Some of the most fun platform games require gamers to have extraordinary abilities to master timing, keep their cool, and understand the game's mechanics. Developers keep bringing out new genres, models, and types of games like puzzle platform games, run-and-gun games, and even comical action games.
Platform games have been a huge success in recent years, harking back to the golden age of gaming. The olden days of the Nintendo GameBoy original and Atari have been left behind, bringing the thrilling ride of PC gaming into the future.
So, look no further, for here are the top 25 platform games to play on your PC, bringing you hours of entertainment daily. Dive in and play!
25. I Wanna Maker | 2020 | PC | macOS
I Wanna Maker is a fascinating platform creation station where you can make your own platform game, make playlists for the levels, and complete different types of challenges. You can browse levels online and share your creations to inspire others.
Not only has it been well-received in the gaming community, but it is free to purchase from Steam, and with its 8-bit soundtracks and 2D graphics, it requires very little space on your PC.
Gamers have been impressed with the ability to make an exciting and in-depth game for free. While certain elements might need a little polish, like the saturation slider when using “create” mode, the game's software is always surprising.
Gimmicks and tropes are used a lot, but with each function you use, like creating your character, it is done so well that you forget that the game was free in the first place!
This game is perfect for those who sometimes need to release those creative juices!
24. Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course | 2022 | PC | macOS | Xbox One | PS4 | Nintendo Switch
Cuphead, a character we all know and love, has returned to our screens to bring us back to our childhood! Through Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, we experience a fun mixture of cartoon and 3D animation in cutscenes.
The old-fashioned animation style is bound to get those feelings of fun and carefree nature from when you were a kid, so why not indulge yourself and give this game a go?
Facing huge bosses and uncovering adventures, Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course has a new playable main character: Ms Chalice, Mugman and Cuphead himself! Some say that this game is fun to play, as well as hilarious. The game is playable on Windows and Mac and seems to need more storage than other platform games, with 2GB required and 4GB of RAM to use up.
Since its release on Steam in June 2022, the game has gotten 3,000+ reviews and is still counting, so if you’re in the mood for playing something quirky and old-fashioned humour, Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course will most likely scratch that itch!
23. Wuppo: Definitive Edition | 2016 | PC | Nintendo Switch | Xbox One
What’s better than playing a little blob going on an adventure? Nothing, that’s what, and that’s pretty much the gist of this game!
After losing his home, Wum must fight to stay alive and travel to the ends of the world to find a new home. After a heart-wrenching beginning, the adventure theme of this game is set off well with cutesy, colourful gameplay and interactions that reminded me of LittleBigPlanet. Only the graphics are 2D rather than in-depth 3D.
This game uses exciting new ideas to make it more interesting for experienced and even “noob” players. Throughout this quirky game, you navigate Wum’s social experiences and have to guide him through them all to overcome different situations. There are plenty of battle scenes, and item collecting too, and other gamers have said it's a “hidden gem” on the internet.
Wuppo gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside when you play, as it has lots of silliness and cute conversations the character can participate in, leaving the player with a “feel good feeling” when it ends.
22. ROUNDS | 2021 | PC | Xbox One | Android
Named for the number of “rounds” you go through, this shooter platform is jam-packed and full of action with exciting music to top it off!
You play with up to four friends or against them, and you annihilate each other in a ”search and destroy” themed game. Quite a change to your standard platform game; it’s interactive and easily draws the players into the game.
The graphics are simple until there’s an incredible explosion, and then all hell breaks loose as you can collect bonuses, points, and extras to add to your gun. Choose to shoot with a laser, a Gatling gun, or a pair of sweet Uzis, and jump across the map to gain the high ground to kill your opponents.
You can customise your character and take advantage of local or online multiplayer, a feature unusual with platformers and perfect for live streaming on Twitch. Still, the game isn’t easy if you fight against the pros.
With plenty of silliness to go around (and noodle arms), ROUNDS is one of the most exciting yet fun shooter platform games you’ll find on the market.
21. Trine 2: Complete Story | 2013 | Windows | macOS X | Linux | Android | PS4
If you thought all platform games were dull with more than basic b*tch graphics, think again! Trine 2 defies this common myth by providing a vibrant game that screams adventure. Take on the maps by storm as you play characters on a 3D platform who can do melee, magic, and ranged attacks.
It is a fantastic adventure-platform fairy tale game. The world itself is a fantasy, there are loads of achievements to unlock and collectables to find, and you can also play online or local multiplayer! The game boasts superb graphics, next-gen visuals, and beautiful music that you might find in the Lord of the Rings films.
