The platformer genre is one of the oldest experiences within the gaming industry, commonly associated with classic franchises like Mario and Sonic. Over the years, the genre has continued to evolve and grow from the classic days of simply running and jumping, typically incorporating additional mechanics such as the running and gunning of Contra, puzzle-style obstacles of Braid, or even the RPG features in titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

This year saw an extremely diverse set of platforming games, giving fans a wealth of options to pick from puzzle platformers, music-infused experiences, first-person action, and everything else in between. For those who wanted a more traditional platforming experience, even Nintendo managed to launch a brand-new Super Mario Bros experience. With so many options to pick from, here are the 10 best platformers that launched in 2023, in no particular order.

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Astral Ascent

Astral Ascent takes the classic 2D side-scrolling platformer style and mixes it with Rogue-lite elements inside a modern fantasy world. Players can pick from 4 different heroes that can be fully customized to their preferred play style thanks to dozens of upgradable spells to pick from or combined for different style effects. One element of Astral Ascent that players have raved about is its impressive boss battles, putting players up against the 12 Zodiacs. Better yet, Astral Ascent not only supports solo players, but it has a 2-player option as well.

Players continue to get stronger even after defeat, as each run presents new opportunities to upgrade abilities or unlock new ones. Characters will continue to offer new details about the world or themselves, pushing the game's narrative forward through successive runs. In addition to combat, each level features plenty of platforming across various handcrafted worlds to explore hidden secrets or utilize abilities to overcome some light puzzle elements as well.

Disney Illusion Island

Read Game ZXC's Disney Illusion Island Review

A classic platforming experience, Disney Illusion Island is a 2D side-scrolling platform title that also manages to combine a light amount of Metroidvania-style gameplay. As Mickey, Minnie, Donald, or Goofy, players will be running and jumping their way through Monolith Island. There are no direct combat options, so players will need to avoid attacks, even during various boss battles. Instead, players can engage with platforming-specific moves to indirectly damage the boss.

While progressing through the game, players will also unlock new abilities for the characters, like being able to wall jump, swing, and more. Not only do these open up new possibilities for traversing through a level, but players can backtrack to previous levels with these new abilities to track down hidden collectible items like concept art, backstories, and other digital Disney memorabilia.

disney illusion island
Disney Illusion Island

Disney Illusion Island is a Switch exclusive that follows Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and Minnie as they investigate the island of Monoth. The 2D platformer has multiple playable characters, 4-player co-op, and hand-drawn animation.

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
July 28, 2023
Developer(s)
Dlala Studios
Publisher(s)
Disney Interactive
Genre(s)
Platformer

Ghostrunner 2

A nominee for Best Action Game at The 2023 Game Awards is Ghostrunner 2, a sequel to One More Level's debut title in 2020. Retaining the first-person perspective gameplay and lighting-fast, one-hit-kill combat, Ghostrunner 2 take the franchise forward, including the addition of a stamina meter, a ridable motorcycle, and new special abilities like Shadow, which turns protagonist Jack invisible.

Between the action, players will be traversing the newly improved Ghostrunner 2 world through a variety of abilities like dashing, wall-running, sliding, and utilizing a grappling hook to reach higher ledges as well as swing through the levels. Unlike the previous game, levels in Ghostrunner 2 are non-linear, meaning that players can plan their routes to avoid tricky spots or potentially get the drop on waiting enemies.

Hi-Fi Rush

One of the biggest surprises of 2023 is Hi-Fi Rush, a game that was announced and then released all on the same day. However, the most shocking aspect of Hi-Fi Rush is that it was developed by Tango Gameworks, a studio founded by the former Resident Evil director Shinji Mikami and is primarily known for its survival horror franchise, The Evil Within. Hi-Fi Rush is about as opposite as a game could be as not only does it utilize a much brighter color palette and feature loads of stylish charm, but the biggest gameplay mechanic revolves around music and matching player actions to the rhythm of each level.

Taking place across multiple linear style levels, players will be running, dashing, and jumping from area to area, with action-based fight sequences and boss battles mixed in. Players can also upgrade their abilities to unlock new moves, abilities, and other perks though they'll need to find hidden collectibles and other resources by navigating and exploring each level all while trying to stay on beat. Completionists can also go back into a level select menu to uncover any secrets, complete challenges, and anything else they may have missed the first time through.

Jusant

Arriving from Don't Nod, the French developer responsible for IPs like Remember Me, Life is Strange, and the upcoming Banishers: Ghost of New Eden, Jusant is a puzzle platformer that tasks players with climbing a desolate tower. This massive structure is so big that it incorporates multiple biomes, each one adding unique mechanics and traversal methods. Without any dialogue, Jusant relies heavily on the environment to tell the story, with players learning more about the civilization as well as what happened to them.

Unlike many other platformers on this list, Jusant utilizes a unique climbing mechanic that requires placing the character's hands on raised surfaces to ascend. There's also a stamina meter that needs to be maintained while climbing, tools like pitons and ropes to make backtracking easier, as well as utilizing the environment and solving puzzles on occasion. A companion character named Ballast not only reveals clues to the player when needed, but it'll open new paths by waking the nature trapped in these areas, opening new paths and adding a splash of color to the world.

