Best 2D Action

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is a 2017 compilation developed and published by Yacht Club Games. It bundles several retro-style, 2D side-scrolling platforming campaigns featuring the titular Shovel Knight, including Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, and King of Cards. The compil...

Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts is an action platformer developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, released in Japan in 1991 and in North America in 1992. It is the third main installment in the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, following Ghosts 'n Goblins and Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Pl...

Turrican II: The Final Fight is a 1991 run-and-gun platformer by Factor 5, released on Amiga and later other platforms, widely celebrated for Chris Hülsbeck's dynamic musical score and large open levels.

Strider 2 is a 1999 Capcom title offering intense action and exploration. The game’s notable dual-blade combat system combined with its expansive, interconnected levels provides a challenging metroidvania experience. It appeals to players who enjoy classic arcade action games and appreciate intricat...

Freedom Planet 2 is a 2D action-platformer developed and published by GalaxyTrail, an independent studio led by designer Sabrina DiDuro. Released in 2022, it is the sequel to Freedom Planet (2014), a game inspired by classic Sega Genesis platformers. The sequel features four playable characters—Lila...

Gravity Circuit is a 2D action-platformer video game developed by Domesticated Ant Games and released in 2023. It is influenced by the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series, presenting a single-player campaign where players control a robotic character who battles through levels and acquires abilities...

Forged In Shadow Torch is a 2D action metroidvania game set in a dark, dieselpunk world. Players control a unique rabbit character navigating intricate levels filled with mechanical threats and challenging puzzles. The game’s distinctive titanium aesthetic and focus on fluid combat make it appealing...

Bionic Commando Rearmed is a 2008 platformer developed by GRIN and published by Capcom, serving as a high-definition remake of the 1988 NES title Bionic Commando. The game preserves the original's distinctive grappling-hook mechanic—where the protagonist uses a bionic arm to swing through levels—whi...

Pepper Grinder is a 2024 indie platformer by Ahr Ech inspired by Drill Dozer, in which the player character bores through terrain using a handheld drill to build momentum across short, arcade-style levels.

Cyber Shadow is a 2021 side scrolling action platform game created by Finnish developer Aarne Hunziker under the Mechanical Head Studios name and published by Yacht Club Games. Players control a cybernetic ninja named Shadow through the ruined city of Mekacity, using precise movement, melee attacks,...

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a 2D action-platformer developed by Inti Creates and released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2016. As a direct sequel, the game introduces Copen as a fully playable second protagonist alongside the returning Gunvolt, offering players two distinct campaigns with unique movement an...

"A Robot Named Fight!" is a 2017 action-platformer developed by Matt Bitner that combines roguelike progression with Metroidvania level design. Heavily inspired by "Super Metroid," the game features permadeath and procedurally generated interconnected rooms, ensuring a different map layout with ever...

Freedom Planet is a two-dimensional action platformer developed and published by indie studio GalaxyTrail, initially released in 2014. The game was heavily influenced by the Sega Genesis era of platformers, particularly the Sonic the Hedgehog series, featuring high-speed traversal and anthropomorphi...

Super House of Dead Ninjas is a fast-paced action platformer developed by Megadev and released in 2013. The game tasks players with descending a towering, enemy-filled fortress, combining retro-style pixel art with roguelike progression systems. Players utilize a variety of weapons and ninja abiliti...

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX is a 2019 2D action platformer developed and published by Inti Creates. It is a spinoff of the Azure Striker Gunvolt series, focusing on the character Copen, a skilled fighter equipped with a versatile exoskeleton and a dash mechanic. The game is designed arou...

"Gunbrella" is a 2023 action-adventure side-scroller developed by Doinksoft and published by Devolver Digital. The game distinguishes itself through its core traversal and combat mechanic: a versatile umbrella that functions simultaneously as a firearm, a shield, and a tool for gliding and grappling...

Ghost 1.0 is a 2016 science-fiction action platform game developed by Unepic Games. Players control an operative who can leave her robotic body and possess machines while infiltrating the Nakamura space station with two remote collaborators. Its interconnected environments, ability-gated progression...

Hardcore Mecha is a 2D action game developed by the Chinese studio RocketPunch Games and released in 2019. It combines side-scrolling platforming and shooting with close-range mecha combat, animated character sequences, and a story campaign centered on military conflict on Mars. The game also includ...

Azure Striker Gunvolt is a 2014 action platformer by Inti Creates for the Nintendo 3DS, featuring protagonist Gunvolt who uses electric tagging abilities in a style reminiscent of the Mega Man Zero series.

The Mobius Machine is a 2024 science fiction action game developed by Mad Rain Studios. It is a side-scrolling Metroidvania title that emphasizes exploration and ability-gated progression within interconnected environments. Players control a character navigating a hostile alien world, utilizing vari...

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is a 2D action-platformer developed and published by Inti Creates, released in 2022 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. The game shifts focus to a new primary protagonist named Kirin, a battle priestess who wields a sword and utilizes talismans known as ofuda...

Shank 2 is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up developed by Klei Entertainment and released in 2012. The game features a comic book visual style and builds on its predecessor with a revised combat system centered on counters, combos, and weapon-based melee attacks. It includes a single-player story camp...

DuckTales: Remastered is a 2013 high-definition remake of Capcom's 1989 Nintendo Entertainment System platformer, developed by WayForward Technologies. The game features hand-drawn character sprites, redrawn background art, and remastered audio, including voice acting from the original Disney cartoo...

Apotheon is a two-dimensional action game developed by Alientrap and released in 2015, incorporating Metroidvania elements of interconnected exploration and ability gating. Set in the era of ancient Greek mythology, players control a mortal warrior ascending Mount Olympus to battle legendary deities...

Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom in 2021. The game serves as a reimagining of the original 1985 arcade title, blending classic level designs with modernized gameplay mechanics. It features a distinct hand-drawn, storybook art st...

Awaken: Astral Blade is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by Dark Pigeon Games and published by ESDigital Games. It belongs to the metroidvania genre, tasking players with navigating interconnected, post-apocalyptic environments filled with hostile biological entities. The protagonist is a cybo...

Mechstermination Force is an action run-and-gun video game developed by Swedish indie studio Hörberg Productions and released for the Nintendo Switch in 2019. The game is structured as a series of boss battles where players must scale and destroy massive enemy mechs. It features a two-player coopera...

Plok is a 1993 Super Nintendo platformer by Software Creations and the Pickford Brothers, featuring a stretchy-limbed character who throws his own body parts as weapons across levels set on a patchwork island.

Clash at Demonhead is a nonlinear action-platform game developed by Vic Tokai and released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. Players control Billy "Big Bang" Blitz as he travels among dozens of selectable routes, collects equipment and special abilities, fights bosses, and searches for...