It requires the gamer to have a sound-quality graphics card in their PC to better show off the graphics, but it’s worth it! As the game may not work on a graphic card made between 2004 - 2009, it’s just too high-spec!
So fly, swim, and magic your way through this amazing-looking game, and you’ll forget it’s a platform game by the end of it!
20. Kaze and the Wild Masks | 2021 | PC | macOS | Linux | Nintendo Switch | PS4 | Xbox One | Stadia
Nintendo recently launched a fun and colorful platform game on PC, full of adventure and music that will get you dancing!
The beginning of the game shows the motive and background for the plot: two young rabbits are hunting for mystical discoveries and come across an ancient temple where they find a magical, glowing ring. Her friend then gets taken captive forever, and you play Kaze, who fights to save him from the curse.
The main character will run through the game on a simple yet colorful platform. I love the vibrant colours that this game has. The music creates a fantastic cinematic vibe; the storyline is excellent, and the game sticks to the theme.
The game hosts a load of new enemies and bosses to defeat, from carrot monsters to pineapple crabs. Kaze needs a new mask in each scene as it imbues her with the powers to fly, breathe underwater, and breathe fire! With 30+ maps to play through, you’re not going to get bored quickly.
The game features beautiful artwork and graphics; it is one of the most talked about games of 2021, owing to how the visual effects impress players. It isn’t an overwhelming game with too much to do, or that is mega-hard to complete, as critics have admired how it feels like a classic brought forward into the future.
Therefore, if you want to buy a new game that will challenge you and have stunning visuals and beautiful static cutscenes, then Kaze and the Wild Masks might be for you.
19. Songs for a Hero - Definitive Edition | 2021 | PC | Linux | Nintendo Switch
Have you ever been to a musical? No, you don’t have to, if you’ve always wanted to check off your bucket list, now you can! Songs for a Hero: Definitive Edition is a hilarious take on the classic platform game.
At first glance, you may notice many maps to complete, enemies to defeat, and some great bosses to kill, but there’s an element that’s never been in any other game, which is songs!
The game plays as you would expect, has pretty ordinary graphics by today’s standard, and appears very simple: you control a knight through the numerous maps on a fantasy landscape, collecting coins and hidden treasures, but the little knight sings!
The character you control sings about his adventures, the storyline, and what he’s doing when he kills his enemies. He even sings about the stereotypical cliches that come hand-in-hand with a regular platform game like this! (Super meta!)
The game breaks down the “Fourth Wall” that separates gamers from the mechanics of the game and mocks the cliches that always come with a platform game. It will surely make you laugh when you least expect it.
So while Songs for a Hero may not stun you with its visuals and fun gameplay, the novelty of sing-alongs will never wear off. Next time you feel low, switch on your PC and install this game to cheer yourself up!
18. Micro Platformer | 2020 | PC
MicroPlatformer is the new kid on the block and goes back to the basics with simple 2D platform games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, only without sound. Being surrounded by flashy and loud games, we might be shocked to find that this game has no sound and is just a 1x1 square jumping from one end of the screen to the other.
Gamers have found this a great game to pass the time, yet cannot stop playing due to its simple yet addictive behaviour. Micro Platformer has been known to instil the most intense rage quits, but the player persists!
As advertised by its small development team of one person, the game is still being developed and expanded, so the developer is open to ideas to improve it. Plus, the game is free and always will be!
So when your power goes out or the internet glitches, this game might save you from pure boredom.
17. Hylics 2 | 2020 | PC | macOS | Linux | Android | Unix
Ever wondered what it’s like to step inside a surreal Salvador Dali painting? If you play this game, it will not only introduce you to what surrealism is but also shock you with its creepy "LoFi" music that makes the player feel on edge.
Besides the fact that your character is a person with a moon-shaped head named Wayne, there are also weird tentacle-loving creatures that you interact with, and I’m confident I spoke to Cuphead in this game! Each character you come across is a clay sculpture, and they move using the magic of stop-motion.
The play itself is easy enough; it’s a turn-based 3D platform game where the graphics are inspired by pop art, and the levels are well-made. Every so often, there are aerial shots when you climb stairwells and slide down poles, but most of the time, you have to navigate through weirdly shaped corridors that sometimes change shape as you move.
