The best 2D platformer depends on what you want from the jump: Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an inviting all-ages starting point, Celeste is built for precise retries, and Hollow Knight turns platforming into a sprawling action-adventure. This ranking weighs game feel and level design, originality, accessibility or challenge, replay value, and availability. It spans traditional side-scrollers, puzzle games, precision challenges, and action hybrids—not every pick is a pure, jump-first platformer.
How this ranking works
There is no single authoritative ranking of the genre: Nintendo offers a curated Switch roundup, PC Gamer publishes editorial recommendations, and storefront charts classify games without establishing a universal quality order. The order below is an editorial judgment based on how well each game delivers its particular kind of platforming, its distinctiveness, the range of players it can serve, and the value of its levels or replay structure. Hybrid games remain on the list when their movement and side-scrolling play are central to the experience.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Voidwrought Standard Edition - Nintendo Switch | $34.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Gravity Circuit - Nintendo Switch | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Mago: Hyperdelicious Edition - Nintendo Switch | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Windswept - Nintendo Switch | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Blade Assault (Nintendo Switch) | $24.97 | Buy on Amazon |
“2D platformer” covers more than one format. Some games are sequences of discrete levels; others ask you to explore a connected world, solve environmental puzzles, survive procedural runs, or fight bosses. Choose by that distinction as much as by rank.
The 15 best 2D platformers
1. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the strongest all-around recommendation here for players who want responsive, level-based platforming without making punishing difficulty the main attraction. Its Wonder Flowers can transform a level in unexpected ways, giving familiar running and jumping a steady stream of surprises. That makes it an especially good starting point for mixed-age groups or anyone who wants imaginative stages and a welcoming pace. Nintendo’s roundup identifies it as a Switch game; check the store in your region for current edition and platform availability. Nintendo’s game page.
#1 Best Overall
- Descend below the star-scorched surface and explore multidimensional depths filled with secrets and lore. Witness the corrupted revelry of the Court, lose yourself in the icy tunnels of the Old Waters, and discover the grim fate of the Abandoned Expedition.
- The world is filled with treasures sought by the learned, the brave, and the mad. Scour the halls of your shrine, rend the corpses of defeated deities, and hunt in the hidden corners of the cosmos to find objects capable of granting unique powers.
- Excavate into the rubble of the Gray City to construct a shrine filled with loyal followers. As you expand your shrine and followers, new secrets, rewards, and horrors come to light.
- In-game text languages: English, French, German, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.
2. Celeste
Celeste is the pick for players who enjoy learning exact movement through quick, repeated attempts. Its core actions—jumping, air-dashing, and climbing—are simple to understand, while its handcrafted challenges demand timing and control. Fast respawns make failure part of the rhythm rather than a long setback. Steam describes hundreds of handcrafted challenges and unlockable B-side chapters, giving skilled players additional tests beyond the main climb. Its story gives the ascent an emotional frame without displacing the platforming. Steam’s Celeste listing showed 62,143 English reviews with 97% positive and 1,483 recent reviews with 96% positive when retrieved October 4, 2026. Those are changing storefront snapshots, not representative surveys or objective scores.
3. Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is an expansive action-adventure for players who want platforming alongside exploration, combat, and a world that opens up over time. Rather than serving up a straightforward chain of levels, it builds an interconnected setting that rewards curiosity and navigation. Nintendo aptly describes it as a “classically styled 2D action adventure across a vast interconnected world.” It belongs on this list as a platformer-adjacent Metroidvania, not as a pure precision platform game. Nintendo’s listing.
4. Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove collects the retro-styled action-platforming series in what Nintendo describes as its full and complete edition. Its appeal is the combination of familiar, tightly staged side-scrolling action and a broader collection format: a good choice if you want one package with multiple campaigns rather than a single short run through a traditional platformer. Nintendo’s listing.
Rank #2
- Action-packed platforming! Throw punches, perform satisfying combos and send foes flying!
- Explore and power up! Stages are packed with secrets and civilians. Find them to unlock new powers!
