Whether you were team Sonic or Team Mario, each offered something different, and that continues to this day. There’s a deep history with this genre so listing the best will surely rub some players the wrong way, but anything worth doing will always be difficult. So, with that in mind, here are the platformers that should be considered required reading for practically any gamer with a taste for them.
The games that have made it onto this list take into account the title’s impact on the genre, innovations brought to the table, and a degree of subjectivity on the part of the author!
Human Fall Flat
I hesitated to add this to our list of greatest platformers of all time, but given it’s one of those few platforming games that’s gotten updated over the years with new levels, it’s got phenomenal Steam reviews, and I find myself returning to it so often, I went with my gut. Human Fall Flat is a chill 3D puzzle platformer that, perhaps because of its minimalist art style, manages to feel timeless, no matter if you’re picking it up now or if you played it eight years ago when it was first released.
You can play through various “worlds” with friends, with each world featuring a kind of gimmick that further uncovers new methods you can use in subsequent worlds. The star of the show is clearly the outrageously hilarious physics. Your little characters waddle backwards and forwards, and you need to pick up blocks or sticks with outstretched arms in order to weigh down movable platforms or depress buttons. It sounds straightforward, and it is. And with a name like Human Fall Flat, would you expect anything less?
Inside
A platformer game does not need to possess frenetic action to be considered one of the greats; sometimes, all it needs is atmosphere, and Inside has that in spades. From the creators of Limbo (another iconic platformer game you can find further down in this list), Inside tells the gripping story of a boy on the run, and it does that with zero words. Not a single intelligible word is spoken throughout the entirety of the game.
Instead, as you lope across sodden fields, slink past dilapidated buildings, and work your way through this strange, dystopian society, you slowly pick up bits and pieces of what’s going on. There’s a disturbing mind-control technology in effect, implemented by those in power, and you’re playing as a small child with no resources at their disposal, simply trying to escape. Or are you? Inside’s mysterious narrative aside, the art style and puzzle-platforming are top-notch, making Inside one of the best in the genre.
Pizza Tower
With a wonderfully distinct aesthetic and more personality in a single animation than you might see in the entirety of most triple-A titles, Pizza Tower is a platforming game you shouldn’t sleep on. It’s got a strangely Sonic vibe as you rush, slide, and whomp your way through levels. And if you know how classic Sonic feels like, you know that Pizza Tower just feels fun to play. So as you’re making your mad dash up the titular Pizza Tower to save your pizzeria, there’s never a dull moment.
It might sound like I’m describing a simple platforming game where you play as a guy trying to save his pizza place because that’s essentially what the game is. But the creativity behind its art and combat and platforming speaks for itself. Pizza Tower is a joy and should stand proudly as one of the best platforming games you can play today.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Spoiler warning, you’ll see an array of Super Mario titles on this list of greatest platformers, and for good reason. As the grandfather, nay, the great-grandfather of platforming games, Nintendo has shown it knows what it takes to make a fantastic platforming title, and it continually iterates on the conventions of the genre it helped create.
Nowhere is this more clear than in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. The sheer delight you feel as you play through Wonder solidifies why “wonder” is in the game’s title at all. From the rhythm-based levels to Sproings in the Twilight Forest, the creativity on display here is astounding.
Battleblock Theater
Given it’s been years since Battleblock Theater first released, you could be forgiven for never having heard of it. But consider this entry to be added education to your knowledge of platforming games if that’s the case. The hilarity inherent in Battleblock Theater is a huge part of its appeal. The wacky narrator who tells the tale of Hatty and friends being stranded on an island where they need to perform in platforming arenas for the amusement of sadistic cats is a major draw.
Seriously, it’s almost worth playing Battleblock Theater for the narrator alone.
But the game doesn’t rest on the laurels of this comedic win. It also provides an enjoyable co-op romp through said arenas, with game mechanics like tossing buddies, reaching down to give them a boost, and literally crying for help all contributing to making the cooperative aspect of Battleblock Theater its crowning achievement.
Little Nightmares
The creepy aesthetic of Little Nightmares is enough to warrant a playthrough. Oddly proportioned enemies haunt the swaying environments of the game, and it’s up to you to guide the yellow raincoat-clad Six as she tiptoes her way past them.
Or madly sprints, if you’re like me and you panic-think the arm-guy or the chef twins are after you even if they haven’t spotted you yet.
If you’re a fan of games like Limbo and Inside, then you’ll be familiar with how to play through Little Nightmares. Successfully passing through areas is reliant on trial and error, and you can expect to see Six squashed by falling debris, grabbed by a waddling man with snake-like arms, and swallowed by an invisible shoe monster many times. But the mystery and horrific charm of Little Nightmares is engrossing, and makes it a platformer definitely worth the easily digestible playtime.
LittleBigPlanet
Few games divided critics and audiences as much as LittleBigPlanet. In hindsight, this game was ahead of its time, with realistic graphics, high-end physics, and the ability for an entire community to create their own content and increase the longevity of the game infinitely.
No game has quite captured what LittleBigPlanet set out to do, not even the sequels in the series. If any game deserves a remaster from its humble origins, this one would set the world on fire with a larger and more creative audience.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Loyal fans of the series were afraid when they heard that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was going to be reconning many of the established seven games that came before it. Changing the events of a beloved franchise is a risky endeavor that fails more often than it succeeds.
But the result respected the characters and source material. Here’s hoping Crash Bandicoot is up for a sequel soon, he’s one of many platformer characters due for a comeback! In addition to the story, the platforming in this game is unique, a mix of player movement, decisions, and running for dear life.
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
As players wonder why they haven’t been treated to a new Spyro game in a while, those who haven’t played should understand why the demand exists. The Spyro series keeps the brand fresh with a mix of speed challenges, jumping, combat, racing, and physics.
Many platformers stick to doing one thing and doing it well. Spyro gamers are challenged on all fronts and flourish. Thanks to the Reignited Trilogy, players from the classic generation got to show their friends how remarkably well the series holds up in the modern era.
Psychonauts 2
The genius of Psychonauts 2 lies in its subtlety. When games try to have symbols for mental states of mind, they can be on the ham-fisted side. Something like “shoot the brain sprite” is outdated and, frankly, demeaning to the intellect that gamers have. But the gameplay is something that kids using the Xbox Series X/S can appreciate as well as adults.
There is beauty to the parallels that everybody understands but they don’t have to be explicitly stated by the characters. Aside from the beautiful storytelling with this medium, it doesn’t hurt that the game itself has perfectly balanced challenge with reward.
The humor of Psychonauts is matched only by the satisfaction you feel as you go on a collectathon spree.