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Games Lists Best Indie Platformer Games

Best Indie Platformer Games

Platformers are one of the most popular game genres, and at the same time the easiest to implement. That is why many novice independent developers start their journey with platformers.

However, this does not mean that all indie platformers are made by beginners. Many of them are considered the best in their class due to their unusual ideas.

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Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Arcade, Action, Adventure, Platformer, Indie, Side view, Metroidvania
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September 4, 2025
VGTimes: 8.2/10
Players: 8.5/10
Steam: 93/100
Metacritic: 91/100
A sequel to the hardcore action platformer Hollow Knight. The game takes you to a new world — the fallen kingdom of Pharlum, where silk and song rule. Here, Hornet...
SIGNALIS
SIGNALIS
Action, Adventure, Horror, Futurism (Future), Indie, Side view, Survival horror, Science fiction, Puzzle
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October 27, 2022
Players: 9.6/10
Steam: 96/100
Metacritic: 81/100
SIGNALIS is a classic sci-fi horror, the style of which is very reminiscent of the movie "Alien". Finding herself alone on the snowy planet Elster, the main...
Dead Cells
Dead Cells
Action, Roguelike, Side view, Adventure, Metroidvania
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August 6, 2018
Players: 8.9/10
Steam: 96/100
Metacritic: 89/100
The main character tries to reach the end of a large castle, but on the way, he will encounter a whole horde of various monsters that will hit, throw, burn, and...
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight
Action, Adventure, Platformer, Indie, Side view, Metroidvania
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February 24, 2017
Players: 8.8/10
Steam: 97/100
Metacritic: 89/100
An atmospheric action-platformer about a journey through the dying underground kingdom of Hallownest, inhabited by mysterious insects and strange creatures. A dark...
Cuphead
Cuphead
Arcade, Action, Platformer, Beat them all, Side view, Cooperative (co-op), Online
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September 29, 2017
Players: 7.4/10
Steam: 96/100
Metacritic: 87/100
A hardcore action platformer made in the style of classic animation from the 30s. The main character lost his life to the devil at dice, and is now forced to run...
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy
Action, Platformer, Sandbox, Indie
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October 20, 2010
Players: 8.3/10
Steam: 93/100
Metacritic: 87/100
Super Meat Boy is a hardcore 2D side-scrolling platformer. You have to help the meat cube save his beloved, who was kidnapped by the evil scientist Dr. Fitus. The...
Geometry Dash
Geometry Dash
Arcade, Platformer, Sandbox, Indie, Side view, Music game
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November 23, 2013
Players: 7.4/10
Steam: 93/100
Geometry Dash is a fast-paced arcade platformer where you have to jump and dodge over various obstacles. The game has many levels that will bring many challenges...
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove
Arcade, Action, Beat them all, Platformer, Side view, Indie, Adventure
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June 26, 2014
Players: 8/10
Steam: 95/100
Metacritic: 88/100
Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is an old-school pixelated platformer about Shovel Knight, who must destroy his enemies to save his beloved and defeat the evil...
Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2
Arcade, Platformer, Roguelike, Side view, Cooperative (co-op), Replayability
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September 15, 2020
Players: 6.8/10
Steam: 93/100
Metacritic: 89/100
Spelunky 2 is a sequel to the fun side-scrolling arcade platformer with procedurally generated levels. This time you have to embark on an adventure as the child of...
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course
Arcade, Action, DLC, Beat them all, Platformer, Side view, Indie, Online
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June 30, 2022
Players: 7.4/10
Steam: 94/100
Metacritic: 89/100
Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course — an expansion for the hardcore side-scrolling action-platformer, designed in the style of classic 1930s animation. The story...
Rogue Legacy
Rogue Legacy
Arcade, Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, Platformer, Fantasy / Medieval, Indie, Roguelike
