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Guide

Platformer Games

PC platformer games about movement, jumps, precision, exploration, abilities, speed, and level mastery.

Genre hubUpdated 2026-05-31Players who care most about movement feel and level design.
PlatformingMovementPrecisionLevelsExploration
Tune this search
Ori and the Will of the Wisps cover

Platformers live or die by movement. Some are precise and demanding, some are exploratory metroidvanias, and some use platforming to carry story or cozy exploration.

This guide looks for control feel, level readability, retry speed, movement upgrades, difficulty curve, and whether platforming remains central.

How this guide decides

A platformer recommendation should explain the movement promise. Strong picks show whether the appeal is precision, flow, exploration, speed, or ability progression.

Rule

Movement feel and level design outrank a generic 2D or indie label.

Rule

Precision platformers rank for retry flow and readable challenge.

Rule

Exploration platformers fit when movement upgrades open new routes.

Good fit if

  • You want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge.
  • You care whether the game is precise, exploratory, relaxed, or combat-heavy.
  • You want to branch into metroidvania, indie, or story-light action.

Skip if

  • You dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.
  • You mainly want menu-driven strategy or turn-based planning.

Catalog-backed picks

Start here

01
Ori and the Will of the Wisps cover

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Why it fits

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a top pick because it overlaps with platforming, movement, exploration rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Ori and the Will of the Wisps because metroidvania, platforming, movement, and story rich lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

ActionAdventurePlatformermetroidvaniaplatforming
02
A Short Hike cover

A Short Hike

Why it fits

A Short Hike is a pick 2 because it overlaps with movement, exploration rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try A Short Hike because relaxing, short, movement, and story lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

AdventureIndiecozyexplorationrelaxing
03
Hollow Knight cover

Hollow Knight

Why it fits

Hollow Knight is a pick 3 because it overlaps with exploration rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Hollow Knight because bosses, atmosphere, skill, and secrets lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

ActionAdventureIndieexplorationbosses
04
Resident Evil 4 cover

Resident Evil 4

Why it fits

Resident Evil 4 is a pick 4 because it overlaps with platforming, movement rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Resident Evil 4 because horror, survival horror, third person shooter, and resource management lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

ActionAdventurehorrorsurvival horrorthird-person shooter
05
Lethal Company cover

Lethal Company

Why it fits

Lethal Company is a pick 5 because it overlaps with platforming, movement rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Lethal Company because horror, scavenging, teamwork, and risk management lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

ActionAdventureCo-ophorrorco-op
06
Pentiment cover

Pentiment

Why it fits

Pentiment is a pick 6 because it overlaps with platforming, movement rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Pentiment because story rich, choices, investigation, and dialogue lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

AdventureRPGstory richchoicesinvestigation
07
Baldur's Gate 3 cover

Baldur's Gate 3

Why it fits

Baldur's Gate 3 is a pick 7 because it overlaps with platforming, movement rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Baldur's Gate 3 because choice, tactics, companions, and fantasy lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

RPGAdventureStory RichCo-opchoice
08
Valheim cover

Valheim

Why it fits

Valheim is a pick 8 because it overlaps with exploration rather than only sharing a broad genre tag. I'd try Valheim because crafting, base building, bosses, and progression lines up with Adventure.

Tradeoff

Check this one first if you want you want jumping, traversal, movement mastery, or level-by-level challenge. Skip or tune the search if your priority is closer to: you dislike repeated jumps or mechanical execution.

SurvivalAdventureCo-opsurvivalcrafting

Movement is the hook

The strongest platformers feel good before the reward screen appears. Control, timing, and level shape carry the experience.

Precision or exploration

Some players want hard rooms and fast retries. Others want movement upgrades and secrets. The guide keeps those apart.

Review notes

How this page stays useful

PC GameDex keeps guide picks tied to visible play loops, catalog facts, and public source pages. Store popularity can help players notice a game, but it is not enough to make a title a strong recommendation when the mechanics do not fit the request.

Sources

Quick answers

Before you pick one

Are metroidvanias platformers?

Many are, but the metroidvania guide is better when ability-gated exploration is the main appeal.

How do I avoid very hard platformers?

Add relaxed, forgiving, story, or exploration in Discovery.

Do 3D platformers count?

Yes, when movement, jumps, and level mastery are central to the game.

More guides

Try these next

MetroidvaniaMetroidvania Games

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IndieIndie Games

PC indie games for distinctive ideas, smaller teams, focused mechanics, experimental stories, and memorable style.

Action AdventureAction And Adventure Games

PC games built around combat, exploration, traversal, bosses, quests, and moment-to-moment player skill.