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The Best Platformers for 2020

Whether it’s 2D sidescrollers or 3D sandboxes, the platformer is a foundational video game genre. Run, don’t walk, to play the best games about jumping as skillfully as possible.

Jordan Minor
 & Jordan Minor Principal Writer, Software

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
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65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Overview

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Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions. Read our editorial mission & see how we test.

Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks

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  • Alto's Odyssey (iOS)

    Alto's Odyssey (iOS)

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Learn More Alto's Odyssey (iOS) Review
  • Astro Bot Rescue Mission

    Astro Bot Rescue Mission

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

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    Learn More Astro Bot Rescue Mission Review
  • Celeste

    Celeste

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

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  • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (for Nintendo Switch)

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (for Nintendo Switch)

    4.0 Excellent

    Pros & Cons

      • Creative, varied level design.
      • Looks great.
      • Funky Kong mode makes the game more forgiving for less skilled players.
      • Adds very little besides Funky Kong.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is another excellent Wii U game that has found an even better home on the Nintendo Switch.

    Specs & Configurations

    Product Category Nintendo Switch
    Product Price Type Direct
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  • Kirby Star Allies (for Nintendo Switch)

    Kirby Star Allies (for Nintendo Switch)

    4.0 Excellent

    Pros & Cons

      • Fun, accessible platforming action.
      • Easy to play on your own or with up to four friends.
      • Multiple game modes.
      • Not particularly challenging.
      • Doesn't offer many new ideas.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch doesn't add much new to the series, but it's still an excellent, engaging, and accessible platformer.

    Specs & Configurations

    Product Price Type Direct
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  • New Super Lucky's Tale

    New Super Lucky's Tale

    Bottom Line:

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  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps (for Xbox One)

    Ori and the Will of the Wisps (for Xbox One)

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

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    Learn More Ori and the Will of the Wisps (for Xbox One) Review
  • Shovel Knight

    Shovel Knight

    4.5 Outstanding

    Pros & Cons

      • Expertly designed.
      • Gorgeous, 8-bit-faithful graphics and soundtrack.
      • Satisfying, well-crafted gameplay.
      • Planned features beyond the main campaign not implemented at launch.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Shovel Knight is one of the best "8-bit" video games to come along since the actual days of 8-bit systems.

    Specs & Configurations

    Product Category Games
    Product Games ESRB Rating E for Everybody
    Product Games Genre Action Games
    Product Games Platform Nintendo 3DS
    Product Games Platform Nintendo Wii U
    Product Games Platform PC
    Product Price Type Direct
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    Learn More Shovel Knight (for PC) Review Review
  • Snake Pass

    Snake Pass

    Bottom Line:

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  • Spyro Reignited Trilogy

    Spyro Reignited Trilogy

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

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  • Super Mario Odyssey (for Nintendo Switch)

    Super Mario Odyssey (for Nintendo Switch)

    5.0 Exemplary

    Pros & Cons

      • Fun, varied gameplay.
      • Many kingdoms to explore and challenges to beat.
      • Capture mechanic adds exciting problem-solving elements.
      • Costumes and Snapshot mode are a blast.
      • Very limited multiplayer.

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

    Super Mario Odyssey isn't just the best Nintendo Switch game yet, it's the best Mario game since Super Mario Galaxy.

    Specs & Configurations

    Product Category Nintendo Switch
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  • Super Meat Boy

    Super Meat Boy

    Bottom Line:

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  • Yoshi's Crafted World

    Yoshi's Crafted World

    Bottom Line:

    Bottom Line:

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The Best Platformers for 2020

Compare Specs

Select Up To 3Select Up To 2
Your Selections
Alto's Odyssey (iOS)

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Astro Bot Rescue Mission

Celeste

Celeste

Our Pick
Alto's Odyssey (iOS)
Alto's Odyssey (iOS)
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Celeste
Celeste
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (for Nintendo Switch)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (for Nintendo Switch)
Kirby Star Allies (for Nintendo Switch)
Kirby Star Allies (for Nintendo Switch)
New Super Lucky's Tale
New Super Lucky's Tale
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (for Xbox One)
Ori and the Will of the Wisps (for Xbox One)
Shovel Knight
Shovel Knight
Snake Pass
Snake Pass
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Spyro Reignited Trilogy
Alto's Odyssey (iOS)
Alto's Odyssey (iOS)
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Astro Bot Rescue Mission
Celeste
Celeste
Rating
4.0 Excellent
4.0 Excellent
4.5 Outstanding
Best For
Product Price Type
DirectDirectDirect
Product Games Platform
Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii U, PC
Product Games Genre
Action Games
Product Games ESRB Rating
E for Everybody
Product Category
Nintendo SwitchGames

Buying Guide: The Best Platformers for 2020

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From Late-Night Feedings to Late-Night Raids: How Fatherhood Redefined My Gaming Passion
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Becoming a Dad Didn't End My Love for Video Games. It Reignited My Passion for Them

More Gaming Goodness

About Our Expert

Jordan Minor

Jordan Minor

Principal Writer, Software

My PCMag career began in 2013 as an intern. Now, I'm a senior writer, using the skills I acquired at Northwestern University to write about dating apps, meal kits, programming software, website builders, video streaming services, and video games. I was previously a senior editor at Geek.com and have written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I'm the author of the gaming history book Video Game of the Year: A Year-by-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977, and the reason everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.

The Technology I Use

I use the newest Android and iOS smartphones for testing, but I currently use an iPhone 14 as my personal phone. I just hate that we gave up headphone jacks.

I've always favored gaming laptops over desktops. On that note, I have a 16-inch HP Envy with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. No matter what machine I’m working on, an alarming amount of my personal and professional life revolves around cloud-synced Google Drive files.

For food subscriptions, my household sticks with CookUnity and HelloFresh for meals. Video streaming is a bit more complicated. While there are too many services to list, we're subscribed to most of the major ones. These days, I find myself drawn to HBO Max's movies and shows, as well as Peacock's reality trash.

I've been a lifelong Nintendo fan, and I sincerely believe the Nintendo Switch will go down as one of the best gaming consoles of all time. It has an unbelievable library of new and old games from Nintendo and third-party companies. The handheld/console hybrid approach makes playing games so much more flexible, a legacy that continues with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s Steam Deck.

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