Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best 3D Platformer Games, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D World lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 85/100, out of 48 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best 3D Platformers (2026)”: Super Mario Galaxy (93.8/100). Close behind: Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D World.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 48 games catalogued
Super Mario Galaxy has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. Hence the first place.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 earns its place on presence rather than on a score. Enough for the podium: number 2.
With Super Mario 3D World, the press was ahead of the public. That puts it at number 3.
Sonic Adventure 2 is one of the few 3D Platformer Games where players and critics say the same thing. That gets it into the top 10, at number 4.
No argument here: Psychonauts 2 wins over players and critics alike. That gets it into the top 10, at number 5.
With Astro Bot, the press was ahead of the public. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 95/100. Number 6, inside the top 10.
Super Mario Sunshine earns its place on presence rather than on a score. That gets it into the top 10, at number 7.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. Number 8, inside the top 10.
Super Mario 3D Land earns its place on presence rather than on a score. That gets it into the top 10, at number 9.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. Number 10, inside the top 10.
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It is the oldest game in the ranking (1997) and still here. It sits at 11 of 20.
Banjo-Tooie has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It lands at 12 of 20.
TY the Tasmanian Tiger is carried by its players more than by its reviews. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 98%. It sits at 13 of 20.
Rayman 2: The Great Escape has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It lands at 14 of 20.
Players and critics agree on Astro's Playroom, which is rarer than it sounds in 3D Platformer Games. It sits at 15 of 20.
Super Mario 64 DS has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It lands at 16 of 20.
Banjo-Kazooie has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It lands at 17 of 20.
Gorilla Tag is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 83,094 Steam reviews. It lands at 18 of 20.
No argument here: Kirby and the Forgotten Land wins over players and critics alike. It is the newest on the list (2022), and has already earned its place. It sits at 19 of 20.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It sits at 20 of 20.