Platformer games remain one of the best video game genres that exist at this moment, and I’ve spent countless hours exploring why they continue to captivate players across all platforms. The foundational appeal of jumping from platform to platform has been a bedrock gaming genre since Super Mario Bros. first showed us what was possible.

What makes these games special is how developers have found countless ways to challenge us while keeping the core mechanics simple. Whether you prefer to play on PC, consoles, phones, or other mobile devices, there’s something magical about moving skillfully through proper levels that test your timing and reflexes.

The genre has evolved dramatically from simple 2D sidescrollers into complex 3D action adventures and even open-world sandboxes. Contemporary platformers now blend elements from multiple game genres, giving designers freedom to create experiences that would have seemed impossible during the Nintendo 64 era.

I’ve noticed that Pure platformers haven’t fallen out of favor in modern times—instead, they’ve experienced an explosion through retro-inspired indie games that bring new life to classic ideas. The core Mario franchise from Nintendo proves that traditional approaches still work, while innovative titles show how the foundational verb of jumping can create entirely fresh experiences.

Today’s platformer games offer good boss fights and competitive mechanics systems where you can fight against online players. From 2D sidescrollers to 3D sandboxes, you can run through vibrant worlds or walk through puzzle-filled chambers depending on your mood.

The beauty is that whether you’re chasing nostalgia or discovering these games for the first time, platformer games on mobile and computers let you enjoy the same thrilling challenge that defined gaming’s early days.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Nintendo is the source of this game’s status, but the causal factor of Retro Studios is clear from the starting time, particularly if you know their Metroid Prime series. This team delivered outstanding work that earned lasting acclaim and turned them into true legends.

In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the Donkey Kong franchise reflects with organic levels, smart levels, and inventive mechanics built on interwoven mechanics. The action-platforming feels tight, with bombastic set pieces, refined mechanics, and memorable set pieces.

You play as a strong gorilla, including a tanktop-wearing gorilla named Funky Kong, an outstanding character even today. As someone who loves platformer games, I still suggest this classic franchise to players and developers, particularly on Nintendo Switch.

Kirby Star Allies

Kirby Star Allies stands out as an easy platformer where the platforming is light and hospitable. You can team up with three friends, stay cute, float over foes, suck them in, and steal powers with ease.

As Nintendo brings its cute pink marshmallow mascot to the Nintendo Switch, this marks Kirby’s debut after years on the 3DS. The move to a new system delivers crisp HD graphics without yarn or clay stylization.

Priced at $59.99, the game falls out of the standard Kirby formula but adds a gentle twist. You can recruit three characters, mix and match different powers, which keeps it fun even without many new ideas.

The classic feel comes from Kirby’s Adventure-style swallow-and-copy gameplay, also seen in Kirby Triple Deluxe at $19.99 on GameStop, and Kirby: Planet Robobot. Kirby is still an endlessly hungry eldritch horror, a little pink puffball who can swallow enemies and copy powers.

Swallow a knight to get a sword, a snowman for ice powers, or a rock as long as it’s an enemy rock. This standard Kirby action dates back to the NES, and it still makes a good game, just like in the past.

What changes things is the Star Allies part, which lets every mix feel social and playful. From my time with it, this approach makes long sessions feel easy and friendly without losing charm.

Mega Man 11

As anybody who grew up with the NES, this beloved series still holds up even Decades later, and Mega Man 11 feels like a self-confident continuation of an iconic Capcom franchise that retains its classic elements. 

The acquainted side-scrolling platformer formula is still here, but it now adds modern and slick visuals, a fresh coat of paint, and another soundtrack that sticks with you throughout every stage. The core gameplay stays tricky and tough, occupied with hazards, obstacles, and enemies that test your ability to recognize patterns and telegraphs. 

The Double Gear system introduces speed-boosting and power-boosting options that offer smart ways to avoid danger or dispatch foes, though a handful of moments can feel unfair, and some stages can feel a bit long in this fast-paced action game.