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June 27, 2013
Players: 8.3/10
Steam: 91/100
Metacritic: 84/100
Rogue Legacy is a fantasy platforming roguelite in which a hero explores procedurally generated castles and battles enemies. When a character dies, an heir takes...
Celeste
Celeste
Action, Platformer, Indie, Side view, Adventure
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January 25, 2018
Players: 8.5/10
Steam: 97/100
Metacritic: 91/100
Celeste is a hardcore side-scrolling action platformer from the creator of TowerFall. More than 250 levels await you, and the locations include abandoned cities...
Fez
Fez
Action, Platformer, Puzzle, Indie
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April 13, 2012
Players: 7.1/10
Steam: 91/100
Metacritic: 90/100
Fez is a side-scrolling indie adventure platformer. The action takes place in a 3D world, allowing the player to explore and traverse colorful worlds by rotating...
Spelunky
Spelunky
Arcade, Action, Adventure, Platformer, Roguelike, Indie
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July 4, 2012
Players: 8.4/10
Steam: 92/100
Metacritic: 87/100
Spelunky is a fun adventure that takes you to explore dangerous but rich mines. You will control a rather big-nosed but cute gold digger who came to the mines for...
BattleBlock Theater
BattleBlock Theater
Arcade, Online, Action, Platformer, Side view, Cooperative (co-op), Comedy
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April 3, 2013
Players: 8.6/10
Steam: 97/100
Metacritic: 85/100
BattleBlock Theater is a side-scrolling multiplayer action platformer. There are a total of eight different modes available in the game. In Soul, the player will...
Botanicula
Botanicula
Adventure, Third-person view, Puzzle, Arcade, Casual game, Point & Click, Exploration
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April 19, 2012
VGTimes: 8.0/10
Players: 8.2/10
Steam: 95/100
Metacritic: 82/100
Botanicula is an adventure arcade puzzle game with a third-person view. In this game you will find a relaxing atmosphere, a huge number of detailed locations that...
Gunpoint
Gunpoint
Arcade, Action, Stealth, Platformer, Indie, Tactics, Puzzle
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June 3, 2013
Players: 8.3/10
Steam: 100/100
Metacritic: 83/100
Gunpoint is a stealth puzzle game about a freelance spy who takes jobs infiltrating secure buildings to steal sensitive data. Across 20 missions, a story of murder...
The Swapper
The Swapper
Arcade, Platformer, Futurism (Future), Puzzle, Indie, Side view, Science fiction
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May 30, 2013
Players: 10/10
Steam: 93/100
Metacritic: 85/100
Side-scrolling arcade puzzle platformer in a sci-fi setting. In this game, a lone astronaut will explore a cave created by aliens. In order to get to its secrets...
Braid
Braid
Action, Strategy, Platformer, Third-person view, Puzzle, Sandbox, Indie
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August 6, 2008
Players: 8.6/10
Steam: 90/100
Metacritic: 92/100
Braid is a 2D puzzle-platformer with painterly visuals. Setting out from a house in the city, the protagonist travels through a series of worlds to rescue an...
Cave Story+
Cave Story+
Arcade, Action, Adventure, Platformer, Side view, Exploration, Metroidvania
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September 8, 2011
Players: 10/10
Steam: 91/100
Metacritic: 88/100
Cave Story+ is a supplemented and improved version of the arcade action-platform with the side of the Cave Story. You have to go to a fascinating world where an...
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment
Arcade, DLC, Fantasy / Medieval, Free game, Side view, Action, Indie, Adventure
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March 3, 2017
Steam: 94/100
Metacritic: 84/100
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is a free add-on for owners of the side-scrolling arcade platformer Shovel Knight. You have to take the other side of the...
Unepic
Unepic
Role-playing game, Action, Platformer, Fantasy / Medieval, Side view, Indie, Metroidvania
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October 2, 2011
Players: 8/10
Steam: 84/100
Metacritic: 69/100
Unepic is a side-scrolling action-platformer RPG in a fantasy setting. You will play as Daniel, who, due to strange circumstances, finds himself in the ancient and...
Nidhogg
Nidhogg
Fighting, Platformer, Indie, Action
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January 13, 2014
Players: 4/10
Steam: 91/100
Metacritic: 81/100
