Highlights
- Platforming games on Itch.io offer a wide variety of unique and lesser-known experiences, such as Station 37's retro firefighting mechanics and Hands' absurd and trippy puzzles.
- One Last Adventure stands out among Jani Nykanen's platformers, featuring an adorable art style and capturing the essence of classic Mario games.
- SELF is a challenging puzzle platformer that impresses with its seamless progression, catchy soundtrack, and potential for becoming a full-length game.
Platforming is an old genre, established in the 80s with games like Donkey Kong, and has seen huge popularity over the years. It is a broad genre, full of offshoots like the Metroidvania and puzzle platforming genres.
While most platforming connoisseurs are likely to know and love the big names, and maybe even some indie projects, there are plenty of phenomenal platforming games out there that are less well-known but no less deserving of love. Itch.io is a great platform to explore these emerging games, and perhaps players will even discover their new favorite platforming game among these projects.
10 Station 37
Classic Platforming Style With Unique Mechanics
- Published: November 9, 2023
- Status: Released
- Developer: FrankieSmileShow, themonstreking
This game follows the classic platforming formula in a gorgeous retro art style but follows a unique premise. Players control a firefighter, rushing into burning buildings in an attempt to rescue as many of the civilians trapped inside as possible.
This opens up unique mechanics, notably the firehose that players will rely on to keep the flames at bay. Station 37 also features a very bizarre twist when players reach the top of the building, which only adds to the enjoyment of the game! Just don't go in expecting a gritty and realistic depiction of life as a firefighter.
9 Hands
Wildly Absurd Experience
- Published: June 25, 2023
- Status: Released
- Developer: yumehiko
If Station 37 is somewhat quirky, Hands is an entirely absurd experience and provides a platforming game like no other. Players control a hand that navigates by "walking" along on two fingers. To progress, players must guide their hand through unusual looping puzzles.
They will navigate surreal and mostly static backgrounds, before giving a handshake to another hand to reach the next dream-like location. It is quite a short experience but, with psychedelic hand songs and hand-shaking, biblically accurate angels, it is one that players aren't going to forget for a long time, even if memories of it feel like a fever dream.
8 One Last Adventure
Adorable Art Style
- Published: November 8, 2023
- Status: Released
- Developer: Jani Nykanen
The developer of One Last Adventure, Jani Nykanen, has a strong collection of platformers, including puzzle platformers and Metroidvanias. Of all of these, however, their most recent acts as a brilliant culmination of their skills.
One Last Adventure is a Metroidvania in an adorable art style that is reminiscent of old Mario games, providing an overall similar feel to the beloved classic platformer series. Despite being a very recent release, it has already received a lot of well-deserved love. Here's hoping it doesn't have to be the final adventure for the extremely talented developer.
7 Down Hole
Addictive Downward Moving Rouge-Lite Mobile Platformer
- Published: February 23, 2020
- Status: Released
- Developer: petermilko
Down Hole provides a unique take on the platforming genre. Instead of the movement being primarily horizontal or upwards, players will be moving down through holes, as the title suggests. The mechanics involve putting a ball-like creature down through the randomly generated levels, and breaking bricks to allow for this downward movement.
Combining platformer with roguelite, players can discover power-ups to assist in their descent. To add to the experience, players can use their hard-earned in-game coins to unlock adorable new character cosmetics. While the game does play well in the browser on Itch.io, it feels like it is made for the phone, and players can download it for free on the Play Store for mobile.
6 Pikwip
Adorable And Cozy Co-op Platformer
- Published: April 20, 2020
- Status: Prototype
- Developer: cookiecrayon
This adorable snowy platforming game was created in only 72 hours for the "Summit" themed Mini Jam of 2020. Players control two cutesy characters, one with the arrow keys and one with WASD, meaning that it can be played single-player or as a local two-player co-op experience. It is the goal of the player or players to help the two characters, who are tethered together, climb to the summit of a snowy mountain.
The game is short, understandable given the time frame it was produced in, but it is a sweet game worth experiencing. The itch page states that developers, cookiecrayon, are planning on extending the prototype into a full game, and the adorable Pikwip is definitely one to keep an eye on!
5 Nameless
Beautiful Puzzle Platforming Fan Game
- Published: November 17, 2023
- Status: Released
- Developer: SK_Jynx
Nameless was created as a fan game based on the "Mumei" song and music video by the virtual YouTuber, Nanashi Mumei. While it will, of course, delight fans of the YouTuber and the original song, Nameless stands out as a game in its own right. The beautiful art style and narrative reflect that of its source material, resulting in a beautiful monochromatic design, adorable animations, and an overall charmingly melancholic experience.
The gameplay is primarily that of a puzzle platformer, and the puzzles themselves are impressively intuitive. While never fully reaching their grand scale, the experience is likely to be enjoyed by fans of Inside and Limbo in a stylistic sense, or Undertale and Night In The Woods for the narrative.
4 SELF
Mechanically Impressive Seamless Platforming Experience
Although it is quite a short experience, SELF is everything players could want from a unique and challenging puzzle platforming game. The primary mechanic is the player's "soul" ability, which allows them to control the arc of their next jump for a short moment. Every puzzle is built around this one mechanic, meaning that each level is a concise and thought-out experience.
Progression between these levels is seamless. The soundtrack is also really catchy, and they seem to have a fairly active community of people attempting to break the speedrunning record. The developers have expressed interest in making SELF a full-length game, and it deserves it.
3 Ruin Valley
Impressively Interactive Metroidvania Experience
- Published: August 13, 2021
- Status: In Development
- Developer: Pavel Shibaev
Despite also being a short game, the demo for Ruin Valley quickly establishes itself as an impressive Metroidvania experience. The retro art style is stunning and vibrant, and the gameplay is highly engaging. The game also impressed thanks to the surprising level of interactivity within such a small game.
Individual chains, that look as if they could be part of the background, will move as players brush past them. There is even a brief underwater segment! Ruin Valley receives comparison to established Metroidvanias like Hollow Knight and Momodora, and rightfully so. It is a highly enjoyable experience, and will make an incredible addition to the Metroidvania hall of fame, should it reach full development.
2 A Short Hike
Cute Casual Platformer With Overwhelmingly Positive Reviews On Steam
- Developer: adamgryu
While Itch.io is great for uncovering hidden gems, some more well-known games are gracing the site. There is a big jump in recognition between the third entry and the second. A Short Hike may be an indie game, but it also has overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, where it costs $7.99, and is also available for free with Xbox Game Pass.
A Short Hike also costs $7.99 on Itch, but the experience is worth paying for, especially for fans of cute and casual games like Animal Crossing. The game is somewhat about hiking to the summit of a mountain, but it's far more about the sweet experiences that players have along the way. The gliding mechanic is great fun, and the soundtrack is just delightful!
1 Celeste
Award Winning And Influential Platformer
- Developer: Maddy Makes Games
By far the most well-known and popular platforming game on Itch.io is Celeste, and for good reason. Celeste is also, at its most basic level, about climbing a mountain (which seems to be a common theme in platforming games). But, primarily, it is a touching and sensitive exploration of anxiety and depression.
Celeste won the 2018 Game Awards accolades for Best Indie Game and Games for Impact. It is also renowned for its high levels of difficulty, but influential accessibility options. Celeste has remained an outstanding example of platforming since its release and is available to play on Itch for $19.99.