retread. For players who finished Silksong and want another Metroidvania with atmosphere, challenge, and a map that rewards curiosity, it is worth keeping an eye on. If that sounds like their jam, MIO may be the next stop after Pharloom.
While waiting for release dates and demo windows to settle, the practical side of being a patient player is keeping an eye on prices across storefronts. Wishlists help with notifications, but they do not always surface the sharpest discount at the right moment, especially when multiple retailers run overlapping promotions. That is where a little preparation pays off: bookmarking [this price tracking tool]( makes it easier to see how a game's cost shifts over time instead of checking each store page individually.
For anyone planning to pick up MIO alongside other Metroidvanias in their backlog, that habit tends to save more than a few dollars over a year. Set a target price, let the alerts do the work, and spend the saved budget on the next atmospheric indie that catches your eye.
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