A fighting game with platforming elements built around sword duels played as a tug-of-war. In Nidhogg, two players battle across an arena that stretches in both...
Gish
Gish
Action, Strategy, Third-person view, Puzzle, Sandbox, Indie, Adventure
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August 2, 2004
Players: 9.6/10
Steam: 61/100
Metacritic: 80/100
This action-adventure game with puzzle elements follows Gish, a ball of tar who ventures into the subterranean sewers of the forgotten city of Dross to rescue his...
Chasm
Chasm
Arcade, Role-playing game, Action, Adventure, Platformer, Fantasy / Medieval, Indie, Roguelike, Metroidvania
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July 30, 2018
Players: 5.9/10
Steam: 75/100
Metacritic: 72/100
Chasm is a side-scrolling adventure RPG action platformer in a fantasy setting. You have to try on the role of a young recruit performing his first mission...
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Arcade, DLC, Platformer, Fantasy / Medieval, Side view
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September 17, 2015
Players: 10/10
Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows — You play as the Plague Knight, a villainous master of alchemy, on his own adventure. Using his maniacal scientific mind...
The Pest
The Pest
Side view, Platformer, Puzzle, Indie
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May 19, 2022
Steam: 75/100
The main character is a tiny pest virus that is heading towards the core of the system. The player solves complex puzzles and tries to avoid dangerous computer...
Pompom the Great Space Rescue
Pompom the Great Space Rescue
Indie, Side view, Platformer, Comedy, Space, Old school
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March 14, 2022
Players: 10/10
Steam: 86/100
A hamster named Pompom goes into space to save the boy Hoshi and stop the gang of space cat pirates Captain Murmyous. The main feature of the game is that you need...
Magneko
Magneko
Arcade, Platformer, Puzzle, Indie, Casual game
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August 20, 2022
Steam: 81/100
Magneko is an indie arcade puzzle game with platforming elements. This is a cat who lives in the witch's house. Punished for some mistakes, the cat became a magical...
Bridge
Bridge
Arcade, Puzzle, Logic, Side view
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February 22, 2013
Steam: 70/100
Bridge is a side view arcade game with a hint of puzzle from the developers from The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild studio. The main publishers of the game are...
Astral Coconut
Astral Coconut
Third-person view, Platformer, Science fiction, Action, Adventure
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February 10, 2023
Steam: 84/100
The main character explores a vibrant alien world and fights against opponents. Skills can be upgraded to solve more complex problems as you move towards the very...
Steelborn
Steelborn
Arcade, Action, Platformer, Combat robots, Indie, Roguelike, Side view, Exploration
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March 8, 2023
Players: 9/10
Steam: 79/100
Earth headquarters have lost contact with a remote colony on planet VL-744. The main character, together with his faithful fighting vehicle, goes on reconnaissance...
Panda Parkour
Panda Parkour
Side view, Platformer
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June 17, 2022
Panda Parkour is a side-scrolling platformer. You play as a panda and overcome difficult terrain while collecting as many coins as possible. Every time you...
Dustforce
Dustforce
Action, Platformer, Third-person view, Sandbox, Indie
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January 17, 2012
Players: 9.2/10
Steam: 93/100
Metacritic: 74/100
Dustforce — the gameplay is based on acrobatic stunts. Playing as one of four cleaning heroes, the player tries to clear the dirt from the level as quickly as...
NinjaThea
NinjaThea
Casual game, Action, Platformer, Indie, Side view, Old school
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August 23, 2022
Steam: 96/100
NinjaThea is a casual indie side-scrolling action platformer. Mischievous creatures have stolen all the fruit from the local grocery store. You, the brave little...
NRG
NRG
Third-person view, Cooperative (co-op), Action, Indie, Platformer
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February 9, 2023
Steam: 77/100
A vibrant game in which robots fight in arenas in various modes. There are platforms placed at locations that help you quickly hide from enemies or take them by...

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