The game aims to assemble a crew of followers, to stop the ultimate boss—intriguing, right? There’s an element of "creep factor" about this game that you shouldn’t miss out on!
16. The Legend of Tianding | 2021 | PC | macOS | Nintendo Switch | PS4 | PS5 | Xbox One
Don't you mind a tonne of action and a lot of blood splatter? Then The Legend of Tianding might be your game! Voted the summer game of 2021, The Legend of Tianding is an action-packed "Robin Hood" style genre set in Japan using a blend of action with exploration to find gems and hidden treasures.
The game uses manga-style animation and is a side-scrolling action game that reminds me of the PS1 Spiderman game.
The music is incredible, and there are loads of quests and tasks, as well as speech and thought bubbles, which is a unique idea. You need to press a key to push the game forward when the characters are talking, a throwback to classic handheld games!
This game requires at least an i5 core, but most gamers should have that as a bare minimum; it doesn't take up much space on the PC and comes with extra DLC in the form of a comic to explain the background -- a nice touch, in my opinion!
So get your Kung Fu on and nab this game for your collection.
15. VVVVVV | 2010 | PC | macOS | Linux | Nintendo Switch | Nintendo 3DS | PSVita | PS4 | Adobe | Web | iOS Commodore 64 | Pandora
What kind of name is that for a game? The name has nothing to do with the game inspired by the C64. VVVVVV is a classic-looking side-scrolling, 2D animated puzzle game.
The character you play, a stick man, needs to find his way out of a maze that holds deadly traps, lifts, and drops that will make your heart skip a beat. Gamers who have played this game have said the 8-bit music and flat animation style go well together and give them feelings of nostalgia.
The developers have made this game open source, which means PC nerds can have fun with mods, but don’t judge it too quickly; it's got complex maps to complete in some areas! Only needing a 2GHz processor, this game can suck you into playing puzzle platform games more often!
The game relies on precision and patience, so if you’re the type of gamer who rage quits easily, this may be more challenging.
14. Downwell | 2015 | PC | iOS | Nintendo Switch | PSVita | PS4 | Android
This game is what it says on the tin: it’s a different take to the 2D, side-scrolling platform game everyone knows. Instead, it’s a ‘downward’ scrolling game where the character falls or jumps down the screen to complete each map.
There are plenty of explosions, gunfights, and your personality, who looks like a cute little ghost man, is an actual badass. The 8-bit music is fun and loud, making the gamer jump now and then, and it feels like a Mario game only going down.
You don't need a high-end PC to play this game; it runs on Windows 7 and requires only 200 MB of storage space, a game from the 1980s! With just 20 minutes' worth of game time without collecting all the achievements, if you’re stuck in a pit of boredom, this will help you!
A game that’s great for fans of nostalgia!
13. Ultimate Chicken Horse | 2016 | PC | macOS | Linux | Nintendo Switch | PS4 | Xbox One | Wii U
Ultimate Chicken Horse is a fun game with plenty of humour, and the interesting music tops it off. As though Austin Powers inspired it, and with graphics that look like they've come from a children’s book, it’s bound to get those gaming juices flowing, as there’s something for everyone!
You can play on your own and collect followers by killing, supporting, or playing online with your friends. Handy for those pesky bank holidays when you’re stuck at home with nothing to do. There’s danger around every corner, and having the unique ability to CREATE YOUR OWN MAPS! Then share them on social media.
So come on, don’t dilly-dally anymore. Come and play Ultimate Chicken Horse for your chance to laugh at your friends while they struggle through your custom-made platform game!
12. INSIDE | 2016 | PC | macOS | iOS | Nintendo Switch | PS4 | Xbox One
Inside is a platform game where you play an animal to get through a collection of puzzle races. Along the way, you can work.
This different puzzle platform game has been critically acclaimed for its unusual dark, narrative-driven style and has won over thousands of gamers. Playing this game isn’t a platform game but a thriller due to its Tim Burton-ish style, where colour is rare and black and white rules.
The soundtrack perfectly matches ambient music to set the mood of the play, and the character you manipulate can stealth and creep around, keeping to the shadows.
Steam recommends having at least an i7 core processor; otherwise, you won’t get a smooth flow of the game, as its animation is much better than you would expect.
If you like the creep factor, this game is probably your cup of tea this Halloween, as reviewers have said it leaves them confused and scared - perfect for the creepiest night of the year! Also, without that i7 core processor, you won’t get a smooth flow of the game, as its animation is much better than you would expect.
