Best Platformer

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island is a 1995 platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The player guides Yoshi in an effort to rescue baby Mario, kidnapped by Kamek, navigating levels filled with puzzles and collectible items. Yoshi utilizes running and jumping mechanics to progres...

Super Mario Bros. 3 is a 1988 platform game for the NES, created by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development under the leadership of Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. The game’s initial release occurred in Japan on October 23, 1988, with subsequent launches in North America on February 12,...

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is an action-adventure game following Nathan Drake as he pursues clues related to Henry Avery's treasure with Victor Sullivan. The game features third-person gameplay incorporating platforming, puzzle solving, and combat mechanics. An online multiplayer mode allows up to t...

Nintendo's 1995 Super Nintendo platformer places a succession of Yoshis in charge of carrying Baby Mario through colorful, illustrated stages. Released as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, it has a visual identity built around pastel colors and drawn textures that suggest a storybook. Its movemen...

Super Mario 3D World is a celebrated Nintendo adventure game developed for the Wii U and subsequently the Nintendo Switch. It’s notable for its engaging cooperative gameplay allowing up to four players to explore vibrant 3D worlds together. The game offers a classic platforming experience suitable f...

Super Mario Odyssey is a joyous and inventive platformer that showcases Marios boundless creativity. Its diverse worlds, each brimming with unique challenges and collectibles, offer a rewarding experience for players of all skill levels. The Capture mechanic adds a new layer of gameplay, allowing...

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a 2020 Metroidvania platform-adventure developed by Moon Studios. It continues the story of Ori, who journeys through the new region of Niwen following the events of *Ori and the Blind Forest*. The game was released on Windows, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Ser...

Team Cherrys Silken Wings expands the beloved Hollow Knight universe with a new region, challenging boss encounters, and refined platforming mechanics. The hand-drawn art style remains captivating, while the soundtrack evokes a sense of melancholy and wonder. It's a worthy addition to an already ex...

Derek Yu's original cave-exploration game receives an expanded presentation in Spelunky HD, an action platformer built around procedurally generated levels and permanent death. Each run changes the arrangement of routes and hazards, but the objects and creatures follow rules that can be learned. Jum...

Super Mario Bros. Wonder revitalizes the classic 2D platforming formula with inventive 'Wonder Effects' that transform levels in unexpected ways. The game's vibrant visuals, challenging but accessible gameplay, and robust cooperative mode make it a joy for kids of all ages. The game's creativity an...

Psychonauts 2 is a platform game created by Double Fine Productions and published by Xbox Game Studios. It was initially announced in 2015 and launched in August 2021 across multiple platforms including PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. A subsequent release occurred on Linux and...

LittleBigPlanet is a 2008 platform game for the PlayStation 3 featuring Sackboy, a customizable character. The game’s core gameplay involves exploring a realm and creating levels using an integrated editor and tools like the Popit. A narrative focuses on assisting Creator Curators and confronting th...

Super Mario All-Stars is a 1993 compilation for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It comprises remakes of four classic NES and Famicom games: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3. These remakes include enhanced graphics, altered p...

Viewtiful Joe is a 2003 beat 'em up developed by Team Viewtiful and published by Capcom. The game’s story involves Joe rescuing his girlfriend Silvia from the villainous Jadow within Movieland, following her abduction during a film. A V-Watch grants Joe the ability to transform into the superhero pe...

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...

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a 1993 platform game developed by Konami for the PC Engine Super CD-ROM². The game follows Richter Belmont’s quest to rescue his captured lover, Annette, from Dracula. It was initially released in Japan on October 29, 1993, and served as a direct sequel to Symphony of...

Mega Man X is a 1993 Super Nintendo platform game originating from the Mega Man series. Set one hundred years after the original, it features an android named X and his partner Zero battling Reploids, robots with human-like qualities. The narrative centers on X’s mission to thwart Sigma, a Maverick...

LittleBigPlanet 2, released in 2011 for PlayStation 3, is a sequel to the original LittleBigPlanet and features six themed worlds with a story mode. The game emphasizes user-generated content, allowing access to over three million created levels, and incorporates support for the PlayStation Move mot...

Tropical Freeze is the pinnacle of the modern Donkey Kong Country series. It features stunning hand-drawn visuals, incredibly fluid orignal platforming mechanics, and a massive amount of content including new levels and orignal characters. The level design is masterfully crafted to balance difficult...

Cave Story is a 2004 Metroidvania game created over five years by Daisuke Amaya. The title employs 2D platforming mechanics influenced by classic games like Metroid and Castlevania. It gained popularity through internet distribution and received critical praise for its design and narrative elements.

Built on Daisuke Amaya's original 2004 game, Cave Story+ is an enhanced edition of a side-scrolling action adventure developed with Nicalis. An amnesiac protagonist explores a network of caves and encounters the Mimiga, a rabbitlike people threatened by forces seeking to exploit them. Pixel art and...

Astro Bot Rescue Mission is a virtual reality game for PlayStation VR developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The gameplay involves Captain Astro navigating diverse environments to recover his missing robot companions. These characters were previously featured in other PlayStation VR experience...

Super Meat Boy is a 2010 platform game created by Team Meat featuring a cube-shaped character named Meat Boy. The player navigates over 300 challenging levels to rescue Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus, requiring precise timing and control. It was initially released on Xbox 360 before being ported to mul...

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform game featuring Sonic and Tails as they pursue the Chaos Emeralds. Doctor Robotnik launches his Death Egg from a crashed space station on a floating island. The game introduces Knuckles the Echidna, who acts as an antagonist by setting traps for the protagonist...

A critically acclaimed precision platformer about climbing a mountain, both literally and metaphorically. Celeste's tight controls and ingenious level design present a formidable challenge, perfectly complemented by a compassionate Assist Mode that makes it accessible to all. Its narrative, dealing...

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal was released in 2004 as a third-person shooter platform game created by Insomniac Games. It served as the third title within the Ratchet & Clank franchise, published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. The game features combat and exploration mechan...

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is a 1997 PlayStation platform game where players control Klonoa and Huepow to thwart an evil spirit’s attempt to corrupt the dream world of Phantomile. The game utilizes a 2.5D perspective, allowing for three-dimensional environments navigated via a two-dimensional path....

Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 Genesis platform game where players control Sonic or Knuckles to thwart Doctor Robotnik’s plans. The game involves navigating side-scrolling levels to stop the Death Egg launch and combat Robotnik's minions, such as EggRobo. Players collect rings and defeat enemies during...

Super Mario Maker is a 2015 platform game created by Nintendo. It features a system for players to design and play courses utilizing elements from classic Super Mario titles like *Super Mario Bros.*, *Super Mario Bros. 3*, and *New Super Mario Bros. U*. The game’s initial release occurred in Septemb...