Best of
The best platformers
Jumping sounds simple, but it is the hardest feel to perfect in games. The best platformers have controls so precise that failing never feels unfair, always like your own mistake. From 2D classics to big 3D adventures.
This list in numbers
- 120 games in this category
- 92 average rating of the top 30
- 13 median playtime in hours
- 37 release years covered (1988 to 2025)
- 9 of 30 playable in co-op
- 17 of 30 are cheap or free
Why these three lead
Super Mario Galaxy takes the top spot with 97 out of 100, followed by Super Mario Odyssey at 97 and Super Mario World at 96. All three clear the 92 point average of this list, and the gap to the rest of the field is small enough that your own taste matters more than the ranking.
How this list is put together
I start from every game in the database that fits this category, currently 120, and sort them by the aggregated critic rating. The 30 highest scoring titles make the list. No publisher can pay to appear here, and the affiliate links have no effect on the order. The full method is explained under how I pick.
- 01 97/100
Super Mario Galaxy Details
Playable via Super Mario 3D All Stars on Switch, this classic sends Mario across tiny planets with their own gravity. Creative level design and a space atmosphere make it one of the best 3D platformers ever made.
- 02 97/100
Super Mario Odyssey Details
Mario travels with his possessable cap Cappy through colorful, open ended kingdoms to save Princess Peach from Bowser's wedding plans. One of the most creative and joyful 3D platformers ever made.
- 03 96/100
Super Mario World Details
This SNES launch title introduced Yoshi and remains one of the most polished 2D platformers ever made. The original, complete with hidden exits, can be revisited today via the Nintendo Switch Online app.
- 04 95/100
Super Mario Bros. Wonder Details
The classic 2D Mario formula gets completely unpredictable, wild level transformations courtesy of the Wonder Flowers. Up to four players can hop together through the Flower Kingdom.
- 05 94/100
Astro Bot Details
The little robot Astro jumps through colorful, imaginative level worlds to recover scattered pieces of his spaceship. Precise platforming design and loving nods to gaming culture create pure playful joy.
PlayStation - 06 94/100
Super Mario 64 Details
This N64 milestone redefined 3D platforming and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online or the Super Mario 3D All Stars collection. Free camera control and open level structures built around star collecting were groundbreaking.
- 07 92/100
Banjo-Kazooie Details
This Rare classic is considered one of the best 3D collectathon platformers on N64 and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online as well as Xbox backward compatibility. Humor, creative worlds and clever abilities still define the game today.
SwitchXbox - 08 92/100
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Details
This SNES sequel is considered by many the best entry in the series and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Pre rendered graphics, tight level design and a steep difficulty make it a genre classic.
- 09 92/100
Inside Details
A nameless boy flees through an oppressive, dystopian world full of silent threats and haunting imagery. In just a few hours, the game builds an atmosphere that lingers long afterward.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitchMobile - 10 92/100
Super Mario Sunshine Details
With the water jet F.L.U.D.D. on his back, Mario cleans up the sunny Isle Delfino of mysterious grime and collects Shine Sprites. The 2002 title remains one of the most idiosyncratic 3D Mario entries thanks to its unusual water mechanics.
- 11 92/100
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Details
This SNES spinoff with its distinctive crayon style visuals shifted the platforming focus to Yoshi and Baby Mario and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Egg throwing mechanics and a unique visual style still make the game stand out today.
- 12 91/100
Celeste Details
Climbing a mountain becomes a metaphor for the fight against your own anxiety and depression, wrapped in tight platforming gameplay. Despite its high difficulty, fair checkpoints keep it from ever feeling unfair.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 13 91/100
Hollow Knight Details
A vast, interconnected world is explored within a decaying insect kingdom, packed with tough boss fights and mysterious lore. The moody hand-drawn art style underlines the melancholic atmosphere.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 14 91/100
Mark of the Ninja Details
As a tattooed ninja, players sneak through 2D levels where sightlines and sound are clearly visualized. The thoughtful stealth design remains a genre reference for sneaking mechanics to this day.