The Last Faith

Read Game ZXC's review of The Last Faith

Taking inspiration from Konami's Castlevania series is The Last Faith, a game that originally began as a Kickstarter campaign. As a Metroidvania experience, The Last Faith mixes combat and platforming together, while gradually unlocking more and more upgrades that allow players to go back to open previously blocked doors or paths. The game mixes melee and ranged combat, alongside specialized abilities and magic, giving players plenty of options for how to deal with the Gothic horrors and bosses awaiting them.

Players take on the character Eryk, who seemingly awakens and is unable to remember his past. Struck with an affliction that is seemingly causing his mind and conscience to deteriorate, Eryk takes on a cursed mission to find answers as well as a cure. In addition to unique boss encounters, The Last Faith will push players to find ways to traverse its landscape, with new skills helping to take what's possible even further.

TheLastFaithCoverArt
The Last Faith
Platform(s)
PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
November 15, 2023
Developer(s)
Playstack
Publisher(s)
Kumi Souls Games
Genre(s)
Metroidvania

Pizza Tower

Seemingly coming out of nowhere early in 2023 was the indie game Pizza Tower, which quickly went on to become a viral hit and also one of the highest-rated games on Steam following its release. A classic 2D side-scrolling experience, players take on the role of Peppino Spaghetti, who sets out to defeat his rival Pizzaface after the latter threatens to destroy his struggling restaurant. The tower serves as the hub world of the game, connecting players to each of the five floors, each containing four levels and then a boss fight.

The pixel art title takes inspiration from Nintendo's Wario Land series, giving Peppino momentum-based abilities like shoulder charge, roll, and slide to help get through enemies, run up walls, and get past obstacles. Levels hold plenty of secrets to find, some even granting new abilities or cosmetics, and even creatures that help unlock boss fights. The end of most levels triggers a "Pizza Time" event that challenges the player to backtrack through the level to the beginning before a timer reaches zero. Finally, the player is then graded on their performance, getting a letter grade based on how well they performed.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Read Game ZXC's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review

While technically considered an action-adventure game, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor deserves a spot here thanks to its level design, which places a heavy emphasis on running, jumping, and using Jedi abilities to navigate platforms and terrain. There's certainly no shortage of lightsaber, though between these action-heavy moments, players will largely be navigating and exploring various and larger open levels to reach new objectives or push the game's narrative along.

Not only that, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor features plenty of collectibles like datadiscs or essences, many of which are hidden or specifically placed within tricky-to-reach areas within the world, testing the player's platforming ability and skills. There are no better examples than the optional Jedi Meditation Chambers, which typically feature heavy platforming and puzzle-solving elements that eventually lead to perks and lightsaber-related cosmetic items. To help with exploration, Respawn even attempted to improve on some of the shortcomings from the first game by adding ridable mounts, as well as fast travel, to help players navigate these larger open spaces beyond just using their own abilities.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

For many gamers, "Super Mario" is synonymous with the platforming genre, and Nintendo surprised a lot of fans when it announced a brand-new 2D Mario game in summer 2023. Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes players to the Flower Kingdom to visit with Prince Florian and see their treasures known as Wonder Flowers. Unsurprisingly, Bowser shows up, steals a Wonder Flower, and essentially merges with Florian's castle to cause general chaos across the land.

Gameplay-wise, Wonder checks all the platforming boxes, returning Mario and friends to the classic side-scrolling gameplay through beating worlds and their various levels. In addition to standard Mario powerups, players can interact with a fruit that turns them into an Elephant, a drill allowing them to burrow under or through ceilings, and a flower that grants bubbles for trapping enemies or to be used as temporary platforms. Super Mario Bros Wonder players can also unlock special badges which provide bonuses or change up normal gameplay such as the ability to go completely invisible, grapple to ledges, or speedrun the entire stage. One other trick up Nintendo's sleeve is the previously mentioned Wonder Flowers, which trigger unique and outright bizarre effects in each level.

super mario bros wonder
Super Mario Bros. Wonder

A return to the franchise's 2D side-scrolling roots, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a Nintendo Switch exclusive. Supporting up to four-player co-op and featuring playable characters like Princess Peach and Luigi, Super Mario Bros. Wonder revamps a classic formula with fresh twists, including a mechanic called Wonder Effects that cause stages to come alive.

Platform(s)
Switch
Released
October 20, 2023
Developer(s)
Nintendo EPD
Publisher(s)
Nintendo
Genre(s)
Platformer

Vernal Edge

Featuring 2D-style pixel art, Vernal Edge mixes Metroidvania-style platforming with fast-paced and precise combat one would typically associate with Capcom's Devil May Cry series. The combat system is fast-paced and mixes melee attacks and abilities with magical powers, letting players not only string together attacks but juggle enemies in the air as well. Players do have some defensive options at their disposal, reflecting attacks, parrying, air blocking, and more, opening up a wealth of options for overcoming the numerous challenges and boss battles.

Exploration is a key part of Vernal Edge, as players traverse the environment using double jumps, sliding, dashing, and wall jumping to move around the levels to discover secrets, powerups, abilities, and much more. There's even an airship that players can take to travel to new areas of the fragmented kingdom, opening up a brand-new map to explore through, eventually leading to more fast-paced one-on-one boss fights.