2D platformers have a long and varied history in the world of gaming. Ever since Mario first stomped on Goombas, 2D platformers have taken gamers on many different exciting adventures.

I don’t envy anyone trying to make a great 2D puzzle platformer in 2025. It’s a very crowded genre, and sometimes it can feel like there aren’t many more ways to spin it into something new.

Whether it’s 2D sidescrollers or 3D sandboxes, the platformer is a foundational video game genre. Run, don’t walk, to play the best games about jumping as skillfully as possible.