1
Super Mario World
NGL96
Platformer2D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerFantasy2D
Year 1990Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo
Super Mario World has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. Hence the first place.
The 20 Best Platformer Games (2026)
Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best 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 World, Monument Valley and Super Mario Galaxy lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 91/100, out of 214 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Platformer Games (2026)”: Super Mario World (95.9/100). Close behind: Monument Valley and Super Mario Galaxy.
The Platformer Games rated highest by critics and players that you should play
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 214 games catalogued
2
Monument Valley
NGL94
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloRelaxingCasualNarrativeLinear
Year 2014Dev ustwo gamesPlaytime ~1hOn PC · iOS · Android
Players and critics agree on Monument Valley, which is rarer than it sounds in Platformer Games. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 98%. That puts it at number 2.
3
Super Mario Galaxy
NGL94
Platformer3D Platformer
SoloCo-opSci-FiSpaceThird Person
Year 2007Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo
Super Mario Galaxy has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. That puts it at number 3.
4
Celeste
NGL92
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMeleeHardcoreNarrativeCozy
Year 2018Dev Matt Makes GamesPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox
Players and critics agree on Celeste, which is rarer than it sounds in Platformer Games. Number 4, inside the top 10.
5
INSIDE
NGL91
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMeleeStealthNarrativeDark
Year 2016Dev PlaydeadPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox
INSIDE is one of the few Platformer Games where players and critics say the same thing. That gets it into the top 10, at number 5.
6
It Takes Two
NGL91
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
Co-opMultiplayerOfflineOnlineMelee
Year 2021Dev Hazelight · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~10hOn PC · PS · Xbox
Players and critics agree on It Takes Two, which is rarer than it sounds in Platformer Games. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 260,412 Steam reviews. Number 6, inside the top 10.
7
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
NGL94
Platformer2D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerFantasy2D
Year 1995Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. Number 7, inside the top 10.
8
Super Mario Galaxy 2
NGL93
Platformer3D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerIsometricThird Person
Year 2010Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo
Super Mario Galaxy 2 earns its place on presence rather than on a score. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
9
Journey
NGL92
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMultiplayerCo-opNarrativeRelaxing
Year 2012Dev ThatGameCompany · Sony Computer EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · PC
No argument here: Journey wins over players and critics alike. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 93/100. That gets it into the top 10, at number 9.
10
Split Fiction
NGL92
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
Co-opOfflineMultiplayerOnlineMelee
Year 2025Dev Hazelight · Electronic ArtsPlaytime ~6hOn PC · PS · Xbox
Split Fiction is one of the few Platformer Games where players and critics say the same thing. It is the newest on the list (2025), and has already earned its place. Number 10, inside the top 10.
11
GRIS
NGL89
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloNarrativeRelaxingCasual2D
Year 2018Dev Nomada Studio · Devolver DigitalPlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox
No argument here: GRIS wins over players and critics alike. It lands at 11 of 20.
12
Super Mario Bros. 3
NGL89
Platformer2D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerDarkFantasy2D
Year 1988Dev Nintendo R&D4 · Nintendo
Super Mario Bros. 3 has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It is the oldest game in the ranking (1988) and still here. It lands at 12 of 20.
13
N++ (NPLUSPLUS)
NGL89
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
MultiplayerCo-opOfflineSoloMelee
Year 2015Dev Metanet SoftwarePlaytime ~3hOn PC · PS · Xbox
N++ (NPLUSPLUS) is one of the few Platformer Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 13 of 20.
14
Shovel Knight
NGL90
PlatformerPrecision Platformer
SoloCo-opMultiplayerMeleeHardcore
Year 2014Dev Yacht Club GamesOn PlayStation 3 · PS4 · Linux
Shovel Knight is one of the few Platformer Games where players and critics say the same thing. It lands at 14 of 20.
15
Webbed
NGL90
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMeleeCozyRelaxingNarrative
Year 2021Dev Sbug GamesPlaytime ~3hOn PC · Nintendo
Webbed is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It lands at 15 of 20.
16
Psychonauts
NGL87
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMeleeNarrativeDarkExploration
Year 2005Dev Double Fine Productions · Microsoft StudiosPlaytime ~4hOn PC · PS · Xbox
Players and critics agree on Psychonauts, which is rarer than it sounds in Platformer Games. It lands at 16 of 20.
17
Super Mario 3D World
NGL91
Platformer3D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerCo-opMeleeThird Person
Year 2013Dev Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development · Nintendo
With Super Mario 3D World, the press was ahead of the public. It lands at 17 of 20.
18
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus®
NGL88
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloMeleeStealthDarkNarrative
Year 1998Dev Sony Interactive Entertainment · GT Interactive SoftwarePlaytime ~1hOn PC · PS
Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus® is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It lands at 18 of 20.
19
Braid
NGL89
PlatformerPuzzle-Platformer
SoloNarrativeHardcoreFantasy2D
Year 2008Dev Number None Inc.On PlayStation 3 · Linux · PC
Braid is carried by its players more than by its reviews. It sits at 19 of 20.
20
Rayman Origins
NGL90
Platformer2D Platformer
SoloMultiplayerCo-opOfflineMelee
Year 2011Dev Ubisoft Montpellier · Ubisoft EntertainmentOn PlayStation 3 · PC · Mac
Rayman Origins is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 20 of 20.