Each stage culminates in a boss fight that bombards you with attacks, forcing you to counter specific bosses by learning their patterns. Upon defeat, you earn a new weapon you can use in other stages, often stronger than the standard Mega Buster, turning old gauntlets into something wonderfully fun. 

This challenge delivers a satisfying loop of shooting, platforming, and smart killER design that still explores what made the old games special.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

The original Lego Star Wars video game boom comes full circle with the Skywalker Saga, an epic journey that feels complete after all these years. Having played since 2005, this modern wave truly honors what first sparked it all.

This game combines and recreates all nine films into fun, family-friendly puzzle-platforming gameplay that is set in a wonderful open-world galaxy to explore. Lego has used countless properties to create toys, but this magnificent mash-up clearly tops them all.

Built from tiny brick ideas that mostly fit together cleanly, this Nintendo Switch release by TT Games is a comprehensive, kid-friendly recreation that is undeniably the biggest and best Lego title to date, even at 59.99. The Saga covers the main material with each episode that runs like a two-hour movie.

The lightsaber battles and John Williams compositions are filtered through charmingly comedic sensibilities, which gave me the same joy I felt playing the classic games. Turning on Mumble Mode to replace spoken dialogue with grunts and noises makes it feel like a slapstick silent film, and that personal touch still works beautifully.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Among modern Metroidvanias, many players look for something interesting and nonlinear, where the map invites you to explore at your own pace. This game feels cool because new powers unlock paths, and careful polishing makes the platforming and mechanics truly shine.

Ori, Will, and the Wisps form a journey that manages to be both gorgeous and complex. The world offers plenty of nifty abilities, making it one of the best examples of pure movement and controls I’ve ever used.

I’ve followed Microsoft, a company mostly known for mature, realistic games starring space soldiers, sports, and cars. Seeing this company take a stab at creating a different kind of family-friendly, mascot-driven platformer felt refreshing and bold.

This shift was clearly defined by Nintendo, whose rise to power began 30 years ago. In 2015, Blind Forest became a successful attempt at a sidescroller that was cute, a little romp, and a genuine achievement.

Its storytelling and artistic direction felt special and almost singular. A poorly conceived sequel could have diminished the original charm, but fortunately, this was a fantastic follow-up.

Winning Editor’s Choice on PC, it helped establish lasting franchises. The story takes place after the events of the first game, with the lovable guardian spirit facing new dangers in unfamiliar lands.

I played the first game, and what unfolded felt like a fairy tale told through abstraction. It’s hard to explain without a spoiler, but any complaint fades inside its sylvan, ethereal unreality.

That atmosphere helped create an engrossing environment that still stays with me today.

Psychonauts 2

After a long hiatus, Psychonauts returns as Psychonauts 2, and it is still as tall as an outstanding platformer experience. This mind-bending journey into the subconscious mixture of heady themes with quirky characters in a way few Best Platformer Games ever attack.

The game feels profoundly creative, using sleek 3D platforming, psychic combat, and unusual powers that influence how you move and fight. Investigate the Mother-lobe tending me why this series was among my favorite games of the 2000s, even when the waning genre struggled.

What makes it shine is how incredibly creative the varied adventure feels, filled with bizarre characters and bizarre mindscapes. The new was a sleeper hit, critically acclaimed despite commercial failure, which made the idea of a sequel feel uncertain for years.

Then the developer Double Fine announced it was in the works, and the wait finally paid off. The game picks up immediately after the first Psychonauts game and the Rhombus of Ruin VR adventure released in 2017.

Only a few days after the events at Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp, Raz continues his first adventure path. With Psychonauts founder Truman Zanotto rescued from abduction, there are still unanswered questions tied to the camp.

Playing as a Psychonaut-in-training, you slowly uncover a much bigger plot that feels personal and strange in equal measure. As someone who’s followed the series closely, this evolution feels earned and confident.

Penny’s Big Breakaway

Penny’s Big Breakaway is outstanding in Best Platformer Games because the team behind Sonic Mania takes a huge swing with something really original. This 3D experience feels like a fever dream, compact with wild casino energy, direct out of the Sega Saturn era.