11. Tribal Hunter | 2021 | PC
Set in an unknown land with fantasy-inspired creatures, you play a character who can hunt, eat and grow to defeat enemies. It’s a good old ‘beat 'em up’ style of platformer, and as you hunt for food and eat, your character grows, using its considerable size like a magic meter - oh, and the ‘food’ you hunt for is other NPCs!
That’s right; you get to eat people! But with each meal, your character gets larger and larger until you cast magic spells like fireball, which will deflate the character!
This game doesn’t require a PC that's full of super tech; you could probably play this on a basic laptop if you fancied gaming while travelling or veg out in between studying sessions in the university’s library. But this game will hit you hard with its fantastic animation and moody style, a game worth having in your collection!
10. SANABI | 2021 | PC | Nintendo Switch
With graphics that remind me of the GameBoy colour, SANABI is a fun and motivating platform. The game uses zip lines and traps to travel and defeat enemies, and your character has a signature prosthetic arm that helps the character to do some pretty fantastic stuff.
Fly, leap, or zip through a dystopian, cyberpunk Korea and be pleasantly surprised by the beautiful layout and graphics of the game. This game runs on a PC but allows partial controller support so that you can pick your poison of WASD or a simple controller.
The character you play is a retired, legendary veteran who is called upon for one last operation (don’t you LOVE this trope?) to deal with a corrupt government.
Use your unique chain-hook prosthetic arm to defeat the most potent enemies and win the most brutal duels while zipping around, letting your cape fly behind you - yes - the character wears a cape!
The game needs a decent spec PC, and the developers recommend using Windows 10 on a PC. Some have compared this platformer to Katana ZERO and said it’s a good substitute - but what do you think?
9. Tukoni | 2020 | PC | Android
Tukoni is an adorable koala bear character that you play, and he goes on different travels making friends, solving puzzles and exploring a magical world filled with kindness.
This game is inspired by an award-winning book by Ukrainian artist: Oksana Bula. The mysteries that Tukoni goes through help the forest animals, and you can collect and create new items to help your adventure.
The dialogue is shown by using cute, animated speech bubbles, and the beauty of this game is that it’s suitable for young children. Teaching the player to help others and work as a team is a nice touch and highly recommended as a quick play for school children and adults in the reviews on Steam.
Some gamers have reviewed Tukoni as ‘cosy’, and because it’s free, it needs very little space to be used on a PC or laptop. It seems like a win-win scenario!
8. The Pedestrian | 2020 | PC | macOS | Nintendo Switch | PS4 | PS5 | Xbox One | Xbox Series S
Do you know that little stick-man you see on signs like the men’s toilet or running to a green exit sign? Well, that’s what you’re playing in this 3D platformer.
Every map is laid out on a roadsign that you must navigate the stickman through. Each sign is placed upon a 3D background of a city or building. How can you get your stickman through the signs? The end goal is to escape that section.
Sometimes you need to move the order of the roadsigns around to help him escape, and with each successful move, he gets closer to the end. The game plays in the third person, as if you’re an actual person in the game, watching a stickman escape.
It’s an entirely new idea, and gamers have loved this game because it’s slick and done well. Eurogamer Recommended even tells gamers to buy the game. Also, a free demo on Steam you can test it out to see if it’s your kind of thing.
7. Webbed | 2021 | PC | macOS | PS4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch
Have you ever wanted to know what a spider’s life is all about? Well, now you can find out! Because in Webbed, you play a tiny jumping spider, jumping, swinging and flying through a scary world. Where your foe is a crow who tries to eat you while you’re trying to save your jumping spider boyfriend.
If you have Arachnophobia, beware! This cute puzzle platformer tells the story of a tiny spider through rose-tinted lenses, and you’re likely to fall in love with the little critter!
You can make webs and eat other insects, or make friends with bigger bugs, and they might help you through the game on your quest to rescue your boyfriend from the cruel crow.
You can dance with new friends and explore the world as you discover the wonders of what it’s like to be a tiny jumping spider. Maybe, just maybe, you might overcome that fear of spiders you have.
6. Battleblock Theater | 2013 | PC | macOS | Linux | Xbox 360
Battleblock Theatre may not be appropriate for young children, but it’s quirky, funny and utterly ridiculous. This game is not dull, with amusing characters to play, fun levels to complete, and rare items to find.
With a funny narrator occasionally making sarcastic comments in the background, you’re bound to get addicted. You can play co-op to help complete levels as a team or betray your friends - there’s even an arena mode!
