It can easily be said that 2024 was an incredible year for gaming. Each genre, platform, and player had something great to look forward to or discover this year, and the platformer genre in particular certainly thrived. Not only is the future for the genre bright through gamescurrently in development such asRollin' Rascal, but plenty of unique games that push the expectations of the genre have been released this year as well.
Fans of the genre should most certainly try out the games in this list, but not shy away from other titles released this year. 2024 certainly has quite a lot of platformers under its belt that. Some of these games surprised critics and earned high marks and recommendations, others offered something special that changed expectations, and some just delivered on classic platforming fun in a remarkable way.In alphabetical order, here are the 10 best platformers of 2024.
Animal Well
The Metroidvania indie gameAnimal Wellis most certainly designed with the heart of platformers in mind. It’s a treat for the eyes both visually and mechanically, and it most certainly follows the tradition of platformers having as many secrets to discover as possible.Animal Wellembodies many ideas that retro platformers follow, such as allowing players to discover the world and mechanics themselves organically, which leads to a sense of discovery when solving the most complex puzzles. That’s not just on the individual either. As an example, one of these puzzlesrequired fifty individualAnimal Wellplayersto solve, and there has even been a dedicated website made to uncover all of its secrets. Being so vast, yet so fun to explore just for the sake of it, establishesAnimal Wellas an adventure that will stay with players for years to come.
Astro Bot
Game of the Year Award (TGA 2024) nomineeAstro Botwas a strong hit with both fans and critics right away, and it doesn’t take much to understand why.Astro Botis a classic platformer through and through, currently sitting at “universal acclaim” on Metacritic and “Mighty” with high scores on OpenCritic. Team Asobi’s latest release delivers a game that’s not only everything fans love about platformers, but it also embodies everything gamers love about PlayStation. The V.I.P cameo bots players can find are nostalgically adorable, but the way thatAstro Bot’s gameplay is full of wonder in and of itself is enough to cement its importance.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus
Japanese folkloretakes center stage in this hand-drawn 2.5D action platformer with a movement system that captivates players. Armed with a bo staff, players can attack enemies and use abilities to travel quickly through the air in an elegant way. Fans who enjoyedHollow Knightwould find themselves at home withBo: Path of the Teal Lotusin many ways, in part due to how Squid Shock Studios' title wears its inspiration on its sleeve.
Bo: Path of the Teal Lotus’visuals and movement system make it a unique experience that every platformer lover should try out for themselves. It deserves the praise it gets for inviting players into its world and inviting them to figure out how to move as gracefully as a flower but also be as cunning as a fox.
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines
Following its original release in 2022,Grapple Dogis back with a new playable character. Luna, as she brings firepower to the titular grapple gun gameplay, serves as the anti-hero to Pablo’s cheerful demeanor. WhileGrapple Dogs: Cosmic Caninessits at a similar run time to the original despite boasting more worlds and levels, it still delivers on the expansive experience one would expect from a sequel.
With new mechanics such as magnetic panels to roll on and a fire dash to shoot across maps,Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Caninesadds to an experience that was already memorable with even more to do and see. This is only heightened by the unique nature of new levels that feature eye-catching colors, or even the lack of them in a unique grayscale world. As a sequel,Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Caninesdoes more than enough to keep things swinging, and Luna and Pablo’s adventure is one platforming adventure players shouldn’t miss this year.
Neva
InNeva, players are invited to a stunning world filled with color and life as they explore a life-long connection with a special wolf. Exploring the landscape is how fans progress through this adventure, watching as the titular canine grows up through each of the game’s chapters. The controls are intuitive and responsive, makingNevaan easy gameto pick up and become immediately immersed in. It’s due to the ethereal presentation that gives both its delightful moments and its darker ones an ironic weight that it was nominated for three game awards at TGA 2024 this year for what it presents to players and leaves them feeling at the end. For all of its artistic merits,Nevais certainly one of the showstoppers of 2024.
