Summary
- Talented indie developers are redefining platforming games with unique twists and imaginative premises.
- Some indie platformers, including Pizza Tower, pay homage to a retro series while adding new ideas.
- Other titles, like Gris, offer a completely new idea that innovates upon the genre.
From Super Mario to S🔯onic the Hedgehog to Jak & Daxter, many excellent triple-A platformers have defined generations and kept fans entertained over the years. Among the giants, however, are a lot of smaller developers who have tried their hand at the genre, resulting in some of the best platforming games to🅷day.

16🅘8澳洲幸运5开奖网: Best Platformer Games Of Al🌸l Time
The platformer is one of the oldest and most beloved genres of all time. If you're a fan of them, t𝔍hese are the titles you NEED to pl🙈ay.
With imaginative premises, unique twists, and entertaining gameplay, these 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:indie games push the boundaries and redefine the genre. Some hidden (and some not-so-hidden) gems are coming for the platforming crown, and they might just claim it from everybody's favorite plumber sooner rather than later.
Updated on June 15, 2024, by PJ Molloy: Triple-A platformers have become increasingly scarce as of late. Thankfully, many talented indie developers are keeping the genre alive and providing new innovative ideas. For fans of 3D platform games, we've added a few new recommendations to scratch that itch for more collect-a-thons.
15 💃 Cavern Of Dreams
An N64-Inspired Collect-A-Thon
Cavern of Dreams is a loving homage to N64 collect-a-thons, featuring game♛play and visuals reminisc𝓀ent of the era. The story follows a young dragon named Fynn who must explore five sandbox worlds to rescue his lost siblings.
Like Banjo-Kazooie and Donkey Kong 64, you must hunt for collectibles, unlock new abilities, and help the many colorful characters you meet along the way. What makes Cavern of Dreams unique is its heavier emphasis on puzzles, many of which will test your observation skills. It's a short adventure but well worth it if you like retro 3D platformers.
14 𝄹 Pizza Tower 🌃
A Score-Attack Game Based On 90s Cartoons
- Released
- 🧸 January 26, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Tour De Pizza 🉐𒁏
- Platform(s)
- PC, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nintendo Switch
Inspired by the Wario Land games, Pizza Tower is a fast-paced score-attack platformer with an art style reminiscent of 90s cartoons. You control Chef Peppino Spaghetti, who must stop a sentient pizza from destroying his restaurant with a laser cannon. If it sounds silly, that's because it is.
Peppino's moveset combines Sonic the Hedgehog's speed and Wario's combat. Each level is a race against time as you try to maintain your combo by pummeling enemies and finding collectibles. Hilarious, challenging, and delightfully bizarre, Pizza Tower makes for a unique and thrilling experience.
13 Lunistice
A Love Letter To The Sega Saturn
If you grew up with Sega Saturn, you'll feel right at home with Lunistice. Everything from the pixel graphics to the Sonic-inspired 3D platforming captures the feel of the 32-bit era. You play as Hana the Tanuki, who must platform through seven dream-like zones, each split into two acts.
The levels are a mix of speed-based sections and exploration-based collect-a-thon segments. Hana can double jump and hit enemies with her tail, creating a crisp and responsive moveset that makes platforming a blast. Check it out if you're a fan of Sonic or Sega as a whole.
12 MO Astray
A Macabre Puzzle Platformer
Lately, there have been plenty of action-platforming efforts by indie studios, even those that stress charming art design. Yet, this hidden gem from Rayark International uses fun, clever twists to their advantage — with both the parasitic sci-𒁏fi themes and the gameplay.
MO Astray has you control an amorphous blob that ventures through dark, industrial corridors by controlling zombie-like lifeforms. While doing so, you'll be able to progress to the next unknown room by solving puzzles, dodging hazards, and using other abilities.
11 Limbo
A Spooky Horror Side-Scroller
An early example of an indie platforming hit, Playdead's eerie noir-style Limbo remains a standout with its creative puzzles and spooky, silhouetted art style. The game launched in 2010 on Xbox Live Arcade and received positive reception from fans and critics alike.

