The PC has long been a home for platformers, from the indie renaissance of the late 2000s to big-budget 3D adventures, and controller support is excellent for anyone who wants precise movement. The best of the genre here range from razor-sharp challenge games to warm, inventive adventures, with a large share coming from small studios. Expect plenty of metroidvanias, a few co-op showpieces and some of the tightest controls in games.
1. Celeste#
Celeste, from Maddy Makes Games, arrived in January 2018 and follows Madeline as she climbs a mountain while facing anxiety and self-doubt. Its controls are exact, built on a dash, a wall grab and a few other moves, and the screens are short enough that failure never costs much time. The pixel art and Lena Raine's soundtrack are memorable, and the optional Assist Mode lets players tune the difficulty. The late-game B-sides and C-sides are brutal, and anyone who dislikes precision platforming will still find the core loop demanding.
2. Hollow Knight#
Team Cherry released Hollow Knight in February 2017, sending a small insect knight through the ruined underground kingdom of Hallownest. It is a hand-drawn metroidvania with a large, interlinked map, punishing bosses and a melancholy atmosphere that rewards exploration over hand-holding. Charms let players customise their build, and there is a huge amount of content to find. The early hours can be lonely and confusing, with few hints about where to go, and the map has to be bought from a cartographer you must first track down.
3. Ori and the Blind Forest#
Moon Studios released Ori and the Blind Forest in March 2015, and a Definitive Edition followed in 2016. It is a painted, emotional metroidvania about a spirit guardian trying to heal a dying forest. The escape sequences and fluid movement, including the bash and double jump, are superb, and the opening is among the most affecting in games. Story and score carry real weight. Saving relies on a limited resource, which some find frustrating, and the combat is simple. Still, it is one of the best-looking platformers on the platform.
4. Ori and the Will of the Wisps#
Moon Studios followed up in March 2020 with Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a bigger and more confident sequel with a proper combat system, a hub village and more varied areas. Movement is faster and more fluid, and the boss chases are cinematic highlights. Shard-based upgrades let players adjust their playstyle. The story is again touching, though a little more predictable than the first game. Some players met bugs and performance problems around launch. If you only want one Ori, this has the broader toolset.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong#
Team Cherry released Silksong on 4 September 2025, putting players in the role of Hornet in the new kingdom of Pharloom. It keeps the series' hand-drawn look and tough bosses, but movement is quicker and more acrobatic, with new tools and crafting. The world is larger and more vertical, with many side quests and memorable areas. It is also very difficult, and some sections and boss fights feel harsh. Newcomers should probably start with the first game, but for fans it is a richly detailed follow-up.
6. Cuphead#
StudioMDHR released Cuphead in September 2017, a run-and-gun game that looks like a 1930s rubber-hose cartoon and plays like a classic arcade shooter. Most of its content is boss fights, with a few run-and-gun levels between them, and each boss changes its pattern through several phases. The hand-drawn animation and jazz score are unique. It is hard, and trial and error is part of the design. Players who prefer long platforming levels may find the boss-heavy structure narrow, but the artistry is outstanding.
7. Shovel Knight#
Yacht Club Games released Shovel Knight in June 2014, an 8-bit-inspired action platformer that borrows from Mega Man, DuckTales and Castlevania. Its stages are well designed and full of secrets, the shovel-based pogo attack is a joy, and the chiptune soundtrack is memorable. Shovel of Hope is the core campaign, and later additions widened the game with other playable characters. It is a love letter to the NES era that still feels fresh. The checkpoint system can annoy, and it makes few attempts to modernise the formula.
8. Rayman Origins#
Ubisoft Montpellier's Rayman Origins reached PC in 2012 and returned the series to 2D. It is a colourful, hand-drawn romp with fluid movement, co-op for up to four players and inventive levels with chase sequences and musical touches. Collecting Lums gives each stage a goal, and the art direction is stunning. It is forgiving early on, but later levels and optional challenges bring real difficulty. The story is thin and there is little to see beyond the levels, yet it is an exuberant pleasure to play, especially with friends.
9. Sonic Mania#
Sonic Mania, made by Christian Whitehead with PagodaWest Games and Headcannon, arrived on PC in August 2017 as a tribute to the Mega Drive era. It remixes classic zones and adds new ones, with pixel-perfect visuals, a great soundtrack and fast movement that rewards momentum. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all play differently. It is among the best 2D Sonic games in years. A few later stages and bosses feel cheap, and the speed sometimes sends players into hazards they could not see coming, but it is joyful and generous.
10. Super Meat Boy#
Team Meat's Super Meat Boy came to PC in late 2010 and became one of the defining indie hits of its generation. A cube of meat tries to rescue Bandage Girl through hundreds of short, deadly levels, with instant respawns and a sharp, responsive feel. A replay of every attempt plays at the end of each level, which is a brilliant touch. It is punishing, and later stages and dark-world variants can be exhausting. Danny Baranowski's soundtrack is strong. Anyone who wants a relaxing platformer should look elsewhere.
11. Braid#
Jonathan Blow's Braid launched on PC in 2009 and is a puzzle platformer built around time manipulation, with each world changing the rules. Its painterly art and melancholic story were influential, and the puzzles are famously clever. The final level is as memorable as any in the genre. It asks for patience and thinking rather than reflexes, and a few puzzles are difficult enough to send players looking for help. Players who want action will be disappointed, but it remains one of the most thoughtful games in its category.
12. Inside#
Playdead's Inside reached PC in July 2016 and follows a boy through a dystopian world in a minimalist, tense and atmospheric puzzle platformer. There is no dialogue or text, and the world tells its story through animation and design. Puzzles are clever and sometimes shocking, and the ending is much discussed. It is short, usually a few hours, and offers little replay value. Those who want a long game may feel short-changed, but it is a tightly controlled experience that many critics consider a masterpiece.
13. Psychonauts 2#
Double Fine released Psychonauts 2 in August 2021, sending Raz into the minds of other characters in imaginative levels that each have their own theme. It is a 3D platformer with levitation and other mind-based powers, plus sharp writing and memorable characters. Level design is the main draw, and each mind plays differently. The combat is less inspired than the platforming, and some sections can be fiddly. Players who did not play the first game can still follow the plot, but the original adds context.
14. A Hat in Time#
Gears for Breakfast released A Hat in Time in October 2017, a collect-a-thon 3D platformer in the spirit of Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. Hat Kid travels through chapters with very different moods, from a murder-mystery train to a film studio, and the movement is fast and fun with a range of hat-powered abilities. The art and music are charming. Camera issues can cause frustration, and quality varies between chapters. It is a strong pick for anyone missing the 3D platformers of the N64 era.
15. It Takes Two#
Hazelight's It Takes Two, released in March 2021, is a co-op only platformer for two players in which a couple is turned into dolls and must work together to get back to their daughter. Each level introduces new mechanics, and the variety is astonishing. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2021. A partner is required, either locally or online, and the story is uneven with some awkward humour. It is one of the best shared experiences on PC.
16. Pizza Tower#
Tour De Pizza released Pizza Tower in January 2023, a frantic, cartoonish platformer inspired by Wario Land. Peppino runs through levels at high speed, building combos and chasing score ranks, and the hand-drawn animation is wonderfully chaotic. The soundtrack is excellent. The pace rewards mastery, and each level ends with an escape timer that adds tension. Visual noise can make it hard to read, and the top ranks are demanding. It is a joyful and unusual game for players who like speedrunning and style.