I'm a big fan of these kinda games where you explore an area collect items/level up to fight bosses.
My favorite is Order of Ecclesia for the DS. It was just great gameplay, a decent story, and great art.
I'm kinda unfamiliar with the new games in the genre, so I'd appreciate any suggestions. And is there a community of people who design those games?
Dark Souls games, especially Elden Ring have the most rewarding exploration in my opinion. The difficulty makes everything you find incredibly rewarding. It's the first game since the original Metroid that scratches that itch and makes playing with a notebook in hand worth it.
They also have a very similar mood to Metroid