The best platformers on PC and Nintendo Switch

Jump, climb, dodge: games where precise jumps and good timing carve the way forward, from relaxed romps to tough tests of skill.

How to find games that really suit you: Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 50 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.

  1. 1 Super Mario Odyssey

    2017 Nintendo Switch

    • Lots to discover
    • Dense, handcrafted world
    • Lavish presentation

    A playful 3D platformer where Mario uses his living hat Cappy to possess enemies and objects while scouring varied, secret-packed kingdoms for Power Moons. Nearly every corner rewards curiosity with a fresh surprise.

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  2. 2 Celeste

    2018 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 18.99 € 97 % positive

    • Pixel art
    • Emotional impact
    • Challenging difficulty

    A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.

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  3. 3 Mirror's Edge

    2008 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck verified 19.99 € 87 % positive

    • Fast pace
    • Interconnected level design
    • Lavish presentation

    Fast first-person parkour across the rooftops of a sterile, surveilled city, where momentum and flow matter far more than fighting. Its striking white-and-primary-color look and focus on finding the fastest route make it a cult favorite for speedrunners.

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1 Super Mario Odyssey

Lots to discover

2017 Nintendo Switch

A playful 3D platformer where Mario uses his living hat Cappy to possess enemies and objects while scouring varied, secret-packed kingdoms for Power Moons. Nearly every corner rewards curiosity with a fresh surprise.

2 Celeste

Pixel art

2018 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 18.99 € 97 % positive

A precise platformer about climbing a mountain and overcoming inner fears.

3 Mirror's Edge

Fast pace

2008 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck verified 19.99 € 87 % positive

Fast first-person parkour across the rooftops of a sterile, surveilled city, where momentum and flow matter far more than fighting. Its striking white-and-primary-color look and focus on finding the fastest route make it a cult favorite for speedrunners.

4 Super Meat Boy

Pixel art

2010 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 13.99 € 93 % positive

A brutally tough precision platformer with hundreds of bite-sized, sawblade-filled levels where instant respawns keep you hammering away until you nail every jump. Its gross-out humor and replays showing all your failed attempts at once make every victory feel earned.

5 Mirror's Edge Catalyst

Open world

2016 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 19.99 € 77 % positive

Fluid first-person parkour through a gleaming, sterile dystopia where momentum and route-finding matter more than weapons. The open city of Glass invites time trials, deliveries and discovering your own lines across the rooftops.

6 Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Fast pace

1992 PC, PlayStation, Xbox

A blazing-fast 2D platforming classic where Sonic uses the new spin dash to tear through varied zones, with Tails tagging along as a co-op buddy. Iconic music, tricky special stages and Super Sonic make it a series high point.

7 Rayman Origins

Playing together in co-op

2011 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 9.99 € 94 % positive

A gorgeously hand-drawn 2D platformer bursting with zany humor, tight jumping challenges and frantic treasure-chase levels, playable with up to four friends in chaotic local co-op. It gets seriously demanding in its later stages.

8 Sonic Mania

Pixel art

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 19.99 € 94 % positive

A lovingly crafted return to classic 2D Sonic, with blazing-fast pixel-art stages, inventive remixes of beloved zones and a cracking soundtrack that nails the Genesis-era feel.

9 Geometry Dash

Challenging difficulty

2013 PC 4.99 € 93 % positive

A brutally demanding one-button rhythm platformer where you guide a geometric icon through spike-filled levels synced to pulsing electronic music. Pixel-perfect timing, endless retries and a huge library of community-made levels define the experience.

10 Sonic Generations

Fast pace

2011 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 51.79 € 93 % positive

A high-speed anniversary platformer where classic 2D Sonic and modern 3D Sonic team up to replay reimagined iconic stages from two decades of the series. Blistering speed, remixed music and heavy nostalgia define the experience.

11 Limbo

Dark, serious atmosphere

2010 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 11.49 € 91 % positive

A wordless puzzle-platformer rendered in stark black and white, following a boy through a hostile shadow world full of deadly traps learned through trial and error. Its oppressive atmosphere and minimalist art make it a haunting, memorable experience.

12 Ori and the Blind Forest

Interconnected level design

2015 PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 93 % positive

A gorgeous hand-painted Metroidvania platformer with tight, demanding movement, tense escape sequences and a heartfelt tale of loss and hope. Its sweeping orchestral score makes the forest of Nibel unforgettable.

13 Super Mario Maker 2

Building and crafting

2019 Nintendo Switch

A Mario platformer where you build your own levels and play endless courses made by other players. The editor is approachable and supports co-op building, and a Story Mode adds over 100 handmade courses.