This game has so much crammed into it; with over 450 levels and 300 prisoners to free, you will go insane playing this game, as you will probably never come out of your bedroom again… With this much fun and comedy in a game, who would?
All you need is 2 GB of storage space and Windows XP… Ahh, good old XP!
5. Celeste | 2018 | PC | macOS | Linux | PS4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch | Stadia
Through this game, you help the main character, Madeline, survive her demons to travel to the top of Celeste Mountain. With hundreds of challenges and secrets to complete and discover, you’re in for an exciting ride!
Celeste is all about finding your inner strength, and with simple controls to jump, air-dash, and climb, you won’t get bored of the moral idea behind the gameplay. With every character's death comes a life lesson that the character learns as you play, and as one gamer put it, Celeste is like life: hard, but beautiful.
The game's developers came out when the game was released, stating that the main character is transgender, and through the game, they learn who they are inside and how they come to be at peace with themselves.
The graphics are simple, 2D Mario-inspired with 8-bit music, but it is clear that the enjoyment of the game comes from the depth of the storyline and can help you grow as a person along the way, whether you identify as LGBT+ or not.
4. Jerma's Big Adventure | 2021 | PC
Jerma985, the internet clown and streamer, brings us a colourful and engaging beat 'em up/shooter game. With 2D background graphics, you can play as Jerma himself. The difference between the cartoon-inspired background goes well with the stop-motion images of the internet’s funniest streamer.
Armed with a baseball bat, Jerma must fight through hundreds (maybe thousands) of laser-shooting robots and robot dinosaurs, leaving me to think this guy loves robots!
Jerma's Big Adventure gives off the vibe of a serial-killer simulator as you chop people up in a meat grinder and beat someone over the head with a bat. I think this game is best left to adults rather than kids!
There are many secrets to uncover and cheats to use, plus a vast amount of "Jerma noises" that set the scene for the player. It’s best to use a decent PC for this game; it requires Windows 7 at the minimum, but the gameplay works better on Windows 10.
So, for those Jerma fans, this one’s for you!
3. Will You Snail? | 2022 | PC | PS4 | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch
Bright lights, flashing screens, and reminders of days when Tron was popular—if these all sound good, then you might enjoy Will You Snail?
The main character is a snail who has to travel through a puzzle platform game, dodging traps as it travels through a simulation. The graphics are beautiful, and all the background blocks are brightly coloured as though they’re meant to glow like neon signs!
The game has built-in AI-spawned traps, making it a unique play every time, so you never know where the pitfalls will land - be careful! Some gamers have said that AI is a "game changer" and will blow your mind as it’s exciting and challenging.
Plus, a community of gamers enjoy Will You Snail? over on Discord, helping each other through tricky levels and finding secret treasures.
So, will you snail?
2. Pureya | 2021 | PC | macOS | Linux | Android
Pureya is a collection of mini-games all rolled into one. The aim is to collect marbles so you can use them in the "pachinko" machine to unlock treasures and items like skins and soundtracks. The idea is straightforward, yet gamers seem to adore this cute game.
This game is compatible with Linux, Apple Mac, and Windows, and it requires only 150 MB of storage, so you could probably play it on a Chromebook. Pureya is simple yet addictive, as the mini-games never seem to end. There are so many of them, and a few are on a loop.
The idea of Pureya is that the mini-games are 10 seconds long, and after that time frame, the game changes, so you’re always playing a new game! Pureya also has plenty of DLC and bundles to keep the gameplay fresh, plus the game itself is just £2. It sounds like a bargain to me!
1. Katana ZERO | 2019 | PC | macOS | Xbox One | Nintendo Switch | Amazon Luna
Katana ZERO has stunning visuals, a gripping storyline and exciting amounts of action, Katana ZERO is going to amaze and stun you at the same time. Based in a 2D world, the backgrounds and characters are full of colour and depth. The player can follow this action-platformer game to slash, dash and control time to complete the game.
You can choose different ways to defeat enemies and enjoy being swept away by the synth music. The developers have released a bundle of DLC for their players - it is costly, but the game is worth it.
From over 43,000 reviews, Katana ZERO continues to wow and amaze gamers with the tricky moves they can do and the interesting storyline that the main character experiences.
Whether you’re interested in a game's storyline, if you love action games, or like how a character moves and interacts with the world around it, I don’t think you would be disappointed as there is something for everyone with Katana ZERO.
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