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: 🍎The Best 2D Platformers On Nintendo Switch
Get lost in these fantastic 2D platformers perfectlyꦑ fit to play on the Switch.
This short but memorable journey has you control a boy who must trek through a mysterious forest while surviving various traps, monsters, and other macabre hazards in search of his sister. Despite stylized 2D visuals, Limbo utterly immerses you with its bone-chilling atmosphere — and an authentic feel via minimal hand-holding,൲ menus, or interface.
10 Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap
A Stunning Remake Of A Beloved Platformer
Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap is a brilliant remake of the original Wonder Boy sequel from Lizardcube. Launched in 2017 for console, PC, and mobile devices, the game puts you in control of a young adventurer who, after defeating the fierce Mecha Dragon, has been inflicted with a curse that's turned them into a lizard-human hybrid.
To revert back to your human form, you must take a daring journey across many different lands to slay the remaining dragons. Throughout the story, you'll gain animal transformations to help navigate specific areas and combat situations. The Dragon's Trap is a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:charming, underrated platformer with a compel꧙li💝ng premise and gorgeous hand-drawn graphics.
9 Gris
An Emotional Journey Through Grief
GRIS
- Released
- 𒀰 December 13, 2018 ♊
- Developer(s)
- 𝔍 Nomada Studio
Undoubtedly one of the best indie games on the market, Gris took gamers by storm with its 2018 launch thanks to an enticing art style and striking emotional premise. Gris follows the title protagonist as she d🧜eals with grief and personal loss while trying to find her voice again.
Throughout the game, you'll journey across locales that represent the five stages of grief, as well as evade the inky black monster that seems intent on consuming Gris. She'll also gain traversal abilities along the way, including creating paths out of constellations. Overall, it's a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:beautiful puzzle platformer that everyone should experience at least once.
8 Little Nightmares 𓆏
The Scariest Platformer Ever
Little Nightmares: Complete Edition
- Platform(s)
Tarsier Studios' debut venture into the horror genre pleasantly surprised fans when it launched in 2017. You take control of a little girl called Six, who's desperately trying to escape the harsh bowels of a giant underwater vessel called The Maw. She must traverse the nightmarish environment while solving puzzles and avoiding many scary foes.
Little Nightmares emphasizes stealth gameplay due to Six's lack of combat abilities, bringing a feeling of helplessness felt by the dangers that lurk around most corners. It's a quick, captivating, and uneasy experience, perfect for horror fans.
7 💝 🎃 Super Meat Boy
A Hilarious Yet Challenging Classic
- Released
- ⛦ October 20, 2010 🎃
- Developer(s)
- Team Meat
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Switch, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nintendo Wii U, PC
Known for being one of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:the hardest platformers ever, Super Meat෴ Boy has long been celebrated as a legendary indie game. Meat Boy is on a mission to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, which he soon discovers is no easy task. The game is famous for its high challenge due to the many fast-paced levels and precise split-second timing required to avoid obstacles.
Super Meat Boy provides a staggering 300 levels to complete, guaranteeing hours of intense gameplay. Plus, its distinctive art style and dark comedy make it endlessly enticing. Overall, it's a love letter to traditional platform games with a ramped-up difficulty — great for those who enjoy a challenge.
6 Fall Guys
A Delightfully Silly Battle Royale
- Released
- August🦄 4, 2020
- Developer(s)
- 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Mediatonic
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Switch, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Xbox Series X, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Mediatonic's Fall Guys seemed to land at the perfect time. In early 2020, when people were staying safe at home, playing multiplayer games with friends online became a saving grace, and Fall Guys became a global hit.

With inspiration from over-the-top game shows like Total Wipeout and Ninja Warrior, Fall Guys cleverly merges precision platforming with the competitive chaos of a battle royale. Up to 60 players control walking jellybeans and must complete a series of colorful challenges. It's a race to the finish line (or other rotating events), with the winner claiming the coveted crown. Simple yet engaging, Fall Guys is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:perfect for 3D platforming newcomers.