14 Super Meat Boy 3D

Challenging difficulty

2026 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 24.99 € 87 % positive

A brutally tough 3D platformer where you play a cube of meat dashing and leaping through short, precise courses to rescue your girlfriend. Instant retries, macabre humor and high difficulty define it.

15 Disney's Aladdin (1993)

Fantasy setting

1993 PC 72 % positive

A brisk 2D platformer based on the Disney film, where Aladdin leaps through Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders and the palace using thrown apples and sword swipes. Its charming film-inspired visuals and chase sequences make it a 16-bit-era classic.

16 Hollow Knight: Silksong

Lots to discover

2025 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 19.50 € 89 % positive

The sequel to Hollow Knight: faster, more acrobatic and even more demanding.

17 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2020 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 39.99 € 86 % positive

A tough, precise 3D platformer where Quantum Masks reshape levels on the fly. Multiple playable characters with their own mechanics and a goofy cartoon style keep things fresh.

18 Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Challenging difficulty

2017 PC, Steam Deck verified 6.99 € 82 % positive

You haul yourself up an enormous mountain of junk using only a hammer while stuck in a cauldron, and one slip can send you tumbling far back down. Bennett Foddy's narration turns the frustration into a strange, darkly funny meditation on perseverance.

19 Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Strong soundtrack

2025 Nintendo Switch

A tight, challenging 2D platformer where you bounce through varied levels as Donkey and Diddy Kong, riding mine carts and rocket barrels along the way. Local two-player co-op makes the trip even more fun.

20 DuckTales: Remastered

Strong soundtrack

2013 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck verified 14.99 € 88 % positive

A lovingly rebuilt Disney platformer in which Scrooge McDuck pogo-bounces his cane through hand-drawn levels hunting for treasure. Voice acting, humor and music true to the cartoon series deliver plenty of nostalgia.

21 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Fantasy setting

2003 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 9.99 € 85 % positive

An acrobatic adventure through a cursed Persian palace where the Dagger of Time lets you rewind mistakes while wall-running through elaborate trap puzzles. The Prince's charming, self-narrated tale and his banter with Farah make it a genre classic.

22 Pitfall!

Pixel art

1982 PC, Xbox

An Atari-era classic where you run and jump through the jungle as Pitfall Harry, dodging swinging vines, crocodiles and scorpions while racing to collect every treasure within 20 minutes.

23 Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Lots to discover

2020 PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable 29.99 € 96 % positive

A gorgeous Metroidvania with fluid movement and an emotional story.

24 Shovel Knight

Pixel art

2014 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 13.99 € 93 % positive

A lovingly crafted NES-style platformer where a shovel-wielding knight pogo-bounces through varied stages, digs up treasure and battles a colorful cast of rival knights. Tight controls, charming humor and a superb chiptune soundtrack make it a modern classic.

25 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

Action-packed real-time combat

2004 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 9.99 € 82 % positive

A much grittier sequel where the Prince flees the relentless Dahaka and leaps between past and present on the Island of Time. Acrobatic traversal, time-rewinding powers and a deeper dual-weapon combat system define it, backed by a heavy metal soundtrack.

26 Pizza Tower

Fast pace

2023 PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 19.50 € 98 % positive

A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.

27 Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones

Fantasy setting

2005 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 9.99 € 80 % positive

The Sands of Time trilogy finale mixes acrobatic wall-running through a burning Babylon with time rewinds, stealthy Speed Kills, and the Prince's struggle against his savage Dark Prince alter ego.

28 Spelunky 2

Runs that play out differently every time

2020 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 16.79 € 93 % positive

A punishing, procedurally generated platformer where every cave brings new hazards, secrets and chaotic system interactions. Mastering bombs, ropes and traps leads to memorable runs, even in co-op.

29 Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Lots of humour

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 39.99 € 92 % positive

You jump, slide and spin through varied levels where precise timing decides between success and frustration. The colorful, exaggerated look and playful humor make this remake of the classic especially charming.

30 Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back

Lots of humour

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 39.99 € 92 % positive

You spin, jump and sprint through colorful, zany levels of Crash Bandicoot 2, remade for the N. Sane Trilogy. Precise timing and skill are key, while the cartoonish chaos of Cortex's schemes supplies the charm.

31 Psychonauts

Lots of humour

2005 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 8.19 € 95 % positive

A quirky 3D platformer where a young psychic dives into the minds of eccentric characters, each one a wildly inventive level. Sharp humor, distinctive art and surprisingly heartfelt themes about mental struggles make it a cult classic.

32 Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I

Fast pace

2010 PC, PlayStation, Xbox 9.99 € 43 % positive

A retro revival in classic 2D style: Sonic speeds through loops and ramps with the Spin Dash and Homing Attack, picking up from the Mega Drive era. Short, fast-paced levels and boss fights against Dr. Eggman are the focus.