Nine Sols
The developer Red Candle Games sought to giveNine Solsa unique aesthetic it calls “taopunk"that makes up the world of the 2D action-platformer, and it’s only heightened by a rich story and excellent worldbuilding throughout the adventure.Nine Solsserves as yet another Metroidvania that aims to deliver on an experience with difficulty that makes it all worthwhile, which has been received well by fans and critics. WhileNine Solsmay test players with that very same difficulty, the combat, movement, and tight protective windows are satisfying to learn, which will push fans to keep going to beat the very obstacles that stand in their way.
The Plucky Squire
The Plucky Squirecertainly lives up to the name, as the titular heroic knight is literally plucked from the pages of his storybook to explore the world beyond it. All Possible Future’s debut indie title took a rough road to reach its players, but it was most certainly worth the wait asThe Plucky Squiremight be one of the most surprisingand playful platformers out there. What could have easily been a colorfully illustrated top-down 2D platformer expands itself beyond the limits of its own presentation in a literal way by also offering 3D sections that do something different in each chapter. The fun doesn’t stop there, as players get to shape the world of the book by switching and swapping words, each one having a different effect on the environment.The Plucky Squireis a love letter to creativity in its gameplay, innovation, and even its story that any creative player will appreciate.
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
2024 kicked off with one of the best platformers of the year,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. It’s also one of the best games within its franchise. Despite the name, players take the role of Sargon, an Immortal, rather than a prince. Looking back,Prince of Persia: The Lost Crowndid a great job at setting the tone for the rest of the year for platformers. It offered a rewarding experience at a lower price tag early in the year before the other titles kept the trend going, and even released a DLC expansion within a year of its release.
In terms ofThe Lost Crown’s gameplay, it excels at the exploration one would expect from the genre and thePrince of Persiaseries while also delivering on a satisfying combat progression. With fun skills to unlock, upgrades, and the encouraging special animations that happen with well-timed parries,The Lost Crownis a delight to go through.
Sonic X Shadow Generations
Sonic X Shadow Generationstakes a Sonic Team favoriteand gives it a new paint job of blue, black, and red as Sonic steps aside to let Shadow the Hedgehog share spotlight. This collection seesSonic Generationsremastered with new cutscenes, dialogue, and new Chao collectibles in each stage to make die-hard fans happy. However, it could be easily said thatShadow Generationssteals the show.
Armed with the knowledge of theSonicgames that came after the original, Shadow’s new solo campaign technically covers the character’s past and future in a way that changes the gameplay entirely. Chaos Control allows players to stop even the in-game clocks to skillfully cut down the timers to less than 30 seconds to meet objectives, twisting the expectations ofSonic’s entire formula in ways only the Ultimate Lifeform could pull off. With the blue and black blurs serving up two similar yet different experiences in one package, they come together to create a platformer experience that stands out against the genre’s usual atmosphere.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble
Super Monkey Ballmakes a grand returnafter being relegated to remasters and one mobile game for over a decade, andBanana Rumbledoes a great job at making this renewed release count. The tilt and tumble fun the series is known for can be experienced across a whopping 200 stages, with 11 customizable characters, and a few DLC guests ranging from the expected cast ofSonic the Hedgehogto surprises like Hatsune Miku and Godzilla. It’s impossible to have any problems withSuper Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble’s wacky roster when all the characters are backed up with incredibly tight and responsive controls, makingBanana Rumblea great game for newcomers and die-hard fans.
With co-op modes that go as high as 16 players included,Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumbleis a unique party game platformer that will certainly create mayhem worth laughing about among fans. It’s great to see such a unique series return with such flair, dedication, and variety among so many other impressive platformers. No matter if players are doing their best to roll and collect every banana, beat personal records, or learn jump tricks to work around tricky obstacles and maps,Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumbleproves that monkeying around can be fun and challenging at the same time once more.