PCXboxPlayStationSwitch - 15 91/100
Ori and the Will of the Wisps Details
The sequel sends Ori into an even bigger world with new abilities, a combat system and a touching farewell. Visually and musically it ranks among the very best the genre has to offer.
PCXboxSwitch - 16 91/100
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Details
Ratchet and Clank jump between colorful planets via dimensional rifts, fighting robot armies with a wild arsenal of weapons. Fast loading technology makes universe switching seamless and spectacular.
PlayStationPC - 17 91/100
- 18 91/100
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Details
This Mega Drive hit introduced Tails and the spin dash and is regarded as the peak of the classic Sonic era. It is available today via Sonic Origins, Steam, console stores and mobile ports.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitchMobile - 19 91/100
- 20 91/100
Split Fiction Details
Two authors get pulled into their own sci-fi and fantasy stories and must escape together through rapidly shifting genre worlds. Like its predecessor, it wins over players with a flood of creative ideas that only work in co-op.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 21 91/100
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury Details
The Switch version combines the colorful co op platforming adventure with the open bonus mode Bowser's Fury. Up to four players jump together through cleverly built levels.
- 22 91/100
Super Mario Bros. 3 Details
The NES classic is regarded as one of the greatest platformers ever made and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Its world map, power suits and tight level design remain hugely influential.
- 23 90/100
Donkey Kong Bananza Details
Donkey Kong's first major 3D adventure on Switch 2 revolves around fully destructible environments. He digs through underground layers and discovers huge, shapeable levels full of secrets.
- 24 90/100
Hollow Knight: Silksong Details
Playing as Hornet, you explore a new kingdom shaped by silk and song, with an even faster combat system than its predecessor. After years of waiting, the sequel shifts its focus from sheer power to agility.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 25 90/100
It Takes Two Details
A couple is turned into dolls and must cooperate through a string of ever more imaginative level worlds to become human again. Almost every hour of play introduces a completely new mechanic that only works in co-op.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 26 90/100
Mega Man 2 Details
The second entry in the series is regarded by many fans as the best classic Mega Man and is available today through Nintendo Switch Online. Its rock paper scissors robot master weapon system and precise, demanding difficulty made it a series highlight.
- 27 90/100
Rayman Legends Details
An award winning 2D platformer with hand drawn visuals and extremely precise platforming across numerous imaginative worlds. Its famous music levels, where jumps are timed exactly to the beat, are considered a highlight of the genre.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitch - 28 89/100
BattleBlock Theater
A humorous coop platformer in which adorable cat characters, held prisoner in a bizarre theater show, fight against block monsters. A sarcastic narrator comments on the action, while puzzle levels are best solved together with a friend.
PCXbox - 29 89/100
Mega Man X Details
This SNES spinoff introduced dashing and wall jumping and is celebrated as one of the best action platformers of its era. Today it runs via Nintendo Switch Online or the Mega Man X Legacy Collection.
SwitchMobile - 30 89/100
Neon White Details
A demon hunter races through short, precisely timed speedrun courses where weapon cards double as jump and attack tools. Chasing best times and optimizing routes take center stage in the punchy anime visuals.
PCPlayStationXboxSwitchMobile
Worth reading on this
Common questions
- How many games of this kind are in the database?
- There are currently 120. This page shows the 30 with the highest critic rating, so nothing below that cut is missing by accident, it simply scored lower.
- What is the single best pick right now?
- Super Mario Galaxy, with 97 out of 100. That said, the top of this list sits within a few points, so the second or third entry may fit your evening better.
- How much time do these games ask for?
- The median across this list is about 13 hours. 23 of the 30 entries are finished in fifteen hours or less if you are short on time.
- Can I play these with friends?
- 9 of the 30 entries support co-op. The rest are built as single player experiences.
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