What grabbed me first was the fascinating locomotion system that asks you to move skillfully with a yo-yo. You bash enemies, swing across stages, then roll toward your goal, and it feels fresh every time.

Back when 2D platformers were the video game industry bedrock in its golden age, things felt simpler. Modern 3D platformers are a different animal, and this game understands that shift while showing a loving homage to the Blue Blur.

The indie developer Evening Star returns here with a self-assured adventure available on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. Even with some frustrating enemy designs, the $29.99 price feels fair because it excels at what the genre needs most: fun play.

I could feel the care in the inventive levels, shaped by clear influences and deep Sonic history. The stylized, cartoon carnival world feels like a half-remembered dream inspired by Casino Night Zone and Nights Into Dreams.

As you travel through numerous biomes, from industrial plants to water worlds, the bold colors and strong art direction create an appealing, cohesive aesthetic. The visuals are elevated further by funky music from composer Tee Lopes, which ties the whole experience together.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Having followed this franchise since its early launch day, I’ve seen how many games sit on the cross-generational line, but Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart fully commits to PlayStation 5 design and true next-gen power. This beautiful version feels like a reward for fans who waited through every anticipated title for a good reason.

What stands out to me is how the game leverages the PS5 SSD to instantly hop between dimensions, making the colorful shooting and platforming mechanics feel smooth and natural. The stellar presentation, immersive haptic feedback, tight controls, and blazing-fast load times together encapsulate a premium experience that few gaming releases match.

Since its reveal last June, back in 2021, this Insomniac Games’ newest title clearly serves as a showcase and also resurrects one of the longest-running series I’ve personally grown up with. As a direct sequel to 2013’s Into the Nexus, it brings the iconic duo back in form.

This time, the heroes attempt to thwart the machinations of their long-time nemesis, Doctor Nefarious, a dastardly robot whose schemes threaten the galaxy and the wider multiverse. With their hands full fighting robotic minions, it’s refreshing to see new allies arrive and offer assistance, keeping the pace strong and the stakes high.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

Shovel Knight began as a Kickstarter success that managed to deliver a fantastic homage to retro platformers, and as someone who backed and later replayed it, that promise truly held up. By taking mechanics from a variety of sources like the Mario map screen, Castlevania weapon system, and DuckTales shovel pogo stick attack, it honors an entire era of gaming rather than one example.

What sets it apart is how the three additional expansions included in Treasure Trove are basically entire new games in their own right. In an 8-bit side-scrolling indie video game market that feels flooded, it’s easy to discount the genre as easy-to-develop cash-in nostalgia, but this release proves why that thinking is flawed.

I’ve seen many such PC games that barely qualify on graphics, despite invoking the term, and don’t even bother to create a compelling, well-designed experience. There’s a reason this $15 title from Yacht Club Games, a studio created by former WayForward Technologies director Sean Velasco, stands out.

It’s an incredibly satisfying, expertly crafted platformer that is also one of the most authentically NES-style games I’ve seen for this type, even though it was not released on a cartridge. It’s available on Mac, Nintendo Wii U, and 3DS, and when I tested it, I found it among my most enjoyable experiences in years. My onlycomplaint was wanting morecontent, but thanks to multiplestretchgoalsmet during the 2013campaign, that issue was, however, addressed in the future, and for free.

Gaming Overview Chart

Game Title	Genre	Release Year	Developer	Platforms
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze	Platformer	2014	Retro Studios	Nintendo Switch
Kirby Star Allies	Platformer	2018	HAL Laboratory	Nintendo Switch
Mega Man 11	Action Platformer	2018	Capcom	PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga	Action-Adventure	2022	TT Games	PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Ori and the Will of the Wisps	Platformer	2020	Moon Studios	Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Psychonauts 2	Platformer	2021	Double Fine Productions	PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Penny’s Big Breakaway	3d Platformer	2024	Evening Star	PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, PC
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart	Action Platformer	2021	Insomniac Games	PlayStation 5
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove	Platformer	2014	Yacht Club Games	PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC

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