33 Super Meat Boy Forever

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2020 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 4.99 € 58 % positive

A frantic auto-running platformer where Meat Boy or Bandage Girl race through procedurally assembled stages to rescue their kidnapped daughter. Precise reflexes and dark, slapstick humor define the experience.

34 Katana Zero

Pixel art

2019 PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 14.79 € 97 % positive

A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.

35 Tomb Raider

Lots to discover

2013 PC, PlayStation 6.99 € 85 % positive

The classic that made Lara Croft famous: precise grid-based jumping and climbing through vast, lonely tombs, mixed with lever puzzles and gunfights against wild animals and mythical creatures. The quiet, eerie atmosphere of ancient ruins defines the experience.

36 Prince of Persia

Companions and relationships

2008 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 9.99 € 78 % positive

A cel-shaded fairy-tale adventure where the Prince and the magical Elika acrobatically traverse a corrupted desert land, healing regions in a non-linear order. Elika saves you from every fall, making it a flowing, forgiving platformer carried by charming banter between the two.

37 Tomb Raider II

Lots to discover

1997 PC, PlayStation 6.99 € 86 % positive

Lara Croft hunts the Dagger of Xian across Venice, an offshore oil rig, a sunken wreck and Tibetan monasteries. This classic demands precise jumps, solves tricky environmental puzzles and adds more gunfights against human foes than its predecessor, plus vehicles like a speedboat and a snowmobile.

38 Psychonauts 2

Lots of humour

2021 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 59.99 € 95 % positive

An inventive 3D platformer where young psychic agent Raz dives into other characters' minds. Each mental world is a wildly imaginative level that tackles anxieties and trauma with plenty of humor and heart.

39 Trine

Fantasy setting

2009 PC, PlayStation, Steam Deck playable 14.99 € 95 % positive

A fairytale physics platformer where you swap at will between a wizard, a thief and a knight to solve obstacles in your own creative ways. Lush painterly fantasy levels and drop-in co-op give it lasting charm.

40 Trine 2

Fantasy setting

2011 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable 19.99 € 95 % positive

A gorgeous fairy-tale 2.5D platformer where you swap between a wizard, thief and knight to solve creative physics puzzles, solo or in up to three-player co-op.

41 Donkey Kong Bananza

Lots to discover

2025 Nintendo Switch

A 3D platformer where DK punches, tears and tunnels through almost entirely destructible underground layers, with hidden bananas rewarding every bit of curiosity. Playful, chaotic and charming, with Pauline's singing and transforming Bananza forms adding flair.

42 Jump King

Pixel art

2019 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 12.99 € 90 % positive

A merciless platformer where you climb a huge tower using only precisely charged jumps, and a single misstep can send you tumbling far back down. Frustration and triumph sit very close together.

43 N++

Challenging difficulty

2015 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 14.99 € 95 % positive

A minimalist, razor-precise physics platformer where you momentum-slide a ninja through thousands of short levels filled with mines and robots. Tight controls and punishing difficulty define the experience.

44 Tomb Raider: Underworld

Puzzles and brain teasers

2008 PC, PlayStation, Xbox 8.99 € 76 % positive

Lara Croft hunts for the Norse underworld of Helheim across sprawling tombs from Thailand to the Arctic. The focus is on acrobatic climbing and physics-based environmental puzzles, with some simple gunplay mixed in.

45 Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

Fantasy setting

2010 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam Deck playable −80 % 9.99 € 1.99 € 11 days left 70 % positive

A return to the Sands of Time era, built around fluid wall-running platforming and elemental powers like freezing water and rewinding time, broken up by brawls against hordes of sand soldiers.

46 Crash Bandicoot

Lots of humour

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 39.99 € 92 % positive

You guide Crash through colorful, linear levels that play like a classic 90s platformer. Precise jumps and demanding trial-and-error challenges are the heart of it, wrapped in plenty of humor.

47 Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

Dark, serious atmosphere

1997 PC, PlayStation, Steam Deck playable 2.99 € 90 % positive

A helpless Mudokon slave escapes a grotesque meat-processing plant using cunning, chanting and possession instead of weapons, rescuing fellow workers along the way. Its blend of black humor, punishing puzzle-platforming and striking art makes it a cult classic.

48 A Hat in Time

Lots of humour

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 28.99 € 97 % positive

A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.

49 The Lion King

Challenging difficulty

1994 PC 64 % positive

Classic Disney 2D platformer following Simba from playful cub to king, featuring gorgeous film-quality animation and a surprisingly punishing difficulty.