- Single player campaign with 12 stages filled with unique mechanics!
- Double-sided poster included!
- Languages - English voice and Dutch, English, French, German, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Spain), and Traditional Chinese in-game text.
5. Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition
Rayman Legends is a colorful, level-based choice for players who want variety and a family-friendly tone. Nintendo’s description centers on running, jumping, and fighting through paintings; PC Gamer also recommends it to readers looking for the approachable, lively feel associated with Mario and points to its large level selection. Its different worlds and stage ideas make it a strong pick when a single setting or repeated challenge format would grow stale. Nintendo’s listing identifies this edition for Switch.
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Super Meat Boy is for players who want a demanding platformer focused on precise movement and persistence. Nintendo calls it a “tough as nails platformer,” a fair warning: its appeal is in mastering difficult stages, not in a gentle introduction to the genre. Pick it when you want a direct test of timing and control rather than a sprawling world or a story-led adventure. Nintendo’s listing.
7. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Ori and the Will of the Wisps blends platforming with exploration, action, and puzzles in a visually rich adventure. It suits players who want movement challenges inside a larger journey rather than a succession of isolated stages. Because its exploration and action are important parts of the package, it is better understood as an action-platform adventure than as a narrowly traditional side-scroller. Nintendo’s game page.
Rank #3
- Everything is connected: Experience the seamless integration of Mago's elements through an intricately designed world map that naturally connects every aspect of the game. Exploration becomes a delight in this beautifully crafted universe! Purification Mechanic: Encounter purple-colored objects or enemies and use your wand to purify them, leading to various, often unexpected outcomes. Brace yourself for surprises at every turn!
- Gameplay Breakers: In each of the 8 areas of the game players will encounter completely new and interesting mechanics that drastically change the way they play! Unique areas to explore each with its own mechanics! Hand-crafted levels, each with its own challenges: from colorful teapot prairie, a humongous tree guarded by a fierce centipede, ancient ruins of a mysterious civilization that rests on the back of a huge bird - this journey has it all!
- You get a wand. You also get a mecha! Use your magic wand to purify evil from the world, solve riddles by affecting your surroundings. Some levels allow you to use a powerful mecha robot. It's time to show the villain's enemies what you are made of (metal, mostly)! A great variety of bosses and enemies as well as collectibles to unlock. Each level presents a different challenge, each boss - a new threat to overcome. By collecting secret orbs in each level, you unlock new items and improvements. Can you find them all?
- Chill in the beautiful town of Musicalia. Looking to take a break? In the town of Musicalia you can buy new upgrades and meet interesting characters, some you might even recognize! An amazing soundtrack: Listen to a beautiful soundtrack brimming with nostalgia that will instantly bring back the nostalgia of the golden age of video games.
8. Inside
Inside is a dark, atmospheric puzzle-platformer in which movement, environmental problem-solving, and tension work together. Nintendo calls it a “dark, narrative-driven platformer combining intense action with challenging puzzles.” Choose it for mood and carefully staged puzzles, not for a cheerful tone or a long list of precision jumps. Nintendo’s listing.
9. Dead Cells
Dead Cells combines fast action with platforming and roguelite structure. Nintendo describes an action-packed adventure on an ever-changing island; that changing-run emphasis sets it apart from fixed level-based games. It is a better fit for players who enjoy action-heavy attempts and replaying runs than for someone seeking a traditional sequence of authored stages. Nintendo’s listing.
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Cuphead earns a place for its distinctive, demanding action-platforming, but it is not a conventional jump-first platformer. Its boss battles and run-and-gun action are central to the experience, so it suits players who want intense combat encounters as much as platforming. Microsoft’s PC platformer chart includes it as a platformer listing; that storefront classification is not a cross-platform quality ranking. Microsoft Store’s PC platformer chart.
Rank #4
- Over 40 handcrafted stages filled with hidden collectibles, bonus challenges, and quirky obstacles to overcome… or fall victim to. Leader swapping gameplay - change who leads the adventure to unlock entirely new actions and strategies.