50 Vector

Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)

2012 PC 5.99 € 90 % positive

A fluid 2D parkour platformer where you run, vault and slide through a totalitarian near-future world as a freerunner. Precise timing and momentum are the heart of the game.

51 Ghostrunner

Sci-fi setting

2020 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable 29.99 € 91 % positive

A blisteringly fast first-person parkour slasher where one hit kills you and you wall-run, deflect bullets and slice enemies apart as a cyber-ninja. Constant death-and-retry loops set to a pounding synthwave score turn every arena into a precise reflex puzzle.

52 Sonic Heroes

Fast pace

2003 PC, PlayStation, Xbox

A fast-paced Sonic platformer where you control a trio of speed, flight and power characters, switching between them as you race through levels. Four teams with their own campaigns add variety.

53 Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Lavish presentation

2023 Nintendo Switch

A vibrant 2D Mario where Wonder Flowers suddenly twist levels into surprising, inventive set pieces. With new transformations like the elephant, equippable badges and up to four-player co-op, it is welcoming and brimming with creativity.

54 Dynamite Headdy

Boss fights as highlights

1994 PC

A quirky Sega platformer where you play a puppet who throws his detachable head as a weapon and grappling tool. Its theatrical stage setting, inventive boss fights and swappable head power-ups make it stand out.

55 BattleBlock Theater

Lots of humour

2013 PC, Xbox, Steam Deck verified 14.99 € 97 % positive

A hilariously irreverent platformer from The Behemoth where you play a prisoner forced through tricky block-based stage levels, solo or in co-op. The sarcastic narrator, cartoon style and chaotic fun with friends define it.

56 SteamWorld Dig 2

Dense, handcrafted world

2017 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 19.99 € 95 % positive

A Metroidvania where you play a steambot digging through the earth, uncovering treasure and secrets while upgrading your gear. Digging, platforming and puzzles mesh smoothly, making exploration highly compelling.

57 The Messenger

Pixel art

2018 PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 19.50 € 92 % positive

A ninja platformer that begins as an 8-bit romp and, through time travel, opens up into a 16-bit Metroidvania full of deadpan humor. Precise sword fighting and the satisfying cloudstep mid-air jump make movement a joy.

58 Guacamelee!

Action-packed real-time combat

2013 PC, PlayStation, Steam Deck verified 15.49 € 93 % positive

A funny Metroidvania set in a Mexican-folklore-inspired world, mixing agile platforming with punchy brawler combos and a switch between the living and dead worlds. The whole story can also be played in local co-op.

59 Disney's Aladdin (1993)

Fantasy setting

1993 PC 72 % positive

A classic 2D platformer based on the Disney film: Aladdin jumps, swings and fights with his scimitar and thrown apples through Agrabah, the Cave of Wonders and the palace. Its cartoon-style animation and film music are the main draw.

60 VVVVVV

Pixel art

2010 PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified 4.99 € 96 % positive

A tough retro platformer where you can't jump but instead flip gravity to switch between floor and ceiling. Brutally precise rooms, generous checkpoints and a pounding chiptune soundtrack make it a cult classic.

Coming soon

Coming soon: Platformers

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What matters: Platformers

Platformers boil down to movement: you learn how a jump feels, then use that feel to get through tricky spaces. The appeal is the loop of trying, failing, adjusting and finally nailing a sequence. Within the genre, though, games differ a lot in how forgiving they are, so it helps to decide what kind of challenge you want before picking.

If you want something relaxed and inventive, Super Mario Odyssey is built around exploration in colorful worlds, and Rayman Origins offers hand-drawn visuals, comedy and co-op. For tough, precise play, Celeste and Super Meat Boy are both tagged Difficult and rely on pixel art and tight timing. Celeste also leans on its story, while Super Meat Boy leans on comedy and fast retries.

If you like classic momentum and speed, Sonic Mania and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 both offer pixel art and co-op, so you can share the couch. Crash Bandicoot is a good pick if you want a 1990s PlayStation platformer with a difficult streak. If you would rather run across rooftops in a first-person view, Mirror's Edge brings a stylish cyberpunk atmosphere that few platformers match.

Also check platforms: some games on this list are tied to a single system, such as Super Mario Odyssey on Nintendo Switch and the Crash games on PlayStation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best platformer for beginners?

Super Mario Odyssey is a good starting point, as it centers on exploration in a colorful world. Rayman Origins is another friendly option, especially with co-op.

Which platformers are the hardest?

Celeste, Super Meat Boy and the original Crash Bandicoot are all tagged Difficult. Celeste and Super Meat Boy focus on precision, so expect plenty of retries.

Which platformers can I play with a friend?

Sonic Mania, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Rayman Origins are all tagged Co-op. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is also tagged Multiplayer.

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