- Experiment and discover - there’s no single right way to play. Combine abilities, techniques, and movement to suit your own style. Unique character abilities - Marbles and Checkers each bring something different to the table, and mastering both is key to conquering specialized challenges.
- Couch co-op support - jump in solo or grab a friend and tackle the wilds together in local co-op play.
- Whether you’re riding the wind solo or sharing the breeze with a friend, Windswept invites players to slow down, explore, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. How far will you go? Where will your journey end? Let's get swept away - together!
- English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (LATAM), Spanish (Spain), and Traditional Chinese in-game text.
11. Sonic Mania Plus
Sonic Mania Plus brings classic-style, high-speed side-scrolling to players who prefer momentum and forward flow over slow, exact positioning. The speed is part of its identity: it feels different from a methodical precision game such as Celeste. Metacritic’s genre catalog describes Sonic Mania Plus as a collectible physical release, but physical and digital formats vary by platform and region. Confirm the exact edition and current stock with a retailer before buying. Metacritic’s catalog entry.
12. Spelunky
Spelunky is a challenging platformer built around procedural generation, making its stages and hazards less predictable than those in a fixed-level side-scroller. PC Gamer highlights that unusual combination of procedural play and side-scrolling challenge. It is a strong choice for players who enjoy adapting to runs as they unfold, but less suitable if you want a carefully authored sequence you can learn in exactly the same form each time. PC Gamer’s platformer guide.
13. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a polished, demanding side-scroller built around traveling through varied island stages. Nintendo also highlights an optional Funky Mode, which gives players a less demanding way to approach the game. It is a good pick if you want traditional level-based platforming with a serious challenge, but appreciate having an alternative mode available. Nintendo’s listing.
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- Bring the corrupt to justice in a spectaar sci-fi world!
- Join the resistance force of the Undercity!
- A gorgeous pixel-art 2D action rogue-lite platformer with tight responsive controls.
- Multiple playable characters with transformable weapons and upgrades to shake up how you play.
- Includes bonus Blade Assault sticker and postcard inside!
14. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair
Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair pairs 2D levels with an overworld, according to Nintendo. That structure makes it a natural option for players who want a traditional side-scrolling foundation but also enjoy moving between stages in a connected hub-like space. Nintendo’s listing.
15. Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread is an intense side-scrolling action-adventure, with exploration and action at its core. It rounds out this list for players who want a tense journey through an interconnected setting rather than a pure precision platformer. Its inclusion reflects the genre’s overlap: side-scrolling and platforming are important, but the game is not simply a set of jump-focused stages. Nintendo’s listing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which 2D platformer should you start with?
| If you want… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A welcoming, inventive level-based game | Super Mario Bros. Wonder | Approachable stages with Wonder Flower transformations. |
| Precision movement and fast retries | Celeste | Jumping, air-dashing, climbing, and demanding handcrafted challenges. |
| A vast world to explore | Hollow Knight or Ori and the Will of the Wisps | Both pair platforming with exploration and action. |
| High difficulty and repeated attempts | Super Meat Boy or Spelunky | The former emphasizes fixed precision challenges; the latter adds procedural runs. |
| Puzzles and atmosphere | Inside | Its platforming is tied closely to environmental puzzles and a dark narrative tone. |
| Boss fights and run-and-gun action | Cuphead | Combat encounters are a defining part of its platforming hybrid. |
| Classic-style speed | Sonic Mania Plus | Its fast side-scrolling contrasts with slower, precision-led games. |
Check the edition and platform before buying
Availability is specific to a platform, region, and edition. Nintendo’s roundup is useful for Switch discovery, but a Switch listing does not establish availability on other systems. Microsoft’s chart establishes that games such as Hollow Knight, Inside, Ori, Cuphead, and Celeste appear in its PC platformer catalog; chart placement is not a verdict on quality or a complete guide to other platforms. Physical and digital editions can also differ, as with the physical-release signal for Sonic Mania Plus. Check the live store or retailer listing for your region and confirm the platform and exact edition before purchase.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
